Watch: Testimonial on CommercialCafe connected tenant services

By Lee Ann Stiff on April 23, 2025 in Global Technology

Woman working on laptop with text: Commercial Cafe, Connecting Tenant Services

If your company has struggled to provide excellent service to tenants around the clock, it’s not a matter of increasing your staff and extending your office hours. Rather, it might be time to evaluate your technology solutions. That’s where our CommercialCafe connected tenant services come in.

Just ask Big V Property Group (Big V). A longtime Yardi client, Big V used an early version of Yardi’s tenant portal to eliminate paper statements that were previously printed, mailed to tenants and paid by check. While the system was a big improvement over paper-based and manual methods, the company needed to expand their online offerings to increase services to tenants and streamline financial processes and property operations, including communication.

CommercialCafe provides an easy-to-use tenant portal for convenient self-service maintenance requests, rent payments and account access to leases and charges. Tenants and staff appreciate these features that reduce manual effort and expedite transactions. The solution also includes event calendars and announcements that keep tenants connected with their centers and communities.  

Comprehensive tenant services

With a focus on tenant satisfaction and success, Big V has been delighted with the all-in-one CommercialCafe platform. It expanded their offerings to tenants while making life easier for staff, thanks to online transactions and self service. The platform offers tenants anytime access to their lease documents, and they can review charges and communicate directly with property managers or leasing agents in the app. The integrated and streamlined system also allows tenants to submit work orders at any time, which are quickly assigned to a tech or vendor, so even minor issues like a flickering light are addressed immediately. Oversights are a thing of the past.

According to Sean Glander, vice president and controller at Big V, CommercialCafe is a game changer for the company. “We seamlessly handle work orders, messaging and announcements that are crucial to tenant satisfaction and success. Our announcements in CommercialCafe help tenants sync what they’re doing at their business with events happening at the center. Being able to accomplish all these things in CommercialCafe is absolutely phenomenal.”

Tenant lifecycle transparency

CommercialCafe’s connected tenant services provide insight into the entire tenant lifecycle and add a layer of transparency to operations. A tenant can enter a work order, and Big V’s staff is notified immediately when the work order is opened. At the same time, the accounting department can see any past due bills. They can contact the tenant about that, ensuring the maintenance request is being taken care of. This transparency integrates teams and enhances service to keep tenants happy.

How Big V is growing with Yardi

Big V leverages Yardi tech to optimize every aspect of managing their lifestyle centers. To support the company’s expansion, Glander noted that moving to Voyager 8 and continuously adopting Yardi solutions to create a modern, end-to-end business platform has been key. Big V has been able to grow from providing simple services, like sending statements to tenants and processing rent checks, to providing all-encompassing services.

“We are tenant focused. We’re hosting events at properties and encouraging tenants to take advantage of those events to increase their sales whether they operate a boutique or a restaurant. If we can increase foot traffic and help drive sales for our tenants, everyone wins. We grow together,” enthused Glander.

Watch the full Big V testimonial below.