After Day 1 of the 2019 GWA Conference, the event continued with conversations surrounding technology, commercial real estate, evolution in workspace design and franchising. Additional conference highlights included: Design evolution This session explored how coworking spaces pair the design of their spaces with marketing and branding for success. Bond Collective strives to create sophisticated, chic spaces with an exclusive club-like atmosphere. No two locations are alike, each geared toward the specific neighborhood they are based in. The spaces are intentionally branded minimally, and designed as symbols of an upscale modern lifestyle. Typically, the spaces feature separate phone and meeting booths for privacy and multiple seating options, such as bars, couches and traditional worktables. Canada’s IQ Office Suites has established unique design differentiators. Following an initial 4,000sf project in Toronto, they have expanded to five locations, soon to be nine, in major Canadian cities. IQ Office Suites’  decisions on where to establish new spaces are based on the surrounding retail, dining and entertainment options on the same street. Window offices are a huge draw, as well as kitchen space, meeting areas, and work/play areas with a bar and event space. Private offices are also important. IQ’s crown jewel is a Toronto space with 18-foot ceilings and a 5,000sf terrace. This location features meeting rooms, team suites, and other group centric areas. The design has moved away from dedicated desks, something many coworking spaces still consider crucial. Winning the corporate occupier One of the final sessions of GWA featured Dale Hersowitz, vice president of coworking for Yardi, as part of a panel discussing how to attract enterprise occupiers. Panelist Jacob Bates, CEO of CommonGrounds, described how technology has essentially made software into a service industry, and this is vital for corporate clients. Hersowitz explained that providing...

When it comes to customer service, your residents aren’t asking for the moon. They just want relevant responses and timely help. Fortunately for property marketers and managers, automation solutions make this “dream land” a reality. These powerful tools help you not only meet those expectations but soar above them. At the upcoming 2019 Florida Apartment Association Annual Conference in Orlando, you’ll have the chance to create your own “customer service flight plan.” Yardi is sponsoring a session titled “Houston, We Have a Problem: Customer Service Levels Are Low” with Don Sanders, principal of Trainer Don’s World. Through the lens of automation, Don will explore the past, present and future of customer service, discussing creative ideas and techniques for delivering stellar experiences. Don has been in the multifamily housing industry for over two decades, and his presentations are fueled by his real-life work. His FAA session promises to be highly energetic and useful, so make sure to attend if you’re going to the conference. While you’re there, touch down at Booth 500 for a quick chat or demo. We’ll be showcasing the RENTCafé Suite, which offers marketing automation solutions that help you streamline repetitive tasks and deliver targeted content to your prospects and residents. Here’s a preview of what you can explore at the trade show: Give prospects a launch schedule to pick from Customer service begins with accessibility. Today’s prospective renter is soaring down the proverbial “home search runway,” and they need smart, simple and efficient ways to connect with your property. They need tools and technology that allow them to manage their time and search with the click of a button.  RENTCafé‘s self-scheduled tours feature gives prospects the ability to book their own appointments, directly from your website. Leasing office staff get notified...

The 2019 GWA Conference, held this earlier this month in Washington, D.C., examined the latest trends in coworking. Yardi Kube was once again a platinum sponsor of this well-attended event, demonstrating a commitment to the coworking industry and showcasing new updates to the comprehensive coworking management platform. Let’s recap some of the highlights from conference breakout sessions. (Stay tuned for Part Two of this report, with additional insights.) Positioning your coworking space Led by Kevin Whelan, founder of Everspaces, this session was a discussion about customer purchases and what coworking operators can do to position themselves for quick success. Whelan explained that people, in general, buy on convenience or fidelity. Convenience is the purchase that’s based on how easily you can get something. Price, flexibility, and other ease of access factors play into these decisions. Fidelity is all about the experience. Customers will purchase things they truly love (think iPhones), irrespective of price. These purchases are based on status, visibility, elite design and service. Successful coworking operators must define themselves to attract members looking to purchase based on one of the two categories. For example, NeueHouse prides itself on providing a world class experience in Manhattan, NY and Hollywood, Calif. As a result, their pricing is considered among the highest in the industry. Nevertheless, NeueHouse is very successful. Regus, an industry leader, does not provide a ‘wow’ experience. But the company operates numerous coworking locations in major cities, so ease of access and flexibility when traveling is high. Regus price points are considered affordable. Both NeueHouse and Regus are profitable industry leaders in their own categories. Even niche spaces like The Wing, a women’s only coworking space, also operates a magazine, podcast, and retail store, among other ventures. But The Wing’s owners successfully use...

Despite what the silver screen or comic books might show, you don’t need a truth-telling lasso or flying hammer to be a hero. All it takes is the courage to do good, a strength that senior living caregivers possess in spades. The 70th AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention & Expo aims to empower these everyday heroes by sharing the real-life tools they need to face the industry’s toughest challenges. (And as you may have guessed, this year’s theme is superheroes.) AHCA, the American Health Care Association, is the nation’s largest association of long term and post-acute care providers, numbering over 13,500 member facilities. NCAL, the National Center for Assisted Living, serves as the assisted living voice of AHCA. For decades, these organizations have pushed for better care through national advocacy, professional development and events like their annual convention. Set in Orlando from October 13-16, this year’s convention will bring together over 4,000 people for the shared goal of improving quality care. Throughout the four-day event, these champions will share insights, solutions and best practices on topics like Medicare’s new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), the ongoing workforce shortages and the latest technology innovations. There are over 22 learning tracks and 70 sessions this time around – plenty of opportunities to enhance your super powers. On the fence about attending? Here are a few conference highlights to look forward to: Leadership in Turbulent Times Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin will take the stage for the opening keynote at AHCA/NCAL. She’ll pull from 150 years of U.S. history to shed light on today’s cultural and political shifts. Despite how uncertain things may seem now, she’s got the research to show how we’ve stood tall and succeeded through tough times in the past. 13th Annual NCAL...

This week is National Assisted Living Week (NALW), and senior living communities across the country are busy hosting activities for the annual observance. This year’s theme, “A Spark of Creativity,” challenges residents, family and staff to try their hand at arts that enrich the senior living experience. At Pacifica Senior Living in Oxnard, California, there’s multiple events lined up throughout the week for residents, and all the activities are refreshingly different. “I want the residents to really step outside their comfort zone and do what they set their mind to,” said Christina Alvarado, activities director for Pacifica in Oxnard. “So I pick things that I would do with my own friends. Something fun and easy and unique, where everyone comes away with their own outcome.” Just check out this list of events that Christina and staff have scheduled for NALW: Drip painting – Take two to four colors of paint and drip them onto a canvas, turning the canvas as you go. The end result is a marbleized, swirling mix of color. It’s simple to do, and everyone’s canvas is special. “It brings out their creativity in a way they wouldn’t have imagined,” said Christina. Fabric pots – Get different types of fabric in a range of patterns and colors and use a sealant to adhere them to pots. The fabric becomes part of the pot, which helps them stand out from the usual painted style. At Pacifica, residents are also planting aloe in their pots, making them both decorative and practical. Cracked gem pendants – Buy regular big glass beads from any glass store, heat them up and then cool them in water. The abrupt temperature change fractures the glass, creating a small spider-web canvas for residents to bring their creativity to. They...

As we head into uncertain economic times, is your multifamily portfolio recession proof? Now more than ever, you need data you can trust and a smart revenue management strategy to set competitive rental prices, maximize occupancy and spend marketing dollars wisely. And, with the arrival of artificial intelligence and machine learning to inform business intelligence, computers understand what is happening in the market before people do. In a July 2019 Forbes article, “Three Ways to Recession-Proof Multifamily Properties,” the author stated “Just as ‘all politics is local,’ so is real estate. In their Beige Book, the Federal Reserve governors said real estate activity is declining in some regions even as others pick up the pace. Much of that activity centers on multifamily real estate: 319,000 apartments are due for completion this year nationwide, which the Wall Street Journal determined is the most new units in about three decades. Local conditions should dictate new multifamily purchases and impact investors’ efforts to recession-proof already-owned properties.” Come for Answers So, how do you drive property performance in a changing industry? Join us at Maximize 2019 for some great answers — NAA’s premier event taking place on September 23-24 in Atlanta. This year’s conference will focus on the intersection of asset and revenue management and will deliver knowledge and tactics that attendees can put into action. Educational sessions include the must-attend “Revenue Management and the Recession” on September 24 at 10:00 a.m., moderated by Dhar Sawh, industry principal of revenue management at Yardi. Sawh will be joined by panelists Trey Lane, vice president of pricing and revenue management at Progress Residential, Michael Lilly, director of revenue management at Weidner Property Management and Jessica Mills, senior consultant at D2 Demand Solutions. Attendees will discover what experienced pricing managers learned during the last recession and...

Real estate industry leaders and professionals are heading to San Francisco on September 23-26 for the 2019 IREM Global Summit. IREM is the largest organization dedicated to advancing the profession of real estate management, and Yardi is a proud sponsor of IREM’s must-attend annual event which hosts approximately 800 top real estate management professionals from across the U.S. and around the world.  “The IREM Global Summit provides a fantastic opportunity for real estate managers to get together and prepare for exciting new opportunities and challenges facing our changing industry. Yardi is proud to participate in this important event and share our innovative solutions including Yardi Elevate for big data that drives results for commercial and residential managers pursuing excellence,” said Esther Bonardi, vice president of marketing at Yardi. IREM has designed the event to expand knowledge through educational sessions that support professional growth and leadership development. Attendees come from the U.S. and Canada, China, Japan, Korea, South Africa and Brazil and gain value meeting with colleagues to build camaraderie and stronger relationships. Read on for the top three ways to connect with Yardi at the IREM Global Summit. Attend Educational Sessions This year’s schedule features 19 hours of educational sessions to empower attendees to move their careers forward. Sessions are based on real-world situations that property managers face daily, from opportunities to use technology to work smarter to difficult interpersonal scenarios. Don’t miss a potentially life changing session sponsored by Yardi. Join the famous sketch comedy group Second City for “Facing Forward: Using Improv to Embrace the Future” on September 26 at 8:15 a.m. In this fun interactive workshop, improvisers will lean into moments of uncertainty to see them as pure potential and will learn improv techniques to help them embrace the future and...

Team Yardi will join 800 multifamily professionals in Las Vegas on October 2-4 for MFE Conference 2019, a must-attend event for industry executives, operators, managers, developers and investors. To meet new challenges and capitalize on fresh opportunities, this year’s focus is “Pivot Planning: Your Path for Multifamily’s Changing Future.” Heading into 2020, multifamily businesses will be dealing with rent control, rising operating costs and fast-changing customer demands. Finding solutions including the best technology to smooth the path forward will be critical — and the conference agenda is designed to help attendees do just that. Now more than ever, having good operational data is necessary to understand and drive property performance. From actionable analytics and holistic benchmarking to just-in-time marketing with prescriptive actions, big data is a must-have for every multifamily business. Must-Attend Session with Industry Leaders Don’t miss Anant Yardi, founder and president of Yardi, on October 4 at 10 a.m. for “Unleash Data: An Interview with RealPage and Yardi.” Mr. Yardi will be joined by Steve Winn, founder and CEO of RealPage. This intimate conversation with the leaders of the industry’s top data providers will be led by Jamie Gorski, chief marketing officer of The Bozzuto Group, and will cover strategies to adopt now and in the near future to drive smart decisions in a changing industry. “The MFE Conference provides industry professionals with a wealth of knowledge on how to effectively navigate industry trends and changes. It is an honor to moderate the ‘Unleash Data’ session — which is occurring for only the second time in the conference’s history. I am particularly excited to interview the founders of Yardi and RealPage, two reputable industry leaders of real estate software, and hear their insights on short- and long-term strategies for driving business decisions...

Many people tend to think of senior living as a “sleepy” industry. Doesn’t move fast. Doesn’t change much. Doesn’t keep up with the latest trends in the market. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. As any professional in senior living would tell you, they’re keenly focused on the future – and the challenges and opportunities it brings. It’s why hundreds flock to the SMASH summit every year. The conference, now in its sixth year, has quickly grown to become the leading event for sales and marketing executives from all sectors of senior care, from independent living to memory care to post-acute. Attendees get the chance to not only network with their fellow providers but also experts from outside the industry, those who are on the cutting edge of sales and marketing best practices and technology. If you have even a passing interest in lead-converting, occupancy-growing strategies, you should make plans to attend. This year’s event is set for September 23-25 in Las Vegas. Yardi returns as a sponsor for the conference, so we hope to see you there. Here’s just a few of the sessions you can look forward to: How Marketing & Sales Can Work Together to Maximize Growth Carlos Hidalgo, CEO of VisumCx, a customer experience firm, will take center stage for one of the keynote sessions this year. His talk, “How Marketing & Sales Can Work Together to Maximize Growth,” will explore how both teams must align or risk their organization falling behind. How do we qualify leads? How do we effectively pass them to sales? How do we strengthen the relationship to accelerate the entire process? Carlos will outline the steps you need to take to establish a lead management process that ensures your leads convert at a...

Roughly 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day. It’s a demographic shift of seismic proportions, and it’s spurred a lot of new developments in senior living as investors anticipate future demand. Turns out, they’ve got a few more years to wait before they can recoup their costs (the average senior living resident is well into their 80s before they move in), but these brand-new communities are already having an impact. Namely, increased competition. There are too many extra units for too few interested seniors. It’s driven occupancy rates in the industry down to 87.8% – the lowest levels since 2011, reports the NIC. For senior living providers, it’s a sobering statistic. How can they differentiate themselves from the increasingly crowded pack and draw in new residents? Well, we may not have all the answers, but we’ve got a few proven ideas. Join us on Wednesday, August 28, at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) for a live panel discussion on how a customer relationship management (CRM) solution for senior living can hone your competitive edge – and ultimately grow your community. We’ll have Richard Nix, senior sales director for Yardi, presenting during the webinar, as well as Nicole Moberg, chief sales officer at Thrive Senior Living. The event will be moderated by Steve Moran from Senior Living Foresight. Learn seven ways you can use a CRM to overcome the recent headwinds in senior living. Plus, you’ll get insights straight from someone who’s done it already. A Yardi client, Nicole has turned her sales and marketing team into a lean, lead-generating tour de force. She’ll share her experience in rolling out Yardi Senior CRM and what steps she took to perfect her team’s approach. Here’s just a few things you’ll learn: What the new senior...

Going to the NIC Fall Conference? This is one senior living opportunity you don’t want to miss. The NIC Fall Conference is the only industry event where senior living executives and capital providers come together. Set for September 11-13 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, the conference will bring in over 3,000 leaders from senior housing, skilled nursing and post-acute care. You’ll have the chance to meet industry-drivers and dealmakers while learning more than a thing or two about the latest market trends. Yardi is proud to sponsor the NIC Fall Conference once again. We partnered with NIC last year to collect accurate, transparent data on senior housing rates, and this three-day event is the perfect showcase for the research and learnings that NIC continues to drive. Insightful Sessions, Renowned Speakers Whether you’re a senior living investor or operator, the NIC Fall Conference has takeaways galore. The 18 sessions are sorted into two focus areas: Managing Margins and Realizing Returns. The first covers property operations and management, while the latter dives into investments and capital flow. During the opening general session, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Janet L. Yellen, the first-ever woman to be appointed chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and one of the world’s leading authorities on economic policy. She’ll share her thoughts on economic trends the senior living industry will face in coming years. Kathleen Hays, editor for Bloomberg Television and Radio, will be moderating the discussion. Among other notable speakers at the event, Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D. and director of MIT’s AgeLab, will take the stage during the luncheon general session, sponsored by Yardi. He’ll explore the crossroads of demographics and business innovation, sharing his award-winning research on how the baby boomers’...

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) returns to Sydney on September 17-18, bringing together real estate professionals from across Australia and New Zealand. Diving deep into Yardi Voyager and the ancillary software you use every day, YASC is a great opportunity to strengthen your skills and network with peers. With interactive discussions, local and international experts, more networking time, and new innovations revealed, this is one event you can’t miss! As one attendee shared about their YASC experience in 2018, “YASC provided great informative sessions and highlighted great new features. There were good training opportunities provided to help expand the scope of work with Yardi in the business.” Why will you attend in 2019? Here are a few new features at YASC Australia and New Zealand in 2019: Yardi Events App The Yardi Events app will help attendees streamline the YASC experience. Access all conference information, venue maps, class materials, social networking, in-app messaging and more within the mobile app. It’s designed to enable attendees to custom-tailor their daily schedule with classes, demos, panels and roundtables, and to set up one-on-one meetings with Yardi staff. The Yardi Events app is available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. A browser-based version, synced to the mobile app, will also be available, so attendees can access all these features from their desktop. User log-in details will be emailed to all registered YASC attendees. Questions? Email our team at [email protected]. Learn from the Experts Throughout the conference, attendees can learn from industry experts on the market trends and technology innovations that impact our work. With new products in the Yardi pipeline, get an exclusive chance to preview new products soon to be released in Australia and New Zealand. From specialist solutions for coworking, residential, and asset management, there will be a variety of product enhancements and new Yardi technologies to...

Know your way around a canvas? The upcoming National Assisted Living Week is your time to shine –and help your elderly loved ones channel their own artistic side. The annual observance takes place from September 8-14, and this year’s theme is “A Spark of Creativity.” Now in its 24th year, National Assisted Living Week is an opportunity for residents, family and staff to celebrate the individuals served in assisted living. It’s also a great excuse to explore the different elements and ideas that make up this avenue of long-term care. The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), who organize the week-long event, hope the artistic theme will inspire staff of all levels to host fun, unique activities that enrich the senior living experience for each resident. “‘A Spark of Creativity’ encourages everyone to get their creative juices flowing – whether it’s residents trying out new things, or caregivers exploring innovative ways to improve care and community life,” said Scott Tittle, executive director for the NCAL. More to Art Than Meets the Eye Art therapy has long been a recognized method for boosting happiness and stimulating mental ability. Many residents report better well-being after taking part in the arts – and it’s even helpful for those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. By infusing art into the everyday experience of their communities, staff can help their residents sustain a sense of purpose and stay connected with one another. The great thing about art (and the benefits therein) is that it’s not limited to just painting a picture, which can be a dexterously demanding task for older adults. Some communities put on recreations of famous plays or movie scenes with their residents, coached by local actors. Other senior living providers bring in licensed music therapists who use...

Want to amplify your marketing returns and build a loyal customer base? Developing a strong brand identity can help you do both. Whether you’re an established midsized business or a burgeoning small company, it’s never too late to strengthen your brand identity. We attended the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations conference with Sam Amin, marketing manager at Yardi, to learn more about creating a brand. What is a Brand Identity? Brand identity is more than your logo and color templates. Those are important, but your brand extends beyond what you can see and touch. At its foundation, a brand is a distinguishing mark, such a logo and other design choices. It tells us the source (company) behind a product (multifamily community). But as the “father of marketing” David Ogilvy explained it, the brand is “the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.”  That means that your brand is also a set of associations connected to your business based on facts, emotions, and customers’ aspirations. How to Create Your Brand There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Amin recommends choosing from several branding formulas online to help you get started. Most formulas will require you to carefully articulate who you are and identify your customers and competitors. You’ll need to determine the type of community that you want to provide for your renters, physically and socially. As you work through each piece of the formula, be specific and authentic. Select messaging that feels natural even if (and especially if) it’s an unexplored angle for real estate. Your Brand—Everywhere, All the Time For the greatest impact, keep your brand in front of audience’s eyes. Be consistent with your messaging and steady with fresh marketing efforts that convey your messaging. “Use all your marketing tools including SEO,...

During the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations (CFAA) annual conference, attendees walked away with a powerful call to action: understand the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in your business before implementing. Fulfilling this objective can lead to success for multifamily firms of all sizes. What is the Internet of Things? The IoT embodies a multitude of devices that are connected to the internet. These devices range from smartphones to home automation and even wearable fitness monitors. Such devices can be controlled remotely and interact with other devices. In many cases, devices connected to the internet also gather and store user data to contribute to machine learning. Masa Hoshino, product manager at Yardi, explained that three components drive change in the IoT on the consumer level: hardware, software and culture. Hardware, like a smart refrigerator, may use wireless connectivity to automatically set the time on the clock. Software, such as apps installed on that fridge, is designed to solve a problem and provide a better user interface such as peeking in when grocery shopping. Lastly, the convenience of internet connectivity has made it a necessity for consumers. Connectivity increases the perceived value and functionality of hardware and software—and a home. How Does the IoT Impact Real Estate? In real estate, consumer culture and corporate benefits demand the integration of the IoT in our properties. Smart homes offer convenience, entertainment, and the potential for lower utility bills. While a home with multiple smart features is desirable for modern renters, multiple apps to control those features is very undesirable. True efficiency entails a single, reliable app that connects residents to their smart homes and property management through a secure user portal. For property stakeholders, the IoT can also be used to promote greater efficiency and...

Are you practicing the most efficient and effective management strategies? Implementing technology at every point in the leads-to-leases process can help you optimize your approach. During the 2019 SVN Rock Advisors Apartment Conference (AptCon) in downtown Toronto, Peter Altobelli, vice president and general manager, sales at Yardi Canada, presented on the impact of new technology on property management strategies. In the session, “Operations and Management: Maximizing Value Through Professional Management,” Altobelli collaborated with fellow industry experts Lucy Gouveia, marketing and leasing director at Greenwin, Zola Mehlmakulu, operations manager at Skycord, and Trish MacPherson, executive vice president, operations at CAPREIT. The panel discussed the inextricable tie between successful modern management and technology. Marketing and Lease-Up Strategies Intelligent software can make the marketing and lease-up processes more efficient and effective. The panel recommended the following strategies: Create, launch and maintain a corporate website, regardless if you are in the construction phase. Include floor plans, photos and videos. Websites promote your brand and attract prospects who are interested in becoming a part of your community. For new builds, begin the lease-up at least two months into construction. This schedule provides time to craft your renter experience within your marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Paying special attention to your renter experience provides you with a way to build trust, reliability, and customer satisfaction with prospects. “Yardi in Canada is known for our ERP and accounting software solutions,” began Altobelli. “In conjunction with that, we’re offering a fully integrated marketing and CRM solution in a single database that connects to all Yardi products. With lease-up underway, the advantages of a fully integrated system become apparent. Once the applicant becomes a resident, their information is fed seamlessly into the property management and accounting system. Having integrated software saves...

Yardi contributed hugely to the success of the recent Realcomm ׀ IBCon conferences, an annual premier event in the commercial real estate industry, by showcasing innovative technologies that control revenue and expenses. Yardi focused on the benefits of Yardi Elevate, Yardi Kube and Yardi Pulse. These product suites blend business intelligence from Yardi Matrix with operational tools into a single connected platform that harmonizes leasing, deal management, tenant improvements, budgeting, construction management and other operations. Property owners can make better decisions, manage pipelines more efficiently and foster closer interaction between external brokers and asset managers. Rob Teel, Yardi senior vice president of global solutions noted in a live-streamed interview during Realcomm ׀ IBCon that property managers must manage revenue and expenses more actively than they did a decade ago to generate expected returns. “Success comes when teams work together to create an ecosystem of users who can collaborate to improve operational performance,” he said. Watch the full interview below: The solutions also give rise to new revenue streams from coworking membership arrangements, better forecasting capability, lower energy consumption and expenses without sacrificing occupant comfort, and budget and schedule certainty for construction projects. With their real-time connection to the Yardi Voyager property management and accounting database, they’re easier to use and more reliable than point solutions. “Yardi has extended solutions from the Yardi Voyager property management and accounting platform to encompass other elements, making property owners and managers more efficient,” Brian Sutherland, industry principal of global solutions, said in another live-streamed interview. Watch the full interview below: “Realcomm ׀ IBCon was a great opportunity for the Yardi team to connect with and learn from clients, vendors and other industry participants. The conference’s quality is second to none,” Teel said. Asked the secret of Yardi’s success, Sutherland said,...

DENVER (June 26, 2019) – The National Apartment Association’s annual summer conference, Apartmentalize, got underway Wednesday at the Denver Convention Center. It’s the ultimate destination for multifamily professionals to get educated, engaged and inspired. But a consistent theme throughout the event’s opening sessions was not renting apartments or multifamily technology, but something far simpler: people. “I love this industry because we interact so intimately with our customers,” said Melissa Joy, vice president of Village Green. “Renting an apartment is the best or the worst day of someone’s life.” Making the experience as positive as possible for residents is Village Green’s constant goal, Joy explained. “We obsess over our residents and their happiness.” The theme of this year’s Apartmentalize is “Everyone. Together.” That spirit of inclusivity pervaded the educational sessions – which covered topics like fair housing, short term rentals, technology, management techniques, benchmarking, investment ROI, leasing best practices, workplace violence, apartment advocacy, reputation management and more. A highlight of Wednesday’s Living Room Learning, a series of quick TED talk-style presentations, was Heather Blume and her service dog MoonMoon, who bluntly addressed the negative reaction she has encountered to her certified service animal. “When you have a service dog, your disability is on display,” Blume confided. But MoonMoon has enabled her to overcome debilitating panic and PTSD attacks to travel, work and give speeches again. She urged multifamily professionals to consider the whole picture when considering renting to residents who rely on support animals. “Home is supposed to be a safe place, and we are home providers,” said Blume, a training and leasing consultant from Seattle, with MoonMoon calmly seated behind her on the stage. Wednesday concluded with a keynote address by Brandon Stanton, who you may have never heard of – but he’s the...

Apartmentalize 2019 features famous speakers – including Mindy Kaling and Laila Ali as the 2019 event’s closing address. But only one session had people camped out on the floor: that of the Apartment All Stars, a spirited group of four well-known apartment marketing consultants who shared the fun and creative marketing strategies they’ve recently observed nationwide. Working with a variety of multifamily clients with unique market conditions and challenges, here’s a quick list of fun apartment marketing ideas shared by Lisa Trosien, Toni Blake and Jackie Ramstedt. Kate Good, the fourth All Star, acted as moderator for the event. “This business is full of heart, and our humanity is our greatest amenity,” Blake said. For the crowd of leasing, management and operations professionals, there couldn’t have been a better reinforcement of their work’s value. Here are some creative ways that America’s apartments are attracting new residents in 2019: Pop culture themed marketing events. One community that Trosien worked with hosted a play on the hit HBO show Game of Thrones called “Game of Homes.” A combination of an apartment tour and an escape room challenge, prospects flooded to the property for something unique based on their favorite show. If you made it out of the “escape room,” your reward was a discount on move in fees. A large bump in leads and leases signed was the result of the event. Celebrating the character of your company. Multifamily managers and operators are known for their volunteerism and community-focused nature. Tell your residents! “We need to take the best part of the apartment industry, which is US, and make it a part of our marketing,” Blake said. Unique amenities focused on resident convenience. Trosien’s daughter lives in an East Coast property managed by Yardi client Bozzuto...