AMSTERDAM – Terrence Wong (Yardi), Remco van de Wetering (Newomij), Hans Touw (Redevco), Robert-Jan Reeuwijk (CBRE) and Jaap van der Bijl (Altera) were recently invited to discuss the impact that social issues such as sustainability and affordability have on the value of residential property. According to Reeuwijk, the current housing market places even greater emphasis on the importance of an objective valuation of (properties) in a residential property portfolio. “When determining value, you use multiple sources so that you can look at standard parameters such as vacancy values or rental values. Then, using databases you can add new quality-defining elements such as the year of construction, the energy label and the location of the complex in question.” Transactions Van de Wetering states that the assessment of quality – and thus of value – has always been an issue in transactions, but he places even more emphasis on this fact for acquisitions. “More and more restrictions are being introduced at a local level for the mid-rental market segment and even then we don’t exactly know where the government wants to go in terms of regulation. But in determining the value of a portfolio, it is important to be aware of this both for the investors and the end users.” End user According to Touw, this depends on which definition you attribute to the term “end user.” “In my experience you are talking about the tenant. When determining quality, you start with the question of what the tenant’s experience is of this property, rather than just determining how good you think the product is for the tenant through the lens of the provider.” Measurable “What represents quality for one investor, does not for another,” asserts Van der Bijl. “As property investors, we want to measure, manage...

The multifamily industry converged in San Diego last week for Apartmentalize Powered by National Apartment Association. Formerly known as the NAA Education Conference and Exposition, the annual event is the largest educational conference for apartment industry professionals. We highlight five of our favorite lessons from this year’s event. 5 Lessons from Apartmentalize 2018: Own the Age of AI On Thursday, industry experts discussed the impact of artificial intelligence in multifamily. Panelists included Dawn Wise from Berkshire Communities, Michael Barry from Bozzuto, Tim Reardon from Bridge Property Management, and Yardi’s Dhar Sawh. Artificial intelligence has just recently emerged in the rental housing industry. “This is so new for our industry, so the sky’s the limit,” explained Reardon. The session explored the benefits of artificial intelligence, big data, and business intelligence tools. How can you get energized for the Age of AI? Top tips from panelists: learn more about AI, and make a data strategy plan. Today’s Renters Have a Multi-Touch Journey Over the last two decades, we’ve gone from tracking walk-ins and phone calls to embracing comprehensive CRM systems. On a panel moderated by Yardi’s Esther Bonardi, Holli Beckman from WC Smith, Israel Carunungan from Greystar, and Mia Wentworth from CWS Apartment Homes discussed multi-touch lead attribution, a model for tracking and weighing touchpoints in the lead-to-lease cycle. How can smart marketers improve lead tracking? “Dig into it, study it, and it can open a whole new world,” advised Bonardi. Learn more about multi-touch lead attribution and download our free eBook. Sustainability Wins At Friday’s Apartmentalize session, panelists including Yardi’s Martin Levkus explored resident engagement through energy efficiency. In a recent National Apartment Association survey, windows were the top sustainability item residents cared about. For one panelist, energy efficient windows resulted in a $75 per month...

Yardi returned as title sponsor and presenter at the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations’ (CFAA) Rental Housing Conference, Canada’s premier event for apartment managers which took place on May 14-16 in Vancouver, B.C. “Yardi is proud to support and participate in educational events that bring together real estate industry leaders and managers to help further growth and innovation for businesses of all sizes in evolving markets,” said Peter Altobelli, vice president and general manager for Yardi Canada. This year’s conference focused on game-changing technology for the apartment industry, and Yardi was excited to participate in four dynamic educational sessions. Altobelli joined a roundtable to discuss the present state and future of technology in the rental housing industry — and how property managers can prepare for disruption. Tech Round Table: How to Surmount Barriers to Technological Advances Altobelli joined industry leaders Darren Henry, president at National Efficiency Systems Inc., Jeremy Jackson, vice president of marketing at Killam REIT and Geoff Younghusband, vice president of residential properties at Osgoode Properties, to address barriers that impede property managers from adopting useful new technologies, and how to surmount them. They covered getting the information you need to make informed business decisions and how to encourage your team to accept change and new ways of accomplishing tasks in your organization. For managers, they discussed how to gain quick wins with new tools and convince owners about the value of technology to reduce costs and gain new operational efficiencies. Online Platforms, Resident Services, Payments and Blockchain: The Future in the Rental Market Yardi’s  Regional Director of Canadian Sales, Heather Brady spoke about new cutting-edge technologies that are rocking the rental market — focusing on online platforms with resident services including payments —and was joined by David Janoawski, founder and CEO...