Kelly Kilham
Senior vice president, Konover Residential Corp.
Age: 46
Industry experience: 26 years
After starting her career at one of the nation’s largest apartment landlords and assuming a leadership role at Connecticut’s apartment owners group, Kelly Kilham joined Simon Konover Co. in July as the West Hartford developer charts expansion focused on the multifamily sector.
A past president of the Connecticut Apartment Association who currently co-chairs its government affairs committee, Kilham has advocated for increasing housing production to address the state’s housing shortage. As the senior vice president of Konover Residential Corp., Kilham oversees the marketing and lease-up of notable new developments across the Nutmeg State.
The company oversees a portfolio of approximately 4,000 Konover-owned apartments and 3,000 managed for other landlords. Prior to joining Konover Residential, Kilham was a vice president at Glastonbury-based Trio Properties.
Q: What new projects is Konover Residential currently leasing or preparing to market in Connecticut?
A: The Pike in Newington is 150 units and the doors just opened last month, and we’re almost 20 percent leased. Riverpointe in Cheshire is 300 units which just opened 30 days ago, and we are working in Groton at Triton Square, which is 305 units and will begin leasing in January.
Q: How do the newest projects reflect tenant preferences in common area amenities and unit features?
A: As consumers, we want all the bells and whistles, so the more amenities we are able to offer, the more attractive that is to people. Just a little flashier: nice big clubhouses, even valet services, smart technology, smart thermostats. Since the pandemic, the shift we’ve seen is the volume of pets that people have. Pre-pandemic, maybe we’d see an average of 20 percent of the community and that’s certainly risen. Having dog parks and pet-washing stations available at the communities, and a lot of touchdown stations in the community rooms. Rather than having one big kitchen and bar and counter area, we’re seeing a lot more individualized seating in spaces. A lot of people work from home and potentially get out of their apartment to be in public seating, but have their own personal space.
Q: What do landlords need to know about tenant screening to comply with legal requirements while optimizing occupancy rates?
A: We are checking the same things on everybody as it relates to income, credit history, landlord history, which has been pretty standard in my career for about 25 years here in Connecticut. Online leasing is a great tool we didn’t have in the past. Even a handful of years ago, we didn’t have the ability to deliver a lease to somebody, to have somebody pay their rent through a portal, and all of the changes that happened in the last five or 10 years. That level of technology is something that renters want, in addition to coming to a community that has great amenities: to be seamless and purchase like you do on Amazon. You want to be able to sign your lease, and pay your rent, and not even have to talk to anybody. It took our industry a little longer to get there than it did in other industries, but we’re there now. Self-tours were not even thought of pre-pandemic, and now those are standard.
Q: Did Konover’s recent focus on multifamily properties factor into your interest in the position?
A: I have a fond respect for President Greg Konover, and the company is really family oriented, so it’s been a fantastic transition. They have a great team and a lot of longevity. It’s not unheard-of to have somebody say they’ve been with the company for 15 or 16 years. It’s a fast-growing company and I’m excited to be part of it
Kilham’s Five Favorite Olympic Sports:
- Bobsleigh
- Alpine Skiing
- Beach Volleyball
- Swimming
- Gymnastics
