We’re excited to announce the next batch of 2023 Changemakers — innovative trailblazers in senior living — which includes three new honorees! If you haven’t seen our previous posts this year, in short, Changemakers is an inspiring interview series produced by Senior Housing News that we’re sponsoring for the fifth consecutive year. The Changemaker we’re featuring today is Sarabeth Hanson, CEO and president of Harbor Retirement Associates (HRA), an amazing Yardi senior living client. Enjoy a snapshot of Hanson’s interview below. Yardi client Sarabeth Hanson named 2023 Changemaker With dedicated experience as a leader at HRA, Sarabeth Hanson has driven positive change across the organization’s 36 communities. Currently operating as CEO and president, she brings over 20 years of senior living experience — and a passion for helping older adults — to her work today. In her interview with SHN, Hanson shares what her journey has looked like over the last several years — and shares what she’s focusing on looking ahead. SHN: How have you changed as a leader since starting in this industry? Hanson: I’ve changed so many ways since starting in the senior living industry, especially since I started in the senior living industry as a recent college graduate who went to school to teach elementary education in the second grade, and found that there was something missing in my fulfillment in that process and stumbled into a therapeutic recreation director position at a not-for-profit skilled nursing assisted living community, where I learned that I was called to serve seniors. I learned the beauty in seniors and really started to lead immediately following that process because that wasn’t a leadership process. I was a team of one, but quickly learned that you don’t have to be assigned to be a leader to be a natural leader. Quickly found that if I had good ideas and was willing to share them, that I could lead efforts that would really change the lives of seniors. SHN: Obviously, we at SHN think of you as a changemaker, but do you see yourself that way — are you always excited to drive change? Hanson: I am proud of HRA and the company that we have become because we’re a little disruptive in the industry. I would say that it excites me to make change in a positive way. You know what, if I sat next to you, Nick on an airplane, and you asked me what I did for a living, I would no longer tell you that I’m in senior living. I would tell you that I’m in the hospitality industry serving seniors. The difference there is when I said I’m in senior living, people wrinkle their nose like, “Oh, thanks so much. Oh, what a hard job.” But when I say it the other way around, they say, “Tell me more.” I want people to know more because we are no longer, at Harbor Retirement Associates, we’re no longer what people think of when they think of retirement living or senior living. We are truly focused on exceptional experiences. That is created through leading with hospitality and not leading with things that are expected like great care and medications given at the right time, but by exceeding their expectations through a hospitality approach and offering choice to our residents in a very safe environment. SHN: As you look across the rest of the senior living industry, do you think that it’s changing fast enough to keep up with the times? Hanson: Covid-19, I think threw a little bit of a monkey wrench into probably some growth because the industry, like everything else got sequestered and had to work through a very high-level clinical model. What we found through that exercise is that we are more clinically capable than we ever thought we were before and that we had ever expected to be. We always were a residential model,...

We’re delighted to share that several Yardi senior living clients earned a spot on the 2023-2024 Best Senior Living list! Presented by U.S. News & World Report and now in its second year, the Best Senior Living list features communities across independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement. If the Best Senior Living list is new to you, at its core, the list is inspired by a mission to help seniors and their families navigate the challenging process of selecting a community. For the communities who earn a place on the list, U.S. News includes detailed profiles with ratings and testimonials to educate and provide visibility in the senior housing space. To all who earned a well-deserved spot on the list — including our amazing clients — congratulations from us at Yardi! Yardi clients earn a place on the 2023 Best Senior Living list To establish the Best Senior Living list for 2023, U.S. News evaluated nearly 4,000 communities nationwide, analyzing survey data from over 250,000 residents and their family members. The top-rated communities for each level of care were deemed Best Senior Living honorees in their prospective categories, and that included nearly 1,700 communities in total. For certain senior living organizations, a large batch of their communities were recognized on the list — Yardi clients included! Explore the U.S. News Best Senior Living list to browse the communities recognized.   Want to see how Yardi clients are finding success with our senior living solutions? Get in touch with us. More on the Best Senior Living list You may be wondering what the survey entails when U.S. News reaches out to these senior living communities. In partnership with Activated Insights, they ask residents and family members to rate their experience on things to help guide prospective residents in their search — such as kindness of staff and quality of care.   In addition to publishing ratings and testimonials for communities on the list, U.S. News also shares the benefits and costs of different living options for all to explore. This provides fantastic visibility into communities across the nation and ultimately helps seniors and their families make informed decisions when searching for a place to live. Congratulations from Yardi Choosing a senior living community for yourself or a loved one is a difficult process. But with resources like the Best Senior Living list, it can be less overwhelming. We’re happy to highlight this year’s Best Senior Living list honorees, including our fantastic senior living clients! Read more about the Best Senior Living list for 2023. Ready to learn more about our senior living management software? Check out this Senior Living Suite infographic. Have questions or ready for a personalized demo? Once again, we encourage you to reach out to our senior living team...

When exploring technology solutions for your business, there’s nothing better than viewing direct testimonials from professionals in your industry. We understand the value of seeing how a product functions through a current client’s eyes — which is why we love creating success stories for you to enjoy, including those that feature our senior living solutions. So we’re excited to share our brand-new piece that shares the power of Yardi Senior IQ through the eyes of Syndell Lawhon, vice president of wellness at Vitality Living! From covering Vitality’s journey prior to this single connected solution, to sharing the success the organization has found since implementing it, Lawhon brings a wealth of insights to the table in her interview. Don’t miss this one — read the highlight below then visit the Vitality Living success story to see more. The Challenge: Siloed Data Vitality’s data used to be 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 — since data lacked the organization and presentation needed to reveal important trends. 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. The Solution: Yardi Senior IQ Yardi Senior IQ is a business intelligence solution that surfaces real-time data in attractive, sharable dashboards. Designed for senior living providers and drawing portfolio-wide data from Yardi Voyager Senior Housing, Senior IQ provides the insights needed to act confidently and make smarter, faster decisions. The Story: Visualizing Insights, Driving Informed Decisions, Empowering Staff & Streamlining Workflows Before Senior IQ, Vitality didn’t have a seamless method for capturing and gathering important data. “Prior to us coming to Yardi, with the system that we used before, we couldn’t pull any of that data,” shared Syndell Lawhon, vice president of wellness at Vitality. “We had to do things manually.” Manually pulling metrics and organizing insights, they were limited to sharing only numbers with staff, owners and investors. Now with Senior IQ, Vitality has a visual representation of the same information — via custom graphs and tables — housed in one secure location. “Nurses are very visual people,” explained Lawhon. “When they can see the numbers in a graph pulled right up in Senior IQ, it clicks so much faster. Numbers on a piece of paper are not as powerful.” With intuitive dashboards, graphs and tables revealing trends that Vitality wasn’t previously capturing, leaders are gaining insights that move the needle like never before. “A trend is telling you something,” shared Lawhon. “There’s so much information in Senior IQ that you can dig into. There’s always something we’re finding on a daily basis — something else we know we could use.” With the ability to access real-time data in Senior IQ, Vitality can now make informed decisions regarding occupancy, care, staffing and revenue. And by giving care staff the tools to visualize important trends — Senior IQ helps Vitality empower those individuals, which boosts retention as a result. “Senior IQ helps us with nurse retention,” said Lawhon. “When you start getting data and looking at the bigger picture — how you can make things better for the whole community — not only does it make you feel empowered, it also elevates your skill set.” Vitality also left data digging in the past when they implemented Senior IQ. Instead of searching through siloed solutions and manually compiling insights to send to owners and investors, Vitality now unlocks actionable information at the click of a button. “I can go in Senior IQ and in two seconds, I’m able to pop information right out for that community and send it right along,” shared Lawhon. Read the full interview with Vitality Living   The snapshot above doesn’t cover everything Lawhon...

For senior living operators, using fully-integrated, all-inclusive software — as opposed to disparate systems — has major benefits. From gaining new efficiencies to improving resident care, the benefits are further enhanced when operators choose a solution designed for the unique needs of senior living. That describes the Yardi Senior Living Suite, which supports a multitude of today’s operators like Scottsdale-based Westminster Village. And to show you exactly how Yardi tools work to build success, we recently interviewed Dan Poteet, Westminster’s chief information officer. Continue reading to get top insights from Poteet, who shares what’s possible when you leave disparate systems in the past. We encourage you to read the success story in full, too! About Westminster Village Westminster Village is Scottsdale’s premier non-profit Life Plan community. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, it was founded in 1988 by a group of friends and neighbors who envisioned a community where people could continue their accustomed lifestyles and be assured of lifelong health care. Their idea was to assure dignity and independent living for people in their later years. The Challenge: Siloed Solutions Before partnering with Yardi, Westminster Village was operating using siloed solutions and manual processes. That combination was time-consuming and susceptible to errors, which prevented staff from working as efficiently as possible. Westminster leaders sought a single connected solution to streamline workflows at every level — and enhance resident satisfaction. The Solution: Yardi Senior Living Suite The Yardi Senior Living Suite combines resident care, marketing, sales, finance, business intelligence, operations and more on a cloud-hosted, HIPAA and SOX compliant software platform. Mobile, intuitive and efficient, the Yardi Senior Living Suite has everything you need to manage your communities and drive growth. The Story: Thriving With An Integrated Solution, Driving Efficiency & Enhancing Satisfaction Since moving forward with Yardi, Westminster now has one centralized system that offers everything needed to drive success. “This is a major improvement over having disparate systems not connected to each other,” explained Poteet. With RentCafe Senior CRM automating workflows, sales and marketing teams are equipped to work productively, stay informed and track leads with ease. “Having the ability to keep track of prospect touches and having auto-generated follow-up tasks has helped our marketing team stay better connected with prospects and the sales cycle,” shared Poteet. On the care side, Westminster saves time and reduces errors using Yardi EHR, since all resident data automatically flows over from Yardi Voyager Senior Housing. “Being able to do our home health billing and having it connected to Voyager is the most valuable feature,” said Poteet. With RentCafe Senior Living Portal and Yardi Payment Processing, residents and families access the convenience of online payments — which helps Westminster’s accounting team on the processing side. RentCafe Senior Living Portal also keeps residents, families and staff connected by displaying real-time updates relating to care, community activities and more. “The resident portal allows us to communicate and provide information to our residents and their families quickly and conveniently,” shared Poteet. Continue reading the Westminster Village success story Want to get in touch regarding the Yardi Senior Living Suite? Reach out to our team! We’re happy to answer questions or schedule a personalized demo at your...

Yardi, the global leader in real estate software, announced the acquisition of CloudVO, the San Francisco-based online reseller of virtual offices, meeting rooms and other workplace services. Yardi’s listing service network includes sites such as CommercialCafé, CommercialSearch and PropertyShark, who have established prominent positions in the commercial real estate space. CoworkingCafé is dedicated to promoting coworking services, but all listing sites share the same database. Listing with one is listing with all, giving operators more exposure to anyone looking for coworking services than any other option. The Yardi listing network generates over 20,000 leads per month to participating commercial property owners and coworking operators.  “We have closely followed CloudVO’s progress for many years now, and it seemed that the time was right to incorporate their assets and intimate knowledge of coworking operators into Yardi. We are looking forward to continuing this journey with Laurent and his team,” said Rob Teel, Yardi president of commercial. Laurent Dhollande, CEO of CloudVO, commented: “We are thrilled that CloudVO is now part of Yardi. Our partners will benefit from the Yardi listing service with infinitely more reach and strength than CloudVO could provide on its own, with seven online listing sites that combine over 3 million visitors monthly. Our customers will be exposed to a larger inventory and better choices for their online bookings and purchases of workplace services, including meeting rooms, private offices and virtual offices.” As of June 1, CloudVO ceased to take new orders and clients are being redirected to CoworkingCafe. Phone answering services will continue to be provided by CloudAnswering, without interruption, and are not part of the assets sold to Yardi. CloudAnswering will stay as a member of the Pacific Workplaces family of...

Did you know 65% of sales professionals use CRM? And out of companies using mobile CRM, 65% achieved sales quota compared to 22% of those without mobile CRM? Case in point, with the right CRM solution, senior living operators are equipped to advance sales and marketing efforts in more ways than one. But it’s important to find a solution built for the unique needs of senior living — one equipped with tools that evolve as the industry does. Fortunately, we have just the solution in mind. Meet RentCafe Senior CRM, our mobile-friendly single connected solution. Read on to see what this one-of-a-kind platform offers today’s senior living operators. The sales and marketing tools you need There’s so much functionality to cover when it comes to RentCafe Senior CRM, but at a glance, the solution helps you: Configure and automate the sales process to guide your unique selling approach View real-time census data, occupancy status, unit rates and amenity offerings Eliminate duplicate data entry with a united leasing and move-in workflow Lead with confidence using a platform integrated with multiple elements of the Yardi Senior Living Suite Generate, complete and upload documents to RentCafe Senior Living Portal, where residents and family members can sign electronically Reduce risks with a solution that is HIPAA and SOX compliant Access visual reporting with configurable, group-based dashboards and a wide selection of KPIs Drive efficiency with a convenient mobile app built for iOS and Android devices Enjoy the convenience of Yardi as your single support avenue Offer residents a seamless move-in journey RentCafe Senior CRM doesn’t simply help you during the early stages of the sales cycle. It offers tools to power the cycle from start to finish, including the time leading up to move-in (once a prospect commits to your community). At that stage, you access:   Up-to-date resident assessments A seamless leasing workflow equipped with rates, specials/discounts and approvals Easy-to-generate electronic leases The automatic attachment of documents to the resident record in Voyager Senior Housing And more! Evolving functionality like no other platform What else makes RentCafe Senior CRM a differentiator? To add to everything already mentioned, RentCafe Senior CRM offers: Inbound and outbound calling, texting and emailing Duration and engagement tracking Triggered activity follow-up Predictive analytics Automated prospect and referral correspondence Event management Third party API integrations Lead scoring An integrated solution built for senior living Of course, one of the biggest benefits of RentCafe Senior CRM is its ability to integrate with key elements of your business. While other CRM solutions may offer a few valuable features, they don’t always integrate with EHRs, financial platforms and everything in-between. As part of the Yardi Senior Living Suite, RentCafe Senior CRM connects with everything you need — saving time, eliminating errors and ensuring your teams have up-to-date information at all times.     Level up with RentCafe Senior CRM Wondering how else RentCafe Senior CRM helps operators reach new heights? Reach out to book a quick, personalized demo. And in the meantime, feel free to explore our RentCafe Senior CRM infographic!...

The newest improvements in the Yardi Senior Living Suite are here! This release (7.18) includes enhancements in RentCafe Senior CRM, Yardi EHR and eMAR. As always, each enhancement was powered by feedback from our amazing senior living clients.  To learn about what’s new and improved in 7.18, read the highlights below. We’re also sharing links to informative webinars, crafted for clients, which explain the new functionality in detail. For a complete list of new features documentation, clients can also visit the help center in Client Central and select new features. What’s new in RentCafe Senior CRM RentCafe Senior CRM, our mobile-friendly CRM solution, is packed with fresh functionality courtesy of the 7.18 release. From simplified workflows to completely new features, the enhancements equip you to: Track your competitive analysis with new options to create custom configurations that automatically save for future use Store marketing collateral in one centralized location, the document center, allowing staff to quickly grab attachments to email to prospects Enjoy expanded options for automated correspondences including those produced by birthdays, anniversaries, email templates, lead status and prospect status change — plus apply filters to individual rows to ensure you send the prospect’s preferred correspondence type Sync your Outlook calendar with your RentCafe Senior CRM calendar, enabling items to instantly populate in Outlook as they’re updated in RentCafe Senior CRM Build savable templates that automatically generate common tasks, conducted before or after an event, to avoid starting from scratch when creating future events Access a simplified digital signature invitation that enables copying and pasting a verification pin sent via email, or via SMS mobile phone when you have RentCafe Conversations Watch the RentCafe Senior CRM New Features Webinar. Watch the RentCafe Senior CRM Set Up New Features Webinar. What’s new in Yardi EHR and eMAR Now for Yardi EHR and Yardi eMAR, solutions built to help you enhance care at every level, here’s what’s possible thanks to the 7.18 release: Benefit from a redesigned service plan screen that clearly presents every action, making it easier to manage plans and identify what’s missing prior to activation Utilize new order direction templates that allow you to set the direction for an order with the click of a single button Enjoy an updated variable/sliding scale feature that auto-selects the correct quantity based on the vital information entered Save time with new bulk charting options in Care Stream that allow staff to chart multiple medications at one time, and apply specific notes to everything at once Streamline assessments with enhanced dynamic profile sections, which enable staff to update the resident’s profile while performing an assessment Watch the Yardi EHR New Features Webinar. Watch the Yardi EHR Set Up New Features Webinar. Have questions? If you have any questions about what’s offered with the 7.18 release, visit the help center in Client Central. If you’re new to Yardi senior living solutions and want more information on the success they create, get in touch with...

“We use Yardi as our source of truth for everything.” That insight comes from Nick Byrd, chief financial officer at Vitality Living, in a recent interview discussing Vitality’s successes with the Yardi Senior Living Suite. With a focus on Yardi Voyager Senior Housing, the story spotlights the challenges Vitality faced prior to working with Yardi — and shares how they’ve found success since then.   Read the highlight below, then head to the success story to get all the insights: The Challenge: Manual Processes & Disparate Systems Vitality used to rely on manual processes and disparate systems — taking time away from priorities, generating errors and causing confusion among teams. From monthly ACH pulls to building financial reports, key tasks became increasingly arduous. Vitality searched for a dependable, integrated solution to serve as their source of truth and alleviate the challenges they were facing. The Solution: Yardi Voyager Senior Housing Designed for senior living providers of all types and sizes, Yardi Voyager Senior Housing delivers property management and financial accounting on a powerful, cloud-based platform. By adding solutions across the Yardi Senior Living Suite, operators take full control of the senior living spectrum from marketing to operations to care. The Story: Gaining One Source of Truth, Eliminating Errors & Saving Time Prior to implementing Voyager Senior Housing and accompanying tools in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, Vitality used a mix of siloed technology and manual processes. The lack of a single connected solution — built to unite all data and workflows in one place — meant Vitality didn’t have true visibility or a reliable method for retrieving important information. By moving forward with Yardi, Vitality now has a single source of truth — a solution that integrates all aspects of its business into one database. “When you’re running a report in Voyager, you’re getting real time data,” shares Byrd in the success story. “The system is integrated with all of these pieces which allows us to get a true picture.” With Voyager automating tasks Vitality previously did manually, errors have now been eliminated across the board. “When we would run our monthly ACH pulls in the old system, the community’s business director would have to prepare the file, send it to accounting and we would manually enter all the ACH transactions, and update the amounts,” explained Byrd. “You can only imagine what kind of errors that could create, and it created a ton.” Vitaly also said goodbye to time drainers when they partnered with Yardi. Since Voyager acts as their complete general ledger system, Vitality has drastically reduced time spent on key financial accounting tasks, allowing team members to shift and focus on other priorities. “We gained two days back just around the ACH process,” said Byrd. “It was a manual lift before, but now things are getting updated in real time.” Read the full success story Ready to see all the ways Vitality is finding success with Voyager Senior Housing? Read the full success story! If you have any questions for us — or you’d like to book a demo based on what you read — reach out to connect with our senior living...

“Change is always tough, even when it’s good for you.” Those words come from Doris-Ellie Sullivan, a 2023 Changemaker and dedicated Yardi senior living client! As president of Retirement Unlimited, Inc. — a 21-community organization with living options across Virginia and Florida — Sullivan knows a thing or two about skilled, innovative leadership. We’re proud to join Senior Housing News (SHN) in recognizing Sullivan as the Changemaker she is — spotlighting her extraordinary advice and insights (gathered in a detailed interview). It’s an honor to be part of this special series, sharing inspiration from leaders like Sullivan, as sponsor for the fifth year in a row.    Yardi client Doris-Ellie Sullivan named 2023 Changemaker Through her conversation with SHN as part of this year’s Changemakers series, Doris-Ellie Sullivan shares how her background has shaped her leadership style today. Coming to the senior living industry by way of the U.S. Armed Services, where she was a nurse, Sullivan’s career has been guided by a passion for service and a dedication to helping others. Keep reading for a look at her insightful interview: SHN: How have you changed as a leader since starting in this industry? Sullivan: I came into senior living from the military, so that was quite a big difference. Empathy and servant leadership is definitely at the core of my leadership style. The discipline and systems came across from the military, but I think it was more of the residents-centered focus – believing in the mission. Of course, our mission at Retirement Unlimited is to provide a lifestyle that our residents have earned and deserve. I think it’s a different mission. I think that you have to evolve, and that’s what sets me apart is evolving and always being open to learning. SHN: How do you think about timing, so that your company can innovate without getting so far ahead of the market that a new idea doesn’t work? Sullivan: We launched the MyRUI app in 2019 before the pandemic. We also partnered up with a lot of companies to prepare for the pandemic, not knowing that the pandemic was coming. I don’t think you can ever be early. I think innovation equates to adoption: What is the adoption at the community level? What is the adoption at the resident and family level? What is the adoption to the general public? I think that if you can create adoption and not distraction in anything that you’re innovating, whether it’s AI or ChatGPT or some new software product or some hardware or some new system. One of the things that we’ve learned with the MyRUI app — and with any innovation that we’ve put out there — is that it’s not a one-time, “Let’s have this big party and launch it.” It’s every three months, you have to almost do a soft launch to keep the adoption rates going. More showing us as shoulder-to-shoulder versus telling people that it’s going to make your lives easier, that is a big difference that we have at RUI. SHN: Can you talk about how you see the need for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the industry, and what you are doing to drive change in this regard? Sullivan: I am a female of Asian descent and started this business in the 1990s. I and several other women out there had the great opportunity of being on an all-female panel a month ago with some other pioneers like Shelley Edsen from Sonata Senior Living and Sevy Petras from Priority Life Care. It’s just important to find the right candidate for the position. If everybody has that focus and they’re looking for the right candidate with no judgment, I think that that blossoms into opportunity. As I said, we looked for the right candidates and created a very diverse home office, a very diverse community operations side, and a very diverse region. That comes...

The Canadian rental housing market has been growing and shifting rapidly. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the annual average growth rate of purpose-built rentals has moved closer to 2% over the last decade, reaching almost 2.2 million units in 2020. Unfortunately, the long-term deficit will take years of building to fix, especially with Canada’s population expected to increase by 1 million in 2023. Supply is simply not keeping up with demand. Fortunately, the recent increase in national and regional rental data is helping Canadians gain a better understanding of these developments. This article examines key takeaways from a recent Yardi-sponsored virtual panel discussion, which covered the latest rental data and explored how it’s being used to make sense of the current rental market. Existing Reports One of the longest-established means of benchmarking rental market data, is collected and distributed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Their process involves conducting annual surveys using telephone calls, site visits and information from owners. The results are shared every year in January and show a snapshot of vacancy, available units, turnover rates and average rents in primary and secondary rental markets. Peter Altobelli, a panelist and vice president of sales and general manager for Yardi Canada, highlighted Yardi’s Canadian National Multifamily Report, which analyzes in-place rents, rent growth, vacancy rates and other fundamentals across 13 Census Metropolitan Areas. The quarterly report aggregates and anonymizes data from Yardi clients and divulges increasingly rich information. The data “enables Yardi to offer more transparency into the rental market and expands the scope and uniqueness of the report,” Altobelli said. He added that the number of units used to compile the report will increase by 60% in the near future. Other panelists favour comparing online rental listings data with CMHC and Yardi reports, to capture a holistic view of the market throughout the year. Rental Challenges Data is more critical than ever, as Canadians face the current housing crisis. The existing rental market reports are intended to equip renters and real estate professionals with data to make informed decisions about rental housing options. Although online rental listing reports are released more frequently, these types of reports incorporate average asking rents rather than in market rents. This information makes for “excellent for shock headlines” but should be regarded cautiously, according to webinar panelist Alexandra Baird Allen, an economic intelligence unit manager for Turner Drake & Partners. The panelists also discussed the most recent Yardi Canadian multifamily report, which documents rising in-place rents, tight vacancy rates and declining turnover rates. “These trends are expected to continue”, said Altobelli and with rent controls in place in most jurisdictions, “owners of older inventory may be well-served to focus on value-add scenarios to provide better homes for renters and drive market rents in those units when opportunity presents” he added. Making Decisions For markets to stay competitive, property owners and managers should leverage these reports to help attract investors that will support redesigning their properties. Changes such as converting office space into residential or coworking spaces are hidden treasures for investors, depending on the market. For more of these experts’ insights into Canadian multifamily housing market data, view the complete...

The ENERGY STAR® initiative, which certifies businesses and consumer products that conform with energy-efficient solutions that protect the climate and public health, launched more than 20 years ago. It remains a key U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote carbon pollution-free electricity and achieve net-zero emissions targets. An EPA report in November 2022 noted that energy benchmarking enabled by ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® has grown from 2,000 office buildings in 1999 to more than 280,000 buildings encompassing over 27 billion square feet of space. ENERGY STAR-certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy and produce 35% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings. As part of its focus on commercial buildings, which account for 16% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and $190 billion in annual energy spending, the EPA compiles an annual Top Cities list that measures the achievements of metros’ ENERGY STAR performance. Here are highlights from this year’s list, which encompasses commercial and multifamily properties: Most certified buildings. Los Angeles came in first in this category, as it did the previous three years, with 748, followed by Washington, D.C., with 555, Atlanta (376) and San Francisco (343). New York City, Denver, Riverside, Calif., Chicago, Dallas and Boston rounded out the top 10. Most total floor area. Los Angeles and Washington led in this ranking as well with 162.8 million square feet and 149.1 million square feet, respectively. New York and Chicago each exceeded 100 million square feet, with Atlanta and San Francisco close behind with 93.7 million square feet and 92.7 million square feet, respectively. Most greenhouse gas emissions prevented (measured by metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent). San Francisco was far ahead in this category, with 2,007,000 metric tons. Washington came in second with 517,200 metric tons, followed by Chicago, New York, Houston and Denver. Biggest cost savings. Los Angeles was the champion in this category, saving $226 million through ENERGY STAR-related initiatives. Washington was second with $180.7 million, with New York ($170.3 million) and San Francisco ($141.5 million) the other metros to achieve nine-digit savings. Mid-size and small cities. EPA also ranked smaller metros’ ENERGY STAR performance. In the mid-size category, Milwaukee was the leader in the total floor area, emissions prevented and cost savings categories, while Raleigh, N.C., was the building count leader. Among small cities, Punta Gorda, Fla., led in total floor space and cost savings, while Jackson, Mich., topped the building count and Sioux City, Iowa, set the pace for emissions prevention. “I applaud this year’s top cities, as well as the owners and managers of each ENERGY STAR-certified building in them, for taking real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help America address the climate crisis,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a news release. See the complete 2023 ENERGY STAR Top Cities report. Yardi recently received the 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy after being named Partner of the Year for five consecutive years. Read the...

Like pest control, waste management is an unglamourous yet essential aspect of property management that, applied properly, can benefit owners of office properties, stores, hotels, restaurants and other commercial properties. In 2018, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, municipal solid waste in the country totaled 292.4 million tons, or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Of this total, about 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million tons were composted, a 32.1% recycling and composting rate. Effective waste management, including proper disposal and recycling, gives commercial property owners opportunities to create sustainable practices, improve health and safety, and reduce pollution. Understanding the amount and types of wastes generated on the premises can also help a property management company negotiate for favorable terms for waste and recycling services. Improving the organization’s sustainability can also boost a company’s image, attract quality tenants and positively engage employees. How can how facility managers, building owners, tenants and other stakeholders turn waste – which includes paper, packaging, food wrappers, cans, cardboard and paperboard, and sometimes leftovers from construction and demolition – into opportunities to improve sustainability, prevent greenhouse gas emissions and reduce costs? Here are some tips from experts including the EPA, solid waste and recycling services provider Waste Away Systems of Heath, Ohio, and Atlanta commercial waste disposal specialist Southern Waste and Recycling: Perform an assessment. Tracking the amount of recyclables and wastes hauled from your building gives important data for understanding how a waste management program is performing and identifying areas for improvement. Track your waste with ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, a free online tool for tracking waste, energy and water data for one building or an entire portfolio. EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) helps quantify waste management activities’ impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Create a team responsible for planning, designing and executing waste reduction activities. The team should set waste reduction and management goals and implement a tracking system for the company. A broad-based team is most likely to offer a variety of perspectives, create problem-solving techniques and identify more opportunities for improvement. Adopt a recycling program, the best option when waste can’t be prevented. Recycling saves energy and money, helps keep materials out of landfills and incinerators and provides raw materials for the production of new products. Look for ways to reduce the amount of waste generated in the first place by examining the purchase and use of materials like paper and metal. Prolong the useful life of products and packaging by repairing and reusing them when possible. This applies to appliances, furniture and building materials, among other things. Donate unneeded products or materials to organizations that can use them. Engage a waste analytics service that provides data about waste production patterns, and the type of waste that is disposed of. This can make waste disposal services much more efficient. Such a service can help modify waste disposal practices to reduce waste, reuse salvageable supplies and recycle valuable materials. All these tools can lower waste management costs and produce a positive environmental impact. Enhance your waste management program with prizes such as gift cards for teams that collect the most recyclables or come up with the best ideas. See how Yardi empowers real estate companies to meet energy and sustainability...

The Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference is nearly here — an annual gathering of industry professionals, operators, owners, executives and community leaders! You can find our senior living team in attendance throughout the three-day event, stationed at booth 3100 and ready to share the latest innovations in the Yardi Senior Living Suite.    With this can’t-be-missed opportunity on the horizon, here are the details to know: About the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference The Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference & Expo, the official meeting of Argentum, is a must-attend event for senior living professionals. It offers the chance to connect with the leaders of today, discuss the challenges facing the industry and help shape what the future looks like. According to Argentum, no matter your role, title or job responsibilities, you will discover relevant sessions and education tracks designed for you at this year’s conference. Event details for Argentum 2023 Ready to see exactly what this year’s event has in store? View the details on Argentum’s site. We’ll share the high-level details here: Dates: May 8-10, 2023 Location: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana In addition to our booth presence (details below), we’re excited to contribute to Argentum 2023 by sponsoring the registration. Once again, you can find important details and instructions to register on Argentum’s official conference page. Visit Team Yardi We know everyone wants to make the most out of Argentum 2023, and that requires networking and building connections as much as possible. Luckily, you’ll have the chance to meet with us — and thousands of your peers — throughout the three days. By meeting with us, you get a closer look at our evolving technology solutions designed specifically for senior living. You can find us at booth 3100 — we’ll be ready to show you all around the Yardi Senior Living Suite! From business intelligence to electronic health records, our amazing solutions unite on a single platform to help providers build success. You can get something on the books in advance by scheduling time to meet us at the conference, or simply stop by whenever you’d like. We look forward to connecting!  See you in May! We hope to see you at the 2023 Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference. If you have any questions for us prior to the three-day event, or you want to schedule a meeting time, don’t hesitate to reach...