Heidi Turner is a founding principal and Chief of Intangible Assets at Blanton Turner, where she shapes the company’s culture and effects positive change in the Pacific Northwest real estate industry. With over three decades of property management experience spanning multifamily, commercial, student, and mixed-use properties, Heidi brings an operational mindset and a people-first philosophy to her work, creating better experiences for residents, employees, and clients alike.

Long before co-founding Blanton Turner, Heidi was developing an approach to leadership that put people at the center of how organizations operate. She worked in Washington, D.C., on social policy in Congress and at Disney, where she helped develop workplace culture. Through that work, she learned how to shape policy and culture intentionally to strengthen organizations and improve outcomes. She carried those lessons into her real estate career in Seattle, eventually serving as a Vice President of Operations. Heidi also served as President of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Western Washington chapter. Her background has directly informed the people-first approach she brings to Blanton Turner, one that connects company culture, day-to-day operations, and strong relationships with the larger goal of increasing asset value.

In 2011, Heidi and Barry Blanton founded Blanton Turner with a shared vision to reimagine property management through a people-centric lens. Today, Heidi serves as the company’s Chief of Intangible Assets, a fitting title for someone whose work focuses heavily on the things that can be difficult to measure but make an enormous difference to property performance: culture, relationships, resident experiences, and people. Blanton Turner’s broader philosophy reflects that same approach, emphasizing meaningful places for residents to live, strong partnerships with clients, and a workplace where people are at the heart of everything.

Heidi believes that technology should support rather than replace the human element of property management, a belief that is backed by data as much as instinct. In 2026, Heidi and her team analyzed more than 51,000 resident work-order surveys dating back to March 2024. The findings challenged a common assumption in property management: that faster maintenance necessarily means happier residents. Instead, the analysis showed that residents cared deeply about whether an issue was actually resolved, as well as whether they received timely communication and acknowledgment along the way.

The results helped Blanton Turner raise its average resident satisfaction score from 4.0 to 4.6, while identifying practical opportunities to improve maintenance operations, communication, and resident retention. Heidi has emphasized that data can show where a problem exists, but conversations with the people closest to it, particularly property and maintenance teams, help explain why.

Heidi’s leadership and expertise have made her a sought-after voice within the multifamily industry. She has spoken at National Apartment Association (NAA) Apartmentalize, including a 2021 session on self-guided tours and a 2023 session on the evolution of maintenance centralization. She has also spoken at the Apartment Innovation and Marketing (AIM) Conference, appeared on industry podcasts, and shared insights on property operations, resident experience, technology, company culture, and the future of multifamily management.

At Blanton Turner, Heidi brings a simple but powerful belief to her work: better buildings start with better experiences, and better experiences start with people who care. Whether she’s mentoring a team member, rethinking an operational process, analyzing resident feedback, or helping a client see an asset differently, Heidi looks for opportunities to challenge assumptions, improve the experience, and create lasting value.