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Buildium Property Management Software
 | 20 Reviews (4.4/5) |
Providing web-based management tools for small and medium-sized property management businesses and homeowner associations, Buildium includes functionality for financial management, reporting, and communication.
Tools in the system include general ledger accounting, secure online payments, online maintenance requests, and tenant screening. Access is also provided to renters, property owners, board members, and others involved in providing full-service, self-service, and complete transparency. Users can even leverage Buildium to market vacant rental units to prospective tenants via Craigslist and other listing sites.
The software is available in different editions, depending on the user. These include the Landlord Edition, Property Manager Edition, and Associate Edition (for board members and trustees in a self-managed condo or homeowners association). The specific functionality of the system depends on the edition purchased. Data is protected by way of automatic backups, and new features are updated based on customer feedback. The software is offered as a service, with a monthly fee based on how many units are being managed in the system.
Each module of Buildium supports data export to Microsoft Excel, so users can keep their own data on-premises if they choose. Thousands of customers choose Buildium for their real estate and property management needs. Users can try the software with a 15-day free trial. Training is not usually a necessity; the user interface is designed to appear much like a conventional website, tapping into most users’ familiarity with basic web surfing. The software can be accessed with Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 3 or higher versions.
20 Reviews of Buildium
Overall rating
Buildium is the simplest, most accessible, and most powerful property management solution available. I manage a few scattered site rentals for about 10 owners. Buildium takes care of all the administrative work, so that I can handle the physical property management.
The customer support has been outstanding! They really understand their product and care to support the technology. I've only needed customer support to tell me where an advanced feature is; I've never had a real problem with the software.
The customer support has been outstanding! They really understand their product and care to support the technology. I've only needed customer support to tell me where an advanced feature is; I've never had a real problem with the software.
Overall rating
Several years ago the corporation purchased a 158 room student dormitory complex from a developer. Our corporation is a 501(c)3, non-profit, research and development arm of a state institution. At the time we purchased this complex the current owners were using a multi-user, server-based system that offered very few benefits and almost no features that are considered standard in today’s market. We researched the alternatives and I had the opportunity to speak directly with the developers at Buildium.
We decided to try Buildium and have never looked back. The implementation of the product went flawlessly and the ease of use made training our staff a snap. Buildium has met every requirement we have run into. Being able to request additions or modifications to the software and see those changes incorporated into the product has been an extremely gratifying experience.
Our operation is very different from most in that we have students housed per semester whose board is paid by grants, loans, parents, or by the student. Having a system that integrates with the software our CPA uses, coupled with the ability of parents, students, and college staff being able to immediately see the status of the account is a major plus that reduces the effort we expend towards collections.
Because of our status, we are required to have a full audit every year. Those of you who have been through an audit can easily see how much labor is reduced by having a system that the auditor can directly access and see the lease, account history, and payment method for every student. While we have yet to find an audit firm that will give us a discount, the sheer amount of time saved by using this system vice hunting through boxes of old leases is enormous.
Another major benefit is the task/job order system. The ability of the students to use the same access to see their account and put in maintenance requests, suggestions, and questions is a significant area for us. Additionally, linking the web site to the application allows us to easily collect applications from prospective students worldwide which has also helped reduce our labor hours and been a benefit to our customers.
We decided to try Buildium and have never looked back. The implementation of the product went flawlessly and the ease of use made training our staff a snap. Buildium has met every requirement we have run into. Being able to request additions or modifications to the software and see those changes incorporated into the product has been an extremely gratifying experience.
Our operation is very different from most in that we have students housed per semester whose board is paid by grants, loans, parents, or by the student. Having a system that integrates with the software our CPA uses, coupled with the ability of parents, students, and college staff being able to immediately see the status of the account is a major plus that reduces the effort we expend towards collections.
Because of our status, we are required to have a full audit every year. Those of you who have been through an audit can easily see how much labor is reduced by having a system that the auditor can directly access and see the lease, account history, and payment method for every student. While we have yet to find an audit firm that will give us a discount, the sheer amount of time saved by using this system vice hunting through boxes of old leases is enormous.
Another major benefit is the task/job order system. The ability of the students to use the same access to see their account and put in maintenance requests, suggestions, and questions is a significant area for us. Additionally, linking the web site to the application allows us to easily collect applications from prospective students worldwide which has also helped reduce our labor hours and been a benefit to our customers.
Overall rating
To date, we mange 160 units and use Buildium as our software to organize and build our business. Buildium is an excellent platform on which to build your business.
They have exceptional customer service and continue to improve features all the time. We chose Buildium because it is a web-based solutions that allows our owners to see, in real time, what's going on. It also allows our tenants to pay rent online and request maintenance, all through the software.
We are very happy with our choice and have nothing but great things to say about Buildium.
They have exceptional customer service and continue to improve features all the time. We chose Buildium because it is a web-based solutions that allows our owners to see, in real time, what's going on. It also allows our tenants to pay rent online and request maintenance, all through the software.
We are very happy with our choice and have nothing but great things to say about Buildium.
Overall rating
We manage a 650 (primarily single family homes) properties over an 80 mile radius.
Almost everything about Buildium is user-friendly and gives clients a good online experience. However, the accounting piece is absolutely unacceptable! We have enjoyed our time with Buildium, but have moved on to something that more closely meets state regulated trust accounting needs.
We would have happily stayed with Buildium if our needs had been met with any care at all. But no call backs (even after promises of such and admittance that the problem was on Buildium's end) made it absolutely imperative to find a better solution. No other benefit can make up for accounting glitches (especially when unaddressed and unresolved) in this business.
Almost everything about Buildium is user-friendly and gives clients a good online experience. However, the accounting piece is absolutely unacceptable! We have enjoyed our time with Buildium, but have moved on to something that more closely meets state regulated trust accounting needs.
We would have happily stayed with Buildium if our needs had been met with any care at all. But no call backs (even after promises of such and admittance that the problem was on Buildium's end) made it absolutely imperative to find a better solution. No other benefit can make up for accounting glitches (especially when unaddressed and unresolved) in this business.
Response by Michael from Buildium | June 2011
Kelli's right... we dropped the ball with her. She called us with an problem that required some legwork on our end. We tried calling her after digging into her problem, but ended up having to leave her a voicemail. That's where we dropped the ball. After leaving her a message, we never followed-up to make sure she got it. As a result, her problem went unresolved for way too long. We've since spoken with Kelli and we hope earned back her trust. We've also made some changes to the way we do things to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.
Overall rating
Our company manages residential and commercial rentals.
I searched for a long time for a web-based product to meet our needs after using Yardi for years. We were still using an older DOS version of Yardi and it was not user-friendly or easy for employees to learn and had limited capabilities.
I found Buildium after researching options and set it up for a test drive. We love the online web version and are just now in the process of implementing the tenant interface and tenant website features.
The set-up and simplicity are the big draws for us and the customer support has been outstanding.
We have simplified our life and found a great solution with Buildium. The regular improvements and upgrades to the software are all automatic now with the web version.
Buildium has shown great progress and and keeps rolling out new improved versions of their software and we continue to look forward to these improvements.
I searched for a long time for a web-based product to meet our needs after using Yardi for years. We were still using an older DOS version of Yardi and it was not user-friendly or easy for employees to learn and had limited capabilities.
I found Buildium after researching options and set it up for a test drive. We love the online web version and are just now in the process of implementing the tenant interface and tenant website features.
The set-up and simplicity are the big draws for us and the customer support has been outstanding.
We have simplified our life and found a great solution with Buildium. The regular improvements and upgrades to the software are all automatic now with the web version.
Buildium has shown great progress and and keeps rolling out new improved versions of their software and we continue to look forward to these improvements.
Overall rating
Forth Group is a mid-sized association management company uniquely focused on service and we use modern technology to deliver great service.
We selected Buildium in 2008 because it integrated a number of communication, database, and accounting functions in one location, and enabled us to work from various locations without a VPN. Prior to converting to Builidum we used a typical server-based system, and when looking for solutions did not find many fully integrated web-based options.
Converting to Buildium was easy and seamless. Our staff has easily picked how to use the software, and when needed the support has been great.
We selected Buildium in 2008 because it integrated a number of communication, database, and accounting functions in one location, and enabled us to work from various locations without a VPN. Prior to converting to Builidum we used a typical server-based system, and when looking for solutions did not find many fully integrated web-based options.
Converting to Buildium was easy and seamless. Our staff has easily picked how to use the software, and when needed the support has been great.
Overall rating
We have an HOA of about 1,400 property owners. We had been keeping track of things with a variety of accounting programs and spreadsheets. As we grew mailings became a nightmare: imagine labeling and stuffing 1,400 envelopes 8 to 10 times a year.
Although we didn't buy the software we do use Buildium online. We did some research, talked to some current Buildium customers and decided to try it. With the help of the Buildium staff the implementation went quickly and easily.
It is fairly easy to use and getting even easier. If you have a question or a problem
their support team is great and getting better. One of the things I look for in a company that I deal with is "continuous improvement" and I can say that Buildium has one of the best "continuous improvement" programs that I've ever dealt with.
If I had to quantify what Buildium has done for us it would be that it has allowed one employee to manage 1,400 units by himself. That's me.
Although we didn't buy the software we do use Buildium online. We did some research, talked to some current Buildium customers and decided to try it. With the help of the Buildium staff the implementation went quickly and easily.
It is fairly easy to use and getting even easier. If you have a question or a problem
their support team is great and getting better. One of the things I look for in a company that I deal with is "continuous improvement" and I can say that Buildium has one of the best "continuous improvement" programs that I've ever dealt with.
If I had to quantify what Buildium has done for us it would be that it has allowed one employee to manage 1,400 units by himself. That's me.
Overall rating
My company manages 130 rental units in a small Wyoming community of 9,000 people. We used to handle the bookkeeping via Microsoft Money while contacts and other data were kept in spreadsheets. Needless to say, this was time-consuming and often difficult. Since switching to Buildium, we've easily cut the time required to handle bookkeeping by 40-50% because everything is tied together. It also simplified tracking owners, properties, tenants, lease details and much more.
I've been using Buildium for one year now and I'm not looking back! I've tested many of the other systems out there and Buildium seems to be the best bang for the buck, particularly when considering the new version about to launch.
All that aside, the #1 reason I enjoy Buildium is the customer support. They actively seek feedback from users. They enable us to make suggestions on how to improve or which features are most important to users, then they enable others to comment/rate that suggestion. But the best part is that if I ever have a problem, I can get someone on the phone or they'll email me a response, usually in less than 30 minutes. Their customer support is top notch and it's hard to put a price on that!
I've been using Buildium for one year now and I'm not looking back! I've tested many of the other systems out there and Buildium seems to be the best bang for the buck, particularly when considering the new version about to launch.
All that aside, the #1 reason I enjoy Buildium is the customer support. They actively seek feedback from users. They enable us to make suggestions on how to improve or which features are most important to users, then they enable others to comment/rate that suggestion. But the best part is that if I ever have a problem, I can get someone on the phone or they'll email me a response, usually in less than 30 minutes. Their customer support is top notch and it's hard to put a price on that!
Overall rating
I own a property management company and have been in property management for over 15 years. I am a huge fan of this software and I have used if for almost 2 years now. The software is user-friendly and the Buildium team is constantly working on improvements.
I had a webinar recently on the new Buildium that will be out soon and it looks like they took the user suggestions and put them to good use. The software provides online access to me, the owner and the tenant, and it's great. Tenants being able to pay rent online is a great convenience, both to them and to me. Paying the owner by electronic funds and sending monthly statements is also a huge time-saver. This used to take me all day to do and now can be done in a matter of 30 minutes.
Time is money and they are making my time and money go much farther than other software I have used. Keep up the good work Buildium.
I had a webinar recently on the new Buildium that will be out soon and it looks like they took the user suggestions and put them to good use. The software provides online access to me, the owner and the tenant, and it's great. Tenants being able to pay rent online is a great convenience, both to them and to me. Paying the owner by electronic funds and sending monthly statements is also a huge time-saver. This used to take me all day to do and now can be done in a matter of 30 minutes.
Time is money and they are making my time and money go much farther than other software I have used. Keep up the good work Buildium.
Overall rating
Buildium has enabled me to manage 24 properties without having to use a property management firm. The online rental pay for my tenants is a great advantage over other properties and saves me time and money. Tenants enjoy having a portal where they can pay their rent, send in maintenance requests and have their lease available. I enjoy that it is easy to use, economical and support is always fast and convenient when I have questions.
I would definitely recommend Buildium to other small landlords!
I would definitely recommend Buildium to other small landlords!
Overall rating
I'm a small property manager (looking to continue to grow). After doing a lot of research on PM software options, I chose Buildium.
Several reasons drove my choice:
1) Scalable with my business - pricing is based on the number of units you manage. It's very affordable for someone starting, and can grow with your business
2) It's in the cloud - I routinely access it from my laptop, iPad, and smartphone. I don't have to worry about where I am to get access to my data.
3) Payment features - allows tenant ACH payments, and owner direct deposits. The banking portion is integrated into the software, so it's one step to initiate a payment and record it in the appropriate ledger.
Downsides:
1) No contact synch (yet) - I don't want to maintain all my vendor contacts in gmail, iPhone and Buildium. They are supposed to be working on a solution for this.
2) Reporting - there are a decent number of standard reports and mailings, but they are not as customizable as other accounting apps (QuickBooks).
Buildium does constantly solicit user feedback, and allows users to vote on which proposed features they would like to see most.
Overall, I'm pleased with the product and would make the same decision again.
Several reasons drove my choice:
1) Scalable with my business - pricing is based on the number of units you manage. It's very affordable for someone starting, and can grow with your business
2) It's in the cloud - I routinely access it from my laptop, iPad, and smartphone. I don't have to worry about where I am to get access to my data.
3) Payment features - allows tenant ACH payments, and owner direct deposits. The banking portion is integrated into the software, so it's one step to initiate a payment and record it in the appropriate ledger.
Downsides:
1) No contact synch (yet) - I don't want to maintain all my vendor contacts in gmail, iPhone and Buildium. They are supposed to be working on a solution for this.
2) Reporting - there are a decent number of standard reports and mailings, but they are not as customizable as other accounting apps (QuickBooks).
Buildium does constantly solicit user feedback, and allows users to vote on which proposed features they would like to see most.
Overall, I'm pleased with the product and would make the same decision again.
Overall rating
We've been using this software for a year and half now . . . as we have grown from 35 unique, mostly single family residential units to almost 70 units plus commercial properties and parking lots.
The accounting, marketing, management details are integrated so beautifully. It has truly streamlined our business practices.
The accounting, marketing, management details are integrated so beautifully. It has truly streamlined our business practices.
Overall rating
We are a medium-sized property management company in Arizona. Before using Buildium, we used a cumbersome system and our reports often were not correct.
When I came on board in February of 2010, the Owner was already looking into other software. After studying some of his suggestions, we decided on Buildium. Because the data in our previous system was not reliable, I did all the input into the new system manually, which took approximately 2.5 weeks. We then ran dual the first month and found Buildium to be solid, reliable and accurate.
Being a new user, I used the "Help" and direct contact to Buildium when I wasn't sure about the "how-to" and there response was very fast, pleasant and helpful. I learned Buildium quickly. Because of the accuracy of ledgers and Owner statements, the Owner started marketing again and we have grown tremendously in only a year. The Owner is now confident with the figures that go to the property owners each month and can concentrate on expanding the business.
When I came on board in February of 2010, the Owner was already looking into other software. After studying some of his suggestions, we decided on Buildium. Because the data in our previous system was not reliable, I did all the input into the new system manually, which took approximately 2.5 weeks. We then ran dual the first month and found Buildium to be solid, reliable and accurate.
Being a new user, I used the "Help" and direct contact to Buildium when I wasn't sure about the "how-to" and there response was very fast, pleasant and helpful. I learned Buildium quickly. Because of the accuracy of ledgers and Owner statements, the Owner started marketing again and we have grown tremendously in only a year. The Owner is now confident with the figures that go to the property owners each month and can concentrate on expanding the business.
Overall rating
Two years ago I started my own property management company (I manage 27 single family homes) and I am a one person organization. Before I found Buildium I had different software that was so difficult to use and really had no support to speak of.
I sort of stumbled across Buildium after extensive internet research and figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, especially because of the 30 day free trial period. Right from the start I knew that I had made the right choice. This program is easy to use and does not require a degree in accounting. Changing over to Buildium was easy as well; anyone with a computer can use this program.
Best of all is the customer service; it is outstanding, I know I had to use it a lot. Not only are they very knowledgeable, they are very helpful in a really nice way. Buildium as a whole is just great and I have recommended it over and over again. My tenants and owners like it as well, because it makes them feel as part of the team: for them everything is in plain sight. For me it is a time saver and I never have to worry about my computer crashing. "My stuff" will always be there.
Again I have to say buy this program for its ease of use, great features, awesome outstanding customer service and great value.
I sort of stumbled across Buildium after extensive internet research and figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, especially because of the 30 day free trial period. Right from the start I knew that I had made the right choice. This program is easy to use and does not require a degree in accounting. Changing over to Buildium was easy as well; anyone with a computer can use this program.
Best of all is the customer service; it is outstanding, I know I had to use it a lot. Not only are they very knowledgeable, they are very helpful in a really nice way. Buildium as a whole is just great and I have recommended it over and over again. My tenants and owners like it as well, because it makes them feel as part of the team: for them everything is in plain sight. For me it is a time saver and I never have to worry about my computer crashing. "My stuff" will always be there.
Again I have to say buy this program for its ease of use, great features, awesome outstanding customer service and great value.
Overall rating
When we started this company we researched all the major options for property management software. After seriously looking at about 3 programs, we decided Buildium was the best choice.
Buildium is a key part of our business. Without it we couldn't possibly deal with the level of business we do and stay organized. The system saves us a lot of time, allowing us to service our current clients and actively marketing for new business instead of wasting time on administrative/organizational tasks all the time.
The improvements and updated look they are bringing to the system are going to clear up most of the few complaints we did have about the system.
Buildium is a key part of our business. Without it we couldn't possibly deal with the level of business we do and stay organized. The system saves us a lot of time, allowing us to service our current clients and actively marketing for new business instead of wasting time on administrative/organizational tasks all the time.
The improvements and updated look they are bringing to the system are going to clear up most of the few complaints we did have about the system.
Overall rating
I'm an IT guy, so I researched what software I wanted to use extensively before ultimately choosing Buildium. I wanted to use web-based software so I would have the freedom to travel, etc, without lugging my laptop and files around "just in case".
Buildium is great for me. Every time I have a tenant sign a document, it gets scanned right into Buildium, and it's available to both of us via the tenant web portal at all times. I use the tenant portal to accept payments and can issue checks to my vendors from within the software, and I can do it from the other side of the planet if I want to.
All of this plus decent support makes for a pretty great way to do business...
Buildium is great for me. Every time I have a tenant sign a document, it gets scanned right into Buildium, and it's available to both of us via the tenant web portal at all times. I use the tenant portal to accept payments and can issue checks to my vendors from within the software, and I can do it from the other side of the planet if I want to.
All of this plus decent support makes for a pretty great way to do business...
Overall rating
I manage 131 rental units for 40+ owners. I previously used Microsoft Money, which was very antiquated and time-consuming. I also had an older version of Tenant Pro. I needed to upgrade to something that would integrate my accounting and information management while simultaneously reducing my workload.
I started by signing up for free trials with a variety of companies. I tried Yardi, Appfolio, TenantPro, Promas, Trexglobal, Propertysolutions, and others. I narrowed it down to just a few of the best and then I quickly narrowed it down even more and selected Buildium.
Many of the programs comparable to Buildium are quite a bit more expensive. In some cases, they are more complex and actually more difficult to use. Based on the number of units I currently manage, my projected growth, and my budget, Buildium was far and away the best bang for the buck. I've been using it for a year and haven't looked back.
It allows me to do EVERYTHING without relying on any other software. I can email tenants, advertise listings, store documents online, run reports, provide access to owners and tenants, and much, much more. This is truly an all-inclusive system.
While there are some features or capabilities I would like to see improved - or added - the program already does everything very well. The best part is the customer service! I can contact them by phone and I've never had to wait more than a couple minutes. But even better is the online support system. I submit an email (and can even attach a document, picture, or screen shot) and they typically respond within 30 minutes to an hour. I once called customer service for a rather basic question and the rep talked to me for over 30 minutes about general management issues!
The bottom line: there are other systems out there, some better and some worse. But for the price, Buildium is on top and I can't image switching to anything else. On a scale of 10, I give them a 9.5. Thanks!
I started by signing up for free trials with a variety of companies. I tried Yardi, Appfolio, TenantPro, Promas, Trexglobal, Propertysolutions, and others. I narrowed it down to just a few of the best and then I quickly narrowed it down even more and selected Buildium.
Many of the programs comparable to Buildium are quite a bit more expensive. In some cases, they are more complex and actually more difficult to use. Based on the number of units I currently manage, my projected growth, and my budget, Buildium was far and away the best bang for the buck. I've been using it for a year and haven't looked back.
It allows me to do EVERYTHING without relying on any other software. I can email tenants, advertise listings, store documents online, run reports, provide access to owners and tenants, and much, much more. This is truly an all-inclusive system.
While there are some features or capabilities I would like to see improved - or added - the program already does everything very well. The best part is the customer service! I can contact them by phone and I've never had to wait more than a couple minutes. But even better is the online support system. I submit an email (and can even attach a document, picture, or screen shot) and they typically respond within 30 minutes to an hour. I once called customer service for a rather basic question and the rep talked to me for over 30 minutes about general management issues!
The bottom line: there are other systems out there, some better and some worse. But for the price, Buildium is on top and I can't image switching to anything else. On a scale of 10, I give them a 9.5. Thanks!
Overall rating
I switched to Buildium from QuickBooks in July 2011 and will switch off on January 1, 2012. We manage about 100 single family properties that are owned by about 30 investors.
Yes Buildium is easy. Yes it is simple but if you are in the business of managing properties for multiple owners it just doesn't do the job. First, there is no way to invoice an owner for repairs. Buildium says you should have enough in your reserve account to cover the bill. OK, that makes sense, but what if you don't? There is no way within the system to tell an owner about upcoming expenses. You have to use another accounting system (QuickBooks for me) to invoice and track receipts. Then you have to add the invoice and payment to Buildium so the owner's reports on the portal (a nice but rarely used feature) are complete.
The ability to sort reports is nearly non-existent. Buildium says to down load the report to Excel and then sort. Trouble is, the Excel file has so many merged fields that you cannot sort a single column. It is taking me 15 minutes to find and remove all the merged header information before a simple sort can be done. If you select the entire sheet then un-merge the report becomes a mess.
The ability to "find" is absolutely non-existent. If you get a check for $1,453.62 and need to know where to apply it, good luck my friend. You have to call the issuer and get the name of the property and unit.
Receipts, statements and reports, which are generated as pdf, are all formatted differently. This means you have to have 3 different types of window envelopes on hand at all times. Buildium is "joined at the hip" with NELCO printing and I have not been able to find checks other than NELCO's that print correctly. Why is this a big deal? NELCO charges $0.35 a check while Costco charges $0.035 per per check. If Buildium is not getting commissions on the business they send to NELCO, they certainly should.
The online help search feature is worthless. There is no content searching so whatever word you type in the search box shows every page that includes any of the searched words. Skip the search and go directly to their index. With a little effort you can find an answer.
The support team is quite pleasant and responds quickly. They rarely, however, have a direct answer and absolutely refuse to ever confirm a feature, like sending a bill to an owner, is just not there. What they do is endlessly reply, "We don't understand your question, please clarify."
I have no one to blame for selecting Buildium except myself. When I asked to be shown features in the online demo I was told to talk to sales. When I asked sales the same question they said to sign up for a demo.
In summary Buildium is cheap and easy but of little substance.
Yes Buildium is easy. Yes it is simple but if you are in the business of managing properties for multiple owners it just doesn't do the job. First, there is no way to invoice an owner for repairs. Buildium says you should have enough in your reserve account to cover the bill. OK, that makes sense, but what if you don't? There is no way within the system to tell an owner about upcoming expenses. You have to use another accounting system (QuickBooks for me) to invoice and track receipts. Then you have to add the invoice and payment to Buildium so the owner's reports on the portal (a nice but rarely used feature) are complete.
The ability to sort reports is nearly non-existent. Buildium says to down load the report to Excel and then sort. Trouble is, the Excel file has so many merged fields that you cannot sort a single column. It is taking me 15 minutes to find and remove all the merged header information before a simple sort can be done. If you select the entire sheet then un-merge the report becomes a mess.
The ability to "find" is absolutely non-existent. If you get a check for $1,453.62 and need to know where to apply it, good luck my friend. You have to call the issuer and get the name of the property and unit.
Receipts, statements and reports, which are generated as pdf, are all formatted differently. This means you have to have 3 different types of window envelopes on hand at all times. Buildium is "joined at the hip" with NELCO printing and I have not been able to find checks other than NELCO's that print correctly. Why is this a big deal? NELCO charges $0.35 a check while Costco charges $0.035 per per check. If Buildium is not getting commissions on the business they send to NELCO, they certainly should.
The online help search feature is worthless. There is no content searching so whatever word you type in the search box shows every page that includes any of the searched words. Skip the search and go directly to their index. With a little effort you can find an answer.
The support team is quite pleasant and responds quickly. They rarely, however, have a direct answer and absolutely refuse to ever confirm a feature, like sending a bill to an owner, is just not there. What they do is endlessly reply, "We don't understand your question, please clarify."
I have no one to blame for selecting Buildium except myself. When I asked to be shown features in the online demo I was told to talk to sales. When I asked sales the same question they said to sign up for a demo.
In summary Buildium is cheap and easy but of little substance.
Response by Michael from Buildium from Buildium | August 2011
I have a few minor quibbles with Jim’s review, but he’s mostly right. While you can invoice an owner for repairs, it’s not as easy as it should be. Jim’s also right about our reports; we provide most of the reports people expect, but you can’t customize them and trying to manipulate them in Excel is a pain. That’s something we plan to tackle in a future release.
It’s also way too hard to find what you’re looking for in the current release, but that’s changing with the new global search feature due out in the next few weeks. You still won’t be able to search for a missing check, but that’s on our roadmap too.
It’s also way too hard to find what you’re looking for in the current release, but that’s changing with the new global search feature due out in the next few weeks. You still won’t be able to search for a missing check, but that’s on our roadmap too.
Overall rating
We are a small property management company. We needed software that was efficient and would help us grow our business. Time is money, as they say. We tried using another property management software, but it was ridiculously complicated, convoluted, and expensive. Buildium is intuitive and the customer support is friendly, helpful, and patient.
Overall rating
We love the buildium product. It was easy to import my existing info to get started. The customer support is outstanding and it has eliminated about 6 other files I used to track info on my properties. Love it.
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