Convenience is a key factor when providing online solutions to your tenants. But if they have to log into one platform to make a payment, another platform to submit work orders and a third – or fourth – to review documents and share sales data, are you offering them true convenience? What about maximizing convenience for your own staff? CommercialCafe combines the five key features necessary for a truly convenient tenant portal, for both tenants and staff: Payments In addition to reviewing and paying invoices through a secure online portal, tenants can select which open charges they are paying. Your accounting team no longer has to guess where payments are being applied and saves time not processing physical checks. Work orders Tenants can submit service requests, including photos, and, upon completion of work, provide feedback via automated survey. Technicians receive work orders automatically on their mobile phones, decreasing response times and miscommunication. Notifications Automated SMS, push notifications and emails streamline and enhance communications, whether notifying tenants about available lease documentation to view or sharing details about property events. COI management Prospective and current tenants can upload insurance certificates, allowing property teams to view documentation that ensures property requirements are met and tenants are compliant. Sales data Retail tenants can upload sales figures and documentation that support the percentage rent calculations carried out by accounting teams, increase time savings and accuracy. In addition to these features, CommercialCafe offers another layer of convenience through its seamless integration with other Yardi solutions, including Yardi Voyager, Lease Manager, Facility Manager and the Procure to Pay suite. To learn more about the full benefits of CommercialCafe, join a webinar...

Nearly four decades after President Carter adventurously installed solar panels on the White House, America’s energy transition away from fossil fuels has seen only modest progress. 2007 marked the first year in history when more than half of the world’s population lived in cities, and the U.N. estimated that, by 2030, urban settings will be home to nearly two thirds of the global population. However, it was just in March 2017 that monthly electricity generation from wind and solar exceeded 10% of total U.S. electricity generation for the first time. As America’s vibrant cities grow at an unprecedented pace, so does the importance of sustainable urban planning, power generation, transport systems, water and sanitation, and waste management. We set out to gauge how U.S. cities fare in terms of sustainability, and how the commercial real estate industry has embraced green building to support these efforts. We ended up with a ranking of 40 ‘sustainably powered’ U.S. cities. Read on to see how we did it and what the results show. Methodology: Our Scores, Explained For the purpose of this study, we looked at data on U.S. cities with a 100,000 population minimum, and present the 40 that achieved top scores: Arlington, Va.; Atlanta, Ga.; Austin, Texas; Baltimore, Md.; Boston, Mass.; Boulder, Colo.; Chicago, Il.; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Detroit, Mich.; Durham, N.C.; Eugene, Ore.; Hayward, Calif.; Houston, Texas; Indianapolis, Ind.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Lakewood, Colo.; Lancaster, PA; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Reno, NV; Richmond, VA; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA; St. Louis, MO; Tucson, AZ; Washington, D.C.; Yonkers, NY. The starting point of our research was to learn how each of...

In a recent nationwide survey, Yardi office listings platform COMMERCIALCafé investigated what office employees across a variety of industries had to say about their work spaces. We asked 2,107 respondents from a wide range of ages (from Baby Boomers to Gen Zers), working in different fields (from tech to retail, education and entertainment) some questions about what they view as productivity killers in their current workspace, and what improvements could make a difference. The Quest for Privacy in the Office Most Americans work in an open-plan office—roughly 70% of workspaces in the nation currently sport this design. Employers have many reasons to love open-plan offices, as they are cost-effective and grant great flexibility in accommodating a growing workforce. Nevertheless, from our respondents’ point of view, there are several grievances that the offices they work in fail to address. What stands out most is the employees’ concern regarding the lack of privacy and high noise levels. Roughly 64% signaled they had trouble concentrating due to interruptions from their coworkers, while things like outdated equipment, air quality or poor lighting were raised as issues by around 33% of respondents. Designers are trying to address some of these problems and their current range of solutions combine the use of sound-absorbing materials for flooring, walls and furniture, panels and partitions to create a sense of privacy, and soundproofing quiet rooms or pods. Plants in the office can also contribute to bringing down noise levels and improve air quality, not to mention the added aesthetic appeal they provide. Millennials and Baby Boomers Agree: Private Offices Are Still the Best We know open-plan office designs are widespread, but does that mean they are also popular? Only 9.87% of surveyed workers indicated this layout as their ideal workspace. By comparison, roughly...