Yardi will host a series of think-tanks that unite industry professionals in discussion on the hottest issues facing real estate in the UK. This week: what are the prospects for property as an asset class? A new plan may draw investors from the capital to previously overlooked northern towns. During the global recession, emerging markets remained steady as developed markets faltered. Since the recovery, the major markets–US, Europe and Japan—have recaptured the attention of investors.  But will London’s assets continue to lead England or are regional markets promising prospects? It could behoove investors to look beyond London’s city limits for growth opportunities.  The capital’s highly competitive real estate market offers few new opportunities; the bulk of existing investors are vying for coveted space in the city’s 70-80 successful high street locations. It would be a shame for investors that do not make it into those locations to take their resources outside of the country. The solution: transform London’s regional markets into more attractive prospects. The Local Growth Fund has allocated £12bn to merge Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, and Liverpool into the “northern powerhouse.” Supporters do not plan to siphon London’s businesses or big investors. Instead, the emphasis will be placed on nourishing successful local businesses and attracting new resources.  Hopes ride on the dawn of new investors, those beat out of opportunities in London, for example, and those who are new to the arena, such as Chinese investors who have received more flexible access to foreign markets in recent years. As a rising business center, the northern powerhouse properties can be developed to fit modern tenants’ demands: Occupiers of the new business center will be greeted with competitive rents, convenient mixed-use facilities with eco-friendly features, and pedestrian friendly access. The northern powerhouse can be quite appealing in...

Yardi® clients can now easily access thousands of The Home Depot® products either in store or online with a click of a button via the online procurement system offered with Yardi Procure to Pay™, a fully automated end-to-end procurement and invoice processing platform. The Home Depot has set the standard for innovative merchandise for both the do-it-yourselfer and the professional contractor and its global customer base also encompasses commercial and multifamily property owners and managers. The Yardi Procure to Pay system enables The Home Depot purchase orders and invoices to flow through an automated, customized online approval workflow, giving property owners and managers insight into all purchases and ensuring complete purchasing compliance. For clients currently using Yardi PAYscan™, access to The Home Depot catalog is available at no additional cost and no implementation is required. In addition to online purchasing, registered clients can also walk into any of The Home Depot’s nearly 2,000 locations in the U.S. to make in-store purchases. Those purchases automatically update online purchase orders and are invoiced through Yardi Procure to Pay. “We are thrilled about our new business relationship with Yardi. Property managers now have a compliant ordering solution with the option of selecting same-day, in-store pickup or even delivery from The Home Depot,” said J.T. Rieves, vice president of The Home Depot Pro Business. “The Home Depot will leverage its thousands of U.S. locations, vast distribution network and outside sales team to become a strategic supplier of maintenance, repair and operating supplies and building materials for our very important property management customers.” “The Home Depot’s impressive catalog of products and resources is a major addition to our national network of partners, and further expands Yardi Procure to Pay to be a true one-stop solution for MRO supplies with...

FirstService Residential is the largest third-party manager of homeowner’s associations in the United States, with more than 6,000 properties – and another 600 or so in Canada. So it makes sense that the Dania Beach, Florida-based company would be think big about how to deliver technology solutions specifically for the HOA lifestyle. Whether you’re a resident or owner of a home in a master planned community, a community manager of an HOA or a member of a community board of directors, FirstService is thinking about how to improve your experience, and give you mobile applications to obtain information and complete neighborhood-related tasks. “Whatever we can do to make the community manager’s life easier, and do that in an effective way, translates into a better experience for the resident,” said Alan Missen, recently appointed CIO for FirstService. “That’s such a big part of our culture, making a difference in every resident’s life every day.” Missen talked about the various apps FirstService is developing and how they hope to make the HOA experience more mobile-friendly for everyone involved. Tell us about your existing resident service portal. Missen: FSRConnect is our core property management solution. It’s focused on helping the associates to service the property and has a lot of information around the residents, the properties, and it aids in managing much of the activity around amenities. In the HOA world, there’s lots of documents that need to be put in the hands of residents, so we handle document management with this solution. We manage work orders, violations, architectural modifications, and we also provide some financial data that residents can touch. We’re generally more cautious around that, the financial data being more sensitive, so we keep a lot of that back in our accounting solutions. But we...

The real estate landscape is in constant evolution, with developers always on the lookout for smart investment opportunities. Whereas the direction of new development efforts is dictated by a combination of factors, including market conditions, economic considerations and demographic trends, quality infrastructure systems act as a platform supporting real estate growth across the globe. According to a recent report issued by the Urban Land Institute in collaboration with EY, solid infrastructure – including transportation, utilities, and telecommunications – makes the commercial real estate sector tick, along with consumer demand and workforce skills. Infrastructure 2014: Shaping the Competitive City aims to shed light on the role of infrastructure in the development of healthy communities. The eighth in a series of reports examining infrastructure trends and issues, the ULI/EY analysis was released at ULI’s 2014 Spring Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. Conducted in January 2014, the survey mirrors the opinions of 241 public sector officials and 202 senior-level real estate executives (developers, investors, lenders and advisers) in large and mid-sized cities all over the world, with concentrations in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. About 86 percent of survey respondents were based in the United States. According to the report, the majority of public leaders (91 percent) regard infrastructure quality as the top influencer of real estate investment and development decisions. Infrastructure was rated as second to highest by private leaders (86 percent). Meanwhile, the private sector (90 percent) viewed consumer demand as the top feature determining investment locations. Government service – regulations, tax structure, and quality – fell in the midst of influencing factors for both public and private respondents. “This survey indicates a growing awareness among the public and private sector of the importance of investments in a variety of transportation systems, including...

The trendlines continue to point to a steady, albeit slow, recovery of the housing industry. Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes hit a significant milestone in June, surging eight points to a reading of 52 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). According to NAHB, any reading over 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. “This is the first time the HMI has been above 50 since April 2006, and surpassing this important benchmark reflects the fact that builders are seeing better market conditions as demand for new homes increases,” said NAHB Chairman Rick Judson, a home builder and developer from Charlotte, N.C. “With the low inventory of existing homes, an increasing number of buyers are gravitating toward new homes.” On a more personal level, the fluctuating economic market has resulted in a shift in consumer perspectives. The larger population seems be aware of the financial commitments attached to home-ownership and realigns priorities in order to achieve the much longed-for independence. In recent years we have witnessed the emergence of trends like shared housing and rent-to-own homes that aim to somewhat appease the effects of the recession. Balancing entry-level pay with high cost of living and substantial debt is a major challenge which not many young adults are willing to take. Rather than struggling to make ends meet, college grads or adult children choose to move back with their parents, which can be a wise decision in the current context. Acting as a financial lifeline, this interim is an excellent opportunity for boomerang kids – as social scientists call them – to build a savings account, find stable jobs and start a family. This change in consumer attitudes has also led...

Pushing ethics to the top of its priority list has paid off for CBRE Group Inc., which has a long history of strong reputation management practices. Recently named one of the world’s most ethical companies by an independent assessor, the Ethisphere Institute, the global commercial real estate firm takes corporate values, which have a direct impact on business practices, exceptionally seriously. Those values inform processes, procedures and prioritization of compliance, risk management, communications and client security. At the heart of the effort is the CBRE RISE program, standing for “Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence.” The company’s 44,000 global employees receive quarterly training sessions in ethics and compliance, delivered either online or in person. A compliance officer exists for each country where the company does business—55 in all. “If you hold up your individual corporate values, that will empower your people to feel confident and make the right decisions in difficult circumstances,” said Tyson Avery, chief ethics and compliance officer for CBRE, a Yardi client. “There’s no cookie-cutter commercial real estate transaction, and the same is true with the risks that we face. All scenarios are a little different.” Avery identifies cloud security, corruption, conflicts of interest and data privacy as all being areas of relatively high risk for global companies. Hence the prioritization by CBRE of best practices, which is enhanced not only by the frequent training sessions but maintenance of a hotline/helpline where employees can anonymously report any concerns. Ethisphere’s “World’s Most Ethical Companies” are recognized for their policies and actions, including ethical business standards and practices, exceeding legal compliance minimums and being industry leaders. For 2014, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. and Reology Holdings Corp. were also recognized in the real estate sector.  Marriott International was among the honorees in Leisure and...

Santa Barbara’s Multiple Listing Service is among the latest to switch to a website provided by Yardi-owned Point2. The Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® (SBAOR) introduced SBAOR.com earlier this week. The new website uses data from the Santa Barbara Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to display searchable property listings on a mobile-friendly platform. SBAOR.com was developed by Point2, an industry leader in online marketing and data management for real estate. Website visitors can browse Santa Barbara homes for sale and rent, see property details by address and contact local real estate agents. Search options allow users to view active MLS listings by neighborhood, ZIP code and custom-drawn polygon, as well as criteria such as price range, property type, number of bedrooms and upcoming open houses. Registered users gain access to near real-time updates, new listings, detailed property reports and additional functionalities. Registration is free. “The Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® has enjoyed partnering with Point2 to create a valuable real estate resource for our community that’s also an asset to our members,” commented Ed Fuller, president of SBAOR and broker-owner of San Roque Realty Inc. “SBAOR.com is the most accurate, mobile-friendly and consumer-friendly website for comprehensive Santa Barbara real estate information.” Using best-in-class consumer interface and mapping technology supplied by Point2, SBAOR.com benefits association members by generating increased exposure for member listings and services. Listing agent contact information is prominently featured next to each property. A “Find a REALTOR®” tool at the top of each page helps buyers and sellers to get in touch with SBAOR brokers and agents. “Point2’s MLS and Association Consumer Portal solution connects buyers and sellers to our members without lead diversion,” continued Fuller. “Whether you’re looking to buy a home, sell a property or speak with a REALTOR®, SBAOR.com is...

The following article is excerpted from an article by Keith Loria in the January issue of Multi-Housing News. Find the the full story at Market Report: Ones to Watch. Pierce-Eislen is a subsidiary of Yardi Systems. Ron Brock, vice president and general manager of Pierce-Eislen, located in Scottsdale, Ariz., says that his Top 10 list of markets to watch in the upcoming year is projected to have a combined 6 percent rent growth in the next 12 months. He also believes his list is going to surprise some people, because some markets that were doing well this year are not going do very well next year. “If you look at the Bay area of Northern California, it’s all very good. You have the East Bay market, the San Francisco Peninsula and the South Bay/Silicon Valley market,” he says. “There are good jobs there. Like everything else, a composition of jobs brings some good income.” Austin, Texas is also on his list, and while Brock admits that it does seem to be overbuilding right now, the jobs being created are very attractive and pay handsomely, boding well for its future. “Other markets to say “yes” to in 2014 are West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, suburban Atlanta, which is a surprise, Miami, Denver, Orange County and the Southwest Florida Coast,” Brock says. “West Palm Beach is interesting because job growth isn’t so much a factor, but it’s the empty nester crowd. Retirees go there and are willing to pay. Same thing with the Southwest Florida Coast­—people are showing up with money.” The Miami office space market meanwhile is being driven by money from outside the country, most notably South America. Suburban Atlanta is seeing an increase in job creation, which is the complete opposite of what’s...

Commercial Property Executive is looking for nominations for its second annual Tops in Technology Awards. The ballot will recognize the leading technology product and service providers assisting the commercial real estate industry, with winners in a variety of categories. The number of categories will depend on the nomination process, though, so be sure to enter your favorite technology providers for consideration! The deadline for nominations is Feb. 19. Then be sure to return to vote on the ballot! As Published Dan Waldman wrote in the announcement of the inaugural awards: “These companies stand out for their ability to provide flexible customization, competitive pricing and the most innovative solutions, all backed by superior customer support. In this fast-paced, competitive business, your technology choices are critical to efficient operations, ensuring satisfied tenants, successful projects and completed transactions. Whether it be marketing your properties with an attractive and informational Web site, streamlining a lease signing or creating convenience by automating billing and payment systems, technology continues to make life easier and less costly for everyone involved. As technologies for our industry proliferate and evolve to meet our constantly changing needs, the playing field continues to attract more contestants. The companies here are the ones that have been rated highest by our readers, so please keep this list as your reference.” Find the 2013 Tops in Technology winners on page 21 of the April 2013 edition of...

Commercial Property Executive is now accepting submissions for the 2014 Distinguished Achievement Awards. The awards program, now in its fourth year, recognizes the commercial real estate industry’s most noteworthy properties and transactions. The winners will be selected by a panel of judges representing expertise across commercial real estate disciplines. Finalists will be announced in June on CPExecutive.com, and winners will be published in the July issue of Commercial Property Executive. (Read about last year’s winners, profiled in the July 2013 issue.) The entry deadline is March 29, 2014. To view the submission entry forms, select from the categories below: Best Lease Best Sale: Single Property Best Sale: Portfolio Best Financing Best Development/Redevelopment Most Effective Repositioning/Turnaround Plan Most Effective Property Management Program Most Innovative Corporate Strategy To submit payment and/or materials online log on to CPE‘s submission manager...

Now in its sixth year of existence, bitcoin is rising in popularity, value, and accessibility. The question remains, however, if the digital currency can realistically open new doors for international commerce. Bitcoin is a digital currency that hit the marketplace back in 2008.  Like other currencies, its algorithm-based exchange rate fluctuates daily. The currency is not backed by a central bank or government; as such, it cannot be stored in a bank. Tightly encrypted online accounts facilitate transactions. The currency has earned a mixed reputation. Some hail bitcoin as the next step in digital exchange, the future of global commerce.  Bitcoin transactions result in fewer fees and capital controls, thus promoting more fluid trade. Others view bitcoin as the currency of thieves, vagabonds and unsavory black market merchants. Some governments won’t even humor bitcoin exchanges with their presence; the Chinese government forced the nation’s largest bitcoin exchange to stop accepting yuan deposits late last year. China’s actions somewhat crush the notion that bitcoin could survive as an independent currency. If other governments follow China’s example, their currencies could no longer be used to fuel bitcoin exchanges. Ultimately, bitcoin would be reduced to figures on a screen with no real world value, the equivalent of gaining or losing points on Candy Crush. But so far that hasn’t happened. While the value of bitcoin slumped miserably after China’s rejection, the currency is rebuilding strength in other markets. In fact, it may be used in American real estate transactions. Bond New York, a Manhattan-based real estate broker, is now accepting bitcoin as payment for real estate. In December, The Wall Street Journal reported that two sellers—one for an $800,000 ranch in the Hamptons and the other for a $7.85 million mansion in Las Vegas—are willing to accept...

If you knew how visitors interact with your website, what their ages and interests are, could you serve them better? Could you use information about your clients and potential clients to create more effective marketing? That’s what the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) aims to find out. At the 2013 NAR Convention and Expo in San Francisco last month, chair Danny Frank hosted a talk about data collection titled Big Data and You: Predictive Marketing, Predictive Analytics and Data Visualization. Big data is essentially the aggregation of separate but potentially related information sets that can then be interpreted in a practical way. For example, a website can collect data about the actions of its visitors and then use that data to predict and surface what the user will want to see or do or buy next. This is called predictive marketing. If you have ever noticed “You might also like” messaging on a site like Amazon or Netflix, then you have seen an example of a business using the data it collects to tailor its services to you. In theory, big data can be used to develop predictive analytics that will improve user experience – both in the real world and online – and, as a result, increase profits. The retail applications of predictive marketing are apparent, but what are the applications for the real estate industry? Several ideas were posited at the NAR talk mentioned above. Todd Carpenter, managing director for NAR’s recently created data analytics group, explained that analytics are like listening and “the more you listen to your client, the more you can serve their needs.” To that end, one of the group’s aims is to figure out how to use the mountains of data that NAR already has at its...

Your friends are on Facebook. Your boss is on Facebook. Even your mom is on Facebook. In fact, this popular online network reached over 1 billion users in May – making it the largest social platform around. So are your clients on Facebook? You bet they are. If you’re ready to reach a larger audience and close more sales, you just have to remember the three most important rules of real estate: location, location, location. Where you do business matters as much, if not more, than how you do business. In today’s online marketplace, Facebook is a prime location to attract and interact with consumers. With that in mind, here are 6 tips that will help you optimize your Facebook business page to attract more prospects, whether you’re a real estate agent, a property manager or a leasing agent. 1.       Complete Your Profile First things first, complete your profile so that page visitors know who you are, what you do and how to contact you. Include your phone number, your email address and a link to your website. Add a description of your business that includes industry-relevant keywords. And be sure to choose attractive and professional images for your cover and profile photos. (For example, if you sell houses for a living, using a family photo as your cover image might not be the best choice.) 2.       Promote Your Page Share a link to your Facebook page on your website, but don’t stop there! You should also include the link in your email signature and post about your business page on other social media channels. 3.       Empower Your Fans Once you get people to your page, how do you keep them there? Think of your business page as the social version of your website....

Walt Baczkowski thinks real estate listing syndication has jumped the shark. But the CEO of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® (SFAR) has already figured out how to bring happy days back again. In recent months, sentiment surrounding consumer-facing real estate syndicators like Zillow and Trulia has shifted. REALTORS® and Multiple Listing Services have expressed concern about the practice of “scraping” exercised by some listing aggregators, which entails reusing listing data without permission from the broker or agent representing the property. Another concern is the ability for a prospective buyer to easily reach out and contact the listing broker/agent, whose status as the primary contact for the property listed isn’t always clear. Many real estate professionals are realizing that more control over their listing information is preferred, instead of reckless syndication that may produce no real results. “It jumped the shark because it became a detriment to the REALTORS® when they lost control,” Baczkowski explained. “Their pictures weren’t even appearing next to their listings. And then people were taking their listings, and doing things with them. It started out being this great benefit, but it suddenly turned into a negative. Now, it’s time to take back control of the data.” For SFAR, that meant setting up a consumer-facing real estate search portal site, developed by Point2. Consumers can search for homes and businesses for sale and rent, with all the data sourced directly from the San Francisco Multiple Listings Service website. If updates are made by a broker or agent to the listing – like a pending sale – the consumer site will also be updated in near real-time. In a city with a residential real estate market so hot that there are only 900 active listings, on average, of homes for sale, the timeliness of...

With increasing attention and concern about online real estate data distribution practices and policies, many Multiple-Listing Services are seeking better control of their members’ listing information and looking for opportunities to direct qualified lead traffic straight to brokers and agents. After extensive engagement with high-level MLS officials and National Association of REALTORS® executives, as well as input from thousands of Realtors®, Point2 has come up with an exciting alternative to third party real estate aggregation. Among the organizations taking advantage of this exciting new offering so far is The Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS® (GEPAR), which has partnered with Point2, to develop a public-facing real estate listings portal focused on the greater El Paso area. The new website, ElPasoTX.com, provides consumers with information about local properties for sale and rent using timely and accurate data that originates from the GEPAR Multiple Listings Service (MLS). In a move to benefit their 1,900 members, GEPAR created this competitive public portal to send qualified leads directly to the listing brokers and agents. “Leveraging the same platform already in use for high-traffic international real estate portals like Point2 Homes and PropertyShark, the technology behind our El Paso portal is proven and ready to provide results to GEPAR’s members,” commented Saul Klein, Industry Principal for Point2. “GEPAR has always been on the forefront of technology. We’re very happy to have this opportunity to work with them to bring El Paso a world-class real estate search portal that provides the accurate and up-to-date listing data that today’s consumers demand.” Point2’s Public Facing MLS Portal Initiative is a way for MLS’ to directly monetize their listing data on a public-facing website that looks great and is easy to navigate and maintain. This white label real estate sales solution, featuring user-friendly, customized...

The Counselors of Real Estate annual list of the top 10 issues to affect real estate, unveiled during the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in early June, encapsulated some of the most critical issues to emerge in recent months. And while some longer-term concerns emerged on this list, derived from surveys and polls of members of this invitation-only top-executive industry think tank, the fact that they were not included in last year’s version suggests a heightened focus in response to global political and economic conditions. The organization emphasized the importance of considering both the opportunities and risks inherent in these issues not only on an individual basis but when taken in combination. The trends as identified are as follows: Low interest and capitalization rate risks. Healthcare Capital markets resurgence Event risks Effects of climate change/weather on coastal properties Echo Boomer housing demand Increased U.S. natural gas mining and reserves Global real estate growth and risk Impact of technology on office space Retail malaise and repositioning   In discussing the list in Letterman-style reverse order during his keynote presentation , Counselors of Real Estate chairman Howard Gelbtuch offered some key observations. He dismissed the so-called retail malaise with the response: “What malaise?” While much has been made of the Internet’s increasing attraction of shoppers, he still sees value in the social aspects of mall shopping. And with retail rents healthy, investors and managers can really benefit from purchasing and retenanting spaces currently occupied by what he termed the “dowdiest retailers,” such as Sears/Kmart and JC Penney. Their average contracted rent is $4 per square foot, versus an average market rent of at least $8 if not as much as $11 per square foot, he said. The hottest markets, meanwhile, are sporting rents at...

As more of the 80 million-member Millennial generation enters the workforce, these so-called Gen Y-ers, age 18 to 35, are on everybody’s minds these days as one of the largest—and most fickle—groups to influence housing, shopping and the workplace. Financially strong and responsible, they nonetheless like to shop, prefer convenient housing over expansive, and while they are not yet the company decision makers, they certainly represent a growing proportion of the workforce—with a work style that is sometimes at polar opposites to their parents, the giant Baby Boomer generation. The Urban Land Institute followed up last year’s study of Gen Y housing preferences with a new analysis of their retail habits, released during the Spring Meeting, which took place in San Diego in mid-May. The study identified a strong group, with even a good percentage of those in their 20s financially independent and earning a comfortable living. Sixty-five percent of the 1,251 respondents to the survey said they do not receive financial help from their parents, with 41 percent working full time and fully 46 percent achieving household income of $50,000 or more per year. Thirty-two percent own their own home (predominantly those in their 30s). They carry an average of $22,000 in student debt, but four of five said they don’t use credit cards and 27 percent pay their credit card bills in full every month. Interestingly, while a large proportion live in or near cities, their orientation and long-term plan may be otherwise. Just 14 percent live in or near downtowns, but another 34 percent live in city neighborhoods outside the downtowns (think Brooklyn in New York City or Buckhead in Atlanta), while 13 percent live in dense older suburbs and 11 percent in newer, outlying suburbs; 19 percent in small cities...

Here at Point2, we help real estate agents market themselves and their properties. That means we spend a lot of time looking at listing photos. We’ve seen them all – the good, the bad and the truly incomprehensible. While we all know that evocative listing photos can promote a property by encouraging viewers to picture themselves living in the space, we can’t help but wonder: what if these millions of images that are being traded across the Internet by agents, owners and real estate portals could do even more? Don’t worry, this is not an article about the future of smell-o-vision. Instead we take a look at today’s smart photos to show you how a curbside snapshot can be so much more than just a pretty picture. Here are three new real estate marketing applications brought to you by advances in imaging technology. Share Locations What’s the first rule in real estate? Location, location, location. This is reason enough to geotag your listing photos. Geotagging is the practice of associating your images with a geographical location. Geotags tell your audience, and search engines, where a photo was taken. Geo-data makes it easy to add another layer of ‘searchability’ to your photos so consumers can find you based on a desirable location rather just than a desirable set of search criteria. With so many people using their mobile devices to find properties, geotags help them search for nearby homes more easily. Although most of today’s smartphones and digital cameras can add geotags to your photos automatically, real estate agents and brokers might want to check out RealtorCam, an iOS app that adds location and date information to your photos, plus easy custom captions. Viewers can see how great a house looks, where it’s located and...

As YASC DC 2013 draws to a close, clients depart with a greater understanding of what Yardi has to offer and much more. Longstanding clients connected with newcomers, providing mentorship opportunities and an unofficial forum for best practices. Clients connected with their Yardi contacts, building friendships and broadening lines of communication.   Perhaps most importantly, though, clients from across the globe were able to give their feedback to Yardi developers, paving the way for products that are a reflection of clients’ needs. As one client participant told us during the conference: “I can’t reiterate how good it was to know that Yardi was listening to our suggestions and making changes to improve products. Does it get any better than making a good product better?” Yardi’s desire to listen and respond promotes better product development, but it also serves a greater purpose. Company receptivity builds client confidence. In turn, that confidence can result in the investments needed to trigger multiple facets of international business growth. This year’s conference experienced a 30 percent increase in attendance from 2012. It’s a glowing sign that businesses are gearing up for positive change and more efficient practices. As the economy recovers, multiple industries are seeing a surge in business, the long-awaited catalyst needed to propel growth. YASC has helped Yardi’s clients prepare for that wave of change and the success that follows in its wake. Across all of our diverse product lines, Yardi software prepares clients to press forward with the confidence that they need to ensure wise investments, adequate planning, and effortless organization across all levels. The fully integrated and highly configurable products take an individualized approach to business growth. This year, managing that growth has become easier than ever. Embracing the mobile age, clients are furnished with the...

Changes and updates are on the horizon for many Yardi verticals. Many of today’s sessions prepared attendees for software updates and industry changes that will affect the way that they do business. Voyager 6 to 7S: A small step forward with many benefits With excitement brewing about the recent release of Yardi Voyager 7S, many YASC attendees were interested in learning the differences between Voyager 7S and its predecessor, Voyager 6. While it will not be a jolting conversion for most clients, there were several key changes that make the user experience more efficient and pleasurable. Project Manager Ami Kerns walked class participants through the highlights. -Users now have a new menu search bar, Favorites and History at their fingertips -Designated users can search the back end of the database, making most objects and columns searchable. -Search results now appear on a tidy pop-up window that doesn’t interfere with information and menus displayed on the page initially views. Users may now navigate through multiple screens at the same time without access to Ctrl+N—which is excellent for on tablets and devices without Control features -Voyager 6 has been rewritten using .NET, creating convenient tabs  and links for features that users utilize most -Designated users may gain access to posted batches and edit their details -PayScan 12.1 is compatible with 7S display type securities -7S allows users to enter multiple tax values for one object, then have those tax values auto-populate according to the specific GL account, expense account, or the payable account -Users can customize how payments are divided -Prepayments can be made on a non-zero receipt and multiple pre-pays can be issued on a single receipt batch -Periodic invoicing available with customizable fields Getting Revved-up for HUD Updates “Does everyone have all of the...