Property management is such a big thing. People, stakeholders, customers, paper works, money, and people get involved. Adding to that, the business operations like promotion, marketing, financing, accounting, etc., also becomes a huge headache for the property manager. And now, as the internet has become cheaper and available in almost all the nooks and corners of the world, people and businesses are getting digitized. Millions are already using the internet, while thousands of people join the internet daily.
In this scenario, the real estate business should also start getting digitized. Great software, platforms, and applications make the property management process easy and seamless.
How to choose the right software for property management?
There are tons of platforms available. But we can’t use all of them. One needs to do thorough research before purchasing software. We have listed the traits you need to look at while choosing property management software to understand better.
- Operating System : The platform should support both Windows and Mac.
- Ease of use : Poor user experience and jargon can be a big turn-off. The platform should have a seamless user experience.
- Promoting and Marketing : The platform should be easy and effective to create and run a campaign and monitor the result.
- Property Advertising : The Software should have the feature to publicize your posts.
- Property details : The platform should update the properties for sale and rent in and around your city daily.
- Subscription: While so much free software provides you with the basic needs, the premium version can give more security and features.
- Tenants’ background check : The platform should have all the basic details and thorough background checks of the tenants.
- Rent collection : The Software should handle the rent collection and later payments.
- Expense Management : The platform which maintains a common ledger of the rent received and the expenses can help you in the long run.
- Communicating with the stakeholders, tenants and customers should be easy and seamless. The platform should have chatbots and live chats for better communication.
Benefits of using Property Management Software:
- Tenant Background check and tenant Screening:
With the right platform, you don’t need to worry about the tenants. They will help you in crapping out all the necessary details and background information about the tenants. There are inbuilt scanning tools that let the landlords check and get the details of their prospective tenants from the state register.
Tenant screening
is very crucial to build trust in the customer.
- Information at any time:
You don’t have to go to the tenants to check them, you don’t have to visit places to check for the property, and you don’t have to visit your stakeholders. All you can do with the help of the right software. You can easily get all the necessary details about your tenants, stakeholders, campaign results, and tenants’ background check, and all little information will be available on your software. And another great news is you can access the information anywhere, anytime.
- More reach for your business:
With the help of the right property management software, you are paving the way for yourself to reach more customers and stakeholders. The online presence of any business guarantees global reach. And this is not an exception for the property managing business.
- Save your money:
We all work extremely hard to make money. And this hard-earned money should be saved and multiplied. And good property management software can not just save you money but also helps multiply the amount you invested into it. A good property management software will help you cut down the administration cost, management cost, deduction in campaign costs, and much more.
- Seamless Communication:
Communication is one of the biggest needs in any business. And the right Property Management System can guarantee you seamless communication. You can communicate with multiple people at a time. You don’t have to wait to reach your stakeholders or your residents. You can text them anytime you want. Chatbots and live chat facilities will help greatly.
- Accounting and Reporting:
You don’t have to maintain separate books for your expenses and rent. Whatever transactions happen, everything will be recorded perfectly on the software. Bank information, debt details, transactions, later payments, rent collection, mortgages, etc., will be recorded. And these not just reduce your work but also help you in managing your expenses in the long run.
- Time-Saving:
With the help of the right property management software, it is easy to save time. While traditional property managers juggle visiting properties, collecting rents, and dealing with the risks and traffic, digitized property management can be very easy and seamless and saves time. All the paperwork, communication, meeting, campaign, rent collection, etc., will happen inside the app.
- Resourceful insights:
The right platform can give you resourceful insights and data you need now or later. For example, insights like how to improve tenant satisfaction, where the high-profit properties are available, etc., will give you room to improve your service to the tenants.
- Maintenance Management:
With the help of the right Property Management Software, it is easy to do the maintenance and inspection work. Maintenance is the major factor that gives better consumer satisfaction. The right software will help in scheduling the inspection and maintenance date and also make sure to remind it often.
Disadvantages of using property management software:
- One wrong move can cost you tonnes:
While property management software is a great tool that can save you time and help in many things, it will cost you a lot if you don’t know how to use it properly. A least-rated or free software can give you what you didn’t expect and don’t want, even in your nightmare. It might take a lot of time to understand and get used to the software.
- More choices may be overwhelming:
The online world is filled with both trustworthy and scammers. And the choice is huge and wide. It may be overwhelming sometimes. Without knowing how to choose the right one, you might choose the wrong platform that will waste your money, time, and effort. There will be hard and expensive tools that will make you regret using property management software.
- Maybe a bit expensive for small property managers:
Spending on property management software may be a bit expensive for small businesses. One needs to make a proper plan and budget before investing in property management software. But using the right software can save and multiply your money.
- Needs Man-hour:
If you are someone who is expecting a fast result, then that is not for you. property management software needs more person-hours to get used to it. You and your staff have to spend hours and days learning, exploring, and experimenting with property management software. It needs a lot of training.
- No choice for vendors:
Sometimes business owners might like third-party apps that give more access and benefits than property management software. But the Property Management Software won’t let you use any third-party apps for anything. Everything must be done on the same platform, from payment to the campaign.
- “Everything at once” can create issues:
Most property management software promises to provide all-in-one services. But it is a universal truth that one can not do everything at once. There will be issues, even if not now, and the issues will arise later. For example, your property management software may be good at account maintenance, tenant screening, and rental collection. However, it may lack in campaigning and publicizing your business because one can’t do everything.
- Costly errors:
It is not like Property Management Software doesn’t make any errors. More than manual handling, property management software tends to make costly errors. One wrong move can cost you a lot. The property management software interacts and works together with other software for your business. A small mistake can be an irritating issue for you, your staff, and your customers.
- Redundancies:
The property management software comes with the risk of employment for the staff. While you purchase property management software, you have to fire some of your employees. Because the man can do the work that is simple for the software, it can do it within minutes. So, property management software will automatically destroy employment opportunities for people.
New Trends in Property Management Software:
Though there are so many advantages and disadvantages of Property Management Software, one can stop themselves from using it. Because of the continuous trends and the changing world, retail estate business owners need to use them. The following are some trends that will transform the business shortly.
- Industry Segmentation and Specialization: Shortly, in real estate, segmentation and specialization will play a major role.
- Cloud: Cloud service has already emerged and will transform the future of every business. Cloud will make the business mobile. You will get access to all the global information at your fingertips.
- Business Growth: The global pandemic has become a catalyst for the business to grow. Shortly, the industry will face huge challenges as well as growth opportunities.
- Big Data: Big data is going to change the perspective of the business in the future. It will help all the business leaders and landlords with bigger opportunities and room to grow, cutting down the competition.
- VR and AR: Many property dealers started giving 360-degree virtual tours to prospective tenants. Virtual reality and augmented reality will be major trends in the industry.
