How Charney Unlocked $231+ Per Lease with Leasing Automation

Background

Charney Companies is the developer of Gowanus Wharf, a 2,200+ unit mixed-use project in Brooklyn. This case study focuses on Union Channel, the first building in the development, where Charney adopted Venn to manage the entire resident journey from application to move-in. With Union Channel nearly 60% occupied (130 of 224 units), Charney plans to scale Venn across the entire campus as new buildings come online.

The Challenge

At most buildings, leasing is a manual grind—6+ hours of staff time per move-in, clunky application portals that lead to abandoned applications, and scattered tools that delay approvals and drive vacancy loss—a killer for a new lease-up. Charney knew they didn’t want that. So from day one at Union Channel, they took a different approach.

“With the Plaid integration, we get bank balances immediately,” says Ian Smith, leasing manager at Charney. “On-site required manual work—opening PDFs of credit reports, pay stubs, and bank statements, then compiling those into approval packets for ownership. That’s what slows everything down. Approvals would take two to three days. With Venn, it’s under 24 hours.”

“We used to spend entire days chasing documents and approvals. It could take hours just to send and sign a lease.”
— Ian, Leasing Manager, Charney Properties

The Solution

After implementing Venn, Charney moved to one unified platform that automated every step of the leasing process:

Application–Document collection–Approval–Lease execution–Payment–Utility setup–Move-in checklist

"Now we can get someone from application to signed lease in under an hour. It's all automatic." — Ian, Leasing Manager, Charney Properties

"We get more applications because the process is easy. Applicants don’t have to dig up tax returns or download PDFs from their bank—everything’s in one place, and it’s mobile-friendly. And because we approve quickly—sometimes within 10 minutes, always within 24—we dramatically reduce drop-off. When renters wait days for a response, they start applying elsewhere. Speed matters." - Andrew Steiker-Epstein, Brokerage President and Chief Data Officer, Charney Properties

The Financial Impact

At this pace, Charney is set to unlock over $500k  in value from Venn by the time the full 2,200-unit campus is leased.

"We think of Gowanus Wharf as a campus, connected buildings, shared amenities, a real community. Venn is the thread that ties it all together. It's how we give every resident a cohesive, elevated experience from day one." — Andrew Steiker-Epstein, Chief Development Officer, Charney Companies

The Bigger Picture

When you power the full resident journey, you do more than automate tasks, you build trust. Trust drives engagement. Engagement turns into adoption. And when you're the platform residents rely on from day one, you unlock significant new revenue opportunities across services, upgrades, and recurring needs.

"We used to be on BuildingLink. This is so much easier, just open the app on my phone and do whatever I need to." — Sean, Resident

Just as importantly, when the onsite team works from a single platform, it creates clarity, consistency, and faster execution across every step of the resident journey. Venn becomes the team's one-stop shop for resident communication, task management, and follow-through. This focus lets staff spend less time juggling systems and more time delivering exceptional hospitality.

That's why an end-to-end platform matters: Higher margins. Stronger loyalty. Smarter growth.

The Bottom Line

Charney didn't just adopt new software, they redesigned their operations to scale faster, cut costs, and deliver a better experience. Venn helped them move faster, work smarter, and generate meaningful ROI without adding headcount.

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Own your full resident journey like Charney, book a demo with us today.