News
IMG Attends 2026 Yardi Conference in San Diego
Woodland Hills, CA – October 13, 2026 – Team members from Investors Management Group and Parktown Living recently attended the 2026 Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) in San Diego. The annual conference combines classroom training, expert consultations, and peer networking around technology innovation in multifamily real estate.
This year’s sessions centered on leveraging artificial intelligence as a tool. Attendees gained practical ideas for leasing, maintenance, training, accounting, and reporting. Instruction also focused on the leadership needed to adopt AI into business functions.
Key Technology Insights from YASC 2026
Yardi presented its own Virtuoso Enterprise as an integrated AI software solution. The platform brings prospect, resident, operations, and finance data into one secure Yardi cloud database. Live demos showed AI building variance reports, performance dashboards, and market comparisons in minutes.
Other highlights from the sessions:
- Leasing: Chat IQ uses AI agents to answer calls, nurture prospects, and send resident payment reminders and renewal notices. The agents check for prior contact from a leasing agent before any outreach, and in one demo an emergency work order was routed in about 30 seconds.
- Maintenance: The new Yardi Maintenance mobile app analyzes work order photos and suggests fixes, auto-assigns work by technician skill and availability, and supports AI-assisted video inspections.
- Accounting and budgeting: Smart Approval uses two AI agents to assess routine invoices, with limits that can be set by invoice amount, confidence threshold, vendor, property, or GL account. Forecast IQ can draft budget narratives, and Voyager 8 adds a Report Builder.
- Applications: The redesigned RentCafe application saves progress across ten steps and uses ID and income verification to reduce manual entry. Yardi’s stated goal is five-minute completion on mobile.
- Training: Yardi Aspire adds AI tools that create tests, surveys, and courses, along with compliance dashboards for supervisors.
Technology That Supports People
Panelists compared AI to a brilliant but inexperienced intern: fast and capable, but without the judgment and people skills that strong property teams bring every day. They estimated AI can take on 60 to 80 percent of routine work, such as data entry, document processing, and deadline tracking. Time saved from routine work then frees staff to focus on resident relationships, coaching, and customer service.
Most organizations have more work than people to do it, so the discussion centered on closing that gap rather than reducing headcount. The Aspire sessions applied the same idea to training. Automated learning paths, role-based courses, and progress tracking give managers a clearer view of where employees need support, and leaders turn that learning into growth through coaching.
Adoption Decides the Outcome
Speakers returned often to one point: technology delivers results only when people, process, and tools are aligned. The advice was to think big and start small. One application was to pilot AI initiatives at a few properties, prove the value, then scale, and involve frontline staff from the start because they know the daily needs best.
The “Making Change Stick” session noted that organizations tend to invest heavily in launch day and too little in the adoption work that follows. Experts recommended tracking adoption metrics and briefing regional managers first.
Focus matters as well. As one speaker put it, “10 priorities means no priority; it’s just a wish list.” Organizations that take on one initiative at a time see meaningfully higher adoption.
Industry Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
Conversations with other operators showed that many organizations are in the same position: launching new initiatives, often built around AI, and working out how to make them last. Peers described planning, launching, and training as manageable steps. Enforcement is the hardest. These exchanges reinforced that successful initiatives need buy-in from the people using them. Hearing how other teams handle adoption gave IMG and Parktown Living team members real-world examples to compare against their own approach.
Commitment to Innovation and Operational Excellence
Attendance at YASC 2026 reflects IMG and Parktown Living’s continued investment in professional development and technology leadership. As long-time users of the Yardi platform, both organizations prioritize staying current with new tools and best practices.
Team members returned with energy and ideas, and they are now researching the new tools in more depth. As updates are put into practice, each will be paired with training and team input so that adoption holds. The goal remains efficient operations, strong controls, and long-term portfolio performance for residents, investors, and partners.
About YASC
Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference brings together North American property managers, owners, operators, and investors to explore innovative software solutions that drive growth. Attendees gain valuable insights into the latest industry trends and challenges with hands-on classroom learning, personalized consultations with Yardi experts, and networking opportunities with peers. For more information, visit yardi.com.
About Investors Management Group
Founded by Neil Schimmel, IMG is a nationally acclaimed real estate investment and asset management firm specializing in apartment communities. IMG’s mission is to create vibrant, sustainable living environments through strategic investments and a commitment to community development. With a portfolio of nearly 5,000 units and network of over 1,000 accredited investors, we strive to enhance the living experience for our residents and support communities within local neighborhoods. IMG’s culture is characterized by innovation and a steadfast commitment to creating value in multifamily investments. Learn more