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Smooth Operations: Simplify CRE Transactions With Advanced Software

August 14, 2025 | Chris Barbier, Senior Director, Investment Management, Yardi
4 min read
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Real estate transactions have a lot of moving pieces, so many that the process often resembles nothing so much as thinly disguised disorder. Financial analysis and modeling, capital raising, budgeting, engineering studies, environmental assessments and more involving a myriad of internal and external stakeholders all go into the process.

Keeping all these operations proceeding in an orderly fashion is a hefty challenge because all the players need to be in sync with the deal workflow and due diligence must be completed with scrupulous attention to detail. One transactions specialist I know likens real estate transactions to project management on steroids.


The consequences of inefficient transaction management are very real: abandoned deals, disappointed investors, squandered time and money, bruised credibility. But when all needed information about risk assessment, future revenue and other factors is efficiently collected, analyzed and accessed, dealmakers can fully meet their investors’ expectations without depleting their own resources.


How can all information involved in something as complex as a real estate acquisition or sale be efficiently compiled, analyzed and maintained? Many participants still rely on spreadsheets, but those tools’ data validation controls are usually inadequate and manual data entry is dangerous, especially when a deadline looms and multimillion-dollar decisions hang in the balance. Entering the wrong per-square-foot data, for example, can be embarrassing at best, and quite possibly disastrous, so getting data correct up front is critical to successful deal completion.


Avoiding bad decisions & unnecessary costs

Fortunately, deal sourcing, underwriting and collaboration in the real estate transaction process, which has often been managed using spreadsheets and – no kidding – shoeboxes or notepads, can now be completed within one centralized software platform. One such example is Yardi® Acquisition Manager, which, by automating the entire investment deal workflow, maximizes ROI for real estate acquisition and disposition participants by crafting deal models with accurate calculations.


Acquisition Manager gives transaction participants the full spectrum of up-to-date deal details, including property characteristics, last sale price and date, local market data, current leases and loans. Every detail, document and task, including those relating to due diligence, is readily available to any authorized internal and external stakeholder who needs it.


This accessibility is made seamless through full integration with other Yardi platforms for property management and accounting, underwriting, property data, capital-raising and market intelligence, among other operations.


Clients report critical new efficiencies

Key benefits of a fully automated, centralized platform such as Acquisition Manager include:

  • Customized workflows by property types and asset classes.
  • Real-time deal insights, accurate underwriting models and a structured workflow.
  • Visibility and collaboration among all stakeholders.
  • Accelerated deal execution and better-informed decision-making.
  • Secure, centralized access for brokers, lenders, appraisers and counterparties to obtain all deal-related documents. Users can also integrate with Microsoft 365 SharePoint.
  • Reduced risk of manual error with validation checks and consistent formatting across models.

It’s also easy to track multiple properties within portfolio deals for a comprehensive view of acquisitions and dispositions. The ability to synchronize finalized acquisitions and dispositions with Yardi Voyager® enables accurate deal comparisons to be made within a portfolio.


Integrated deal data, from the lease all the way to the investor, and streamlined due diligence help avoid bad decisions, eliminate unnecessary costs and instill confidence in investors.


How did Acquisition Manager come about? Several of our clients told us that seamless integration of all aspects of deal management, from evaluating and acquiring an asset to adding details into Voyager, was a critical need. I am pleased to report that we met that need with Acquisition Manager, which we introduced in May 2025. We are hearing that it’s easier than ever to make good decisions because users have reliable data drawn from across the investment deal workflow.


“By implementing Acquisition Manager, we are able to take advantage of seamless integration with Voyager, creating critical efficiencies for our business model,” said Kris Ellwanger, vice president of information technology and corporate facilities for Sila Realty Trust Inc., a Tampa, Fla.-based net lease REIT that invests in high-quality healthcare facilities.


My colleague Rob Teel, president of global solutions for Yardi, has noted, “The ability to customize workflows by property types, tailor data entry for various asset classes and track multiple properties enables constant refinement of investment strategies that maximize ROI.”


I am happy to talk with anyone in the Realcomm community who is interested in learning how to use advanced integrated deal management software for better data integrity and transparency, streamlined communication across departments, more efficient due diligence, accurate financial models and enhanced investor confidence. Believe me, it beats rummaging through a shoebox.

Chris Barbier, Senior Director, Investment Management, Yardi
Chris Barbier leads Yardi’s Investment Suite, collaborating with clients and teams to deliver real estate investment solutions. With 25+ years in software, finance, and professional services, he brings expertise in product management, consulting, and portfolio accounting.

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Yardi develops leading real estate investment and property management software that supports the full investment lifecycle. Our connected platform streamlines acquisitions, fundraising, investor relations, reporting, and more – automating complex structures and delivering transparency from investor to asset. Real estate investments grow on Yardi. www.yardiinvestmentsuite.com.