Ready to effectively manage your community wellness programs? With RentCafe Wellness for senior living, you’re equipped with online activity calendars, attendance tracking and real-time information sharing — all accessible on a single platform — making it easy to optimize your wellness initiatives.  Learn how RentCafe Wellness will take your wellness programs to the next level (and benefit your staff, residents and their families) in our infographic below. Schedule activities Manage RSVPs from residents and family members Flag registrations as required or optional and set fees as needed Track resident attendance and monitor changes in behavior Forecast staffing needs for each activity Create digital calendars Share calendars on your community’s RentCafe website and via RentCafe Senior Living Portal Offer a single calendar per community or multiple calendars categorized by care Easily designate which details remain consistent and which vary month to month Download and print calendars to display across your community Empower staff Unlock intuitive dashboards equipped with KPIs Generate analytic reports to assess an activity’s impact Plan and execute follow-up care using activity wellness information Save time thanks to simplified workflows Offer convenience Enable residents and families to sign up for activities, manage registrations and more from RentCafe Senior Living Portal and the mobile app Allow residents and responsible parties to submit monthly payments for paid wellness activities with Payment Processing Keep family members in the loop with real-time information sharing Ensure residents’ wellbeing is continuously monitored Help everyone stay connected from anywhere Learn more about RentCafe Wellness Let’s enhance your wellness programs together. Check out the full RentCafe Wellness infographic then select get in touch to schedule a personalized demo! Want to see RentCafe Wellness in action today? Watch this on-demand webinar....

At the 2023 Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference, Director of Sales Nima Farkhak led a panel with leading multifamily figures about trends impacting the industry — and the tech they’re using to get ahead. The conversation revolved around automation, fraud prevention and training. Particularly, how can multifamily organizations receive more employee buy-in when implementing new technology, and leverage that technology to maximize support for their employees? Panelists (pictured, right) included Leslie Henry, SVP of strategic solutions and development at Towne Properties and Josh Draughn, head of marketing at Weidner Apartment Homes. Read on for key takeaways. Automating early touchpoints significantly reduces site teams’ workloads Most multifamily operators agree that strategic automation is key to efficiency, resulting in streamlined workloads, satisfied employees and happier residents. “Automation is all about how we can give back valuable time to our associates, and we’ve found Chat IQ to be extremely helpful with that,” said Draughn. “Instant gratification is now expected, so our first automated engagement starts just five minutes after an initial contact. Then Chat IQ transitions the interaction to texting, which results in a faster response time.” Since implementing automation and Chat IQ, Draughn says that Weidner experienced a 15 percent reduction in advertising costs year over year. Transparent communication is key to achieving employee buy-in But there are challenges with implementing automation, artificial intelligence and new technology in general — especially when it comes to employee buy-in. Henry noted that most of Towne’s employees have been with the company for a long time and were opposed to change — until they saw its benefits firsthand. “After we implemented Chat IQ,” Henry said, “Our site teams quickly realized how useful it was in gaining back time. They love how it filtered out less promising leads in the beginning. But we also took their feedback if they didn’t like the way the bot was responding. We let them customize some aspects of the responses so there was more of a personal human touch.” Draughn agreed. “Getting buy-in at first will always be challenging,” he said. “But it’s all about how you communicate new changes and listen to their feedback. The human element in multifamily is always going to stay.” Deterring fraud with automation Multifamily organizations are also relying on technology to vet applicants more than ever. ID Verify uses facial recognition technology to confirm applicant identities. To do this, applicants take a selfie during the screening process, which is then matched with the official documents they submit. “Accuracy is one of the biggest benefits of automating the identity and income verification process,” Henry said, adding that automated technology has acted as a fraud deterrent, saving Towne thousands of dollars in the process. “In the beginning, I thought we were losing rentals,” Henry said. “But when we looked closer, it was because some IDs were so clearly fraudulent that the system weeded them out instantly. It saved us from dealing with them, them potentially living with us and us incurring bad debt.” Draughn agreed, noting that while there may be steps like taking selfies, genuine prospects will still follow through with the application. This allows leasing teams to avoid guesswork or repetitive communications. Streamlining online training As the pandemic shifted training methods from in-person to online, Towne Properties also turned to the learning management system Aspire for online training. “We’re learning about the product faster and it’s easier for us to train new employees,” Henry said, highlighting the ease brought by Aspire’s full integration with Towne’s solutions. “It feels good knowing that anyone can learn at their own pace with Aspire.” See it in action A connected solution can help you drive efficiency at every stage of your workflow, enhancing data connectivity and eliminating gaps. Want to see what this looks like in action? Watch a webinar to see how Yardi helps you streamline workflows, reduce fraud and enhance...

On the 8th annual Energy Efficiency Day, Oct. 4, Yardi Energy will join thousands of organizations in the U.S. and Canada in sharing ideas for reducing energy waste and expanding energy efficiency. Energy Efficiency Day provides a forum for U.S. and Canadian corporations, local governments, universities, utilities and other organizations to document such initiatives as upgrading lighting, building insulation and heat pumps and establishing partnerships with local utility companies to reduce stress on the grid during peak demand. The day helps those occupying and investing in residential, commercial, affordable and other property types “share tips, tools and stories that promote the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, [which is] the cheapest, quickest way to meet our energy needs, cut consumer bills and reduce pollution,” says the Energy Efficiency Day organization, a coalition of U.S. energy efficiency advocacy groups. Energy Efficiency Day holds special resonance for Yardi because it involves “a core component of our mission as a real estate technology provider. It’s a great opportunity to focus attention on the critical issue of energy performance, spur action and inspire long-term thinking about what’s needed to create a positive energy future,” adds Joe Consolo, Yardi industry principal for energy. In March, Yardi received the 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award after being named Partner of the Year for five consecutive years. The Yardi ESG software suite enables green energy procurement, whole-building energy water and waste data aggregation, and reduced energy usage in residential and commercial properties. The company has also maintained ENERGY STAR certification for its corporate headquarters in Goleta, Calif. Learn more about ways to maximize the impact of Energy Efficiency Day, including a toolkit for promoting your efforts on social media channels, joining the conversation and finding news about energy efficiency...

It’s a wrap on the 2023 Changemakers series, which we’ve proudly sponsored for the fifth year in a row. We’re delighted to have joined Senior Housing News (SHN) throughout the series to present the class of honorees — nine in total — sharing their insightful interviews here on The Balance Sheet. To mark the conclusion of the series, SHN released a compilation of exclusive interview excerpts in a brand-new ebook. You can download the ebook today to access unseen stories, insights and advice from each Changemaker. Once again, congratulations to each and every Changemaker honoree — Yardi senior living clients included! Yardi clients named 2023 Changemakers With the ebook available now, it’s only fitting we recognize our senior living clients for their interview contributions — and celebrate them for their role in this year’s Changemakers series.   We’re so pleased to congratulate: Earl Parker of Commonwealth Senior Living Jodi Guffee of Radiant Senior Living Doug Dollenberg, Jr. of Brightview Senior Living Rod Burkett of Gardant Management Solutions Sarabeth Hanson of Harbor Retirement Associates Doris-Ellie Sullivan of Retirement Unlimited, Inc. About the series As the senior living industry navigates ever-changing challenges, owners, operators and executives are breaking the status quo to adapt and evolve. Leaders have created leaner operations, improved efficiency and transformed the way they do business entirely through technology adoption. Through it all, they continue to push the boundaries of what it means to be industry leaders and visionaries. Now sponsored by Yardi for the fifth consecutive year, the Changemakers series recognizes and celebrates the most innovative leaders in senior living today. Learn more about the annual interview series by SHN. Read this year’s Changemakers ebook We hope you’ve enjoyed the Changemakers series to date — we’ve certainly enjoyed sharing each honoree’s story with you. If you’re ready for bonus insights from this year’s Changemakers, explore the ebook. If you have any questions about how Yardi supports operators with our dynamic senior living software — don’t hesitate to schedule time to connect with...

National Assisted Living Week (NALW) is here! If you’re unfamiliar, NALW is an annual initiative established by the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) that celebrates assisted living communities and the individuals they serve. The week-long initiative encourages communities to offer events in observance of a specific theme — announced by NCAL each year — for residents, family members, staff and volunteers to enjoy. The inspiring theme for 2023 — Season of Reflection — is all about pausing to reflect on the important things in life, including the special bonds created within assisted living communities. And to no surprise, our Yardi senior living clients are doing just that — encouraging thoughtful reflection through a variety of creative events and heartfelt messages across social media. We’re pleased to share a snapshot of what these fantastic clients have done so far, and we applaud each and every community celebrating NALW this year. Not only do the celebrations spark an appreciation for residents, staff and more — but they also help spread awareness on the importance of assisted living in the U.S. Yardi clients celebrate National Assisted Living Week Thrive Senior Living took to social media in spirit of NALW, sharing an informative video with helpful tips for choosing the right community. They also posted a sweet thank you message on LinkedIn to recognize their associates for changing the lives of residents across Thrive communities. “Thank you to all our AL staff for the helping hands you provide,” wrote Thrive in the post.  Benchmark Senior Living joined the conversation with a thoughtful blog post focusing on the meaning behind NALW — and their devotion to this year’s theme. Sharing the blog post on LinkedIn, Benchmark wrote, “This year’s theme beautifully encapsulates what it means to feel gratitude for all we have and cherish each moment.” Read Benchmark’s blog post on NALW. Maplewood Senior Living also posted on social media in honor of NALW, sharing their excitement for the celebrations to come and noting the value of assisted living for today’s seniors. “We want to emphasize how assisted living can significantly contribute to seniors leading longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives,” shared Maplewood in the post. We can’t wait to see what else our clients have in store as NALW continues! Be sure to keep an eye on social media for additional posts. More about National Assisted Living Week Established by NCAL in 1995, National Assisted Living Week offers a unique opportunity to recognize the role of assisted living in caring for seniors, as well as individuals with disabilities. The annual observance encourages communities around the country to offer a variety of events and activities to celebrate the individuals they serve — and to help educate members of the public about this distinctive aspect of long term care.​​​​​​​​​​​ ​ Each year, NCAL releases a variety of resources to help communities prepare for the week-long observance, including an extensive planning guide with suggestions for activities, media tips and more. Enjoy #NALW! To join the celebration and help spread awareness, be sure to use #NALW on social media! The observance spans from September 10-16. And be sure to check out the #NALW page on LinkedIn to see what’s been shared so far.    From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to those across assisted living for all that you do — Yardi clients included. Not a client and curious to learn how we support communities with our dynamic solutions? Reach out to team...

Earlier this year, Yardi earned an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy after earning designation as Partner of the Year for five consecutive years. The award recognizes Yardi’s efforts in 2022 to help clients benchmark energy and water usage, obtain green financing, expand their energy management skills at Yardi Advanced Solutions Conferences and incorporate ENERGY STAR into an energy management software dashboard. Yardi was joined by a distinguished roster of fellow Sustained Excellence Award recipients from numerous industries across the country. Here’s a sampling. Commercial food service equipment manufacturer ITW Food Equipment Group of Troy, Ohio, increased ENERGY STAR-certified product offerings across its seven brands, trained its entire staff on ENERGY STAR and promoted the program’s benefits to end-users and distributors. ITW also introduced new ENERGY STAR-certified products, such as fryers and ovens, and marketed the program extensively through press releases, blog posts, website content and social media. Los Angeles-based home builder KB Home built more than 12,000 ENERGY STAR-certified homes in 2022 and generated more than 120 million impressions for an upcoming energy-smart connected community development that will include 200+ ENERGY STAR-certified homes. KB Home also promoted ENERGY STAR across various online platforms. Cenergistic, a Dallas sustainability consulting company, benchmarked more than 1,000 properties and integrated ENERGY STAR into all of its client services. The company submitted 341 ENERGY star certification and recertification applications, implemented energy management plans for its clients and posted ENERGY STAR content on social media. Nissan North America Inc., based in Franklin, Tenn., used ENERGY STAR tools and resources to reduce the energy intensity of its North American operations. The motor vehicle manufacturer achieved ENERGY STAR certifications for two manufacturing plants and hosted energy treasure hunts that identified over 18,139 metric million British thermal units in potential energy savings. Nissan also provided pro bono engineer reviews that helped 16 schools earn ENERGY STAR certification. EnergyLogic Inc., a home energy rating and applied building science company in Berthoud, Colo., provided technical support and training for home energy raters, program stakeholders and other industry professionals to ensure consistent application of ENERGY STAR program requirements. Its building science consultations incorporated trends, materials, systems and technologies that enhanced its clients’ ENERGY STAR success in 2022. The Des Moines Public Schools district in Iowa became an ENERGY STAR Certification Nation Premier Member by earning certification for 36 schools in 2022. The district also saved $1 million in energy costs that year. Financial services provider MetLife Inc. of New York City achieved ENERGY STAR certification for 30 properties, published three white papers on decarbonization and launched a campaign to increase the quantity and quality of portfolio-wide whole building energy data. MetLife also established a target to achieve net-zero emissions for its global operations and general account investment portfolio no later than 2050. St. Louis-based smart thermostat manufacturer Emerson Sensi conducted more than 1,200 ENERGY STAR training sessions for contractors in 2022 and offered ENERGY STAR-certified thermostats that are compatible with major smart home ecosystems such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings. Sensi also featured ENERGY STAR messaging on its retail products’ packaging. See the complete list of ENERGY STAR Award winners for 2023. Learn how Yardi helps commercial and residential real estate companies achieve their energy and sustainability...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires commercial and multifamily building owners to improve performance in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water use among other aspects of building operations. With compliance deadlines approaching, several jurisdictions are stepping up their energy benchmarking efforts. Indianapolis, Miami and New Jersey, for example, have deadlines this year. Deadlines for New York City, St. Louis and Denver come in 2024, with Washington, D.C., Boston and others to follow over the next two years. That’s why the EPA has been working to raise awareness of the importance of aggregated whole building data and ways that states and utility providers can provide it to property owners. This data delivers visibility into energy consumption and helps create a roadmap for instituting ongoing operational improvements. “Demand for this data will grow as building owners seek new federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act that require documentation of whole-building performance as a condition of participation,” the EPA says. EPA has also advised states on passing laws that can overcome barriers utilities face in providing data. Such laws can create a path to cover costs associated with providing the data and define requirements to protect individual tenant data. The EPA will launch a full-fledged campaign over the coming months, in partnership with key building owner associations, to raise awareness of the need for this data among state policymakers and utilities. How Yardi can help What is Yardi’s connection to property owners satisfying these EPA requirements? The company’s advanced software and service solutions “simplify the aggregation of whole building data collection and reporting for environmental, social and governance purposes. The first step is gathering data from multiple sources and identifying efficient and inefficient buildings,” says Joe Consolo, industry principal for Yardi Energy. He adds, “Tracking an asset’s performance over time is also critically important. Having received an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award and earned ongoing ENERGY STAR certification for our corporate headquarters, Yardi has the expertise to work with utilities and our client building owners, tenants and residents on these priorities.” Learn more about Yardi’s comprehensive energy management solutions for energy management solutions for residential and commercial...

Yardi’s Advanced Solutions Conference kicked off Wednesday morning with over 4,000 attendees – making it the largest YASC ever – in attendance at the San Diego Convention Center. “We have 4,000 of the best minds in real estate in San Diego this week,” observed Esther Bonardi, a vice president at Yardi, as a packed room eagerly anticipated remarks from Anant Yardi, the company’s founder and CEO; as well as executives Rob Teel, Akshai Rao and Kevin Yardi. Anant Yardi, founder and CEO of Yardi, speaks at YASC in San Diego on Sept. 6, 2023. Photo credit: Julian Thomas, Yardi staff. The YASC opening session always offers an overview of real estate technology trends and insight into how they might play out within Yardi’s single connected solution for real estate companies. This year brought an especially exciting reveal: Voyager 8 is currently in limited release to clients and will be widely available beginning in January 2024. “The biggest thing with Voyager 8 to get excited about is the user experience. The user interface is completely different. It’s a big leap from Voyager 7S. It’s not a leap in terms of the upgrade process, though,” said Rob Teel, president of global solutions. “We are really excited about the upgrade process. This is going to be an opportunity for you to decide which users you want to start using Voyager 8. They can use 7S or 8, so you don’t have to choose. You can allow your users to get comfortable with Voyager 8 as you start to roll this out,” said Akshai Rao, president of residential. Clients were able to get detailed demos and highlights of the forthcoming release in spotlight sessions unique to their real estate verticals on Wednesday morning. In addition to the new user experience and simple upgrade process, Voyager 8 is built for compatibility with artificial intelligence (AI), promising a continual opportunity for real estate companies to use the new technology for efficiency and smoother operations. AI and real estate AI’s implications for business functions like marketing are evident across industries, but what about specific uses for real estate? That question was at the heart of Anant Yardi’s remarks on Wednesday morning. Noting that Yardi is fully committed to making use of AI in the most constructive and beneficial ways possible, Mr. Yardi said that he sees the incorporation of the technology as a gradual one. “The future of AI in real estate is not going to be some big bang type of change, that’s not going to happen,” Mr. Yardi said. He noted that Yardi has already made infrastructure investments that will provide processing bandwidth required for AI systems. Teel and Rao provided a look at Yardi products where AI is already incorporated and will have a growing role moving forward. They include chatbots, which already provide automated answers to prospect questions from multifamily clients; maintenance requests, which could be assigned prioritization and dispatch by AI; and a virtual Voyager assistant who will answer software questions, thanks to AI. “We are fully committed to this change and look at this as an opportunity to grow,” Mr. Yardi said. “Anytime there’s an opportunity to embrace and acknowledge change, I think lurking behind it, you’ll see an opportunity for growth.” Spotlight on corporate philanthropy The general session concluded with a look at Yardi’s corporate focus on philanthropy, which has been a longtime priority for the company. “Our guiding principles over the last 40 years and for the next 40 years are to take care of our clients, employees and communities, and candidly, we don’t often talk about what it means to take care of our communities, so I wanted to take this opportunity to spend a few minutes on it,” said Kevin Yardi, vice president. “We provide funding to our 40 offices around the world and our 9,000 employees help guide funding to nonprofits that are meaningful to...

We love speaking with our senior living clients to capture their journey using solutions in the Yardi Senior Living Suite. And this year, we’ve created quick, engaging testimonial videos to share those journeys with you. Our latest batch includes two videos featuring Syndell Lawhon, vice president of wellness at Vitality Living. Covering Vitality’s success with Yardi Senior IQ, our dynamic business intelligence solution, both videos are packed with insights you don’t want to miss! Read on for a snapshot of what you’ll discover in each video. How Vitality Living’s journey began Before Yardi, Vitality’s data was scattered across siloed solutions, requiring leaders to pull information and generate reports manually. Not only were these processes time-consuming, but they also prevented Vitality from unlocking insights regarding occupancy, falls and more. Not to mention, Vitality’s data wasn’t being updated in real time. Leaders sought a business intelligence solution that would present up-to-date, business-wide data in a visual format — all in one place. That led them to Senior IQ, a trusted solution designed for the unique needs of senior living. How Vitality unlocks actionable information with Senior IQ In our 60-second video with Lawhon, you’ll learn how Vitality now gains actionable information at the click of a button. Presenting real-time data in customizable, sharable dashboards, Senior IQ ensures Vitality’s data is accurate and readily available — allowing leaders to get fast answers to specific questions. Lawhon shares how this equips teams to make important decisions that move the needle. “The value for me is that we can make real-time changes to either resident care or staffing levels,” explains Lawhon. Watch the 60-second video with Vitality. How Vitality makes data-driven decisions with Senior IQ In our two-minute video with Vitality, Lawhon shares more examples of the organization’s success with Senior IQ — expanding on the power of making data-driven decisions. As Lawhon explains, Vitality now has impactful, real-time data which helps teams make decisions that improve resident care, staffing levels, revenue and more. “It has impacted resident outcomes along with giving us a competitive advantage,” says Lawhon, describing the value of Senior IQ. In the video, you’ll also see how leaving manual processes in the past — such as hand-keying data and sorting through spreadsheets — has saved Vitality’s staff a tremendous amount of time. Watch the two-minute video with Vitality. Connect with us Ready for a closer look at Senior IQ? Reach out to our senior living team with questions, or to book a personalized demo. And don’t forget, we have a full library of client testimonial videos that speak to the power of solutions across the Yardi Senior Living Suite! Watch more testimonial videos...

Planning to attend multifamily events this fall and winter? Chances are we’ll be there! This is a great opportunity to strengthen your industry connections and see how a connected system benefits every stage of your workflow. Explore this list to see how you can connect with us at every event. September: Multifamily Executive Conference Mark your calendars for the Multifamily Executive Conference from Sept. 26-28 in Dallas, Texas. This three-day event is a great way to get insights on how to sustain your organization’s success. Learn how to map out your next moves, collaborate with key industry players, advance business strategies and much more. Yardi is proud to be a Platinum Co-Sponsor for this event. Meet with us at booth 210 to make the most out of your time! We’re excited to show you how you can improve your workflows with connected solutions. September: NAA Cultivate Join us in an all-new event: Cultivate, Powered by NAA! Set to take place in beautiful Tucson, Arizona, Sept. 27-28, this retreat-style event is tailored to executives looking to deepen their networking and leadership skills. We are proud to be the NAA Strategic Partner and the General Session Sponsor for this event. Book a meeting with us in advance! With sessions and speakers designed to encourage, motivate and enable reflection, this event is a can’t miss for multifamily executives looking to enhance their people management and leadership strategy. October: IREM Global Summit This year’s IREM Global Summit will be held in Toronto, Canada, Oct. 9-12. As a proud IREM Industry Partner, we can’t wait to show you solutions to help you increase your NOI and drive efficiency. Join Yardi Aspire Industry Principal Patty Evans on October 12, where you can learn how to futureproof your workforce with a futuristic elearning strategy. We’re also proud to sponsor the IREM Gala and Afterparty. Join us as we celebrate IREM members and their accomplishments with a cocktail reception, dinner, drinks and awards. And don’t forget about the Afterparty, where you can wrap up a spectacular week with a fun dance floor. We’ll be happy to see you at booth 1 and 2, but feel free to book time with us in advance. October: Florida Apartment Association Conference & Tradeshow And who could forget about the Florida Apartment Association Annual Conference & Tradeshow happening Oct. 11-13? With numerous speakers and informative sessions to choose from, you can truly customize your time to your learning and networking goals. Yardi is proud to be a platinum sponsor for this event. Schedule time at booth 701 to connect with our team! October: NMHC Student Housing Conference Join us for the NMHC Student Housing Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 17-19. Gather and get inspired with other leaders as you learn and make connections that will shape the future of the industry. Plus, don’t miss Yardi Vice President Jeff Adler on the student housing market economic outlook panel. We are happy to be the Chair Circle Sponsor for this event. See us there at kiosk 3 — or book time with us in advance! November: NMHC OPTECH Conference & Expo Who says you can’t go to Vegas twice in one year? Also in Las Vegas, Nevada: the NMHC OPTECH Conference and Expo from Nov. 1-3. Join us and other leading voices in multifamily as we touch on the most important conversations around the future of multifamily tech and operations. We are pleased to sponsor the registration for this event. We’ll have more information as the event gets closer, but you can always book a meeting with us ahead of time.   We can’t wait to see you in person! Curious to see where else we’ll be throughout the year? Check out our full list of events. If you’re interested in learning more about how our connected solutions can help your multifamily company improve NOI across your portfolio, let us know how...