How a student affairs background is reshaping property management philosophy at HH Red Stone
Most property management executives climb the ladder through acquisitions, finance, or operations. Teddy Abdelmalek took a different route, one that started as a residence hall advisor learning that leadership means service, not authority.
That unconventional background now informs how HH Red Stone approaches property management across 10,000 beds nationwide. As Senior Vice President of Business Development, Abdelmalek brings 25 years of experience that blends analytical training in biology and chemistry with deep expertise in student affairs, creating a perspective that challenges industry norms.
“In business, it’s easy to focus on numbers like occupancy, rent growth, or returns,” Abdelmalek observes. “But my student affairs background taught me to see the people behind the metrics. Every data point represents someone’s home, someone’s future, and someone’s experience.”
From Crisis Counseling to Property Performance
Abdelmalek’s journey began at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he served as a residence hall advisor while pursuing dual degrees in biology and chemistry. Initially planning medical school, he discovered an unexpected aptitude for working with students through challenging situations.
That experience crystallized during a late-night conversation with a resident he’d been supporting through a difficult semester. The student revealed he’d been battling thoughts of ending his life, and that regular check-ins had made the difference between withdrawing completely and finding reasons to stay.
“That conversation stayed with me,” Abdelmalek recalls. “It was the first time I truly understood how powerful human connection can be. Community isn’t a tagline. It’s what keeps people moving forward.”
That realization ultimately redirected his career from medicine to higher education, earning a master’s in Higher Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs. The combination of scientific analytical thinking and human-centered leadership would later prove invaluable in real estate.
Translating Campus Principles to Commercial Success
When Abdelmalek transitioned from higher education into off-campus student housing, he carried lessons that set him apart. At one struggling portfolio experiencing high turnover and low engagement, he rejected conventional wisdom about increasing marketing spend.
Instead, he returned to student affairs fundamentals: create belonging before chasing performance metrics. The property launched mentorship programs, leadership opportunities, and resident-driven initiatives focused on building genuine community.
“Within a year, renewals and satisfaction both increased,” he notes. “It was proof that when you put people first, results follow.”
This approach now defines HH Red Stone’s operating philosophy. After a decade managing exclusively its own portfolio, the company launched its third-party management vertical with a clear differentiator: treating every property as if residents, not just owners, are the ultimate stakeholders.
The “Residents Are Your CEO” Framework
Abdelmalek’s core philosophy centers on a simple observation about operator behavior. When ownership visits a property, teams spring into action. Every detail gets perfected. Staff are attentive and responsive. Properties get cleaned top to bottom.
“If we just use that level of attention with the people actually living on our property every single day, your properties would be elevated to such an extreme level,” he argues.
This isn’t metaphorical. HH Red Stone operationalizes this by emphasizing personal connection at scale. Staff are expected to know residents’ names, remember family details, and maintain genuine relationships. These aren’t nice-to-haves but key performance indicators.
“People like hearing their own name, the name of their pets, and if you know they have children, their sons and daughters,” Abdelmalek explains. “In student housing, it could be a brother, a sister, a family member. These small touches add substantial value to the asset.”
Selective Growth as Competitive Advantage
As HH Red Stone expands nationally, having recently closed on property near Yale University while signing new management agreements, the company has adopted what Abdelmalek calls “intentional selectivity.”
“We’ve walked away from management opportunities where we didn’t believe the fundamentals were in place for the property to truly succeed,” he reveals.
This discipline stems from recognizing that exceptional management can’t compensate for owners unwilling to invest appropriately in their assets. HH Red Stone seeks partners who understand strategic spending matters and who want accountability around controllable metrics: NOI, leasing velocity, and resident experience.
“We’re not going to take on properties just to collect a fee,” Abdelmalek states. “We’re looking for owners who think like we do, who understand that when the property succeeds, we both succeed.”
California’s Regulatory Experiment
Recent California changes to development rights near universities represent what Abdelmalek views as a potential inflection point for the sector nationally.
“California is effectively saying, if you’re building near a campus, we’re going to get out of your way,” he notes. “In a state known for regulatory complexity, that’s significant.”
Beyond the immediate impact on California markets, the policy creates a natural experiment other states will watch closely. If streamlined approvals lead to better buildings and stronger communities, expect similar reforms elsewhere, particularly targeting tier-two institutions and underserved markets.
“The winners won’t just be those who build fastest, but those who understand how to lease, operate, and differentiate their properties,” Abdelmalek predicts.
Technology as Enabler, Not Replacement
Regarding AI and automation proliferating across property management, Abdelmalek advocates clear boundaries based on where technology adds versus subtracts value.
“AI should take on mundane work that distracts from resident experience and interaction,” he argues. “Anything that helps with paperwork aspects not directly customer-facing, that’s where the value lies.”
The goal is creating what he calls “superhumans,” staff freed from administrative burdens to focus on the human connection that actually drives retention and satisfaction.
“Part of the reason residents live with us is because of something that makes them feel a certain way, whether it be our staff, our people, our maintenance,” he explains. “You don’t want to lose the hospitality aspect and make it all robotic.”
The Talent Investment Imperative
Reflecting on lessons from 2025, Abdelmalek emphasizes that people investment represents infrastructure as critical as physical assets.
“You have to give on-site talent a clear path forward and invest in their professional development,” he states. “It’s difficult finding good people. When you find them, you have to double down.”
This means pulling promising staff aside to explore whether property management could become a career rather than a transitional job. It means mentoring young professionals the way Abdelmalek himself was mentored into an industry he initially knew nothing about.
“I wasn’t going to go into student housing. I didn’t even know what student housing was,” he reflects. “But the mentors I surrounded myself with encouraged me to go down this route.”
Measuring What Actually Matters
For operators entering 2026, Abdelmalek’s advice centers on focusing energy where it creates measurable impact: be selective about partnerships, execute fundamentals with discipline, respond faster than competitors, invest in talent development, and remember that residents represent the business’s purpose, not just its revenue.
“When students and residents feel respected, your occupancy and NOI will follow,” he concludes. “That’s not a tagline. That’s the formula.”
In an industry often chasing innovation, this message offers both challenge and clarity. Excellence isn’t mysterious. It just requires treating people like they matter, and doing so consistently enough that they believe it.
Teddy Abdelmalek is Senior Vice President of Business Development at HH Red Stone, bringing 25 years of student housing and multifamily experience to property management strategy. HH Red Stone is the property management arm of HH Group, managing approximately 10,000 beds across multiple asset classes including student housing, multifamily, affordable, and mixed-use properties nationwide.