Data analytics may not be easy, but they’re often necessary. You can’t just gather data. You’ve got to know what the numbers actually mean if you want to push your teams forward in senior living. That’s just one piece of advice that Dave Eskenazy, an industry expert with over 25 years’ experience, recently shared with us. We sat down with Dave to hear how he’s used the Yardi Senior Living Suite to drive growth through technology. From the importance of integration to the value of easy-to-understand metrics, he had plenty of insight to offer. Q: How do you track prospects in senior living? What I love about RENTCafé Senior CRM is that from the very first moment an inquiry is made, the prospect’s name is entered into the system. And I begin to track that. At some point, that prospect moves in, but the ability to move that prospect in and change them from a prospect to a resident becomes so much easier and so much quicker. Oftentimes, when somebody is looking for senior housing, they take a lot of time to really make a decision. But once that decision is made, it’s time to move. Having a lot of that information already in the system – and being able to simply pick up from before – is a key benefit of RENTCafé Senior CRM and the complete stack of Yardi products. One of the things I like most about Yardi is that there are a lot of modules that follow us all the way through the system. And it starts with RENTCafé Senior CRM. Q: How does data sync improve billing? One of the problems with billing is if you have separate systems for capturing your care than you do for billing your...
Intuitive Integration...
Merrill Gardens + Yardi
With 30 senior living communities across six states, Merrill Gardens provides a lifestyle approach to senior housing that’s unique to each locale they inhabit. By designing each community with characteristics unique the area in which they reside, Merrill Gardens creates a comfortable and welcoming environment for residents so they can relax and feel at home. “We take great pride in the fact that we spend a lot of time making sure that our communities, especially the senior side have a place to live that is like a home,” says David Wiedeman, Business Systems Analyst for Merrill Gardens. “It’s a place you want to be. With activities integrated into the community, our residents aren’t living on an isolated island but are going to events and participating in clubs and other activities. This keeps everyone active and connected.” Making the switch to an integrated platform allows Merrill Gardens to avoid missed billing opportunities and increase revenue. Previious a CFO for a property management company, David was once a third party consultant for Yardi. When Merrill Gardens began implementing the Yardi platform, David and his team worked side-by-side with Yardi to ensure the switchover went smoothly. “If you have the vision of what you want, Yardi can build it,” says David. “Yardi has a good knack of hiring people who are really good in their fields, they are specialized but can also be creative and help us meet our needs across different channels, including the residential and senior sides of our portfolio.” As part of his role as Business Systems Analyst, David spearheads software infrastructure and administration for Merrill Gardens, overseeing all Yardi modules as well as software implementations throughout the company. A big supporter of the single stack solution, David feels Yardi provides an unmatchable combination...
Collaboration + Community
Senior Developments
In May of this year, senior living provider Merrill Gardens unveiled its newest development, a 196-unit community called BullStreet in Columbia, South Carolina. The project is a joint venture between Merrill Gardens and its multifamily-focused sister company, Pillar Properties, as well as regional partner Second Fifty Communities of Charleston, S.C. “The addition of Merrill Gardens fits our vision for BullStreet perfectly, allowing us to provide living opportunities for all age groups,” said Robert Hughes, president of Hughes Development Corp. and master developer for the BullStreet development in downtown Columbia in a statement about the project. Location, Location, Location Hailed as one of Columbia’s biggest land deals in recent history, the BullStreet project will be built on the 181-acre site of the former South Carolina State Hospital complex. The community sits across the street from a planned 20-acre park and is also close to Spirit Communications Park, home of Columbia’s Fireflies, the city’s Single-A baseball team. “These apartments will be the best-located senior housing units in Columbia,” Hughes said. Paying attention to location is one of the hallmarks of Merrill Garden’s property development agenda. By designing each community with characteristics specific to the area, Merrill Gardens creates a comfortable and welcoming environment for residents so they can relax and feel at home. The company’s multi-family sister corporation, Seattle-based Pillar Properties, develops, owns and manages apartment residences in many of Seattle’s “signature neighborhoods.” “We understand the character of the area and work hard to bring that energy into the spaces we design” the company declares on its website. “Because we’re still family-owned, we do things our way – with a premium on delivering an ideal customer experience as measured by our own exacting standards… our mission is to provide a Quietly Awesome experience at every level of engagement.” Spirit of a City The BullStreet location was chosen by the developers because of the neighborhoods “uniquely urban experience,” generated, in part, by its former use as a state hospital campus. With Spirit Communications Park nearby, residents of the project’s senior living will be able to enjoy walking trails and playing fields while also having access to the stadiums batting cages, Club Lounge and other amenities. While the development include 24-hour dining access and round-the-clock staffing typical of most senior living facilities, tenants will also be able to enjoy more unique amenities including a rooftop deck and sports bar. The project’s developers hope residents will take advantage of the community’s centralized location to partake of area restaurants, stores and other entertainment offerings. “The Bull Street project has allowed us to fulfill our vision of providing seniors with an active and authentic lifestyle in a community in which they are already familiar,” said Clayton Mozingo, Principal and CEO of Second Fifty Communities. He continued, “In partnership with the Hughes Development team, highlighting the rich Columbia landscape as the backdrop of this site has been an exciting experience given the positive change in the area.” A Lifestyle Approach Considered a leader in the senior living industry for the last 23 years, Merrill Gardens currently operating 30 senior living communities in seven states. Deploying a “lifestyle approach” to senior housing, Merrill Gardens makes sure each one of its properties reflects the unique attributes of the community where it is located. The addition of Merrill Gardens fits our vision for BullStreet perfectly, allowing us to provide living opportunities for all age groups,” said Robert Hughes, president of Hughes Development Corp. and master developer for BullStreet. “We are creating a dense urban environment that reflects the diversity and rich character of our city, which is very important to us. We found the best, most experienced companies in the country to incorporate vibrant, interconnected senior living into the...
