A conversation with Phil Hughston, Grubb Properties’ Vice President of Technology, about business intelligence, investor experience, and the value of partnerships that evolve with the business.

Two years ago, our conversation with Phil Hughston focused on Grubb Properties’ early exploration of Yardi Data Connect and Power BI. At the time, the conversation centered on reporting, data access, and creating better visibility for decision-making.

Today, the conversation looks very different.

Hughston now serves as Vice President of Technology. Grubb Properties has expanded its business intelligence capabilities, strengthened its focus on investor communications and experience, hired a dedicated Power BI analyst, and begun exploring practical applications for AI and automation. What started as a discussion about data integration has evolved into a broader conversation about organizational alignment, trusted information, and how technology can help move the business forward.

One thing, however, has remained constant: the relationship between Grubb Properties and Gelbgroup.

That relationship dates back to 2009, when Geoffrey Gelb, Founder and President of Gelbgroup, began working with Grubb Properties on investment-management-related initiatives and custom reporting tools. Those early engagements established a relationship that has continued to evolve alongside the business for nearly two decades.

As our conversation unfolded, it became clear that this was no longer simply a story about reporting. It was a story about how trusted data, practical business outcomes, and long-term advisory relationships can create momentum for wider change.

A Better Report, A Bigger Opportunity

Building on the capabilities established through Yardi Data Connect, Grubb Properties turned to Gelbgroup to design and build a more scalable executive reporting solution using business intelligence tools.

The result was the Grubb Properties COO Weekly Report.

More than a reporting tool, it became a demonstration of what was possible when Yardi Data Connect, Power BI, and a clear business objective came together. It gave leadership a consolidated view of operational performance while also introducing the organization to a new way of thinking about data, reporting, and decision-making.

“We had a lot of success on that project. It was really a catalyst that kicked us off into what we have today.”
– Phil Hughston, Vice President of Technoloy, Grubb Properties

The success of the COO report did more than solve an immediate reporting need. It created confidence. Confidence in the data. Confidence in the technology. And confidence that the organization could continue building its own business intelligence capabilities.

Success Creates Momentum

With the COO report serving as proof of concept, Hughston and Chief Operating Officer Shawn Cardner began exploring additional opportunities to improve reporting using Yardi Data Connect.

One of those initiatives became a monthly multifamily reporting process developed internally by the Grubb Properties team. While Gelbgroup continued to provide guidance around data discovery, mapping, and strategy, the report itself was created and refined by Grubb Properties.

The results were significant. Property managers previously spent approximately four hours preparing each report. The redesigned process reduced that effort to roughly fifteen minutes while also improving consistency, readability, and professionalism across the reporting package.

Rather than creating dependence on a reporting solution, the original COO report helped the organization build internal confidence and capability. It demonstrated what was possible and gave teams a framework for solving additional reporting challenges on their own.

Reporting Evolution

Creating a Shared Data Language

As Hughston’s role has evolved, so has his perspective. Today, he spends less time thinking about individual reports and more time thinking about alignment. Across development, operations, accounting, and investment teams, the challenge is no longer simply access to information. The challenge is ensuring everyone understands and trusts that information in the same way.

“Let’s all be looking at the same data and talking the same language.”

For many Yardi organizations, this is where business intelligence work becomes strategic. The issue is rarely access to data alone. The larger opportunity is defining the metrics, workflows, and governance that allow leadership, operations, accounting, and investment teams to rely on the same information. When teams trust the same metrics and understand them the same way, decision-making becomes easier and organizational alignment becomes possible.

Why Long-Term Partnerships Matter

The relationship between Grubb Properties and Gelbgroup now spans nearly two decades. Over time, what began as a relationship with Geoffrey Gelb expanded into relationships across the Gelbgroup team, helping Grubb Properties navigate changing platforms, reporting requirements, business intelligence initiatives, and technology shifts.

According to Hughston, one of the advantages of working with Gelbgroup over time is that the team brings context to each new challenge, allowing conversations to begin from a place of shared understanding rather than discovery.

Long-term advisory value compounds. Each engagement creates a deeper understanding of business processes, reporting expectations, operational priorities, and leadership objectives. That context helps connect historical decisions with future opportunities.

Looking Ahead

Today, Grubb Properties is focused on strengthening the way information flows throughout the organization and to its investors. That includes expanding business intelligence capabilities, improving the investor experience, aligning teams around trusted data, and thoughtfully exploring opportunities around AI.

Looking back, Hughston sees the COO reporting initiative as more than a successful project. It was a launching point. Not because of the technology itself, but because it demonstrated what can happen when a real business problem is solved, confidence in data is established, and trusted relationships help organizations build on success.

Technology will continue to change. Investor expectations will evolve. New tools will emerge. For Grubb Properties, the real advantage comes from cultivating a mindset of adaptability, supported by trusted information, aligned teams, and partners who understand both where the business has been and where it wants to go next.

What Could Be Your Catalyst?

At Grubb Properties, a reporting challenge became the spark for broader business intelligence and organizational alignment. For your organization, the opportunity may look different, but the principle is the same: meaningful transformation often begins by solving the right business problem.

If your organization uses Yardi and is trying to move beyond manual reporting, inconsistent metrics, or disconnected business intelligence efforts, schedule a conversation with a Gelbgroup Senior Consultant.