Amenity-Based Pricing: The Hidden Goldmine in Your Rent Roll

In real estate, every square foot counts, but not every square foot is priced like it should. While most properties have long embraced revenue management for rents, far fewer have extended that same logic to the features and amenities that drive tenant decisions. The result? Millions in potential revenue left sitting quietly on the balance sheet.

Amenity-based pricing isn’t new. Platforms like Yardi RentCafe and Yardi Voyager have built-in capabilities to track, differentiate, and dynamically price amenities. Yet adoption remains surprisingly low across portfolios. In many cases, even operators using Yardi to manage rent pricing still manually “bake in” amenity value or apply flat-rate premiums that fail to reflect real market demand.

It’s time to change that.

The Missed Opportunity: “Free” Amenities That Aren’t

Let’s start with the problem.

When every unit in a multifamily building is priced as if it were the same, properties ignore the real-world value that residents place on convenience, lifestyle, and experience. From corner views and in-suite laundry to EV charging, smart thermostats, and pool access, residents are already assigning value to these amenities in their decision-making.

The challenge is that most owners and operators aren’t capturing it, at least not strategically.

Many property teams either:

• Roll amenities into the base rent (making it impossible to measure ROI), or
• Apply static add-ons ($25 for a parking spot, $50 for a view) that don’t change over time or reflect actual market trends.

In today’s market, where renters expect personalization, this one-size-fits-all model feels outdated and costly.

What Amenity-Based Pricing Actually Means

Amenity-based pricing is a data-driven approach that assigns real, measurable value to unit-specific and shared amenities. Instead of a static premium, pricing flexes based on location, demand, and usage patterns much like hotel or airline pricing.

Using a system like Yardi’s RentCafe CRM IQ or Revenue IQ, operators can:

• Define and track amenities at the unit level (e.g., “balcony,” “in-suite laundry,” “smart thermostat”)
• Automatically calculate rent differentials based on market and internal data
• Update pricing dynamically as demand shifts

In other words, it transforms gut-feel pricing into a structured, repeatable revenue strategy.

Why More Properties Don’t Use It

So, if the technology exists, why aren’t more operators using it?

The short answer: inertia.

Here are the most common barriers we see when auditing portfolios:

1. Legacy mindset: Many owners still view amenities as “nice-to-haves” rather than revenue drivers. They’ve priced units the same way for years and hesitate to introduce new complexity.
2. Fragmented data: Without integrated systems, teams can’t easily see how specific amenities affect lease velocity or rent growth.
3. Fear of friction: Leasing teams worry that amenity-based pricing might confuse prospects or complicate renewals.
4. Underutilized tech: Yardi customers often don’t realize they already have the tools they need, they just aren’t configured or fully adopted.

These challenges are understandable, but they’re not insurmountable. The upside of addressing them is too big to ignore.

The Payoff: Revenue, Insight, and Control

Amenity-based pricing can deliver significant gains with minimal disruption, especially when layered into existing Yardi environments.

At Atlas Global Advisors, we’ve seen properties achieve:

• 2–5% lift in average rent per unit within the first six months of implementation
• Faster leasing velocity by aligning price points with real renter preferences
• Clear ROI tracking for capital improvements (finally proving that the $300,000 spent on new balconies was worth it)

The power of this model isn’t just the incremental rent bump, it’s the clarity. Once amenities are systematically tracked and priced, operators can see which features actually influence leasing performance. That insight shapes smarter investment decisions.

How to Make It Work

If you’re ready to make amenity-based pricing part of your property strategy, here’s where to start:

1. Audit your data

Before anything else, understand what you’re working with.

• Are amenities currently tracked at the unit level in Yardi?
• Is that data accurate and consistently maintained?
• Are you tracking market comps that reflect amenity differences?

Data hygiene is the foundation. Without it, even the best pricing model will fail.

2. Define what counts as an amenity

It’s not just gyms and parking. Look deeper. Think location, layout, technology, exposure, and experience; anything that influences perceived value. A good rule of thumb: if it drives resident preference or operational cost, it deserves to be tracked.

4. Configure Yardi to do the heavy lifting

Yardi’s RentCafe and Revenue IQ modules can automate much of the work once set up properly. This is where an expert configuration makes all the difference.

• Assign amenity attributes to each unit type
• Set variable price ranges or rules (flat rate, percentage, or dynamic adjustment)
• Sync pricing rules with leasing workflows and renewal offers

5. Test, measure, refine

Start with a pilot. Select one or two properties to implement amenity-based pricing, monitor performance, and adjust. The data you collect will inform how to roll out portfolio-wide.

6. Train your team

Leasing teams should understand how to explain amenity pricing clearly to prospects; as a value-based benefit, not a surcharge. Framing is key.

The Yardi Advantage

One of the biggest misconceptions is that amenity-based pricing requires a complete system overhaul. It doesn’t.

Yardi’s architecture already supports this level of pricing sophistication. Most clients simply need to unlock what’s already there. The integration between Voyager, RentCafe, and Revenue IQ allows data to flow seamlessly, pricing adjustments can automatically update listings, renewal offers, and even marketing content.

When configured strategically, Yardi becomes a full feedback loop:

• Front-end: renters see dynamic pricing tied to real amenities
• Back-end: operators track which features drive conversions
• Portfolio view: executives see which investments yield the highest rent premiums

That’s not just pricing. That’s portfolio intelligence.

Wrapping Up

The multifamily industry has come a long way in using data to drive decisions, but amenity-based pricing remains one of its most underutilized tools.

It’s not about nickel-and-diming tenants. It’s about recognizing value, rewarding smart investment, and aligning pricing with reality.

If two identical units lease at different speeds, or if that corner suite is always the first to go, the market is telling you something. Yardi has the tools to quantify it. You just have to use them.

At Atlas Global Advisors, we help property owners and operators turn underused Yardi features into high-performance revenue strategies. Amenity-based pricing is one of the simplest, fastest ways to start.