Last week, Atlanta-based The Rainmaker Group released Version 8.0 of its Lease Rent Options software. The company tapped two PhD mathematicians to upgrade this software, which helps apartment owners and investors analyze property level performance and set rental rates. The upgraded software, which Rainmaker calls the revolution LRO series, includes a new use interface that includes expanded property performance data and the ability to drill-down more closely into that data. “The multifamily housing industry is a new frontier for the application of pricing and revenue management and provides many unique modeling challenges,” says Dr. Ahmet Kuyumcu, one of the chief scientists who helped develop Version 8.0. “These include low data volume, numerous lease term alternatives, different pricing requirements for new leases and renewals, early terminations and significant vacancy and make-ready costs,” says Kuyumcu. Rainmaker counts large multifamily owners like REITs Post Properties and Equity Residential.