MRI Software Announces Key Solution Enhancements at Virtual Users Conference ‘Ascend Anywhere’

Enhanced Offerings and Integrations for MRI Work and MRI Living Support Market Demand for Flexible Real Estate Software

MRI Software, a global leader in real estate software solutions, announced a series of key enhancements and innovations across its product portfolio at MRI ‘Ascend Anywhere’ 2020, the first virtual edition of its annual North American users conference, held October 19-21. With more than 1,700 registrants, the conference brought together professionals from across the real estate industry to attend virtual keynotes, presentations and panels by MRI and its technology partners – as well as guest appearances by celebrities, including TV chef and restauranteur Guy Fieri.

The event, which included the participation of nearly 50 companies from MRI’s extensive partner network, featured sessions across a full range of real estate sectors, covering developments in MRI technology, industry trends and the ways in which the company is working with its clients to address the changing needs of the market due to COVID-19.

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“Now, more than ever, we believe that people thrive in well-connected communities,” Patrick Ghilani, MRI’s Chief Executive Officer, said at the event’s opening session. Ghilani noted that through MRI’s open and connected ecosystem, the company is able to provide its 45,000 clients worldwide with a “unified single experience,” giving them “the freedom to transform the way communities live, work and play.” He added: “Our mission has never been more visible and more appropriately executed.”

Product enhancements unveiled at MRI Ascend Anywhere included expanded capabilities, improved integrations and other upgrades aimed at helping clients extend their digital services and successfully adapt to new business challenges that have resulted from the pandemic. The enhancements include:

New MRI @Work innovations that are critical for many companies today, allowing both commercial real estate owners and occupiers to increase business agility and flexibility:

• Full integration of MRI Lease Intelligence with MRI Property Management X to enable commercial landlords to gain insights and visibility into complex lease portfolios by abstracting data, using machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• Expanded managed services offering to meet end-to-end requirements of corporate real estate occupiers (enabled by the MacMunnis acquisition in August), providing lease administration services and lease auditing to enable more efficient management of ongoing lease transactions and optimize lease commitments.
• Tenant communications capabilities to facilitate digital collaboration and communication between commercial landlords and occupiers.

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Enhanced MRI Living capabilities that streamline processes and help clients improve digital services for their residents, especially in light of an uptick in demand for these during the pandemic:

• Addition of RentPayment from MRI, which expands MRI’s payment capabilities through the acquisition of RentPayment in September, helping landlords meet increasing demand for flexible payment options – notably electronic payments, which have increased by 21% between January and September 2020 according to the MRI Software Market Insights report.
• Broadened ID verification and fraud prevention technology through CheckpointID, strengthening the multifamily lead-to-lease process with enhanced digital verification for lead management and applicant screening.

Additionally, MRI has seen rapid adoption of Application Gateway, the game-changing point of entry into the firm’s open and connected technology platform. Application Gateway provides streamlined user access between MRI solutions, partner products and other third-party applications to create a more unified single experience. It is available now at no additional cost to all clients using MRI’s Software-as-a-Service platform.

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Session highlights at Ascend included: a panel on how MRI clients are using technology to adapt to the pandemic, led by MRI Industry Principal Brian Zrimsek; a retail insights panel examining the impact of COVID-19, emerging industry trends and relationships between landlords and tenants, moderated by Propmodo co-founder and editor Franco Faraudo; and a panel entitled The Future of the Office moderated by MRI Senior Director of Product Management Beth Schwartz and featuring a number of MRI clients and partners in the commercial property space discussing trends in the office sector.

On the lighter side, entertainment included a virtual cooking lesson with Fieri, who showed Ghilani how to make his famous Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Burger – featuring both cooking outside from their respective outdoor grills. The cook-off was in aid of Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks providing hunger relief. Fieri not only endeavored to teach Ghilani how to make a delicious burger as the two chatted, but he also braved the elements as the smoke from the nearby wildfires invaded his California ranch, where he was conducting the cooking demonstration.

MRI also partnered with the Julian D. King Gift Foundation, a charity that provides stability, support and positive experiences for children of all backgrounds to help them grow to be productive, confident and happy adults. Donations to the charities from Ascend participants and MRI totaled $25,000.

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