Why Embrace KPIs? This article builds upon the concepts outlined in our ‘What makes a great KPI’ article sent earlier. Although the article implied that KPI’s align with best practices, I had an interesting conversation with a colleague over the holiday break around why KPIs should be a top priority for 2015. The conclusion of
What makes a Great KPI? KPI’s are commonly requested by our Yardi clients and are often represented in standard and custom reports using Crystal Reports or SSRS. So what makes a great KPI? Our consultants are strong advocates of what we refer to as: “M-C-A” Measurable, Common understanding and Actionable. Great KPIs require all three
An article about the growth of Chinese investment in overseas commercial real estate written by Xinhua. Money is piling into Canada’s property market, according to a report by a Vancouver-based commercial real estate firm. Chinese investors have been interested in Canadian residential real estate for some time but Canada is starting to witness a record
An article written by Jay Parsons, about the increasing rate of U.S. apartment renters choosing to stay in their current unit rather than move to another apartment, move down to cheaper units or buy homes. According to an MPF Research analysis of leases recorded using RealPage Inc.’s software, U.S. apartment renters were renewing their leases
Should baby boomers be the new focus for landlords and apartment owners? An article by Tim Blackwell discusses the reasons why baby boomers should be considered. With baby boomers leading the charge in the downsizing of America, there are new opportunities for landlords. Blackwell believes that baby boomers are more responsible than the younger renters
Oliver Tighe, valuation expert at Colliers International, predicts a positive 2015 for commercial real estate. This is predicated on significant capital infusion into the Ottawa real estate market combined with Ottawa’s core strengths. This positive outlook comes despite the fact that commercial real estate sales in 2014 experienced a 16% decline over 2013. The retail
An interesting article written by Kris Hudson discussing the living preferences of millennials (Generation Y). Some economists have argued that the millennials’ will continue to prefer city living, offsetting the inconvenience of small living quarters for the proximity to downtown work and entertainment. However, a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders found
A fascinating article written by Tim Blackwell, concerning lowering building construction costs to respond to renter demands. Noticing the importance of efficiency costs to potential renters, CEO Mark Humphreys believes lowering the building costs needs to be done. His Dallas-based architectural firm is focusing on creating efficient design concepts such as their most popular design,
An article by Brenda Bouw, discusses the “turnaround story” of InnnVest REIT and the possible growth in the Canadian hotel sector. Many investors in the hotel industry are debating on “holding” or “selling” their shares due to North American fluctuations in the economy. But InnVest has encouraged many investors in Innvest REIT to “hold” their
Avison Young is finding that more of Canada’s downtown office space is empty as more commercial companies are moving to outside the city. The vacancy rates are steadily raising and there’s an alarming amount of free square feet in downtown spaces. Corporations are now being strong handed into re-designing office space to become more proficient