Forecasting “AHA!” Moments

Tech That Makes Them Happen

By Lee Ann Stiff on Feb 24, 2025 in Technology

To create accurate forecasts for your CRE portfolio, a few challenges must be solved. These challenges include market volatility such as unpredictable fluctuations, data quality issues like incomplete or inaccurate data typically housed in spreadsheets and a variety of other factors such as tenant demand and vacancy rates.

When you have a forecasting strategy in place that starts with clean and reliable data, you are well positioned to overcome those challenges and benefit from informed decision making, improved profitability and reduced risk.

You’ll also save a lot of time (already imagining what you could do with more time?).

So, how do you clear the hurdles to get there? To follow best practices, start with saying good-bye to spreadsheets and adopting a specialized software platform that combines operational and financial data across your portfolio for a single source of truth.

Key aspects of CRE forecasts

Data analysis: Gathering and analyzing historical data on property performance, market trends, economic indicators, lease agreements and competitor activity to build a comprehensive picture. 

Predictive modeling: Using statistical methods and algorithms to project future performance based on historical data and current market conditions. 

Sensitivity analysis: Evaluating how changes in key variables (like interest rates, vacancy rates or tenant demand) might affect future projections. 

Cash flow forecasting: Projecting future cash inflows and outflows from a property to assess its financial viability and potential for returns. 

Portfolio optimization: Using forecasts to identify opportunities to reallocate capital within a portfolio to maximize returns and mitigate risk.

Benefits of software for forecast management

To get to your forecasting “AHA!” moment, you need advanced tools that combine data, leverage automation and enable collaboration across teams.

Yardi Forecast Manager simplifies and speeds up budgeting and forecasting. It increases accuracy by eliminating error-prone spreadsheets and inviting leasing, finance and asset teams into the process. When combined with Yardi Voyager, you can integrate and centralize financial and operational data across a single platform with mobile access.

For Allied Properties REIT, Forecast Manager has freed them from “Excel file nightmares,” and allows teams to handle everything within the platform to save time and eliminate back-and-forth communication (which also prevents headaches, according to Travis Vokey, senior vice president of technology and innovation).

In addition to eliminating spreadsheets, here are some key features of Forecast Manager that make “AHA!” moments possible during CRE forecasts:

• A complete picture of revenue with rent roll and Deal Manager integration to easily pull in deals
• OpEx features including existing GL data and Excel-like functions to export and import data
• CapEx features including data synchronization with Construction Manager
• Debt Manager integration including core Voyager debt from the mortgage tool

Ready to find out what the solution can do for you? Learn more about Forecast Manager.