As property managers, you are masters of logistics. You carefully manage leases, payments, repairs, vendors and you do it all with ease (most of the time). But as technology improves you’re constantly looking for the tools that can help you get the job done easily. Eliminating spreadsheets, duplicate data entry and paper and pen are top priority for you. Short of photographic memory, you haven’t quite been able to accomplish this yet – but some popular technology apps and software tools might help you get as close as possible.
Here are some apps that we think property managers should know about:
Happy Inspector
Happy inspector is an app that provides a simple way to manage all your property inspections. You can generate a customized inspection sheet for each property that you manage, have a view on property locations, add your logo and disclaimer to create branded reports, create a standardized route to be more efficient, schedule inspections, add photographs of the property keys, and more. There are tons of features in this app and it really helps individual property managers be more productive, efficient and manage their records on the go.
Appfolio
This web-based application is a little bit more comprehensive. With some great reviews on SoftwareAdvice.com, this software tool allows you to list properties, fill out online applications, run background checks, creates lease agreements and accepts payments. It runs on desktops, tablets and includes an app as well. Appfolio claims to save businesses money, increase efficiency and cut time spent on rent week by 50%.
Journal of Property Management
While not exactly an app to manage your everyday dealings, the 4-star Journal of Property Management app ranks among the top apps for property managers. The digital version of the industry magazine published by the Institute of Real Estate Management includes valuable articles and resources educating and assisting property managers. It also has interesting insight on trends and issues impacting property managers of all types.
PayByGroup
For property managers that are managing buildings or homes with multiple tenants PayByGroup is a great way to organized and collect money from all tenants separately and securely rather than having to collect one check. It makes it more convenient for the tenants and if there is something holding up one of the payments, the rest of the money can still be received on time. PayByGroup isn’t property management specific, but is very valuable to those in the property management industry. Here’s more on how it works.
UpKeep
UpKeep is the perfect option for property managers that need to manage tasks and projects associated with certain properties. It even has an applicaton for the Apple Watch. Currently 100% free, you can easily assign work orders to users, create projects and manage asset history. This application is perfect for collaborating on projects and work orders with maintenance while documenting everything. You can also use it to manage your daily tasks and stay organized.
These are just some of the applications and programs that we’ve seen our clients have success with in the past. Stepping away from spreadsheets and integrating software into the mix comes with some difficulties – there’s always a little bit of pushback on change. However, when you can eliminate paper or additional steps and access information on the go – it’s always a win-win scenario.
What do you think? Have you used any of these apps successfully? Are there other tools that you would suggest for property managers? Let us know in the comments.
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