The semi-annual Yardi Advanced Solutions Conferences (YASC) take place on the West and East Coasts, providing clients with the opportunity to attend an event close to home. Each conference offers specialized courses on product features, networking opportunities, and one-on-one consultations with Yardi representatives. At YASC in Washington, D.C., Yardi sat down with Mariana Estrada, VP of Operations at Roscoe Properties. The company has had the opportunity to explore several products since joining the Yardi network in 2008. Estrada updated Yardi on her experiences with the software. Estrada began with Yardi Procure to Pay (P2P), a centralized platform that offers complete spend visibility, streamlined invoice processing, centralized MRO purchasing and vendor onboarding.  “The concept of P2P is exactly what we believe in – a paperless, time-saving option. We have a decentralized payables process so our onsite teams are responsible for processing payables and expense management at the site level. The time they used to spend filing and processing paper invoices is now time they can spend serving current residents and attracting new residents,” says Estrada. “And now with the Marketplace, we’re gaining even more time savings and streamlining our purchasing process even further. We just implemented one of our major vendors and Yardi was able to create an online catalog for us.” Yardi Marketplace furnishes access to more than 1 million MRO products and building materials. The program also delivers the best available discounts from nationally recognized suppliers. “The Marketplace has an Amazon-like interface everyone knows how to use,” Estrada explains, “so there are virtually no issues with training our maintenance and site teams. A few mouse clicks and the PO is created and the order placed. Since the users don’t need to re-populate line item details, they are able to move invoices through the processing...

You see the little Heart-Check mark anywhere there is food these days: a box of Cheerios in your pantry, a can of Campbell’s soup in the store, a Subway sandwich wrapper at the park. Today, 92 percent of consumers recognize the efforts of the American Heart Association brand. But that wasn’t always the case. Heart disease used to be a silent killer. The American Heart Association (AHA) has brought the importance of heart health to the foreground of wellness. The U.S. faces a sincere need for heart health education. One in every four deaths is the result of heart disease, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control. That makes heart disease the leading cause of death among men and women. Lisa Thomas, Senior Heart and Stroke Walk Director, hopes to change that. Through public education and fundraising, Thomas and her team work to reclaim lives from the clenches of heart disease. “Public education is a part of everything that we do,” says Thomas. “It’s so important to know your risk, know your numbers and see your doctor every year to stay up to date. Prevention is key. Prevention saves lives.” Eating a heart-healthy diet is a good place to start, hence the Heart-Check mark on certain foods at the grocery store. These foods meet the nutritional requirements set by AHA to promote heart health. Common characteristics are foods that are low in cholesterol and salt, and contain ingredients that favor the cardiovascular system. Consistent exercise is another key preventative measure. “Powerwalking is a good one. It’s so easy to just grab your shoes and walk, in the neighborhood, at the mall, the park—anywhere there is space,” says Thomas. That basic concept is the backbone of the association’s annual Heart Walk series...

For more than a decade, Dirk Völkel has channeled his passion for retail asset investment into his company, VÖLKEL COMPANY Group, which provides real estate management services in Germany.  Founded in 2004, the company today operates 170 properties valued at 1.3 billion euros and handles a high volume of transactions from offices across Germany. “Our business is family-driven and focused on maintaining long-term relationships with clients,” said Völkel, the company’s founder, main shareholder and managing director.  “We are a one-stop-contact in Germany, capable of providing the full spectrum of investment advice and services.  Some of our team members have been working in the field for up to 25 years, so we know the difference between real experience and merely good marketing.” Individual client service A special point of pride for Völkel is the degree of personal service his company delivers.  “For some large, long-established companies, any given client is one among many.  For us as a mid-size company, every client is important as an individual, and we take every client seriously. In an era that has seen the outsourcing of many services, our services are 100% “Made in Germany,” he said.  “We handle investments as if they were our own money. We are proud of the good references we have earned.  In fact, much of our new business comes from word of mouth among investors who are satisfied with our services.” While justly proud of his company’s achievements in offering engaged, flexible, quick and successful investment services, Völkel knows well enough that continued success depends on maintaining a keen focus on the future, rather than dwelling on a distinguished past.  “We constantly work to improve our high-quality services.  Not only that, we continuously measure our clients’ expectations of us.  As one extremely important example,...

Roman Baratiak got his start as a work study student at UCSB. He instantly fell in love and has been changing lives ever since. “I soon discovered what happened when the lights went down and the curtain opened and incredibly talented artists and performers took the stage,” says Baratiak. “They brought us to other worlds, introduced us to other cultures, and provided us with a beautifully aesthetic and fulfilling experiences. I fell in love with that.” Three years later, that love transformed from a work study position into a full-time career. Baratiak has now been with the organization for nearly 40 years and currently serves as Associate Director. He enjoys organizing the lecture and film program because it allows him to present the Santa Barbara community with people who are extremely interesting, informative, and unique. “I have very eclectic tastes so it’s the perfect job for me,” says Baratiak. “I can go to work and learn something every day and feel like I’m growing as a person. I know I’m in the right spot.” Though Baratiak loves to learn during the lectures, it’s the benefit for the community that elevates his enthusiasm about his work. He strongly supports education for people of all ages as a way to keep us connected with the global community and with our own humanity. “The arts will always be important. They teach us about the world that we live in. They also allow us to get in touch with our own humanity and creative side. As a spectator, we can see human potential on stage by seeing amazing musicians, dancers, and speakers. We grow to understand the amazing amount of talent that goes into these things. It’s also a bit like going to the spa or getting a...

Currently serving as Yardi Vice President of PHA and Affordable Housing Sales, Boone Atkins also spent decades as a Yardi user. With more than 22 years of experience in the real estate industry, Yardi gained a valuable asset when Boone shifted from a client into a leadership position in December 2014. “I met Anant Yardi in the early 90’s when I began working as a consultant and in executive positions for companies using Yardi software. From a client and employee perspective, my impression of the Yardi company has never changed. Yardi is truly dedicated to the mission of helping clients and employees succeed and grow,” said Boone. Atkins sees trends in the affordable housing and PHA industry as similar to market rate multifamily housing. “Our affordable and PHA clients want technology to help them become more efficient. No matter the industry vertical, it is all about getting the biggest bang for their buck.” Read on for more insight from Boone Atkins in our latest installment of the Yardi Leadership Series. When did you join the Yardi team? Atkins: My shift from Yardi client to employee happened in December 2012. In total, have more than 22 years of experience in the real estate industry. My current base of operations is Denver, but I’m on the road a lot with clients and staff. Did your impression of Yardi change once you became an employee? Absolutely not! This company is dedicated to the mission of helping clients and employees succeed and grow, and that’s never wavered in all my years associated with Yardi. How does Yardi help affordable and PHA clients become more efficient through technology? Atkins: We’re delivering on that expectation by automating and streamlining workflows for affordable housing compliance, ad hoc reporting, dashboard analytics, business...

Over a hundred years ago, a farmer stuck his shovel in the dirt on a small plot of land in Goleta, California. The site has never been the same. The site is now The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, a non-profit educational facility and working organic farm. The organization aims to nurture the human spirit through interactive public programs and community services.  Two years ago, Angela Miller-Bevan stepped away from her career in corporate advertising and marketing to join the Fairview Gardens team. She began as a volunteer, then worked as an assistant to the Development Director before accepting the position. “I came to promote the mission: to educate everyone—from birth to the end of your life—to know how important it is to eat the right foods and know where your food comes from. And how to eat food we can actually grow right now because we are in a drought. It’s about sustainable community and keeping something alive that has been in our community for so long,” says Miller-Bevan. For decades, Fairview Gardens has served the community through public programs including the Teen Permaculture Apprenticeship and the new Sprouts program. Yardi supports the Apprenticeship Program immersion experience that ranges from six to ten months. The program equips young adults with the skill needed to own and manage their own farms and farm programs. Participants explore permaculture ethics, the slow food and fiber movements, organic agriculture, watersheds, alternative economics, farmworkers’ rights, herbalism, and living soils. Apprentices also learn natural dyeing, making herbal medicines, and harvesting wild edibles. “Most people don’t know that the average age of farmers is 72. It’s sad,” observes Miller-Bevan. “You can’t go to a computer and have a computer grow your food. It’s impressive to see young adults...

With thirty years of experience in nursing and senior care, Rhonda Knisley understands the power of ditching paper records for digital data. For the last three decades, Rhonda Knisley has watched healthcare change from paper archives and prescription pads to digital data and mobile record keeping. All along, she’s focused on providing senior living residents with personalized care while being at the forefront of some the industry’s newest technologies and services. Rough and Rewarding “When I started my job 30 years ago, I walked into the building and down the longest hall. There were 35 residents all lined up on one side of the hallway in their wheelchairs. I looked at them and thought to myself, ‘This may be the worst job I’ll ever have,’” she admits. “But then I absolutely loved it! I walked in as a floor nurse and within six months, I was the director of nursing. Within a year, I was the executive director of nursing. In the end, I became a consultant. Overall, it’s been very rewarding.” As Director of Nursing for First Community Village, Rhonda Knisley has done everything from coordinating software implementations to running multi-facility nursing operations. “I loved working in the continuing care arena,” she says. “I’d see people come into the healthcare center and then transition back into the community, and I can see how they are able to stay connected with their friends and family.” A Multifaceted Population Headquartered Ohio, National Church Residences is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of affordable senior housing and services with 340 communities in 28 states and Puerto Rico. At First Community Village, a National Church Residence property located in Arlington, OH, the community residents encompass a varied demographic. “We have a very affluent population, and because it’s Upper Arlington,...

Shrewd apartment owners understand that the greater financial value in an apartment transaction can be had during the acquisition—not the exit. Industry veteran Ian Mattingly, President of LumaCorp in Dallas, speaks from experience. He is part of a management team that carries more than 90 years of investor experience when it comes to applying due diligence. LumaCorp owns 24 communities that include over 6,000 total units. It has made 45 acquisitions in the past 32 years. Mattingly is one of three panelists who will speak about how to avoid “nasty surprises” during the process at a session at MAXIMIZE: 2016 Multifamily Asset Management Conference at Loews Coronado in the San Diego area Oct. 17-19. “When we begin our talks with new investors, we like to tell them that we have a lot of experience in making mistakes,” Mattingly says. “We tell them not to expect everything that happens when buying and selling apartments to work out perfectly. We have made our fair amount of mistakes. But what we also tell them is that we won’t make the same mistake twice.” Mattingly, whose firm focuses on Class B and C properties in Texas, will share knowledge about the process that is applicable to any apartment market. Among his focus will be re-inspections, city and county governments, building codes, fire codes, lease addenda, repairs and resident audits. “We specialize in markets where the bulk of the apartment product was built in the 1980s.” Mattingly says. “So we’ve been buying ‘80s-vintage properties for over 20 years. Of course, those properties are a lot older now than they were 20 years ago.” Inspections. Mattingly says it’s easy to overlook issue with city codes and inspections during due diligence. “You’ll find that as some of these buildings get older,...

In 2004, Yardi opened its doors in Glen Head, Oyster Bay, New York as part of the BJ Murray acquisition. The team of 16 employees set out to define a course for the fledgling office. “We faced the challenge of merging functionality, converting client platforms and creating a shared culture,” recalls Richard Malpica, Vice President and General Manager, Eastern US, Sales at Yardi. “I don’t know if there was an official strategy for [merging cultures]. I think we made it clear, from a Yardi perspective, that the company was committed to integrating the group and growing together,” says Malpica. “It was really a matter of understanding people’s skills and desires and plugging them into our framework. They can create a new trajectory for a long-term career with the company.” Over a span of several years, the New York office steadily found its way. Employees discovered new applications for their talents and practical ways of supporting one another along the journey. In addition to merging corporate cultures, Yardi found itself adapting to the New York culture. The market proved to be rich with opportunity but difficult to conquer. The Yardi team strived to form relationships in a market where loyalties are strong and tough to penetrate. “New York clients are the most demanding but they’re also extremely loyal. Once you get through the difficulties, the relationships are very, very strong,” Malpica says. John Caputo agrees. The Senior Server Administrator at Yardi has worked in New York since 1996. In his experience, brand loyalties have always been a challenge for growing companies in the metropolitan area. “[New York companies] have strong connections to our clients. It’s true of Yardi and other companies around here because it is such a competitive workplace. They really have a fierce...

“Hunt Companies is always giving back,” says Crisha Kamphorst, a business solutions manager for Hunt Companies Inc., referring to her employer’s devotion to employees, residents and communities.  Hunt Companies is a Yardi® client that manages more than 32,000 housing units across the U.S. as one of the military’s privatized housing partners. That dedication is rooted in El Paso, Texas, Hunt Companies’ headquarters since 1947.  The Hunt Family Foundation, founded in 1987, has made grants and commitments of $52 million to 548 organizations.  Organizations that have received funding include the University Medical Center Children’s Hospital, Texas Tech Medical Center’s School of Nursing, the University of Texas at El Paso, the El Paso Museum of Art and the El Paso Zoo. Deep Commitment Just as the scope of Hunt Companies’ business extends far beyond El Paso, so does the company’s commitment to residents and their special circumstances.  “From the moment a military family sends us an application to the moment they move out of our house, they’re part of our lives.  We’re part of their support network, we’re part of their group,” says Kamphorst, who as the wife of a retired U.S. Navy chief is quite familiar with the rigors of military life. “As a family-owned company, Hunt is not only committed to employees, it’s also committed to its mission,” adds Dennis McDonald, Kamphorst’s fellow business solutions manager at Hunt Companies.  “In military housing, that boils down to providing the best possible housing for our military members and giving them the support they deserve.  It’s something we take very seriously.” A major event for services members—and for Hunt Companies—is a permanent change of station (PCS), which can uproot a family by redeploying somebody from Germany to Hawaii, from Hawaii to Maine, or from California to Washington...

Jay Shobe, Vice President, Technology at Yardi, has spent his entire life around technology. He grew up using an early incarnation of a PC that ran on a Burroughs operating system, connected to ARPANET (pre-internet) via an acoustic coupler (pre-modem).  “So yeah, I go back a ways,” he says casually. Tech is in his blood. It’s with this full breadth of knowledge and experience that Shobe proudly transitioned into his role with Yardi Cloud Services nearly two years ago. “I was in development for 20 years before I transferred to Cloud Services,” begins Shobe. “This group is dedicated to making sure that the vast environment—12 data centers across the world, 5,000 clients in the cloud and millions of people connecting on a daily basis—and all the different data that we keep in that environment is safe, secure, and performing properly.” The dedication of Shobe and his team is what makes Yardi Cloud Services one of the most trusted and relied upon cloud service providers in the industry. Cloud services play a vital role in the growth and viability of Yardi as more businesses transition to remote networks. The cloud allows clients to transfer IT infrastructure, support services, and data security into the capable hands of specialists. This transition is an integral part of today’s corporate growth strategies: when combined with big data, reports indicate that businesses experience 53 percent greater growth than their self-hosted peers. Client data is stored in a cost-effective and scalable software management solution that is secured offsite under the care of Shobe and the Cloud Services team. They are the unsung heroes of many growing enterprises. “The cloud today is viewed similar to electricity or plumbing; you expect that it’s going to be working. You don’t say a little thanks...

Veritas Investments might be small in some ways, but it stands tall in creative customer service. San Francisco-based Veritas specializes in owning and managing classic, character-rich apartment buildings with 20 to 30 units, as well as their ground-floor retail sections.  With limited space at its properties, Veritas employs imaginative ways to grab attention in a keenly competitive marketplace.  “We don’t have onsite fitness centers or business centers or dog wash stations that some larger properties have,” says Justin Sato, chief operating officer for Veritas, a Yardi client.  “So we use a number of partnerships and amenities to market our units in ways that aren’t traditional and which are eco-friendly.” “Today’s renter has a very on-demand driven mindset and concern for the environment,” he added.  “In the era of Uber and order food online, they expect everything to be moments away through their mobile phones.  And being ‘green’ is a core value to many.  We stay attuned to that demand with our partnerships and promotion of cool, tech-savvy amenities.” SF’s Largest Solar Energy User Sustainability-minded rental prospects can find kinship with Veritas’ status as the largest deployer of solar-generated electricity among multifamily property owners in San Francisco.  “For people to whom that’s a big factor in their leasing decision, we can differentiate our properties with the fact that we power about 20 of our 200 buildings through solar electricity.  We’ve made an effort to install solar panels on our roofs whenever possible to supplement our electricity needs—and to market the fact that even Victorian apartments can reduce their carbon footprint,” Sato says. Veritas’ solar energy system includes channeling electricity generated on the roof to battery packs in the basement parking stalls that can charge electric vehicles.  Unused energy can be fed back to the power...

For the Shelter Group’s LaTonya Lawson-Jones, Yardi’s suite of products provides enhanced operational efficiency and a personalized customer experience. “Time is money.” It’s an old saying, but for LaTonya Lawson-Jones, effective time management is key to a robust bottom line. As Business Systems Manager for the Shelter Group, LaTonya helps oversee a robust portfolio of 50 affordable housing properties, including 35 senior housing communities. LaTonya supervises a team tasked with tracking expenditures and providing support for a variety of electronic medication administration ad electronic health records applications. Multiple Tasks, One Solution With a roster of multifamily and senior living communities valued at $2 billion, the Shelter Group’s affordable and senior living properties cover a vast swath of the eastern seaboard, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. In order to coordinate its multi-state operations, the Shelter Group relies on a whole host of Yardi products. “On the affordable side we use Yardi for our entire workload, from the prospect to resident screening to move in,” explains LaTonya. “On the senior housing side, we also use Yardi for marketing and in the business office for billing, managing services, and for all of our reporting needs.” With Yardi Voyager Affordable Housing doing a majority of the heavy lifting, LaTonya is eager to incorporate CRM, EHR, and EMR. “We are looking forward to using these products,” admits LaTonya. “We are working towards getting all of our employees on eLearning, and I found out that will be out soon, so I’m excited. We really can’t wait for the implementation to start.” No More Paperwork Most business managers agree the invoice process can be time-consuming and fraught with error. Submittals and approvals create lag, and hours are wasted tracking expenses and waiting for the right signature. Three...

LONDON – Industrial property has emerged as one of the strongest performing asset classes this year, apparently brushing off the threat of Brexit as consumers shop – or rather, click – until they drop. The rise of e-commerce means tenant demand is robust, with record rents being achieved in tightly-constrained urban areas where logistics space is competing with residential. However, occupiers are having to invest heavily in technology. In a continuing series of think tanks, Yardi brought together a panel of experts to discuss these issues in the European real estate market. Panelists: Claer Barrett, Financial Times – Chair Alan Holland, Business Unit Director, Greater London – Segro Richard Croft, Chief Executive – M7 Real Estate Mark Bowden, Partner – Caisson Investment Management Michael Williams, Investment Manager – M&G Real Estate Kevin Mofid, Research Director – Savills CB: The good news is that we’re seeing healthy yields and rental growth on industrial space, particularly in the Greater London area – but is this mainly because so much of it has vanished in the past decade? AH: The pressure on land for industrial and urban logistics is immense, particularly in areas of population concentration where developers like Segro are competing with house builders. According to the GLA, around 700 ha of industrial land has been lost in Greater London as places like Nine Elms, Old Oak Common and the Olympic Park ha ve become residential areas. That’s the equivalent of seven times the size of Regent’s Park – it’s gone and it won’t be replaced. KM: Since 2009, Savills research shows the supply of existing warehousing stock has decreased by 70 per cent. But at the same time, take-up has risen from a long-running average of 18m sq ft per year to 22m sq ft in the...

I just got back from last week’s National Apartment Association Education Conference in San Francisco. It was really well attended with almost 10,000 people at the exposition, trade show and classes. I was amazed at all of the exhibits and t-shirt wearing professionals professing their love for Apple products. At least until a really big security guard (by San Francisco standards) politely tapped my shoulder and asked to see my badge. After explaining I was looking for the NAA meeting, he smiled and explained there are two sections of the Moscone convention center, and I was clearly in the wrong one. I must admit, I was offended. To be told I wasn’t nerdy enough to be at an Apple convention wasn’t how I wanted to start my day. I didn’t even get to buy a nerdy t-shirt, or try the apple-sickle dessert specialty. I left feeling that I had been thrown out of better places and after two light cycles (you really have to pay attention in San Francisco) I made it across the street into the correct part of Moscone Center. A building I renamed ‘the sequel.’ I had been to a number of NAA meetings before, but this one was special. It featured some events I had never seen, the first of which was the Alcatraz fun run. Immediately after checking in and seeing just one session, several thousand (could be a few hundred, hard to tell) got out of their seats, jammed the escalator and walked resolutely toward the Alcatraz pick up point. The proof was in the plethora of photo embossed t-shirts with their faces adorned as if escaping from Al Capone’s, both an Italian restaurant and night club but also a prison cell of some distinction. Having been to...

After nearly 20 years as a Yardi employee, Becky Sanvictores has a deep perspective on how we can best serve the many types of clients who use Yardi software daily. “We earn trusted relationships with our clients by focusing on their needs. Our goal is always to establish a positive environment where Yardi employees can work with clients to implement innovative solutions,” said Sanvictores, who serves as a vice president in Yardi’s Client Services Division, with a focus on the multifamily product suite. “We never rest in enhancing and broadening the solution to help our clients grow and gain efficiency. We work to be partners in their strategy to be successful and grow their business.” In the late 1990’s, Sanvictores started at Yardi as an account manager.  Her job during college was at her alma mater, the University of Nebraska, where she worked on preventative maintenance, focusing on building systems. She is a renaissance woman: a published poet, she loves hands on projects and grew up dismantling engines in the garage with her dad. Like most long-time employees, her journey at Yardi has taken many paths. They have all touched on customer support, about which she is passionate. As a company, Yardi places a focus on supporting its clients of all sizes around the globe. “We are committed to excellent service – understanding and being responsive to our clients’ diverse needs,” Sanvictores said. One of the changes she has observed at Yardi in her time at the company is the development of multiple ways that clients can connect with support resources. In addition to traditional in-person trainings, there are now a full deck of digital and on-demand options. “We provide innovative and quality training to our clients. We have multiple options – on-line training...

For Mitchel Sloan, the effects of Alzheimer’s disease hits close to home. Currently the Vice President of Development and Communications with the Alzheimer’s Association California Central Chapter, Sloan began as a young man who watched his uncle battle vascular dementia. Rather than feeling defeated by the disease, Sloan felt empowered to help. He encouraged his aunt to make use of local resources. “I immediately referred my aunt to the local Alzheimer’s office in their area. I informed her that she is not alone and that our professional care specialists can assist her and our family with the help that she and my uncle need as they embark on this journey.” The first step in anyone’s journey is to understand the disease. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. It accounts for about 60 to 80 percent of cases. Since 2012, Sloan and the organization have tirelessly worked to fulfill the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s. By connecting researchers to funding, Sloan and his team hope to eradicate Alzheimer’s through treatment and prevention. The organization faces formidable odds. Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease. Dementias are the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. with one in three seniors dying of the disease every year. Since 1982, the Alzheimer’s Association has invested more than $350 million in funds for research. In fiscal year 2015, individuals, families, companies, and communities across the nation contributed total revenues of $321 million to support the mission. Creative fundraising efforts have sparked community awareness and involvement in their cause. The most popular event is the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. It is currently...