Property Management Software

by Ashley Halligan
Property Management Analyst, Software Advice
April 30, 2012

Since different owners have different needs, there are hundreds of different software programs available today. Some are designed for comprehensive companies managing multiple rental types and others target a specific niche in the industry. The information below describes some of the features to consider to ensure your program meets your needs.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What Is Property Management Software?
Application Categories
What Type of Buyer Are You?

Market Forces and Trends
Benefits & Potential Issues

What is Property Management Software?

Software for property managers streamlines the wide range of tasks that a landlord or apartment manager needs on a regular basis. Specific features include some combination of rent collection and notices, tenant screening, work order management, integrated marketing, budgeting and forecasting, website integration, and more.

Application Categories

What Type of Buyer Are You?

Residential, commercial, condos, apartments, manufactured homes, student housing, and mixed-use portfolios all have different needs, and different programs have features dedicated to a particular niche. So before evaluating software, you’ll want to make sure you know what type of buyer category you belong in:

• Niche-use buyer. Owners dealing exclusively with apartments will have different needs than a landlord with eight single-family dwellings. If your company manages only one kind of property, a program targeted to that niche generally provides better value for money.
• Integrated suite buyers. If your company manages multiple different kinds of properties, you’ll want a robust software system that can handle the needs of each.

Managers should identify which products are best rated for the type and the number of rental units they manage. For example, if you manage offices and retail properties, you should refer to our commercial property manager software guide. Landlords of rental properties of all sizes should peruse the various landlord software options. Condo or home owner associations (HOA) should refer to our HOA software guide. These guides offer comprehensive data on systems, and include several property management software reviews.

Managers should also consider the following:

• Will you accept government subsidies (Section 8 certificate and voucher programs) as partial rent payments?
• Do you need asset tracking to keep track of appliances, furniture and other assets?
• Will you need a customer relationship management (CRM) application to manage marketing campaigns and recruit prospective tenants?
• Do you run a website? Do you require a prospect portal to post photos, brochures, and floor plans online to attract prospects?
• Consider the type of computer you'll be operating from. Some systems are compatible with Windows, whereas there's also specialized property management software for Macs. 
• Will you require a resident portal so that residents can communicate with your managing team, make online payments, renew leases, and place service requests?

Market Trends You Should Understand

There are two main trends affecting the development of software:

• Software as a Service (SaaS). Many industries are moving away from locally installed systems and toward Web-based SaaS modules. SaaS significantly reduces installation costs by eliminating the need for an on-premise, dedicated IT infrastructure. That means there’s no need to manage upgrades or maintenance in house; the vendor hosts and handles it all. With SaaS modules, management staff can also access the software from anywhere with an Internet connection.
• Online tenant services. Going hand in hand with SaaS, renters increasingly want to receive rent reminders via email. They also want access to Web-based interfaces where they can pay rent, file maintenance requests, submit their notice to vacate, or search their property's handbook for the information they need. A system that supports these needs becomes increasingly critical, especially if you manage more units and more properties.
• Automatic vacancy posting.These days, the Internet is the first place people go when they’re looking for a new place to live. Therefore, more management systems are letting you post vacancies to sites like Craigslist, Rental.com, and Apartments.com, using the information already in the system. All you have to do is click a few buttons, and the listing is posted to half a dozen places, helping you fill vacancies with a fraction of the amount of work.
• Paperless management. Many businesses in different markets are trending toward going paperless. The right software lets the user store documents digitally and allow for digital correspondence, resulting in fewer lost documents and faster retrieval of information.

Benefits & Potential Issues

The primary benefits of a management system is to increase efficiency, improve collections, and enhance the quality of service provided to the tenant. Increased back-office efficiency streamlines the administrative tasks associated with rent collections, lease tracking, and maintenance orders, which in turn reduces staff requirements over the long term. Online services and faster turnaround times and maintenance requests will also help to reduce turnover, the greatest expense associated with managing properties.

The cost of the software pales in comparison to the savings, which is why most companies prefer to use an integrated management system than separate programs—or worse, a manual system.

Have an opinion on this guide? Email the authors. We appreciate the feedback.