2026 Compensation & Benefits Survey
Compensation and benefits are more than line items in a budget. They are important tools for supporting employee engagement, reducing preventable turnover and helping property teams stay fully staffed. The 2026 WMFHA Onsite Employee Compensation and Benefits Survey, conducted in partnership with Swift Bunny, provides a look at how multifamily employers are responding to today’s workforce challenges and where opportunities remain.
Engagement and Retention Are Connected
The survey reinforces a fundamental connection between employee engagement, retention and business performance. When employees feel valued, fairly compensated and supported, companies are better positioned to retain talent, reduce staffing disruptions and deliver a stronger resident experience.
Compensation and benefits continue to play an important role in that equation. Employees’ perceptions of fair pay and benefits that meet their needs are closely associated with their intention to remain with their employer.
At the same time, staffing shortages and financial stress remain significant concerns for employees, making it increasingly important for employers to look beyond base salary and consider the overall employee experience.
Staffing Challenges Persist
Multifamily continues to face challenges recruiting and retaining onsite talent, particularly in maintenance and leasing roles. While some indicators of turnover have improved compared with the previous survey, vacancies remain a concern for many employers.
One notable theme is the gap between recognizing the value of retention efforts and putting formal programs in place. Employers broadly acknowledge that engagement and retention programs can make a difference, yet many still have room to build more intentional strategies around retention.
Technology is also becoming part of the conversation. Many companies are investing in technology to reduce workload, although the role of AI in property operations is still developing.
Pay, Raises and Recognition Matter
The survey points to some important shifts in compensation practices. Fewer companies are offering merit-based increases, and raises are increasingly concentrated in ranges that primarily address cost-of-living pressures.
This is particularly significant in an environment where employees are already experiencing financial stress. Compensation strategies need to consider not only market competitiveness, but also how employees experience the value of their total rewards.
Bonuses and commissions also appear to be evolving, with changes across property management, maintenance and leasing positions. These programs can provide another opportunity to recognize performance and reinforce engagement.
Benefits Are Part of the Employee Experience
Healthcare costs continue to put pressure on both employers and employees, with changes in employer contributions and employee cost-sharing evident in the survey results.
Other benefits remain important differentiators, including:
- PTO
- Retirement Plans
- Education
- Career development
- Housing Discounts and
- Leave Programs
There are also encouraging signs around flexibility and wellbeing. More employers are finding ways to encourage employees to use available PTO, and volunteer time off has become part of the benefits landscape for many companies.
The Opportunity: Look at the Whole Picture
The 2026 survey demonstrates that there is no single solution to the workforce challenges facing multifamily. Competitive compensation matters, but so do benefits, recognition, career development, flexibility, workload and the overall employee experience.
For employers, the takeaway is to regularly evaluate what employees value, understand where financial and workplace stressors exist, and identify the areas that are within the company's control.
In a competitive labor market, investing in people is also an investment in property performance. The companies that listen to their employees and continually evaluate their total rewards strategies will be better positioned to attract and retain the talent needed to serve residents and operate successful communities.
The 2026 WMFHA Onsite Employee Compensation and Benefits Survey was conducted in partnership with
Swift Bunny. The full survey report is available to WMFHA members.