Perhaps you’ve noticed it in your email inbox or text messages: there is a recent uptick in the number of attempts to gain private information that compromises your personal and financial security, as well as that of organizations and corporations. According to a recent report from Proofpoint, email-based phishing attempts became increasingly successful in 2021, as did ransomware attacks. As many as 83 percent of organizations said they experienced a successful email-based phishing attack in 2021, compared to 57 percent in 2020. These upticks appear to be continuing in 2022. Across a variety of industries, phishing attacks are becoming more prolific and targeting employees from entry-level to executives. That means it’s more important than ever to protect yourself and your business by exercising vigilant technology safety protocols and learning best prevention practices. The U.S. Cyberinfrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) offers the following tips that can help you and your organization avoid these attacks. Understand the threat. Phishing is a form of a social engineering attack, which means that common social norms are used to gain and compromise information about a company and its technology systems. Messages claim to be legitimate communications from vendors, banks, employees and other business contacts, but are really fraudulent attempts to obtain confidential information from recipients. The imposter may even offer information that claims to support their identity. Be skeptical, even when a message appears to be from a trusted source. An attacker may send email seemingly from a reputable credit card company or financial institution that requests account information, often suggesting that there is a problem. They could also pose as a vendor who needs account information changed or even an internal employee who claims to need verification of information. When users respond with the requested details, hackers can...

Nearly 10,000 youth in Toronto struggle with housing instability each year. On any given night, about 2,000 of them call the streets home. Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth strives to prevent homelessness while facilitating a brighter future for homeless young people. Andrea Gunraj serves as the Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications at Eva’s. She bears testimony to the dire situations that drive people out of their homes. Many misunderstand the catalysts for homelessness. “They assume young people are not following the rules or they’re getting into things that they shouldn’t. It can be a blame approach,” reflects Gunraj. She continues, “I think one of the things that people often misunderstand is why young people become homeless in the first place. In Toronto, there is a high number of people who experience issues at home like abuse. With 70 percent of young people, they identify that as one of the reasons for leaving home. And it’s not easy to leave by any means when you don’t have money or support. Often, there are really dire situations that push people to leave.” There is also a misconception that mainly youth from economically disadvantaged families are at high risk of homelessness. About 50 percent of homeless young people come from middle- and upper-income families. Eva’s provides services for young people and their families to keep the household healthy and intact if possible. Two shelters and a transitional housing facility, plus education and job training services, are available to help them make the transition to independence. Yardi supports Eva’s Satellite, Eva’s Phoenix, and Eva’s Place. The three facilities are home to 123 homeless youth aged 16-24 every night. Residents receive basic necessities such as food, clothing, and hygiene items. Staff members assess the young persons’ mental, physical, and...

Yardi Matrix recently added a new sector to its property management database: storage facilities for the fast-growing recreational vehicle and boats market. Matrix enters the market as RVs and boats reach new heights of popularity. Sales of exclusive facilities for these assets exceeded $157 million last year, almost triple the previous annual record, as Americans sought travel and recreation opportunities away from crowds. And there’s no sign of a letup – some 9.6 million households say they intend to buy an RV within the next five years. Meanwhile, new powerboat retail unit sales this year are expected to surpass the 300,000 sold in 2021 by up to 3%. A driver of RV/boat sales is “the healthy balance sheets of households as people stopped spending while sheltering in place and collected stimulus checks from the government,” according to a Matrix bulletin issued in March. In addition, “the pandemic helped stoke a growing appreciation for recreation and travel to rural settings.” The Matrix RV/boat storage facility database encompasses 786 completed storage facilities exclusively dedicated to RVs and boats, with more than 6,800 acres of space and 35 facilities in the development pipeline. Matrix identifies Denver, Houston, San Francisco, California’s Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Dallas and Phoenix as top markets for RV and boat storage properties. Looking ahead, Matrix regards RV and boats as a “durable part of the American experience” that’s likely headed for even more growth. Demand is met with a somewhat limited offering of supply, with only 88 properties in the Matrix database having been delivered since 2010, compared with about 225 between 2002 and 2009. Even so, the market is sturdy. “The growing demand from RV and boat sales combined with the limited amount of supply means the segment’s fundamentals should remain healthy,...

When it comes to viewing clinical data, senior living providers need a solution that paints the full picture. How many resident falls occurred during a particular shift this week? What percentage of residents are vaccinated against COVID-19? Thanks to the latest Senior IQ update — 1.18 to be exact — these answers are available at the click of a button.   That’s right, this business intelligence solution now draws clinical data directly from Yardi EHR and presents it in brand-new dashboards. You can track clinical trends, identify residents at risk, pinpoint problems and improve protocols — all from a single platform. No more digging for answers or making best guesses. With Senior IQ, you’re enabled to make smarter, faster decisions based on actionable information. Ready to see more? Let’s get right to it. See below for a highlight of the new dashboards and enhancements in Senior IQ: Analyze resident falls Courtesy of the new clinical falls dashboard, Senior IQ clients now have access to detailed fall metrics. Here you’ll see fall rates by month, check whether repeat falls are occurring, view falls categorized by time of day and more. With clear, valuable information presented in the dashboard, you’re equipped to tie falls back to staffing, identify protocol problems and ultimately uncover what’s jeopardizing resident safety. And these detailed fall reports help you develop action plans to prevent future incidents. Streamline reporting   Ready to simplify your reporting process? With Senior IQ, you’ll tap into insightful data that’s automatically updated from the previous day. Each dashboard’s data points were carefully selected by Yardi’s clinical and compliance team to help you track quality measures and performance metrics. Track vaccinations We know the importance of vaccination tracking, especially in communities today. Luckily, the new clinical vaccination dashboard...

Are you a right-brained creative or a left-brained pragmatic? And when it comes to property marketing, which is better? That is the subject up for discussion at the Apartment Innovation and Marketing Conference (AIM) this year. For years, there has been a belief that people favor one side of the brain or the other. The theory goes that people with right-brain dominance tend to be imaginative while those with left-brain dominance are inclined to be logical. Recent research shows that the brain is not nearly as dichotomous as previously thought. In fact, many talents are strongest when both halves of the brain collaborate. “The pop psychology notion of a left brain and a right brain doesn’t capture their intimate working relationship,” science writer Carl Zimmer explained in an article for Discover magazine. That said, the popularity of the theory still holds out. People love to find out which is the dominant side of their brain. So why not take a quiz? Then get marketing tips geared toward each talent and learn how to marry the two for property marketing success at AIM 2022. Right-brained or left-brained? Take the quiz. Tips for right-brained marketers Right-brained marketers are intuitive and expressive with a strong interest in storytelling and visuals. Use your creativity to build a strong brand on social media. Focus on creating a compelling visual library that tells the story of your community.Stay up to speed on design trends in different industries — including fashion, interior and tech — then challenge the larger marketing team to incorporate them into initiatives collateral and website updates. Tips for left-brained marketers Left-brained marketers are planned and orderly with a strong interest in results and analytics. Take charge of your company’s paid search campaigns. Compile performance data or use...

You never want things to go wrong, but when they do, you want to be prepared. In many cases, property management tech can help. When news broke of a resident in distress and it seemed like they could injure themselves or others within a quiet New Jersey apartment community, police were quick to arrive on scene to alleviate the situation.   But things escalated when the issue couldn’t get resolved. As police arrived to assist, residents in the apartment complex were asked to shelter in place. “We had to immediately communicate to our residents not to leave their apartments due to the fact that police were active on the property,” said Jack Linefsky, vice president of Value Companies. Value Companies owns more than 3,200 multifamily units in New Jersey and New York. They’ve been a Yardi customer for over 30 years, but they’ve never had to use Yardi technology the way they used it that day. As law enforcement entered the premises, Linefsky and the Value Companies team took advantage of RentCafe to communicate with residents and help authorities. First, they leveraged the RentCafe resident portal to quickly get a message out to residents.  “We were able to send voice messages, text messages and emails to all residents,” Linefsky said. “We crafted it on the go and made sure everyone was aware of what was happening.” When authorities needed a visual guide to help navigate the property, Linefsky knew exactly how to assist. “The police needed our floor plans, so I was able to easily pull it up on our RentCafe website,” Linefsky continued. “I just showed them the plans on my phone, and they were able to take action.” After an hours-long standoff, the situation was resolved peacefully. Linefsky and his team then used...

Looking for your next senior living event? We’ve got you covered. The annual ASCHA Convention & Trade Show is coming up on April 11-13 and it’s a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, discuss industry trends and see what’s new with Yardi solutions.   Keep reading to see the event details. ASCHA Trade Show set for April The ASCHA Convention & Trade Show is bound to be an interactive event. This year, ASCHA is gathering 400 senior and community housing organization leaders to discuss strategies for the industry’s future. You can check out the full event agenda for more information, but know that discussions will focus on taking the housing sector to The Next Level. And ASCHA is offering fun, strategic sessions for you to join forces with trailblazers from all levels and places. Get ready to network, view insightful presentations, enter giveaways and more. ASCHA 2022 will take place on April 11-13 at the WinSport in Alberta, Calgary. And if you’re unfamiliar with ASCHA, the Alberta Seniors & Community Housing Association, here’s a quick introduction: ASCHA advocates on behalf of its members who provide housing options for Albertans. They’re a member-driven association acting as a center of excellence for education, best practices and member resources — all to assist seniors and community housing operators. Over 100 member organizations serve approximately 60,000 Albertans in seniors and community housing settings. Note that to attend ASCHA 2022, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours is required. Find Yardi at Booth 7 Each year, we get excited to see the lineup of senior living events and the opportunities they provide. And ASCHA 2022 is one we’re looking forward to! You can find Paul Alexa-Janzen, our senior account executive in senior living and product...

Yardi sought insight into a key office property management trend – flexible workspace arrangements – from a panel of clients at YASC Global. The three panelists, including Yael Urman, chief information officer for New York City-based commercial property developer Silverstein Properties, spelled out why the changing landscape requires greater flexibility. The days of the simple 15-year-lease-and-renew are over, Urman said, having been superseded by demands for work arrangement flexibility that can encompass everything from personalized work area coloring and furnishings to private offices. “We’re in the productivity, flexibility and well-being business now, not just providing four walls,” Urman said. “Our priority now is to offer any option that enables cooperation and enhances productivity for our clients.” Panelist Willie Gutierrez, COO/CFO of Premier Workspaces, an Irvine, Calif., coworking company that owns and leases flex office space, agreed that “it’s the experience, not the four walls” that matters for tenants in today’s office work environment. Gutierrez, whose company’s offerings include offices and conference rooms for as little as an hour, added that private offices for small and medium size businesses is Premier’s most popular offering. The third panelist, Brandon Van Orden, senior vice president and CIO for Atlanta office REIT Cousins Properties, senses a desire among workers to “get back in the office, collaborate in person and enjoy the social aspects of work. They still want big conference rooms for in-person meetings.” Accordingly, Van Orden and his Cousins colleagues describe their offerings as “flexible,” rather than “hybrid,” which implies that some workers remain permanently remote while others are permanently in the office. Cousins is also piloting technologies that create a seamless visitor experience that extends from the parking deck to the building entrance to the office, Van Orden said. Another key trend noted by the panelists...

The largest Multifamily Social Media Summit ever brought more brilliant suggestions to multifamily marketers on Thursday at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif. REACH by RentCafe is the social media, photo booth and platinum exhibit sponsor of the 10th anniversary event, which concludes today. Andrew Davis, acclaimed marketer, best-selling author and filmmaker, opened Day Two of the event with a humorous and engaging talk about how constraints – as small as technology challenges and as large as a worldwide pandemic  – ­­can breed creativity for any business. “I started to realize that this was really an unexpected experiment that we had been gifted,” Davis said of the unforgettable global events of the last two years. “It allowed us to ask: What happens when every business in the world is faced with the exact same disruptive forces?” The solution to extreme disruption, as presented by Davis, is to forget the adage “think outside the box” and instead go INSIDE a box that he calls “The Cube of Creativity.” Read on to learn how the Cube works and glean more takeaways from this trend-defining marketing event. The four sides of the Cube of Creativity Davis presented two dynamic case studies from non-housing businesses that faced extreme challenges during the pandemic. One was a flower delivery service that had to relocate its distribution channel to Ecuador because of California’s non-essential worker shutdown. Another was a sustainable farm that previously relied on in-person events for its livelihood. 1. Eliminate the unnecessary: Taking on dynamic new initiatives means that some existing work will have to drop off. “Ask yourself, what are we going to drop doing in order to pursue this brand new initiative,” Davis said. “Every time we take on something new, we have to kill...

Looking for tips to help your indoor plants thrive? It’s a good thing that Dr. Joan Gottlieb, a resident at Brightview Commons, has years of expertise and knowledge to share.   We’re loving Joan’s feature on Brightview’s blog, which dives into her botanist journey, top tips for keeping indoor plants alive and more. We hope Joan’s story and ideas make your day a little brighter — and help you channel your inner botanist. A passion for plants: Brightview’s resident botanist From earning her undergraduate degree in biology to completing her Ph.D. thesis on plant hormones, Brightview resident Dr. Joan Gottlieb has always loved botany. After finishing school herself, Joan went on to teach science and biology courses, plus she led botany seminars for advanced students. But Joan didn’t stop there. She also traveled the world as part of botany field study programs visiting New Zealand, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, Trinidad and Tobago to study the local flora. Outside of the classroom and her travels, Joan kept her passion alive by housing over 180 ferns in her home garden. “I’ve had a wonderful life with this passion of mine,” said Joan. “It’s taken me around the world, makes me happy to be indoors and I can write about them. I’m happy to have that. You only live once, and you want to do something that pleases you, has some youthfulness and makes the world a better place.” Now residing at Brightview Commons, Joan continues her passion by caring for her own plants, working on the community’s garden and teaching classes to fellow residents. Start your own garden with Joan’s tips Inspired to start your own indoor garden — or revitalize the plants you have now? Look no further! Joan shares four...

Yardi held three days of educational online programming for clients March 8-10. This year’s digital Global Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) focused on how technology can help meet the needs of today’s real estate industry across multiple verticals. More than 15,000 Yardi clients worldwide attended the three day event, and viewed more than 300 classes covering all aspects of Yardi’s technology offerings. More than 100,000 classes were attended over the the three days. In today’s challenging economy, efforts to automate and improve processes wherever possible can help overcome staffing challenges. Yardi executives showcased the company’s multiple product suites during overview spotlight sessions, which can be of tremendous help for business efficiency. Read on for some of the highlights. Meeting the changing needs of commercial clients Perhaps no real estate sector has experienced more changes during the pandemic than commercial real estate. Many offices have sat dormant for months or more while employees worked from home. The retail and restaurant landscape has been altered greatly. And the industrial and self storage sectors have seen a huge boom in demand. More than two years since the first U.S. lockdowns, impacts are being observed across CRE, said Yardi senior vice president Rob Teel. “I spend a lot of time with our office clients, executives and users of Voyager and our commercial product suite. It is true that vacancy is starting to creep up. Occupancy numbers are hipping a little bit – though not as much as people thought would happen during the pandemic.” As a result, creative owners and managers are exploring alternative uses for office space. They include coworking, either self-managed or working with a partner, which the Yardi Kube suite is perfectly positioned to help manage. Others are turning to mixed use, which opens the...

If you’ve kept up with the Senior Housing News Architecture & Design Awards, you may have seen this spotlight on Life Care Services (LCS), a Yardi senior living client. In any case, we’re sharing a snapshot below and extending a big congratulations to LCS.    Keep reading to learn how LCS channeled forward-thinking design to create a one-of-a-kind community. The SHN Architecture & Design Awards The SHN Architecture & Design Awards, an annual series, provides a chance to recognize cutting-edge design, excellence and innovation in senior living. Among this year’s winners is Life Care Services, a senior living operator offering assisted living, independent living, skilled nursing and memory care options. LCS earns best independent living design of 2021 While LCS operates fantastic communities nationwide, their Sagewood life plan community in Phoenix, Arizona earned them the SHN accolade. Since the community’s opening in 2010, LCS has focused on providing resort-style living — and they’ve recently taken that approach to the next level.    Their latest expansion includes a 101-unit independent living building equipped with an underground parking garage, game rooms, an art studio, a cafe, three unique dining venues and an 18-hole golf putting course with real grass. To no surprise, the expansion is almost fully occupied today, which shows just how much residents love the design and amenities. And it explains why LCS earned a spot in the SHN Architecture & Design Awards, honored for best independent living design of 2021. There’s much more to cover, so we invite you to read the full SHN coverage featuring LCS’ Sagewood community. More on LCS For Life Care Services, an exceptional lifestyle is not created by one moment, meal or gesture. It’s defined by an unwavering promise to quality and unmatched commitment to enriching experiences for...

Multifamily asking rents picked up another $10 in February to reach a national average $1,628, and year-over-year growth recorded a 15.4 percent bump, according to the new Yardi Matrix Multifamily National Report. Single-family rentals also continue to surpass past performance, SFR rents increased by 14.9 percent year-over-year through February. While most anticipated that the steep upward trajectory for the rental sector would have moderated in the first quarter of 2022, the market continues to surprise. Of the top 30 metros tracked by Yardi Matrix, 90 percent saw double-digit rent growth year-over-year. “Rent growth is likely to start decelerating soon relative to the big increases that began in March 2021, but demand shows little sign of slowing,” say analysts. Nationally, occupancy rates are up 120 basis points year-over-year. Occupancy upticks are particularly strong in Texas and Florida metros, but also in gateway markets that lost residents during the pandemic. New York, San Jose and Chicago are among the cities seeing renters return. Underlying the headlines are the effects of a long-term national housing shortage, notes the report. In January 2021, occupancy rates were 95 percent or higher in just 13 of the top 30 markets, but a year later only two of the top 30 are below that level. In another telling indicator, single-family home sale prices were up an average of 18.8 percent last year. Learn more in the latest Yardi Matrix Multifamily National Report. Yardi Matrix offers the industry’s most comprehensive market intelligence tool for investment professionals, equity investors, lenders and property managers who underwrite and manage investments in commercial real estate. Yardi Matrix covers multifamily, student housing, industrial, office and self storage property types. Email [email protected], call (480) 663-1149 or visit yardimatrix.com to learn...

Yardi has successfully incorporated energy efficiency at multiple locations across the property management industry – including the home front, where the company recently earned separate ENERGY STAR® certifications for two office buildings at its corporate headquarters campus in Santa Barbara, Calif. ENERGY STAR, a voluntary U.S. government program that certifies buildings and consumer products as meeting certain standards of energy efficiency, rated one building a score of 86, signifying that it’s more energy efficient than 86% of similar properties nationwide. The second building received a score of 80. The certification threshold is 75%. Yardi benchmarked the two buildings, which encompass 170,000 square feet, in Portfolio Manager®, an ENERGY STAR interactive online resource management tool that measures and compares building energy use. On average, certified buildings use 35% less energy and generate 35% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than their peers, according to ENERGY STAR, which is jointly managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. The buildings’ certifications continue a years-long series of Yardi energy efficiency achievements. For example, the company helps hundreds of clients benchmark energy and water consumption in thousands of buildings, participates annually in Energy Efficiency Day, and promotes  energy optimization software in client conferences, industry publications and other educational venues. In 2021 Yardi received a Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award, the ENERGY STAR program’s highest honor, after earning Partner of the Year designation for three consecutive years. Also that year, the company earned a regional Energy Project of the Year award from the Assn. of Energy Engineers for helping to optimize HVAC performance in a 58-story building in New York City. Referring to the building certifications, Joe Consolo, industry principal for Yardi, said, “Yardi is pleased to meet ENERGY STAR standards in its own operations using...