What do Mindy Kaling, David Rendall and real estate thought leaders — including experts from Yardi —have in common? They will be present to inspire and energize at Apartmentalize 2019. The apartment industry’s don’t-miss event of the summer — Apartmentalize 2019 powered by NAA — heads to Denver with exciting industry education opportunities for multifamily providers of all sizes. The event is set for June 26-28 at the Colorado Convention Center. Yardi will be there to provide attendees with answers to pressing real estate questions during three expert-led educational sessions and one-on-one meetings in the Yardi booth. Read on for the top three ways to connect with Yardi at Apartmentalize. Attend Educational Sessions How do you excel in apartment management? Three Apartmentalize sessions hosted by Yardi executives promise to deliver compelling answers on Thursday, June 27: Get Smart: Top Tech Trends for Better NOI will be moderated by Esther Bonardi, vice president of marketing at Yardi. Bonardi is joined by panelists Taylor Wiederkehr, director of innovation services at BH Management Services and Garin Hamburger, Sr., director of national property marketing at Pinnacle. How to Leverage Big Data for Big Results will be moderated by Dhar Sawh, industry principal for Yardi Elevate. Sawh is joined by panelists Darren Wesemann, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Berkadia, Diana Norbury, senior vice president of multifamily operations at Pillar Properties and Gino Ferro, director of sales and procurement at Bridge Property Management. Building Resilience with Tools, Trends & Energy Strategies will be moderated by Martin Levkus, regional director at Yardi. Panelists include Deb Cloutier, president of RE Tech Advisors and Cindy Zhu, fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy. View the full conference schedule for details and info on more great sessions. Visit Yardi’s Booth At Yardi booth #349 and in the new Yardi meeting center in the exhibition hall, Yardi experts will be on hand throughout the show to answer questions and demonstrate the features of innovative new products from the RENTCafé and Yardi Elevate suites. And while we want to fill your head with exciting possibilities and new ideas, we also don’t want you to leave empty handed. Participating attendees can enter show drawings for a chance to win a number of great prizes including Apple AirPods, a Fitbit and an Amazon Echo Dot. Go Online for More Answers The learning doesn’t stop when the show comes to a close: Yardi has created the realestatequestionsanswered.com resource to give Apartmentalize attendees ongoing answers to their important real estate questions. If you’ve ever asked yourself “how do I convert more leads?” or “how do I use technology to engage renters?” among other queries, this is the website for you. Ready to get your questions answered? Don’t miss the chance to connect with Yardi at Apartmentalize. Can’t make it to the show this year? Join a webinar to learn more about our latest...

(June 18, 2019) – Anant Yardi, founder and CEO of Yardi, was named for the third consecutive year to a prestigious list of the nation’s top corporate leaders by employer review website Glassdoor. Mr. Yardi again received a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award recognizing the Highest Rated CEOs, which he also received in 2017 and 2018. For 2019, Mr. Yardi is ranked No. 33 on the list of top-rated CEOs for large companies in the United States. This ranking is based solely on the anonymous and voluntary opinions offered by users of the Glassdoor platform, where people can rate their employment experience at past and current companies. The U.S. Large Company category includes firms with more than 1,000 employees. Glassdoor’s Top CEOs in 2019 were determined using company reviews shared by U.S.-based employees between May 2, 2018 and May 1, 2019. The final list is compiled using Glassdoor’s proprietary algorithm, led by its Economic Research Team, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. When submitting a review, Glassdoor users are asked directly whether they approve, disapprove or are neutral on the performance of the company’s CEO. Among the approximately 900,000 companies reviewed on Glassdoor, the average CEO approval rating is 69 percent. Those on the Highest Rated CEO list all have approval ratings over 90 percent. Mr. Yardi earned a 95 percent approval rating. “It’s an honor to recognize incredible leaders who, from their employees’ perspectives, exemplify exceptional vision, trust and communication. Glassdoor’s Top CEOs award continues to be more competitive every year, and I congratulate each leader on their achievement,” said Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor president and chief operating officer. “Today’s job seekers are looking for leaders who share their values and will empower them to bring their full selves to work.” The accolade is indicative of the high esteem Mr. Yardi is held in by employees at the company. Yardi was founded in Santa Barbara, Calif. in 1984 as a software start-up. Today, Yardi is a global technology leader employing over 6,000 staff in 35 offices worldwide. “Our corporate motto is ‘Take care of our clients, take care of our employees, take care of our communities, stay focused, and grow’ and we work hard to fulfill those commitments,” said Mr. Yardi. “I am grateful that our employees are happy with our efforts, and to receive confirmation in this way is extraordinary.” Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. View the full list of highest rated CEOs for U.S. large...

Real-Time Energy Management (RTEM) systems continuously collect live and historical building performance data through a cloud-based system. Building owners can use this data to optimize the building’s energy consumption and show in real time how the property is performing. By reducing energy consumption, RTEM systems also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a building’s overall carbon footprint. This is particularly important to New York state property owners who, with the help of partners like Yardi, can qualify for incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a public benefit corporation that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, when they install RTEM systems. Annette Durnack, regional director for Yardi Energy, explains how Yardi fits in with RTEM systems and NYSERDA. Q: What are the benefits of an RTEM system? Durnack: RTEM systems help building owners and operators manage energy consumption, so they can operate their buildings more efficiently and reduce energy consumption. They centralize energy usage tracking; monitor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; and manage the scheduling and operation of building equipment. They detect equipment faults, so they can be addressed before they become failures or impact tenant comfort. They also help track the effect of energy conservation measures. RTEM systems can help improve ENERGY STAR® scores and contribute to LEED certifications. In the state of New York, properties that install an RTEM system through qualified vendors such as Yardi may be eligible for significant incentive funding through NYSERDA. Q: What kinds of RTEM incentives does NYSERDA offer building owners? Durnack: The NYSERDA RTEM program provides up to $300,000 per electric utility account via a 30 percent cost-share for projects submitted by qualified RTEM vendors. NYSERDA provides funding for the installation of RTEM hardware as well as the provision of software and ongoing services. Additional funding may be available for projects that demonstrate the integration of multiple interoperable systems or include a commercial tenant in the project scope. Q: How can Yardi help building owners obtain these NYSERDA incentives? Durnack: Yardi is an approved vendor for NYSERDA’s RTEM program, giving building owners the option of employing the Yardi Pulse Suite to improve their building’s performance and to qualify for RTEM project funding. Yardi submits all required project documentation to NYSERDA in order to qualify and secure the incentive. Once approval is obtained, Yardi offers a turnkey solution for installing and servicing an RTEM system. Q: What benefits can building owners expect from the Yardi Pulse Suite? Durnack: Our Pulse Suite includes several energy management software solutions that can help reduce your energy costs and consumption. Most Yardi clients experience HVAC energy savings in the range of 10-15 percent. Yardi Utility Expense Management, for example, provides access to all energy cost and consumption data, enabling emission calculations and contributing to benchmarking for ENERGY STAR® reporting. Yardi Pulse Real-Time Metering delivers visibility into real-time demand and consumption that can be used change how a building operates. Yardi Pulse Active EE optimizes HVAC system performance by making incremental changes to set points every 30 seconds, which reduces consumption while maintaining tenant comfort. Yardi Pulse Fault Detection and Diagnostics helps prevent HVAC system equipment failures before they cost money or impact tenant comfort. We also offer emission calculations consulting, renewable energy credit purchasing, and energy procurement services. Our Yardi energy experts can help you select the right solutions that will best meet your needs. Click here for more information on NYSERDA’s RTEM program. Download a Yardi Pulse brochure for more information on energy management software...

Giving back to local and global communities is a central tenant of Yardi’s mission. At the recent AIM Conference, Yardi invited attendees to join our team in supporting two local Southern California charities. In the second part to our AIM Conference coverage, we spotlight our charitable partners, Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAPOC) and the Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OCSPCA). Keep reading to learn more about Yardi’s selfless selfies donation drive and the work of these two inspiring nonprofits! Selfies for Charity AIM Conference attendees were invited to snap and post selfies at the RENTCafé kiosk with cuddly OCSPCA therapy dogs and fun props from CAPOC’s Orange County Food Bank. For every post shared to social media with the conference hashtag #AIMConf, Yardi donated one dollar to the day’s featured nonprofit. In total, AIM attendees helped raise $500 for each nonprofit with their selfless selfies. In addition to the social media donation drive, both nonprofits educated AIM attendees on their programs and volunteer opportunities. Community Action Partnership of Orange County The CAPOC has provided support services to address hunger and poverty in Orange County since 1965. Each year, CAPOC helps more than half a million people in need through its comprehensive program offerings. This includes the OC Food Bank, emergency utility assistance, financial empowerment education, family counseling services, and transitional housing. The goal of these programs is to empower healthy living, stabilize families and prevent the causes and effects of poverty. “Our goal is to ensure that the people we help have the tools and resources they need to not just survive, but also thrive! We meet people where they are at and help them achieve their personal goals so that they are safe, comfortable and living a life of well-being,” explained LaShanda Maze, Vice President of Philanthropy at CAPOC. Funds raised at AIM will support CAPOC’s Food Bank, which offers food and nutritional education for low-income children, families, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Each year, the OC Food Bank distributes 19.5 million pounds of food to nearly 1 million at-risk residents, including one in five kids living in Orange County. Through its network of nearly 400 partner charities, the OC Food Bank provides 26,000 boxes of food each month to seniors at 70 sites throughout Orange County, and areas of Los Angeles County. According to Maze, “Whether it’s helping a family for the long holiday weekend who may need food from our OC Food Bank or seeing how our weatherization program can make a home safe and warm for a senior, we are impacting lives every day.” Get involved with the CAPOC at capoc.org. Find out more about CAPOC’s Hope for the Holidays Kick-Off Dinner, a unique culinary experience and fundraiser, on Sunday, October 13 at The Playground DTSA. You can learn more by visiting capoc.org/h4h. Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Since its founding in 1984, the OCSPCA has been a leading animal welfare organization in Orange County. With a mission to save the lives of animals in the region, the nonprofit focuses on programs to strengthen the human-pet bond through proactive education, emergency resources, and networking. “What I enjoy the most about my job is receiving feedback from those who we have been able to assist when no one else would step in to help,” said Kevin Marlin, Executive Director at the OCSPCA. “Pets play such a vital companionship role in the lives of so many, and we are so glad to be able to promote that human-animal bond and to enable residents with the resources to keep their pets in their loving families.” As an ally to animals of all kinds, OCSPCA made a huge impact in 2018. The nonprofit delivered 63,250 pounds of pet food to families in need, funded life-saving medical services to 350 animals and assisted more than 6,000 Orange County residents and...

The first Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) of 2019 kicked off this morning in Washington, D.C., where over 2100 attendees are gathered to improve their knowledge of Yardi’s products and services, network with peers, and have a little fun. “What do you say this week we turn Washington, D.C. into our nation’s real estate technology capital?” said Esther Bonardi, Yardi vice president of marketing, as the general session kicked off. The conference is the largest YASC to date. With a focus on sharing information, educating users on how to get the most out of their Yardi platform, learning about new products and features, and connecting with fellow real estate professionals, YASC is also a place where attendees answer important questions. “How do you elevate your company to that next level? You do it by gaining information,” said Bonardi, introducing Anant Yardi, company founder and president, during the general session. Continuous communication Mr. Yardi focused his remarks on the theme of continuous connection and how it can be beneficial for business relationships. “This day and age of continuous connection doesn’t necessarily mean we are communicating all the time. But it does mean that we are available, and we respond.” While displaying an image of a group of people around a dinner table, all intently staring at their smartphones, Mr. Yardi suggested that perhaps the group all had various roles in the real estate industry, as well as the capability to respond to customer and client requests, anytime and anywhere. Yardi’s technology platform already allows real estate professionals to accommodate such requests, but as Mr. Yardi and the executives who presented after him Tuesday morning demonstrated, the company is poised to deliver even more innovation. “Our goal is to provide a connection between the business, the consumer and the property,” said Mr. Yardi, introducing the concept of “business to property” transactions. “As we think about continuous communication, the basic way we do real estate doesn’t change. But the way we transact business may change.” Yardi has positioned its platform to facilitate that change with solutions like Yardi Elevate for improving asset performance and Yardi Kube for coworking management, a potential way for property managers to capitalize on unused space, and the Yardi Pulse platform, which can monitor energy use and automate energy management, leading to waste reduction. Future-focused product development YASC attendees also got a sneak preview of Yardi’s forthcoming smart home technology solution which will allow property managers and residents to easily manage connected services like utilities and door locks, all from an app-based interface. “Using a single app, a resident should be able to make payments, enter service requests, request concierge services, but also make sure that the door is locked,” Mr. Yardi said. Such a hub will also have advantages for property managers, who will be able to manage the utilities and locks of vacant units all from a centralized dashboard. John Pendergast, Yardi senior vice president, multifamily services, went into more details on the convenience, security, comfort and automation that Yardi’s new smart home technology solution will provide. The morning presentation concluded with remarks from Rob Teel, Yardi senior vice president, global solutions, and Akshai Rao, Yardi vice president of energy and procurement. Teel introduced the Yardi Elevate platform, which is powered by big data, market data from Yardi Matrix and uses predictive analytics and prescriptive actions to increase revenue, decrease expenses, increase asset value and reduce risk. “Yardi Elevate will help you answer forward-thinking questions, like how much should I spend on marketing next month. These are not the accounting questions you’d be answering with Yardi Voyager. The goal is to help you make better business decisions,” Teel said. Yardi Elevate provides next-level insight into asset performance, budgeting and forecasting, construction and facility management, and more. Community connections Rao concluded the general session with a look at Yardi’s corporate philanthropy programs, which offer employees in each...

Are your security deposit requirements costing you good renters? Sometimes, desirable renters are short on cash. But, do you really want to risk losing a good and potentially long-term resident because they can’t pay a high security deposit before they move in? Imagine you show a unit to a young professional who is relocating to your area. They have a good new job and great credit along with excellent references. They’re the kind of reliable resident you’re looking for — and they’re ready to sign a lease. But, they don’t have enough cash to pay the security deposit you require. Do you have to let them walk away? As it turns out, you don’t. You can let good renters move in for less money up front by allowing them to post surety bonds in place of a traditional cash deposit — and still ensure your properties are protected. Read on to learn more. What is a Surety Bond? Surety bonds are a form of insurance that constitute a contractual promise to meet security deposit requirements while taking less money up front from new renters. Renters simply pay a one-time, non-refundable bond premium that is typically less than 20% of a traditional security deposit, and the surety bond provider acts as a third-party guarantor up to the limits of the bond amount. While relatively rare before the mortgage crisis of 2008-2010 when many families experienced job losses and home foreclosures and needed help getting into rentals, surety bonds have become more popular with landlords in recent years to help renters deal with move-in costs. What are the Benefits? While renters are happy to keep more hard-earned money in their pockets and not worry about getting security deposits refunded, property staff are relieved of managing escrow accounts and processing deposit refunds — which also means saving banking fees and administrative costs. Many property managers also find that offering a deposit alternative gives them an advantage in competitive rental markets. Three Great Reasons to Accept Surety Bonds Gain a competitive advantage and fill vacancies faster: Without the barrier of a big security deposit, surety bonds can help you rent available units faster. Plus, accepting surety bonds as a deposit alternative for qualified renters could help you market your properties, especially in competitive areas. Take the burden off management and mitigate risk: With surety bonds, property owners and managers are removed from the collection process and, in most cases, from litigation should disputes arise over the return of security deposits.  Reduce work for property staff and lower administrative costs: Opening separate trustee or escrow accounts with your bank for new tenants can be a hassle and takes hours of your staff’s time to process, in addition to monthly bank fees that eat away at your deposits over time. Surety bonds don’t require any of that, nor do property staff need to track and pay out interest on security deposits. Ready to give your renters an affordable move-in option that also helps your busy staff and protects your bottom line? Download a free brochure to get...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s designation of Yardi as a 2019 ENERGY STAR® Award recipient in the service and product provider category was previously announced in this space. The award recognizes the company’s outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements. More than 180 organizations across a broad swath of industries joined Yardi in receiving ENERGY STAR awards in April. Some of their achievements that ENERGY STAR documented are summarized below. Along with saving more than 5.6 million kilowatt-hours from LED retrofit and solar programs, Chicago apartment community developer and manager AMLI Residential engaged its leasing staff to educate residents and prospective residents on the benefits of living in an ENERGY STAR-certified community. Boston Properties incorporated cost recovery for ENERGY STAR certification, sub-metering of high-intensity tenant equipment and tenant energy disclosure through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® into its master lease form. The self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust also achieved ENERGY STAR certification for 77 properties in 2018. Bozzuto Management Company of Greenbelt, Md., pursued 100% benchmarking in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for all managed assets and achieved energy reductions of more than 3% and 2% in site and source energy usage, respectively, across its portfolio in 2017, which equates to a calculated energy cost savings of more than $4 million. The manager of more than 255 multifamily communities also communicates sustainability and ENERGY STAR issues through its internal Bozzuto in the Know program. CommonWealth Partners, a Los Angeles private real estate investment, development, management and operating company, developed an internal Battle of the Buildings Bootcamp competition that focused on empowering properties to reduce energy, water and waste over three months. The effort saved more than 12,000 megawatt-hours of energy, 16,000 kilogallons of water and more than 3,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Fairfax (Va.) County Public Schools, which serves more than 190,000 students, has saved more than $23 million since 2014 through a comprehensive energy program. The 10th largest school division in the U.S. also enacted student-conducted home energy audits, a Battle of the Buildings competition and extensive promotion of ENERGY STAR and energy efficiency through social media. Hudson Pacific Properties, a vertically integrated real estate company in Los Angeles, implemented an engagement and recognition program that recognized properties that achieved the largest ENERGY STAR score improvement, hosted the best tenant engagement event and demonstrated the largest reductions in energy, water and waste usage. Los Angeles-based Kilroy Realty Corporation received ENERGY STAR Charter Tenant recognition for one of its offices and promoted ENERGY STAR in an innovative TEDx talk. It also joined the BOMA W2 challenge, an initiative built with the support of a grant from Yardi, across 84 buildings. LBA Realty LLC achieved ENERGY STAR certification for 21 properties in 2018. The Irvine, Calif. office and industrial property manager and investor also increased its average ENERGY STAR score portfolio-wide from 78 to 81 and reduced its average weather-normalized source energy use intensity by over 5% from 2017-18. Memorial Hermann Health System of Houston saved more than 14 million kilowatt hours by retrofitting light fixtures. It also became the first healthcare system in Texas to utilize new ventilation rate standards that reduce energy use while still meeting air change rates set by the department of health. Principal Real Estate Investors LLC of Des Moines, Iowa, achieved more than 3% reduction in average weather-normalized source energy use intensity from 2017-18. The company has achieved more than $52 million in cumulative avoided energy costs and more than $137 million in potential increased asset value since 2008. Defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions provider Raytheon Company designed and built an energy-efficient onsite data center that can be replicated at other sites, earning a top project award from its manufacturing peers. The Waltham, Mass.-based company also completed onsite battery storage projects at two facilities that help offset power consumption from the grid during peak periods. SL Green...