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Kerri Davis built Fortress because the property management software she used as an executive could not handle affordable housing. She tested platform after platform, got fed up, and started building a better one. Fortress began as an internal tool and grew into a property management OS built by operators, for operators.
Key takeaways
Kerri Davis founded Fortress after existing proptech tools failed her real affordable housing workflows day after day.
Fortress started as an internal tool to fill real gaps, then became a full property management platform.
Davis went from property management executive to software CEO by fixing her own daily operational pain.
Fortress automates repetitive tasks so site teams spend more time with residents and less time on paperwork.
The platform was built by operators who lived the leasing, renewal, and compliance grind firsthand.
Fortress CEO Kerri Davis will discuss her unconventional career path – and how she built a leading proptech company – in this year’s Women of Influence conference.
In her prior role as president of Elmington’s property management division, Kerri Davis looked around the proptech offerings in the market and was dissatisfied. So she set out to build a better platform.
Fast forward to today: Davis is the founder and CEO of Fortress, a revolutionary software company shaping the future of property management that counts Walker & Dunlop as an investor and boasts 50,000+ units on the platform. Fortress started as an internal tool and is now actively onboarding clients across the country.
Davis will host 1:1 Unplugged: A View From The Top, on the final day of the GlobeSt Women Of Influence conference in Deer Valley later this month, where she’ll discuss the journey she took to get to where she is today.
“During my presentation, the audience will hear how I went from a property management executive that was fed up with her tech stack to building a property management software company,” Davis tells GlobeSt.com in advance of the conference. “For those considering starting a company, I’ll provide a high-level road map about how we went from an idea to taking a product to market. I’ll also share my untraditional career journey and key learnings I’ve had along the way.”
Davis also says Fortress is “paying attention to automation” as the year goes on.
“There are so many daily tasks that property managers complete that can be automated, which will allow them more time to build relationships with residents,” she says. “Fortress has automated numerous tasks, and we are always looking for ways to continue to optimize processes from leasing to renewals through accessing data and automated reporting.”
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Fortress Property Management Software was built by veteran property managers to deliver a remarkably easy to use interface, real-time insights and best-in-class customer support. Learn more about Fortress from the articles below:
- Fortress: Built by Property Managers, for Property Managers
- How Property Managers Save an Hour or More Each Day With Fortress
- Fortress: Real-time Insights, Not Stale Reports
- GlobeSt.com Names Kerri Davis a Women of Influence
- How Can Fortress Help Manage Your Affordable Housing Units?
Or schedule a demo with our team below and see Fortress in action:
Built by operators, for operators. Posts under this byline are written and reviewed by the team.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to what people ask about this topic. Still curious? Talk to our team.
Contact UsWho is Kerri Davis, the founder of Fortress?
Kerri Davis is the founder and CEO of Fortress. Before Fortress, she was a property management executive who ran a property management division. She was frustrated with the proptech tools on the market, so she set out to build a platform that actually fit how property teams work.
Why did Kerri Davis start a proptech company?
Kerri Davis started Fortress because the property management software she used as an executive did not fit her needs. She tested multiple platforms and none of them could handle her workflows. So she built one that could.
How did Fortress get started?
Fortress started as an internal tool built to fix the gaps Kerri Davis kept running into in property management software. Once it proved useful, it grew into a full platform and began serving property teams across the country.
What problem does Fortress solve for property managers?
Fortress targets the daily tasks that slow property teams down. It automates repetitive work from leasing through renewals, uses real-time data and automated reporting, and frees staff to spend more time building relationships with residents instead of chasing paperwork.
Was Fortress built for affordable housing?
Yes. Fortress was built by veteran property managers who knew affordable housing operations firsthand. The platform focuses on the leasing, renewal, compliance, and reporting workflows that affordable housing teams deal with every day, instead of treating those needs as an afterthought.
How does Fortress use automation to help property teams?
Fortress automates many of the repetitive tasks property managers handle, from leasing to renewals. It uses real-time data and automated reporting to cut manual steps, so teams spend less time on busywork and more time managing properties and helping residents.
