For an industry where detail, timeliness and accurate metrics mean so much, the investment world still relies too heavily on manual processes and duplicate data entry from disparate systems. Entering data in multiple spreadsheets and relying on disparate systems is inefficient and can be error-prone, especially when sharing information between investment, investor and accounting software. However, technology is a driving factor behind the growth of automated investment management. Investors now expect on-demand service and self-service access to key metrics, capital transactions, important documents and reports. Beyond financials, investors are also asking for an analysis of an asset’s operating and ESG performance. Yardi’s Investment Suite creates better value for investors, increasing investor confidence. The Investment Manager product specifically improves communication between you and your investors, automates the subscription agreement process and provides easy access to performance metrics. The system is available wherever, whenever access is required. Improve communication Managing relationships with existing and prospective investors is vital to growing any investment business and raising capital. Yardi Investment Manager provides a platform that makes communicating with current and prospective investors more efficient, easier and error-free. For MG Properties Group, a single spreadsheet reported contained as many as 450 tabs. “Having the right technology gives you the ability to produce better net operating income, which in turn creates better value for the property and for your investors, as well,” said Joe Anfuso, CFO. With Yardi’s solutions, they are now delivering statements, capital calls, distribution notices and other information online and via mobile devices. “You increase investor confidence by giving them the information they can be confident is correct,” Anfuso said. Organizations benefit from a single connected tool that helps: Centralize communications with existing and prospective investorsManage capital call and distribution notices with investorsEasily send out correspondence, track activities and follow up tasks quicklyEnable better collaboration with new investment opportunities Increase transparency and accuracy Challenges arise when investment, investor and accounting data are maintained in separate systems. Disparate systems or maintaining spreadsheets outside a system increases the opportunity for errors and the time to produce reports and metrics for stakeholders. With an integrated solution, data from the investor to the asset is available, allowing for increased accuracy and visibility for stakeholders. This single source of truth approach is also beneficial when automating other investment functions like fundraising, as all the back-and-forth is contained within one system. Additionally, onboarding is streamlined to provide a quick and easy transition for investors into your platform. By easily compiling and communicating accurate information, Yardi Investment Manager strengthens investor relationships with superior service, as it did for Cohen Asset Management, allowing the company to maintain a lean organization. Scott McGinness, CFO, said, “To be able to log in to Investment Manager and see what trusts or entities a client has invested with, what actual investments those are in, and the returns they’re receiving have been incredible. I can’t put a price on it.”  “By being able to deliver information when it’s needed, we don’t have to follow up with the investor later, which is easier on both parties. We get a lot of compliments from investors about our service, and Investment Manager is a major reason for that,” McGinness added. Yardi Investment Manager is a single source of truth for investor and investment information. Access information easily In addition to investment and property metrics, Yardi Investment Manager makes it easy to publish reports, tax documents, subscription agreements and more to investors through an online branded portal. This allows your investors’ self-service access to information. Since the portal can take on your company’s personalized branding, it will offer a customized, highly professional experience for investors. They receive automatic alerts and notifications when new documents have been published and secure access to new investment opportunities in a virtual data room setting. Manage portfolios on the go Yardi Investment Manager provides access to investor and investment information on any device. It...

One of the major challenges in investment management is providing visibility to investors. Driving transparency between owners and investors leads to increased investor confidence, reduced risk and a healthier relationship for all parties involved. Communicating with investors and allowing them access to reports and data is critical when it has become evident that in-person meetings will be less and less common.  Technology platforms streamline day-to-day tasks and provide greater efficiency to reduce the risk for human error. Chris Barbier, Yardi industry principal, explained this premise on a REF Club podcast. For example, you could simply enter a number wrong into a formula. An employee who operates the spreadsheet could leave the business, and interpreting data could become a strenuous task. Numbers have to be auditable. There has to be integrity to the data as it rolls up the ownership structure, as Barbier explained. “As an investor, you get the confidence of knowing there is a platform behind a number and that it’s not just being calculated manually in a spreadsheet,” he said. Transparency is also vital for members of the organization beyond the accounting department. “Folks in investor relations, portfolio management, asset management, fund management, they may be the consumers of the accounting information but may not have direct access to the accounting system,” Barbier said. These roles speak directly with investors. Internal departments’ visibility can help them pull up data faster, answer questions, provide details, and broaden the overall transparency between the company and its investors. The pandemic highlighted communication as a value proposition with stakeholders even further. Tech solutions have improved collaboration and communication between teams internally, making remote work more successful than most organizations anticipated. But these tech platforms have also allowed for business continuity in which investors still felt connected to the organization. They were still receiving distribution checks or payments in a timely fashion and never lost visibility into the financial status of a company during a very uncertain year. Investors justifiably had more fear or concern about their portfolio over the past year. Yardi addresses those questions with their investment management solutions. Investors are often asking, “do I have that in my portfolio?” as Barbier explained. “Is that impacting my return? How is that impacting my investment?” Barbier said these were the common questions from investors. “We’ve done a lot in the investor communication side in the past year because we’ve seen clients want to adopt the technologies. COVID accelerated that, but some clients were already going in that direction,” he added. Tech platforms such as Yardi’s investment solutions are a driver for growth and operational performance. Organizations can scale, build value and gain investors without adding staff or additional costs for multiple solutions due to the added efficiency of a single connected platform. Additionally, as Barbier explained, tech provides a new level of asset oversight and risk management, with better access to asset-operational data. “New tools provide that visibility, so [you have] more proactive discussions and less reactive. That starts to gain some efficiencies over time in terms of getting ahead of things that come up at the operational level,” he said. Allowing clients to find ways to squeeze additional value and return yield from the assets. Investors want to have the ability to answer their questions and find the data they’re looking for when they want it. “They’re checking in, at least monthly, to see their positions, their information and where they are with their investments,” Barbier said. But the key is that investors are more involved and more knowledgeable about their standing now than when clients were passively sending information out to investors via email or other avenues. Tech platforms provide that window for self-service that investors seek.  “We’ve seen a trend for a few years now in the U.S. where many investment managers are moving from best of breed to a single integrated solution,” Barbier said. Owning the data...

The investment world historically has been an industry filled with spreadsheet reports and snail mail paper checks. Errors can arise when entering data in multiple spreadsheets and relying on disparate systems is inefficient , especially when sharing information between investment, investor and accounting system. Thankfully, technology is transforming investment management for real estate. Investors now expect on-demand service and self-service access to key metrics, capital transactions, important documents and reports. Having the right technology creates better value for investors, which leads to increased investor confidence. Investment management technology can improve communication, increase visibility and provide easy access to performance metrics. Top systems are mobile-friendly and available wherever, whenever access is required. Improve communication Managing the relationships with existing and prospective investors is a key part of growing any investment business and raising capital. Yardi Investment Manager provides a platform that makes communicating with investors more efficient, easier and error-free. Cohen Asset Management’s investor relations staff can log into Yardi Investment Manager and see the online tools their investors are using, deals they are involved in, contact information, returns, distributions and other information. Scott McGinness, principal and chief financial officer, shared: “By being able to deliver information when it’s needed, we don’t have to follow up with the investor later, which is easier on both parties, “ Organizations benefit from a single connected tool that helps: Centralize communications with existing and prospective investors Manage capital call and distribution notices with investors Easily send out correspondence, track activities and follow up tasks quickly Enable better collaboration with new investment opportunities Increase transparency and accuracy Yardi Investment Manager is a single source of the truth for investor and investment information. Provide access to portfolio and property metrics directly to investors. Automate the subscription agreement process for new investment opportunities with existing or prospective investors.. With an integrated solution, there is no need for disparate systems and manual transfer of data.  This allows you to provide timely access to information to your investors. By easily compiling and communicating accurate information, Yardi Investment Manager strengthens Cohen Asset Management’s investor relationships with superior service and allows the company to maintain a lean organization. Access information easily In addition to investment and property metrics, Yardi Investment Manager makes it easy to publish reports, tax documents, subscription agreements and more to investors through an online branded portal. This allows your investors access to information anytime, anywhere. And since the portal can take on your company’s personalized branding, it will offer offer a customized , highly professional experience for investors. Manage portfolios on the go Yardi Investment Manager provides access to investor and investment information on any device. It makes it easy to find and review every piece of information you need, from anywhere, so you can have informed discussions with your team and your investors on: Portfolio and investor data Risk monitoring Fundraising Capital transactions Investor communications Yardi Investment Manager is a single connected solution that brings investing partners together and instills investor confidence. Provide access to reports and detailed documentation so your investors feel an increased sense of connection and value with their partnership. Yardi Investment Manager is part of the investment suite of products, a fully-integrated platform available with Yardi Voyager, Investment Accounting or as a standalone solution. Overall, you’ll improve efficiency and boost visibility into investor activity and investment metrics, making portfolio oversight simpler than ever. Join an Investment Manager webinar to learn...