Meet Our Team

Owner, Speaker, Trainer, Consultant
Kathy Banker
Owner, Speaker, Trainer, Marketing Consultant
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Kristina Walker – Consultant and Leasing Specialist
Kristina Walker
Consultant and Leasing Specialist
Sandy Ferris – Office Manager and Mystery Shop Coordinator
Sandy Ferris
Office Manager and Mystery Shop Coordinator
Westly Cannon
Digital Marketing Specialist
Sarah Barthlow - Digital Marketing Specialist
Sarah Barthlow
Digital Marketing Specialist

Kristina Walker – Consultant and Leasing Specialist
Kristina Walker
Consultant and Leasing Specialist

“Focusing on the customer’s (renters) needs and providing consistent follow up is the key to our success.”

Kristina joined Lease Up in 2012 and brings a unique blend of management and sales skills to the team. She has over 30 years of expertise in Real Estate Appraisal, Onsite and Regional Property Management and sales. Kristina has a keen sense of practical management skills along with an unwavering passion for leasing. She leads due diligence teams and conducts detailed market surveys and analysis for both acquisition and repositioning of assets. Kristina’s greatest strengths are undertaking new construction lease ups and developing pre-leasing strategies that are the lifeline for maintaining high occupancy for our clients.

Sandy Ferris – Office Manager and Mystery Shop Coordinator
Sandy Ferris
Office Manager and Mystery Shop Coordinator

“A positive customer experience is paramount to the success of a community. The mystery shop is a tool that allows the leasing team to improve their skills and put their best foot forward.”

Sandy joined Lease Up in 2012 and is the expert behind the scenes that keeps the operations going. As office manager she takes care of all the bookkeeping as well as client communications. Additionally, she leads up the Mystery Shop services and recruits and trains mystery shop evaluators as well as coordinates schedules and assignments for our clients. She is also a member of the due diligence team with an acute eye for accuracy. Sandy’s greatest skills are her attention to detail, scheduling, and meeting deadlines.

Westly Cannon
Digital Marketing Specialist



After graduating from The University of South Carolina in 2020, Westly joined the Lease Up team in 2022. Westly’s greatest strengths are curating marketing campaigns and media that engages, informs, and motivates. When she’s not working, you can find her out running, playing some tennis and golf, or without a doubt, playing with her puppy, Ralphie.

Sarah Barthlow - Digital Marketing Specialist
Sarah Barthlow
Digital Marketing Specialist

Sarah joined the LeaseUp! Team in 2022 and brings with her 10+ years of marketing and advertising experience. She has worked in software, web development, demo marketing and ran her own wedding and portrait photography business. When she’s not handling digital marketing and social media for our clients, you can find her in the pottery studio or spending time with her family, most likely watching a soccer match.

Owner, Speaker, Trainer, Consultant
Kathy Banker
Owner, Speaker, Trainer, Marketing Consultant

“There are no ‘secrets or tricks’ for leasing and marketing apartments. The keys to success are knowing what to do, doing it well and doing it consistently.”

Kathy is a lifelong property management professional specializing in the marketing, leasing, and consulting of conventional, affordable, and senior housing. Prior to launching Lease Up in 2005, she worked as Marketing and Training Director for several nationally recognized companies throughout the US as well as a Regional Director for a national print and internet apartment advertising provider. Her areas of expertise are in realistically assessing underperforming communities, developing plans to drive traffic, training the leasing staff, and in the end increasing revenue. She keeps in touch with the apartment industry by working side-by-side with leasing professionals experiencing their everyday challenges and successes.

National Apartment Association ( NAA ) Member 

  • Michigan - Statewide Member since 2006
  • Certified Apartment Supplier ( CAS ) since 2007
  • Faculty Member of the National Apartment Association Institute ( NAAEI ) since 2008
  • National Apartment Leasing Professional ( NALP ) since 2008
  • Detroit Metropolitan Apartment Association ( DMAA ) Board Member 2004 - 2008
    • Education Committee Chairperson 2004 - 2008
    • Prism Award for Volunteer of the Year - 2005
    • Chapter President's Award - 2008