We could all use just a little more time to get everything checked off our to-do lists. If you’re a property manager at any size property, you and your team have a seemingly endless list of daily tasks, from interacting with new prospects to taking resident payments. Fortunately, modern technology is evolving to help speed things up at work. Advances in online services mean many processes that once had to be done by hand can now be automated. Recently, a few clients have shared quantifiable time savings they’re seeing at their businesses as a result of implementing better property management software. Take a look to see where you could be saving hours every month. Online Applications: 15+ minutes per application How much time do onsite teams spend entering application data? Mallory Monsma, marketing leader at NALS, estimates that online applications save its leasing agents 15 minutes each. In August of 2016, the team processed 347 applications, resulting in a time savings of 87 hours. If you’re using esignatures and completing the leasing process entirely online, your time savings will be even greater. Not to mention all the savings you’ll accrue surrounding printing, mailing, paper costs and physical storage. Online Payments: 4+ minutes per payment Monsma says that automated payment processing saves at least two minutes per check and a 20-minute roundtrip to the bank for every 10 checks. These numbers might seem small, but they quickly add up across a portfolio. In a month with 11,000 online payments, the NALS team saved 44,000 minutes (733 hours). Getting onboard with online payments also adds convenience for renters and speeds up cash flow. Roscoe Properties collects 95% of its rent electronically, quickly and on time. Mariana Estrada, vice president of operations, enthused, “That’s massive! That’s money...

If you’re a small to mid-size residential property manager who is looking for a way to simplify processes, you’re not alone. Landlords and property managers wear many hats, often jumping back and forth between office chores and onsite duties in a single day. The constant juggling of locations, jobs and tools can be exhausting! The four responsibilities below are probably a huge part of your daily life. Keep reading to see how you can use a smart property management platform to excel at each and every task – without juggling passwords or feeling chained to your desk. Streamline Property Management Is your software made to suit your portfolio? Some solutions only work well with one asset class, and others generalize for multiple property types without providing the specific tools you need to manage a diverse portfolio. The right software platform will have everything you need to support every property type. For residential property management – whether it’s single family home, apartment, affordable housing or condo – you should be able to move-in residents and complete your accounting tasks as well as maintain compliance and calculate community fees as needed, without having to use a separate program. And on the commercial side – whether it’s office, retail, industrial or self storage – you should be able to run automatic CAM reconciliations that will save you significant man hours every year. Integrate Property Marketing Adopting a property management solution with marketing and leasing capabilities benefits both managers and renters. Recent research by Google indicates that apartment shoppers view 20 property websites online, but only visit three properties in person. Make sure your property gets a visit by having a responsive website with high resolution photos and floor plans, as well as SEO-friendly content. RentCafe for Genesis2...

Property managers are busy people. It seems like there is always more to do! Paperwork and desktop data entry can really slow you down, especially when you need to be onsite. No one can be in two places at once. Fortunately, today’s technology is making it easier to work more effectively from anywhere. Mobile tools empower property managers with a streamlined, convenient, and modern way to do business. Mobile leasing, mobile payments, and mobile maintenance are three innovative solutions currently available to small to mid-size residential property managers using Yardi Genesis2 that will help you get more done in less time. Mobile Leasing Mobile leasing is a must in today’s marketplace. In fact, the recent NMHC/Kingsley 2015 Renter Preferences Study that polled nearly 120,000 residents revealed that 85% of renters prefer to apply online. Not only is it more convenient for them, it also saves you time and increases your opportunity to convert more leads into leases. When a potential renter is ready to begin the leasing process, your mobile-friendly website should be ready to turn prospects into residents with step-by-step online leasing. Mobile leasing solutions let website visitors view real-time pricing, see unit availability, and complete online applications right on your property websites from any device. Applicants can fill out and submit all required forms online day or night to complete the leasing process. This means you can now fill your vacancies around the clock without being limited by your office hours. With mobile leasing capabilities, you never have to worry about the time-consuming process of scheduling appointments and manually processing applications. Applicants just check out your site, apply online, and move on to the next, more exciting step of being a renter. Mobile Payments Paying rent online is a convenience that many...