Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, we introduce Amol Jammu, the West Residential Leasing Solutions 1’s assistant technical account manager. Meet Amol Jammu Amol Jammu has worked with Yardi for almost two years and looks forward to being promoted soon. Jammu spends his work hours talking and engaging with clients he oversees. Meeting with clients daily, Jammu discusses ongoing company initiatives, workflows and where they need help with their Yardi products. When Jammu is not in client meetings, he works in the Site Manager program and CRM, where he can fix clients’ issues or set up workflows to achieve their end goals. Jammu is constantly researching and reading into different Yardi products and testing in practice environments. Jammu enjoys connecting with clients face-to-face and helping them with any issues they might encounter. “It’s really rewarding when I can solve issues for clients and see the impact on their day-to-day operations,” said Jammu. Office Synergy Jammu appreciates Yardi’s commitment to providing employees with all the tools to do the job effectively. Everyone in the company is willing to lend a helping hand, which makes giving support to customers much more accessible. “The approach to teamwork is truly gratifying because I always feel reassured and supported when my workload gets heavy. I never feel like I’m alone with my problems or that I can’t ask for help,” Jammu explained. Jammu describes Yardi as the perfect place to start a career. “I’ve heard so many horror stories about how people’s first jobs were, and it really puts a smile on my face that I can’t relate to that. Yardi really feels like being a part of a family that cares about your work, your life outside of it, and most...
Sarah Kermon
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, we introduce Sarah Kermon, associate technical manager with the Raleigh office’s Commercial NC Practice 3 Team. Meet Sarah Kermon Sarah Kermon has been working at Yardi for a little of a year. She assists with incoming support requests from Yardi clients. She also helps her team members with cases for their clients as needed and provides peer support to other colleagues. When she is not working on cases, Kermon betters her knowledge of Voyager and various software components. One emphasis is deepening her technical understanding of reports in Voyager. “I enjoy the opportunities to pursue areas of interest, which include building up my technical skills with things like SSMS, Profiler and learning more about the backend structure that makes our products work,” said Kermon. Kermon has grown exponentially at Yardi due to her colleague’s willingness to help her. She always feels comfortable asking questions and reaching out in areas of uncertainty. Yardi prioritizes its employees in a way that provides comfort as new hires adjust to their positions and creates an environment that welcomes challenges and curiosity. “Everyone around you is invested in your success and wants to give you opportunities to learn and excel,” shares Kermon. She continued, “I am super excited to be working in my new role with the Commercial NC Practice 3 group and love getting to know all the amazing people who have guided me along the way!” Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. Rubix Cube Extraordinaire While Kermon is not working at Yardi, she enjoys cooking and trying new restaurants. She recently learned to make chicken piccata, which is her new favorite. She also enjoys collecting puzzles and...
Mary LaForge
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, meet Mary LaForge, director of programming for Public Housing Authorities (PHA), out of the Santa Barbara office. Meet Mary LaForge Mary LaForge has been with Yardi for 21 years. She oversees a team that includes programmers, quality assurance (QA) specialists and technical writers. She also works with the PHA team in Pune, which again consists of programmers, client-services (CSD) support staff, software conversion experts and QA specialists. “I collaborate with our team as we implement compliance changes in our current products and develop new products, such as Compliance Manager and Asset IQ, on the new Elevate platform. I work closely with HUD to understand policy changes that impact our software,” said LaForge. Subsidized housing is a challenging and complex market. Working on HUD compliance changes is not easy. Gathering the complex information needed to implement the required changes successfully can be difficult, and there is pressure to deliver on time. “I view these challenges as an opportunity to excel and grow for Yardi to be a standout vendor in the PHA market. I am fortunate to be working with the talented individuals on our team. I treasure and enjoy our team’s extensive collaboration, ” LaForge expressed. Working as a member of the PHA team gives LaForge pride and satisfaction because the software helps housing authorities provide housing for the underprivileged. “In an indirect but substantial way, I believe I am contributing to communities nationwide,” LaForge shared. In addition, LaForge works and helps the sales team with prospective client demonstrations and participates in client meetings. Longevity with Teamwork Yardi is a unique and welcoming company. Collaboration is intentionally and strongly encouraged. Everyone’s ideas and opinions are heard and respected. “In meetings with peers, vice presidents, or the CEO, everyone feels comfortable providing their thoughts and suggestions. We may intensely and passionately debate how to solve an issue at a meeting, but we can feel comfortable going to lunch with disagreeing people. When a solution does not go as we hoped or planned, we correct the issue, learn from it, and move forward,” explained LaForge. New hires are always astonished when they discover how long LaForge has been working with Yardi. “In one of the interviews, there were three of us on the panel, and the collective time spent with Yardi was fifty years! This number is incredible and sometimes unfathomable to these prospective employees,” said LaForge. Yardi’s corporate culture gives opportunities to work with incredibly talented individuals and hard-working teams to create, contribute to, grow, and develop exceptional products that help communities worldwide. Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. An Advocate for Education LaForge grew up in India and came to the U.S. for a master’s degree. While in India, LaForge was involved with a few organizations for children’s education. Lack of access to education is a significant challenge there. “I believe education is the only way to narrow this divide. Being a parent of a young child has taken away any extra time for doing this wonderful and satisfying work. But someday soon, I hope to become involved in childhood education again. I am especially interested in education at the elementary school level. My heart very much wants me to do this work in India, possibly starting a school in underprivileged communities there,” explained LaForge. LaForge’s daughter is nine years old and keeps her super busy. However, time is limited with her when LaForge is traveling for HUD and conferences nationwide and to Pune. Therefore, she tries to spend as much time with her daughter as possible when she is home in Santa Barbara. “We love to travel as a family. I believe traveling to other countries and learning about other cultures at a young age can nurture tolerance and develop deeper empathy for all human beings,” LaForge shared....
Office Celebrations
Around the world
End of year gatherings were abundant this year, with many Yardi offices ending the year with festive get-togethers. Here are some highlights from #TeamYardi celebrations worldwide. In North America, Canada celebrated its 25th anniversary and gathered to celebrate with raffle prizes, dancing and more. The Atlanta office had a fancy holiday reception at the Delta Sky360 club in Truist Park and had a sweet and spicy gingerbread house competition in the office for the end of the year. Michael Sturniolo’s team made an impressive win with a double-decker gingerbread house, “Gingerbread Jack & the Jellybeanstalk.” (See photo in gallery at end of post.) The Raleigh office gathered for a festive evening out with collegues, featuring food, drinks, a photo booth and lots of laughs. On the East Coast, the New York office had a holiday lunch with a surprise VIP guest (Mr. Anant Yardi) at Benjamin Steakhouse, and the Long Island office had a holiday party at Crest Hollow Country Club. Scottsdale, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Boise had fun competitions with games, golf and basketball. In Texas, the Dallas and Irving offices gathered for a fun family night at the Mavericks NBA game. The UK had a holiday celebration at Fairgame in London and embraced some friendly competition, with Harry McBrearty having the most points and winning a 5ft bear! The Middle East celebrated the festival of lights—Diwali- in Pune and Dubai. Dubai also marked the end of the year presentation with a fantastic lunch, a gift exchange and New Year spirit. Additional images from the celebrations can be seen below. Thanks to all the offices who shared photos of their gatherings. Wishing you a safe and joyous holiday...
Biswakam Mishra
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Meet Biswakam Mishra, a programming manager based in Dubai. Meet Biswakam Mishra Biswakam Mishra has been working at Yardi for 17 years. He worked in the Pune office for ten years, and for the last seven years, he’s been working in the Dubai office. Before starting his role with Yardi’s latest product, Voyager 8, Mishra was previously part of the technical service team for CSD and PSG. In addition to development tasks, Mishra assists the CSD and PSG teams in troubleshooting Elevate issues in the Middle East region. He also supports the CSD team in addressing performance or TA-related issues and organizing training programs for new hires. “I have a keen enthusiasm for learning and am always curious about my assigned tasks. I find great satisfaction in helping team members and fostering collaboration,” shared Mishra. After many years at Yardi, Mishra says Yardi has become like a family, “The culture is characterized by collaboration, innovation, friendliness, and fun, providing a healthy work-life balance.” Mishra advises new hires to bring fresh ideas, highlighting Yardi’s comprehensive training and easy onboarding processes, ensuring that team members feel comfortable and can contribute effectively. “Yardi’s strong motto sets a foundation for success, emphasizing employee well-being and teamwork,” said Mishra. Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. Taking Care of Our Community Mishra aligns with Yardi’s motto, inspiring him to join a nonprofit organization, Bandhu, in his native state in India. Bandhu works to support children in completing school education successfully. “We organize various activities for village kids, including outreach programs, career counseling, and yoga. I contribute to the group both technically and financially,” Mishra explained. Early Bird Gets the Worm Mishra...
Meet Grant Burnham
Yardi Employee Profile
The PHA industry is special. There’s a level of caring and personal commitment to helping others that rises a notch in comparison with other real estate verticals. Exhibit A: Grant Burnham. Grant joined Yardi a few years ago. He not only brought with him decades’ of PHA and affordable housing finance experience but also a positive attitude and a genuine appreciation for the work PHAs do for their communities Let’s find out more about Grant, Yardi’s PHA clients and the company’s solutions. Grant, where do you call home? GB: Hello! I am a Colorado native, and my home base is Yardi’s Denver office. What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time? GB: I am an avid pool player. I have been playing in leagues for almost 15 years and even got to participate in team world championship tournaments three separate times in Las Vegas. I’m always up for a game or two (or more) whenever I get a chance! How long have you been with Yardi? What is your current position? GB: I’ve been with Yardi since February 2020. My role is a team leader and solutions consultant. That means I work with a great group of sales professionals dedicated to helping housing agencies solve challenges and serve their residents, landlords and participants with innovative Yardi technology. How did you get started in the PHA/affordable housing industry? GB: My journey in the housing industry began in 2008 when I joined a local PHA in the Denver area. I was there for about three years before I accepted a position with the Colorado Housing and Finance Agency in 2011. I remained with CHFA until 2020 when I began working at Yardi. Throughout my career, my roles in the housing industry have included Occupancy Specialist,...
Helping Clients Shine
Blake Cole Earns ALCO Award
Congratulations to Blake Cole, senior account manager for the RightSource client success team in Yardi’s Minneapolis office, who was recently named 2023 STAR performer by ALCO Management. Affordable housing client ALCO hosts an annual seminar for team members and vendors to celebrate success and train on industry-related topics such as Compliance, Fair Housing, and Physical Property Inspection. This is the second year ALCO has invited Yardi staff to participate, after onboarding with the RightSource software in the summer of 2021. Due to the RightSource integration, ALCO invites a member from each team to present information that is relevant to stakeholders. This year, they highlighted: Navigating the Top File Findings: A presentation where Cole identified the top five file findings found on ALCO’s uploaded certifications in RightSource over the last 12 months and detailed how to avoid these findings. Also highlighted was ALCO’s move-in certification performance. The quicker the certification can be approved, the faster ALCO can provide quality, affordable housing to those who need it. As of the date of this presentation, ALCO’s metrics exceeded the national average of all RightSource clients, coming in at four days and nine hours for approval (national average: five days, 16 hours). Stephen Kearns, senior team lead of client services for the Voyager/RCAH Team, presented upcoming changes to RCAH that will enhance the site staff’s software utilization. Lisa Furbush, manager of full compliance services for RightSource, presented the highly anticipated HOTMA changes that are forthcoming and how they may affect ALCO’s current processes. Joel Smith, team lead of the RightSource Client Success Team, presented awards to the site staff and properties who were high achievers according to RightSource metrics over the past 12 months (i.e., awards provided for properties who processed the most Special Claims, properties who most improved on completing their past due certifications, properties who had their MIs approved the fastest, etc.) The award Cole received was a surprise since ALCO typically honors their company site staff for outstanding achievement. “The next thing I see is this video playing that had me all in my feelings,” shared Cole. Cole’s history with ALCO dates back to their onboarding with RightSource, where he was the team lead for the Auditing Team. In May 2023, Cole was promoted to the RightSource Client Success Team as a senior account manager. Due to his great relationship and history with ALCO, he has been able to retain them as one of his clients. “This explains the purpose of the Captain America helmet I wore during the introduction of my presentation,” said Cole. (See photo at right.) “They are very familiar with this, but for those who were not, I reminded them that the “A” on the helmet stood for Captain...
Sy Pham
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, meet Sy Pham, associate technical manager on the Voyager Client success team out of the Santa Ana office. Meet Sy Pham Sy Pham just marked his first anniversary at Yardi in August. He has a passion for problem-solving and working with clients, so he’s greatly enjoyed this role. Pham wanted to work for a company where he could tackle complex problems but work with clients using Yardi’s products so he could see the impact he was making. “The last year with Yardi has been everything I’ve been looking for in a company,” says Pham. Pham spends his hours on client calls and training. When not on calls, he is researching questions that came up or preparing for the next call. He also regularly meets with his team to strategize on problems or do team-building exercises, making his experience at Yardi remarkable. Problem-solving Skills Working with commercial clients has been a challenge for Pham yet rewarding. He enjoys the people at Yardi, both internally and client-facing. He finds Yardi as a workplace that challenges him with tough problems, but the people he has met along the way make it all worth it. “I have never experienced a work culture so dedicated to helping clients and each other. It’s been fun collaborating with individuals from different teams and being able to solve problems together. I love how I can introduce myself to anyone and ask if they can lend a second opinion on a difficult case. The overwhelming support I always receive is inspiring. I hope one day I can lend a hand to the new folks that join like others has done for me,” said Pham. In his personal and work life,...
Seasonal Spirit
This Spooky Season
#TeamYardi had a wicked good time celebrating Fall and spooky season this year. The Atlanta office festivities started with a costume contest. The winners of the contest were as follows: Best: Static Shock costume, Amber Brown Funniest: Burger costume, Jonathan Singleton Scariest: Dr. Facilier costume, Gerald Valentine Most Creative: Frida Kahlo costume, RheaAnn Koppelman Best Group: Mario Party costume, Ciro Vellino, Tyler Edwards and Spencer Hardiman Those who participated brought some fun to the office and turned a typical Wednesday into an enchanted Wednesday. For lunch, three food trucks were provided with various foods for the office—Yaardie Eats, The Mad Greek and The Loaded Taco. Games were provided, and even a special guest was in attendance after making his rounds at the Atlanta HBCU scholarship programs Yardi supports. Jay Shobe, senior vice president, was impressed with Georgia’s southern hospitality. At headquarters in Santa Barbara, the office had a Fall Fest for Yardi employees and their families. The afternoon consisted of a pumpkin carving contest with pizza and gelato. The kids got dressed up and enjoyed a corn maze with trick or treating. What fun office collaborations for the end of...
John Napolitano
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, we introduce John Napolitano, a part of the Residential Practice Team 3 of the Long Island, NY office. Meet John Napolitano John Napolitano has worked as an associate technical account manager for just over a year. Napolitano spends his days assisting in client cases and helping teammates however much he can. “I love the atmosphere of being a Yardi employee. Everyone is always welcoming and helpful,” says Napolitano. “I have an amazing team!” Napolitano appreciates how Yardi does a great job incorporating teamwork into the day-to-day work. There are many resources and different individuals with different skill sets. Everyone is helpful and knowledgeable in their field. “We are encouraged to expand our Yardi Network and reach out to people from different teams. I love being able to reach out to people from all over the country and build those lasting relationships,” said Napolitano. In addition to teamwork, Napolitano describes Yardi as a second home after building lasting relationships with coworkers almost immediately. “Everyone wants to see you succeed and lend a helping hand when needed. I know how intimidating it can be for new hires, and I would like to be able to help however much I can in their transition with us,” shares Napolitano. Napolitano and his team recently volunteered and hosted a charity event for Yardi-supported nonprofit Island Harvest. They packed hundreds of boxes of food for people in need. “I love that we could organize an event like this and do our part for our community. It inspired me to do these events on my own time and more frequently,” says Napolitano. Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. Animal Enthusiast Outside...
Alondra Valenzuela
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, meet Alondra Valenzuela, Yardi technical analyst from the Dallas office. Meeting Alondra Valenzuela Alondra Valenzuela has been at Yardi for just over two years. While each day differs from the previous, every day brings an exciting new challenge that requires her to think outside the box. From utilizing data to digging into other applications to locate the cause of a client’s deteriorating performance, Valenzuela assists with getting many clients access back into the systems. “I love the challenge of learning something new every day and having the opportunity to utilize new tools that I can bring to my team. I also love the occasional rush of adrenaline when getting a critical item thrown my way and having the opportunity to relieve our clients,” says Valenzuela. Valenzuela enjoys the openness of everyone she works beside. In her two years of working at Yardi, she’s never felt alone, and the willingness of everyone who helps brings great relief, knowing she is not alone and someone is always there to help get a solution to our clients. “Yardi is a place that will allow you to grow in whichever direction you feel best. There is such a wide range of opportunities to explore at Yardi that you can always find something new to learn and do,” Valenzuela said. Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. Climbing Mountains When Valenzuela is not working, she enjoys spending time in nature. When she cannot get to the mountains in Colorado, she enjoys health and fitness in other areas. She cycles through either the gym, muay Thai or rock climbing. “I like adrenaline-packed adventures, which is why I love dealing with high-pressure...
Mary Beth Snyder
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s affordable housing compliance expertise got a big boost this summer. Mary Beth Snyder joined the team in a new role of Verification Services Industry Principal, and her work history is sure to make an impact. Prior to joining Yardi, Mary Beth spent eight years at Equifax® working in the government segment on eligibility verification for government benefit programs. Her duties included managing Equifax’s The Work Number® product, which verifies employment and income of households applying for government benefit programs such as housing assistance, child support, workforce agencies and unemployment insurance. That experience is particularly valuable as Mary Beth transitions to her leadership role on the Yardi Verification Services product team. Yardi Verification Services is an affordable housing compliance solution that verifies the income and assets of households seeking to qualify for a unit. Let’s get to know more about Mary Beth. Mary Beth, where do you call home? I live in Cape Girardeau, Missouri which is approximately two hours south of St. Louis. Beyond your work with Equifax, what is your history in the affordable housing industry? I’ve worked in affordable housing for years promoting the benefits of automating eligibility verification. I’ve been a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), and have presented during conference sessions as well as writing posts for the NAHRO blog. I’m thrilled with my new opportunity here at Yardi and look forward to continuing my advocacy for those needing housing assistance and the community of housing assistance providers. What benefits do the affordable housing providers you support bring to their communities? Affordable housing providers are critical to the growth and development of the community they serve. A decent and affordable place to live helps families and those who are disadvantaged by freeing them from physical and mental hardships, placing them on a path to success and growth for themselves and future generations. A quote that resonates with my thoughts comes from a sociologist named Matthew Desmond who said, “Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart”. Have affordable housing resources affected the lives of you or your family? Yes. My brother and sister-in-law are both learning disabled and receive social security disability insurance and other government benefit programs to help them live independently. They currently live in market rate housing with the support of a roommate, but in the future may need to seek out an affordable housing unit. Filling out government forms and getting documentation ready to submit to qualify for government benefits is often frustrating for them. Luckily, they have me to step in and help – not everyone has that kind of support. And I totally understand and share their frustration. I have similar trouble sometimes understanding what the various forms are requesting. What do you think could help simplify the process for affordable housing and other program applicants? My philosophy has always been don’t require applicants or tenants to provide documentation that can be easily found with automated data. Instead, programs should take the burden off those who are disadvantaged and use automated data to complete forms required for eligibility. Automating verifications would save agencies time and money while improving customer support and assistance. That sounds like a big process improvement. Is there a Yardi product that can help achieve that level of simplicity? Yes. Yardi Verification Services automates the way affordable housing providers and public housing authorities verify the income and assets of their applicants. What are the benefits of Yardi Verification Services? Eliminating the stack of forms to fill out is a win-win for both applicants, compliance specialists and site staff, because there are no more back-and-forth requests for information. That type of work takes so much time away from affordable housing and PHA staff and frustrates the applicant or tenant, so Yardi Verification Services really helps streamline the process. Up to 90% of income and...
Ben Smith
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Meet Ben Smith, senior bill pay specialist with the Yardi Bill Pay Express team. Meet Ben Smith Ben Smith started his career at Yardi just after graduating from college a little over a year ago. Smith spends his days working payment exceptions and making payments online for utilities. He also researches to determine the eligibility of vendors to go live on the BPX service as well as bring vendors live to it. He collaborates with other teams to resolve payment issues they might discover and continues to build a stronger foundation for this service. “I enjoy that this service is something uncommon in the industry currently. It feels that we are doing our best to improve the overall flow of payment processing for both Yardi and clients. There is so much to learn about what Yardi does, and I love that it’s easy to reach out and learn about products and services totally unrelated to mine,” says Smith. Wealth of Knowledge Smith finds the work culture at Yardi to have a good balance between teamwork and independence. “Our team probably works more independently than most others in the division, but that doesn’t prevent us from collaborating with each other or other teams,” Smith shares. The work environment has always been opening and welcoming for Smith. Yardi is a company that continues to take care of its employees while being a leading force in the industry. “There are plenty of opportunities for all walks of life, and there is a wealth of knowledge to learn. I can feel at ease knowing I’ll be able to provide for my family and see myself spending a long time with the company,” shared Smith. Yardi is...
Client Spotlight
Joe Biddle, ABR Capital Partners
What’s the best way for a real estate investment management firm to give clients the information they want when they want it? We asked Joe Biddle, director of information technology for Yardi client ABR Capital Partners, about ABR’s experience with the Yardi Investment Suite. Joe, can you tell us a little about ABR? We’re based in Baltimore and co-invest with clients and joint venture partners in properties across the U.S. Our portfolio consists of 7 million square feet of commercial space and 557 million square feet of multifamily units that comprise $1 billion of assets under management. What issues did you encounter with your previous accounting systems? We used a basic accounting package for property management and a homegrown investment management system. A major problem was the repeated manual data entry needed to transfer information between them. This labor became a drag on our limited staff resources. And clients seeking information on their investments had to request it from us via phone or email and wait for a response. Our clients and team needed, and deserved, a new software solution for accessing information. So, you adopted the Yardi Investment Suite. How did it remedy these problems? The Yardi Investment Suite replaced multiple manually executed operations – performance return calculations, joint venture partner reports, capital tracking, and information delivery to clients and employees – with a single connected automation solution that saves us substantial staff time and effort. Please explain how integrating accounting and investment management within the Yardi Investment Suite improves your customer service. With accounting data seamlessly flowing to the investment system, we can immediately communicate new opportunities to investors and prospects, customize investor reporting, and automate capital calls and distributions. This process is much faster and more accurate than using spreadsheets or...
Zaria Lane
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, we introduce Zaria Lane, technical account manager for Yardi Breeze Premier, out of the Dallas office. Meet Zaria Lane Zaria Lane marked her sixth anniversary with Yardi this past July. She started her career at Yardi in the call center, then moved to various departments before working with Breeze Premier in 2019, working from associate technical manager to implementation technical account manager. Lane ensures she is organized and prepared to accomplish her daily goals. “Organizing helps me stay on my toes and feel more confident when presenting information to my clients. I also love to prepare for every scenario before I meet with clients,” said Lane. Welcoming Work Environment Lane enjoys the inclusion of Yardi and having a welcoming feeling from all she has worked with. “I enjoy how the company creates events where employees from different teams and departments can join to socialize. To me, it creates an even more comfortable workspace as our workers don’t have to feel that they are working with strangers and allows us to be more willing to work with others,” shared Lane. Lane graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Psychology and never expected to work as a technical manager. Still, she learned the system quickly, making her feel more comfortable learning new information. Between the welcoming work environment and increased productivity, Lane thinks hard work pays off and is based on work efficiency, not tenure. “I am excited to see the company grow even more, and I love that I will be a part of that growth,” Lane shares. Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. Dallas Cowboys Fan Lane spends time outside the office...
Jonathan Gonzalez
Yardi Employee Profile
Meet another sensational Yardi employee, Jonathan Gonzalez, team lead for the commercial Voyager Client Success TX 1 team who began his journey as an intern. Yardi’s offices have many internship opportunities for those interested in learning about exciting and expansive world of real estate technology. Meet Jonathan Gonzalez Jonathan Gonzalez has been at Yardi for nearly five years and became a team lead for commercial in July 2022. He works with clients to achieve success with the products they are licensed for and finds new ways to improve their work lives with Yardi’s complete product line. He also works with his team to ensure they succeed in providing an excellent customer service experience and developing their careers. “I put a heavy emphasis on being available for my team, especially since we have transitioned to a hybrid work structure. My goal is to be available as much as possible to build relationships with my team members while also providing them with the mentoring they need to grow,” says Gonzalez. In addition to his team, Gonzalez assists his clients in achieving the maximum results with their licensed products. He spends his days reaching out to perform health check calls with clients to review their system usage and assist with critical escalations to ensure they are well taken care of. Gonzalez takes pride in having satisfied clients with support and confidence within his team that is more willing to utilize Yardi’s full product load. “Helping my clients achieve success in all their Yardi products is what I most enjoy about working at Yardi. Seeing my clients fully functioning and happy with their software gives me a sense of purpose for my work,” shares Gonzalez. Confident Colleagues Gonzalez enjoys the welcoming environment of Yardi, where everyone is eager to see success...
Tamm Sharper
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi staff make essential contributions to property management clients worldwide. Today, meet Tamm Sharper, a Voyager Client Success residential TX 2 team consultant for special projects in the Dallas office. Meet Tamm Sharper Tamm Sharper has been working for Yardi since December 2014. Sharper works on projects from the Voyager Client Success and RentCafe Client Success Texas teams for existing clients. From complex and sometimes expedited implementations to At-risk client specialty projects, she has a variety of opportunities to build relationships with clients during their Yardi journey. She works with clients to analyze pain points and devise a course of action, whether goal-based or time-specific, to alleviate the issues they experience daily. Sharper conducts on-site training sessions and business process reviews to optimize Voyager/CRM to give the client the most value. She also mentors colleagues and newer Yardi employees going through the N.E.S.T program by showcasing the culture of Yardi, conducting trainings and assisting with cases. Strategizing Stellar Results Sharper says, “I like to call myself ‘the fixer!’” Sharper enjoys having a client come to her at their breaking point and her being able to strategize and develop a plan to get them back on track. At the project’s close, she feels there’s nothing more satisfying than having a client smile and express gratitude for all the hard work they’ve accomplished. “There’s just something special about reviewing all the objectives we set out to accomplish and getting that confirmation of satisfaction from the client! Also, it’s heartwarming to know that I’ve made a difference in client retention when we see the numbers during corporate updates,” shares Sharper. Sharper appreciates Yardi’s transparency since the early days of the pandemic and that Yardi is always there to contribute when help is needed. “It’s amazing to hear...
Brody Masterson
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s offices have many internship opportunities for those interested in learning about the technology side of real estate. Today, meet Brody Masterson, who joined the company for an internship five years ago and has been thriving at Yardi since. Brody and his wife, Ashton. Meet Brody Masterson Brody Masterson completed an internship in the summer of 2018 with Yardi. He completed his degree from the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a bachelor’s in management information systems. He then started working at Yardi full-time out of the Dallas office, making last month his fourth anniversary. Masterson is a senior technical manager for the residential Texas Practice 6 Team. Masterson spends most of his work resolving data issues for clients he is solely responsible for. When he is not working and meeting with clients, he works with his colleagues and team members needing assistance. Since stepping into the senior role with more responsibility, he has taken over critical topics for his team. “I’m readily available to answer any questions that my teammates have, or if they prefer, I’ll hop on a quick call with them to give them guidance on a case or insight over a Voyager functionality,” said Masterson. Yardi is a comprehensive software that takes time to learn the ins and outs. However, Masterson enjoys using not only his technical skills but also his consulting skills for the job. “There are numerous software areas that require either cloud knowledge, accounting knowledge, marketing knowledge, etc. So, it has been very beneficial learning from all these different areas,” said Masterson. Knowledge is Power Masterson likes the comradery and collaboration at Yardi. Even working virtually, he still feels the same vibes from working daily in the office. “Yardi’s culture is also very collaborative. There has always...
Leeana Bari
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, we introduce you to Leeana Bari, a senior technical account manager for RentCafé Resource out of the Dallas office, a part of the Texas Practice 6 team. Meet Leeana Bari Leeana Bari has been with Yardi for five years after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, her first job out of college. Bari spends her workdays keeping clients as happy as possible. Fulfilling the Yardi mission statement, taking care of clients and being dedicated to them, ensuring they are all responded to promptly. She also values positive reinforcement for her peers and colleagues. “I am a queue watcher because I love seeing the queue go down and sending a ‘good job team’ message from time to time in our team chat to shine a light on their hard work being seen because some weeks it gets tough,” says Bari. Working in the office has allowed Bari more human interactions since the pandemic made everything virtual. She enjoys walking around, joining conversations, and playing ping pong in the breakroom. She finds working from home can lead to burnout with minimal breaks, so when working at home, she is mindful of her time and does a quick 10–15-minute workout to get the blood flowing. “I believe it’s important to incorporate times to step away from the computer to refresh your mind, especially if you’re stuck on a case,” Bari shares. Cultivating Bonds Bari appreciates all the people she works with at Yardi. She has never felt that she couldn’t be herself, which makes the work environment enjoyable. The professionalism and involvement of managers and team leads in the Dallas office encourage success and growth within Yardi. “The environment is professional, but one thing I absolutely love about Yardi is that I always felt and continue to feel like I can be myself in and out of the office,” shared Bari. She wants new hires, especially those right out of college, to know that Yardi’s company culture makes a big difference. Knowledge is shared daily, which makes working with clients that much easier. Yardi encourages diversity, inclusion and growth, making it easy to connect with peers and enjoy work each day. “The recruiters at Yardi have done an amazing job at finding knowledgeable people with the awareness and soft skills to ensure the work culture meets all requirements of our motto,” said Bari. She continues, “I’ve absolutely loved working for Yardi! I’ve made life-long friendships and couldn’t have imagined or asked for a better first job!” Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. World traveler, dancer and pro wedding guest Bari spends her time outside of the office traveling with family and friends. Her parents immigrated to America from Bangladesh, so travel has been super important to them to connect with family. Bari was able to experience traveling to foreign countries and even within the States as a child, opening her eyes to what is out there in the world. She also has been swamped attending several weddings within the past few years. “In 2022, I attended nine weddings. I am on number three of six for 2023 and have six already on the calendar for 2024! Celebrating my friends brings the utmost joy to my life – however, if you’ve ever attended a Desi wedding, you know a gal is running out of outfits,” Bari exclaimed! When she is not attending weddings, Bari enjoys dancing. Dancing has always been a part of her life. She believes it soothes the soul. Some of her best years were on a dance team in college, and she cultivated strong friendships she still has to this day. “It is amazing to me to see how everyone brings their own personality and flow to the dance; however, we’re all able to mesh and flow in sync as...
Client Spotlight
Matt Berlin, Paragon Real Estate Investments
We recently caught up with Matt Berlin, CFO for Paragon Real Estate Investments, for perspective on the drivers and results of implementing new accounting software for managing real estate investments. Matt, what is Paragon’s business focus? We’re a privately held company that manages and invests funds on behalf of family offices, institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. We manage our growing portfolio of stabilized assets through our flagship fund, Paragon Real Estate Fund. The Paragon team is based in La Jolla, Calif., and owns commercial property in key urban markets nationwide. What challenges did you face in your real estate investment operations? As our investor base grew significantly, we found that doing property accounting manually on spreadsheets was cumbersome, time-consuming and mistake-prone. That prompted us to seek a new software solution capable of streamlining journal entries, general ledger updates, distributions and other investment operations. Then you adopted Yardi Investment Accounting. What did that do for you? It automated our asset, investment accounting and investment lifecycle within a single connected solution. Yardi Investment Accounting is the only one-stop shop I’ve seen in the market. What results have you seen from the implementation? The solution produces faster reporting, helps us formulate our investment strategies, satisfies investors and enables full transparency from investors through assets. Its seamless integration with Yardi Voyager means we don’t have to worry about mistakes from manually entering data into spreadsheets or whether disparate systems can communicate with each other and make the various general ledgers match. Investment Accounting also streamlined our annual net asset value calculations by automatically incorporating the current share price. Can you cite an example of Investment Accounting’s utility? When we executed a capital call, we didn’t need to set up new spreadsheet formatting. We no longer needed to open...