Michael Wilke is the marketing strategist at Towne Properties. When he joined the company in 2014, Towne was dependent on ILS advertising for leads and leases. Towne’s property sites didn’t have online leasing yet. In his current role, Michael has worked with the rest of the marketing team to modernize Towne’s online user experience to meet shifting renter expectations. When Towne shifted its strategy to include online leasing via RentCafe websites, it realized its property websites convert leads at a better rate than ILSs. Take a look at Towne Properties’ award-winning websites. As a result, Michael started looking for the most effective and cost-efficient ways to drive traffic to Towne’s websites. The challenge Towne’s RentCafe property websites were converting at a better rate than ILSs, but they needed more leads. Michael knew how to set up Google Ad groups, but he felt like he was just scratching the surface of what was possible. And he didn’t have the time to maintain and optimize campaigns for every property. Ultimately, he and the Towne team decided to get expert help. The solution When looking for a marketing partner, the REACH by RentCafe digital marketing agency stood out. Since Towne uses Yardi and the agency is a part of the Yardi family, Michael knew that integration would be simple and data would be clean.  Towne enlisted REACH search marketing experts to optimize their websites and set up ad campaigns quickly. More importantly, Michael said, “[REACH experts] have the expertise that we don’t have. That became clear during the setup process. They were going over all the things they were going to do for us, the dedicated teams for search marketing, creative and more.” REACH SEO results Thanks to ongoing search engine optimization, Towne’s websites are getting more traffic that converts into...

Congratulations are in order! We’re pleased to recognize Brightview Senior Living, a wonderful Yardi client, for two recent achievements that highlight their dedication to residents and employees. Congrats to Brightview for earning a place on People Magazine’s Companies That Care® list for the second year in a row, as well as being named the number one Fortune Best Workplace in Aging Services™ for the fourth consecutive year. Brightview earns People Magazine accolade To earn a place on People Magazine’s Companies That Care list, organizations need to go above and beyond in more ways than one. Leaders must ensure they’re honoring employees, uplifting their communities and ultimately, striving to make the world a better place. That criteria comes directly from People in describing the 2022 list. Brightview surely meets that criteria, as they’ve spent over 20 years creating an exceptional environment for their employees and residents. This is the second consecutive year they’ve earned a place on the list, and they’re the only senior living company that’s been recognized. “This highly competitive ranking features 100 U.S. companies across all industries, and we are honored to be the only senior living company recognized,” shared Brightview on LinkedIn. “We are proud to be named as an organization that genuinely puts people first.” Plus the #1 place on Fortune’s esteemed list It’s pretty exciting to earn not one, but two exceptional accolades that highlight a commitment to care, service and staff. For Brightview, that includes the number one place on Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Aging Services list. To build the 2022 list, Fortune analyzed data from more than 140,000 employees in the senior living industry. From those surveys, over 90% of Brightview associates reported feeling welcome at the company, and they believe their work has special meaning. This...

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Changemakers series showcases forward-thinking leadership in senior living. But not just any leaders earn the honor. The Changemakers title is reserved for those who drive positive change across the industry — and who pursue innovative strategies along the way.  It’s empowering to see how each honoree is transforming the industry as we know it. That’s made possible through in-depth interviews conducted by Senior Housing News (SHN) and sponsored by Yardi. And lucky for you, the first batch of interviews is live. That includes one from Tana Gall, president of Merrill Gardens, a family-owned company and Yardi client. Her story is one you don’t want to miss. Meet Tana Gall From decades of experience in senior living, Changemaker Tana Gall is skilled at problem solving. That comes from her initiative to take risks and forge new paths, which Gall has done throughout her career. Now as president of Merrill Gardens, she has an important perspective on what it takes to spearhead change. In her interview, Gall tells SHN about her bold but calculated risk-taking approach, plus she shares lessons learned from her 27 years in the industry. Keep reading for a highlight.   SHN: Thinking back on your career in senior living, what are some of the changes you’re especially proud of leading? Gall: In the early 2000s, I was able to work with a group on changing our industry messaging. For my first few years in the industry, a lot of the same words were used to describe what we did — respect, integrity, independence. They were generic and didn’t capture what the industry represented, so we took a leap. During my time at Leisure Care, I worked with a very creative group of people to roll...

How can senior living providers use business intelligence (BI) tools to elevate their communities? We have the answer for you, and it comes in the form of a brand-new case study. We sat down with Michael Schefter, chief financial officer at Cascadia Senior Living to learn how Yardi Senior IQ has changed the company’s day-to-day processes for the better. From streamlined operations to saved time — Cascadia is reaping the benefits of a single connected BI solution.   Here’s a quick snapshot of the case study, which covers exactly how Senior IQ helps Cascadia prosper. An introduction to Cascadia Senior Living  Cascadia Senior Living & Development is devoted to their residents. Founded in 2013 and based in the Pacific Northwest, Cascadia manages over 13 senior housing properties with a focus on independent living, assisted living, memory care and respite care. Cascadia believes it takes a group effort — residents, their families, their friends and the Cascadia staff — to create vibrant communities. Most importantly, they’re always striving to better their communities. With help from technology, Cascadia drills into individual communities to uncover specific details — finding new ways to improve residents’ quality of life. The challenge with siloed solutions & jeopardized data Before adopting a single connected solution, Cascadia was manually pulling data from disparate sources. Finance, accounting and operations teams were devoting hours to extracting raw data each month, searching for specific metrics, making calculations and transposing data into graphs and slide decks. Digging for specific answers was part of the job — but it wasn’t an efficient use of time. With rapidly expanding communities and a larger pool of metrics, time wasn’t the only issue. Data integrity became a primary concern. Cascadia faced increased discrepancies, manual errors and ultimately, jeopardized data. They...

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 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...

Are you ready for new ESG regulatory requirements and increasing investor demands? OSCRE Innovation Forum’s recent webinar, Constructing an ESG Framework for the Future, provided expert insight into this critical initiative. Moderated by Lisa Stanley, CEO at OSCRE, the panelists were Dan Winters, Head of Americas at GRESB, The Global ESG Benchmark, Naseem Wenzel, Strategy + Innovation Lead Partner at Cohn Reznick and Daniel Egan, Senior Vice President, Energy and Sustainability at Vornado Realty Trust. Read on for some important takeaways. Top ESG challenges A polling question during the webinar asked participants to identify the top challenge they face for ESG initiatives. 42% cited inconsistent data across platforms, tied with 42% that stated building skills to implement ESG initiatives are the top challenges. In its January e-newsletter, OSCRE responded to the polling results, “Inconsistent data across platforms is not a new phenomenon for organizations…While investment funds report their activities including zero-carbon targets and other environmental impact initiatives through their Annual Reports and GRESB benchmark reports among others, the information that’s reported is gathered at the property level. This need for information confirms common ground — the need for standardized information for property owners, occupiers and investors that inform decisions and provide insight for risk assessment.” Clearly, there’s a need for not only impeccable data from a centralized location (a single source of truth), but also the ability to automatically extract and properly analyze it for meaningful application. This applies to ESG efforts as for all other operational processes. Good corporate governance Organizations must assess where they are today — including the level of responsible corporate leadership, to create a roadmap for where they want to go. Having an “ESG culture” across your business is key, meaning ESG is part of everyone’s job, as is...

We’re always searching for inspiring stories in senior living. And today’s story, brought to us by Yardi client Sagora Senior Living, is one you don’t want to miss. We’re here to spotlight Sagora’s blog series — Breaking Boundaries: Meet the Athletes of Sagora Senior Living — which recognizes resident athletes in Sagora communities. And while the series was inspired by the 2021 Summer Olympics, with the 2022 Winter Olympics in full swing, there’s no better time to feature these distinguished seniors. Breaking Boundaries: Meet the Athletes of Sagora Senior Living In an effort to help their residents shine, Sagora kickstarted a spirited blog series last summer. Each post follows a different resident and their exercise-related accomplishments. And while some residents are retired coaches or athletes, some simply found a passion for exercise within Sagora communities. Walking with Kay Meet Kay, a resident from Bristol Park at Cypress, a Sagora community in Texas. Kay’s blog post focuses on her inspirational journey: walking on her own. Since having a stroke over two years ago, Kay hasn’t been able to walk without assistance.   After a conversation with the community’s lifestyle director, voicing her dream of walking again, Kay began a specialized exercise program. With the right equipment, Kay started reaching new personal records each day. And she’s no stranger to dedication. Her mantra is, “I believed I could, so I did!” Photos and videos were shared with Kay’s family, as well as on the community’s Facebook page. Ready to feel inspired? Watch Kay’s progress.   Coached by Arlene Say hello to Arlene, who resides at Sagora’s Ansel Park community in California. This exercise guru was a competitive badminton player and winner of the Arizona singles, doubles and mixed doubles tournaments. From there, Arlene went on to...

Scalable growth is what empowers a single investment in 1992 to develop into nearly 150 investment properties today. Yardi client MG Properties Group has recently expanded its portfolio with a $141 million acquisition in Denver. The growth is supported by robust investment management software. MG Properties acquires 3300 Tamarac Apartments 3300 Tamarac Apartments in Denver marks the first acquisition of the new year for MG Properties. The multifamily property contains 564 units ranging from studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include three resort-style pools, a fenced dog park and large resident social lounge. For fitness, residents can enjoy a racquetball court, volleyball court, walking trails and a fully equipped fitness center. A spacious playground for the kiddos is perfect for growing families. 3300 Tamarac Apartments are in the Hampden neighborhood which offers pedestrian-friendly and bikeable access to shopping, dining, attractions and green spaces. The area has easy access to major thoroughfares without inner city congestion. Nearly 50% of neighborhood commuters report the trip takes 15 to 30 minutes.                                                    MG Properties Group’s Founder & CEO Mark Gleiberman said, “MG is delighted to add 3300 Tamarac to our portfolio which further scales our Denver presence. We believe this submarket is ideally positioned to benefit from Denver’s continued growth.” Smart growth with Yardi Investment Manager MG Properties continues to grow its presence throughout the West Coast and Midwest with targets in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Texas. The San Diego-based apartment community developer, rehabilitator and manager practices smart growth with the aid of Yardi Investment Manager. Investment Manager demonstrates how a technology platform offers coherent insight into real estate investment activity. It provides a single source of the truth for investor and investment information that eliminates the need for disparate systems and manual data...

Yardi client Pennrose is continuing its mission to transform communities one child at a time. The multifamily real estate development and property management company has launched its latest scholarship program to help youth reach their goals. And you can pitch in! Pennrose Foundation Scholarships Since 2010, Pennrose Foundation has offered two types of scholarships for resident youth: the Summer Camp Scholarships and the Academic Scholarships. Summers are a crucial time for young learners. Summer programs are essential to prevent the “summer slide,” when children do not retain or build upon what they’ve learned in the previous academic year. The Summer Camp Scholarships help youth in economically disadvantaged families continue their education through the summer. In addition to academic support and reinforcement, children also gain access to extracurricular activities. Programming such as environmental conservation, sports, music and the arts provide enrichment for growing minds. Applications for Summer Camp Scholarships will be accepted on a rolling basis. Click here for 2022 Summer Camp information and application. The academic program grants scholarships for higher learning opportunities to residents of Pennrose-managed affordable communities. The goal is to optimize the potential of promising youth in economically disadvantaged households. Through financial support, youth are better prepared to achieve their education and career goals. The organization is receiving applications for the 2022 Academic Scholarships through May 1, 2022. Click here for 2022 Academic Scholarship information and application. About the Pennrose Foundation The Pennrose Foundation is a project of Pennrose, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. The Pennrose Foundation was established to enhance the parent company’s mission of transforming communities by supporting charitable organizations and events. Target beneficiaries include seniors and families, wellness initiatives and communities surrounding Pennrose locations across the company’s footprint. The Pennrose Foundation is recognized as tax-exempt under...

Looking for a creative approach to senior living design? Look no further. Watercrest Senior Living is developing a biophilic-inspired community and it’s a sight to see. Meet Watercrest  Watercrest Senior Living is all about dedicated care. This provider upholds their mission “To Welcome, To Care, To Serve” in their thoughtfully-designed communities built to provide security, comfort, health, happiness and opportunities to help residents live their best lives. The biophilic design theme will live at Watercrest Macon, a Georgia-based community offering assisted living and memory care options.   Biophilia explained Defined as the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings, Biophilia makes for an ingenious design foundation. In this case, it’s the foundation for amenities at Watercrest Macon. Building a biophilic space means incorporating natural materials and patterns in the design process. The ultimate goal is to develop a strong connection to nature — and ensure that connection is maintained. But what’s the benefit of living in a biophilic, nature-inspired environment? Research suggests that nature living can enhance mood, decrease stress, increase concentration, reduce blood pressure and more. And according to Watercrest, their biophilic-themed community is being purposefully designed with these benefits in mind. Immersed in nature at Watercrest Macon Come early 2022, when the new amenities are scheduled to be finished, Watercrest Macon will take nature living to a whole new level. Deeply rooted in biophilic themes, their fresh architectural elements aren’t often found in senior living communities. With that, congratulations are in order! Shoutout to Watercrest Macon for creating a unique, positive experience for their residents. The community’s amenities will include an oversized atrium, therapeutic moss walls, landscaped walking paths, a signature water wall, gardening stations and even an outdoor putting green. See for yourself in Watercrest Macon’s LinkedIn...

In the age of staffing shortages, senior living providers need creative approaches to attract and retain employees. And we’ve seen some effective strategies this year. But our newest discovery is from Yardi client Aegis Living, who’s launching a standalone agency focused solely on staffing. Meet Aegis Staffing. Smart staffing by Aegis In creating Aegis Staffing, Aegis Living is bringing originality and resourcefulness to the staffing crisis. This Washington-based provider will pilot the new, in-house agency for 12 to 18 months starting in January. Initially, the agency will focus on staffing improvements at Aegis’ Seattle communities, but CEO Dwayne Clark isn’t stopping there. In an interview with Senior Housing News (SHN), Clark says there may be opportunities to expand the service to other areas — and companies — down the road. In developing the new agency, Aegis is doing a full overhaul of the staffing philosophy they’ve followed for years. This entailed hiring full-time workers at competitive wage rates, offering time off and providing additional perks. But given the latest shifts in staffing, employees have new expectations related to work-life balance. And that’s what led Clark to take action. Aegis Staffing seeks to recruit workers and incentivize staff members in a whole new way. Attracting a new workforce While Aegis already employs seasoned caregivers, they won’t draw from their own workforce to staff the new agency. Instead, the company will recruit employees from outside agencies. They’re also widening their pool of considered applicants to include recent refugees, retired military personnel and older adults. “That’s a workforce that we haven’t been exposed to,” Clark told SHN. Aegis plans to incentivize with a high hourly rate — one that’s competitive to staffing agencies where prospective employees currently work.   Although the staffing agency isn’t up to speed...

“We had to identify a single solution that could do what we needed, out of the box, instead of pursuing ten different vendors for ten different things. That was a big piece of choosing Yardi.” That’s what Chief Financial Officer Marc Abraham says about Abby Development’s path to Yardi solutions. From financials to business intelligence, this Texas-headquartered provider needed an integrated system — one built for their exact needs.    That’s just the beginning of Abby Development’s story. Luckily, we hopped on the phone with Abraham to get the full picture, learning all the details of their experience with Voyager Senior Housing and Senior IQ. And these interconnected tools are driving real success for Abby Development, company-wide. Keep reading for a highlight: The Challenge: Limited Analysis Abby Development was using a software system with limitations. As a fast-growing company, frequently compiling data and running reports, they needed a solution that enabled a deeper level of analysis. They searched for a single connected solution to capture real-time insights, eliminate errors and save time. The Solution: Yardi Voyager Senior Housing & Senior IQ Yardi Voyager Senior Housing unifies property management, finance and business oversight on a single platform. Built for the unique needs of senior living providers, Voyager ensures Abby Development has every tool needed to manage their communities. With Yardi Senior IQ, a senior living business intelligence solution, Abby Development accesses real-time data in attractive, sharable dashboards. Drawing portfolio-wide information from Voyager, Senior IQ helps Abby Development act confidently and make informed decisions. The Story: Comprehensive Insights Describing the system used prior to Yardi, Abraham noted, “It wasn’t the at level we needed — the functionality just wasn’t there.” By selecting solutions from the Yardi Senior Living Suite, Abby Development now accesses key metrics, reports...

Do you ever get tired of kittens making headlines? Neither do we. Yardi client Pacifica Senior Living transforms the lives of residents one purr at a time. Its property, the Meridian at Anaheim Hills, is warming hearts and improving outcomes for residents with weekly Kitten Therapy Day! 1051922 The program offers benefits for residents and felines. Kitten Therapy Day: the start of something wonderful Meridian business manager Lori Irby first brought kittens to the office back in 2019. She is an ASPCA foster caregiver . When newborn kittens were abandoned at the Orange County animal shelter, she took them into her home and into her office where she could feed them every few hours. Shortly after setting up a playpen for the kittens in her office, residents took interest. Irby received an influx of guests. She noticed how quickly the kittens made their impact on the residents: disinterest transformed into engagement and smiles graced faces that had been chronically tense or sad. Irby decided to collaborate with the site activities director to begin Kitten Therapy Day every Wednesday. The event shifted from Irby’s office into one of the community’s shared spaces. All residents who are cat allergy-free are welcomed to snuggle up with the kittens. For residents who cannot leave their rooms, Irby places a few kittens in a stroller for kitten therapy on the go. “For many, it’s the highlight of the week. It’s given residents something to look forward to, especially during the pandemic when no visitors could come in. There’s just something really warm and comforting about holding a purring kitten,” says Irby. The kittens usually stay in the Meridian program for about eight weeks before they are formally put up for adoption through the ASPCA. More often than not, there’s already...

Founded in 1979, American House Senior Living Communities is continuing their legacy of care today. Their vision has been — and still is — to provide quality housing for seniors at an affordable price. American House operates over 54 communities centered in Michigan and spread throughout the Midwest, New England and Florida. This Yardi client is the gold standard for passionate resident care, which they’re currently taking to the next level. We’re proud to spotlight American House for working through SAGECare, an inspiring step toward building LGBT-inclusive communities. American House joins SAGECare What does SAGECare entail? First, let’s cover who SAGE is. Dating back to 1978, they’re a fast-moving organization with a mission to support LGBT seniors. Their advocation efforts extend across federal, state and local levels. More specifically, SAGE works to: Mobilize LGBT people and alliesEducate policy makers on LGBT aging issuesRelease original policy briefs and other key resourcesLead coalitions that include diverse seniors in policy conversationsMarch and rally with LGBT seniors, plus allies SAGECare is SAGE’s training and consulting division, which assists senior care agencies in creating LGBT-inclusive services. They’ve proudly trained over 60,000 providers across the country — all of whom earned the respected SAGECare credential. Completing the training is a purposeful mission for American House. SAGECare focuses on improving providers’ knowledge in the LGBT space, teaching them to identify bias against LGBT seniors and ultimately, helping them address prejudices that impact LGBT seniors’ quality of care. SAGECare also provides marketing materials to companies like American House, offered once the training is complete. This includes symbols for providers to highlight their earned credential, along with their commitment to LGBT seniors. They’re also listed as a credentialed provider on SAGE’s website. Learn more about SAGECare, a cultural competency training program for providers...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, seniors and their families have experienced loneliness and isolation. From enforcing strict lockdowns to limiting in-person visits, senior living communities have seen this firsthand. So how can communities work to improve seniors’ quality of life? One theory, developed by two UC Santa Barbara professors, is through virtual reality (VR). Specifically, through VR sessions with seniors and their loved ones. This theory is being put to the test with seniors at Maravilla Santa Barbara. Testing the power of VR sessions With 21 pairs of Maravilla residents and remote family members, professors Tamara Afifi and Nancy Collins began their research in 2020. Their goal remains to show the impact of VR technology on social connection — and quality of life — for seniors residing in communities. Not to mention, the impact of VR sessions on these seniors’ family members. In this highlight, Collins explains the bigger picture of the study. “The long-term goal is to find ways to use innovative technologies to reduce social isolation, strengthen family bonds and improve quality of life for older adults with varying levels of cognitive impairment,” she said. According to the pilot study findings, VR sessions reduced feelings of loneliness, improved moods and helped enhance seniors’ quality of life. For families, the VR sessions led to better moods and less caregiver guilt. “A family is a system, so when you help one person, you’re helping the whole family,” explained Afifi. “This is especially true for caregivers, who can bear a particularly heavy burden in terms of stress and guilt.” Afifi and Collins also tested how memory decline effects seniors’ engagement during VR sessions. They found that seniors with mild cognitive impairment were more kinesthetically engaged in the VR experience, whereas seniors with mild to moderate dementia...