EP 4 - 500 Rooms. One Strategy: How Harrison Scales Co-Living in 100+ Unit Buildings

In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain welcome Harrison DeMaira, a large-scale co-living operator with experience managing everything from small townhouse conversions to 100+ unit buildings and 400-unit purpose-built co-living developments.

Harrison breaks down what changes when you scale co-living into multifamily—and what operators get wrong when they assume co-living leases like traditional rentals. We cover the real leasing funnel, scrappy marketing that still works (signage + employer outreach), the operational systems you must build early, and how to think about furnishing, unit design, and resident experience at scale.

We also unpack:

• What Common Living was and why it went defunct (and what co-living operators can learn from it)
• Why Harrison avoids 2-bedroom co-living units
• The bathroom-to-resident rule he won’t break
• Why leasing + marketing is the foundation that makes everything else easier
• Outsourcing earlier (and the accounting mistake most operators make)
• And an unforgettable operations story involving an emotional support duck and a missing snake

If you’re trying to fill rooms faster, scale beyond one property, or understand what multifamily co-living really looks like—this episode is for you.

Follow the hosts:

• Miller McSwain: https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain
• Craig Curelop: https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop
  
  

Guest: Harrison DeMaira

• Email: hpd@harrisondemaira.com
  
  

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the show and leave a rating/review, it helps more operators find the podcast.