Senior Implementation Consultant Jennifer Michaels is the oldest of four siblings, which may account for how she has ended up where she is today. Having to figure out solutions for her younger brothers while they tussled, being the leader of their pack, and offering guidance when everyone needed to lend a hand all shaped her approach to work.
“I come from a very small town that did not have any commercial real estate,” Jennifer explains. She had visions of saving the world when she finished college. Instead, she found opportunities to solve property management challenges at the highest level. What made it happen? “I knew Excel,” she says with a laugh. “I kind of fell into the industry.”
Raising her hand
She was working in lease administration at JBG Smith, a publicly traded REIT, when they adopted Yardi. She stepped up to help their small team figure it out. “It was exciting to learn about how things work,” she says. Solving the puzzles she faced was deeply satisfying.
Her career naturally evolved into running the commercial operations for JBG Smith prior to the company’s merger with Vornado. “I’m someone who has always raised her hand when a new opportunity comes up. I truly enjoy trying new things, especially when they are challenging.”
Still, her role found her splitting time in ways that took away from what she wanted to do. “I was splitting time between IT and asset management. It didn’t feel like I was quite able to do what I do best.” That’s when she looked to 33Floors.
A paradigm shift
“33Floors is a different place,” she says. “We are a ‘yes’ company.” She thinks that because 33Floors is all about delivering solutions to complex problems, the company has a natural affinity toward developing its internal talents. “Being on a team with highly skilled technical people has been amazing,” she says. “33Floors understands what I do and supports it one-hundred percent.”
Doing cross-border work has been instrumental in pushing her to keep learning. “It has opened up a lot more opportunities to work on a variety of different projects for clients all around the globe. When she joined 33Floors in 2018, Jennifer’s work had focused on the DC region. Right away, she found herself tackling projects that were far from home. “My first client was in Canada,” she says. “I’ve worked on large implementations in Europe, too.”
“In many places, the general processes are the same. The difference is in the details. That opportunity to learn new things while working in different locations is really exciting.”
Guiding clients over the learning curve
Serving as an educator to her clients is a big part of what she does. “About half of what I do is listening to what the client wants, what is important to their company, and where they are struggling. The other half is implementing the best practice for their organization and finding solutions that work for that client.”
33Floors runs a lean team, which means everyone is going to learn something new or be challenged and pushed outside their comfort zone. “With clients all over the world, there are always interesting nuances that we haven’t heard before. We are good at saying, ‘Okay, let’s figure it out.’” The collaborative environment at 33Floors has provided the foundation for building expertise as a team and supporting our clients through challenges.
What our clients have to say
We asked a few clients to tell us about their experience working with Jennifer.
From Linda Lichtenberger, Director of Lease Information Integrity, and Leslee Payette, Property Operations/Lease Administrator at Morguard:
“Jenn is always looking out for the client’s best interest. No obstacle is too big. Jenn will always go the extra mile to find a solution. Jenn is extremely professional and knowledgeable in the product and is well versed in our organizational structures. She is very accommodating with her schedule and always finds time to walk through an issue. It’s always a pleasure working with her.”
From Jennifer Page, Senior Manager of IT Business Applications at Triovest Realty Advisors Inc.:
“Jennifer Michaels was instrumental in providing consultancy services for Triovest Realty Advisors Inc. with our implementation of Advanced Budget & Forecasting and Yardi’s Elevate Forecast Manager in 2020. Her knowledge, response time for issues resolutions and many late Friday afternoon project discussions was a testament to Jennifer’s commitment to deliver a successful project.
“As we have been preparing for our next year’s budget cycle, Jenn has a great ‘retention factor’ of some of those challenges that we encountered and is helping Triovest transfer that knowledge from 33Floors to the Triovest team.”
From Brittany White, Accounting Manager at Bridge Investment Group:
“Jennifer Michaels is truly one of a kind. She is knowledgeable, responsive, and always willing to go above and beyond. Her recommendations continue to optimize our system, which directly improves our day-to-day functions. Our needs consistently push Yardi’s conventional boundaries. Through her guidance, understanding, and industry approach, Jenn consistently delivers value add solutions.”
Looking toward the future
With the team at 33Floors growing rapidly, Jennifer sees no limit to what the team can do. “Every client, every project is a chance to do something new. It’s exciting to be part of it.”
When you work with 33Floors, you work with professionals like Jennifer who are committed to client service and technical excellence. Where do you want your Yardi implementation to take your business? Get in touch with 33Floors to begin your journey.
