During the last two days at YASC, it’s been a privilege to interact with so many Yardi Systems clients, some who have been with us for multiple decades, and others who are relatively new users of our products. We’ve talked with you about your businesses, your plans, your hopes and dreams for the future, and of course your real estate technology needs. During these conversations, we noticed one consistent theme – a theme that was introduced by our founder and CEO Anant Yardi during his remarks in Wednesday’s General Session. That theme is change. No matter what sector of the property management or investment market your business operates in, change seems to be ubiquitous right now. Our multifamily clients are seeing their businesses grow and thrive with the national resurgence in apartment renting. Our commercial and investment clients are continuing to recover from a down market and adopting bold new business strategies to improve their returns. There is an exciting new market sector comprised of single family home rental portfolios. Our affordable and public housing clients are seeking ways for technology to help them work more efficiently. Senior housing clients are seeing major growth in their market as the Baby Boomers plan for retirement. And our military and student housing providers continue to improve their processes to serve unique resident needs. Across these verticals, everyone is looking for ways that technology can help them be more nimble, mobile, efficient and automated. And there is growing recognition that data collected in your daily operations can help you work smarter when it is collected, organized, and analyzed in near real-time to answer questions and solve problems. During his remarks on Wednesday, Anant Yardi took a look back at the vast changes in technology we’ve all watched...

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC), Santa Barbara edition, got off to a great start on October 17,  2012. The sold-out conference is attended by Yardi clients and consultants from around the globe,  from company executives to on-site property management staff. You can also find us over on the new YASCInfo site, along with Tweets and photos from the day. Bookmark it now! As we kick off our coverage, let’s set the scene. Yardi staff and guests are gathered at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort on the beautiful Santa Barbara waterfront for today’s General Session. Affordable Housing, PHA, Senior Housing and Condo/Co-op/HOA courses are taking place at the Hyatt Santa Barbara just a short walk away. The Doubletree will also be the location for the evening events (networking reception tonight, gala reception and dinner tomorrow), and you can find Yardi sales professionals and expert technical staff ready to assist you at any time in the sales booth area or the Internet lab, located in the Reagan Room. Attendees are here to learn how to best use our Yardi product offerings, get one-on-one technical assistance, learn what new and exciting updates and products are coming in the next year, network with industry colleagues and more.. Spending time with our clients, learning from and sharing knowledge with you is part of our core value set at Yardi Systems. 8:30 a.m. – Good morning! So thrilled to be here with everyone. It’s an absolutely beautiful day here in Santa Barbara. Apparently someone at Yardi ordered up the perfect week of weather for this year’s YASC. Well done! Today’s conference began with the General Session address from Yardi CEO and founder Anant Yardi and vertical updates from Bryant Shoemaker, Rob Teel, John Pendergast, Dan Campbell, and Mark Livanec....

Whether you are a first time Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) attendee or have been to the event many times over, there’s much to learn and gain from the next few days.  You’re surely arriving in Santa Barbara with your own business and training needs in mind, and Yardi’s foremost priority over the next few days is to send you home more knowledgeable then you were when you arrived. (We want you to have a good time, too.) But after you’ve gotten your questions answered, there’s still so much more to learn. Here are our best bets for the time you’ll spend with us at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort. Find the full schedule of conference events here. Have a specific question about what classes you should take? Just ask at the registration desk. No. 1: Company overview and update: general session with Anant Yardi (Wednesday morning). The Yardi Systems Founder and CEO delivers a comprehensive outlook on the real estate software industry, what’s trending right now, and Yardi’s responsive product offerings. Every seat in the room will be filled for this insight. No. 2: Leasing Pad demo: You won’t want to miss this look at the new, now fully available Leasing Pad, which YASC attendees in Washington D.C. got a sneak peek at earlier this year. Users will be able to access Voyager functionality for guest cards and availability through Leasing Pad, giving you pertinent data at your fingertips while working with prospects anytime, anywhere. Yardi PopCard is also integrated, allowing for easy lead tracking. Leasing Pad and Yardi’s other exciting mobile offerings will be front and center at the conference this week, so stay tuned for more mobile news and insight over the next several days. No. 3: Orion for Sharepoint: This all-encompassing...

Whether you are a veteran of multiple Yardi Advanced Solutions Conferences or are attending your first in Santa Barbara this month, there is something for everyone at YASC. Scheduled for Oct. 17-19 at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara, YASC is an opportunity for Yardi clients to learn about the latest and greatest things Yardi products can do for them, train in-depth on the software that serves your business, and troubleshoot any technical glitches with the help of on-site Yardi personnel. While just about all Yardi employees contribute to YASC in some way, whether by teaching classes at the event, producing and supporting the products presented, or assisting clients onsite, no one does more than planners Nancy Bogg and Anna Markman, who work year round to ensure that both YASCs are a success. From details like the type of food service that will be provided – the Santa Barbara conference will move to a buffet lunch this year – to what classes are scheduled, Nancy and Anna handle all of the coordination necessary to produce a fantastic event. Their mission is to leave send YASC clients and attendees home better trained, informed, and less hungry and thirsty than they were when they arrived. If you happen to get a bit of a tan while lunching outside under sunny Santa Barbara October skies, all the better! We asked for a few first timer tips geared toward those attending what can sometimes be an overwhelming event for a first time attendee. There’s such scope and breadth to the information being presented that it can be hard to know what to focus on if you don’t have a set plan in mind. 1. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. “It might feel overwhelming because there’s a...

Life moves way too fast. The same can be said for the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference. For three days next week, real estate industry professionals will gather in Santa Barbara, Calif. to learn everything they can about the latest Yardi software offerings for their vertical. New products will be announced and demonstrated, the inside track on forthcoming updates will be revealed, and secrets may circulate. This website: yascinfo.com,  is where you can glean some of that insight without being onsite, and the only place where conference news will be shared real time. We’ll be feeding the posts we write here on The Balance Sheet directly onto this site, and there will be photos, Twitter feed updates, and more. Even veteran conference attendees say that it is near impossible to keep up with the flow of information that will be delivered at YASC, no matter how many classes you attend. “It’s overwhelming,” says a veteran of many of these events. “You want to be there because there’s so much to learn, but every session will have an impact and you simply can’t go to them all.” Don’t leave YASC without a full picture of what happened. Come back to yascinfo.com daily during the conference, so you don’t miss out on any of the real scoop that you won’t get anywhere...

So first, the bad news .. the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC), coming up in Santa Barbara, Calif. from Oct. 17 to 19, is already sold out. Nearly 1,000 Yardi users from around the nation will gather at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort on Santa Barbara’s beautiful waterfront to receive training and updates on the latest Yardi product releases, learn about new solutions for their real estate-based businesses, and network with fellow industry professionals. There will be 182 courses offered. Twelve years ago, the first-ever YASC featured 30 courses and 150 people attended. Since then, the event has grown rapidly and is considered one of the best ways to get hands-on training on Yardi software. Those in attendance will not only interact closely with Yardi staff who can help address any technical challenges, but will also enjoy beautiful southern California fall weather and the gorgeous oceanfront views of the Doubletree Rotunda during outdoor lunches and evening mixers. If they have any free time, visitors might try some of Santa Barbara’s delightful local restaurants, outdoor activities and sightseeing. Held biannually on the East and West Coasts, the Santa Barbara-based YASC will be held away from the Central Coast for the first time in 2013, when the West Coast event will be held in Anaheim, Calif. from Oct. 9-11. The trial location offers easy access to LA-area airports and nearby attractions like Disneyland, and allows for a larger number of conference attendees. The East Coast event will continue to be based at the Washington Hilton from May 21-23, 2013. If you missed out on getting registered in time to attend the Santa Barbara YASC, we’ll look forward to seeing you at one of the 2013 events. But you can also follow along with all the happenings at...