Sign in to Fortress OSWhy It's Time To Rethink Property Management And Embrace Technology
The old way burns teams out on repeat paperwork. The fix is straightforward. Automate the tasks that repeat themselves, build specialist teams instead of stretched generalists, and use software that reads your whole portfolio at once. Less busywork. More time for residents.
Key takeaways
Automation removes repeat paperwork from managers' plates so they spend more time building real relationships with residents.
Centralization replaces stretched generalists with specialist teams that do each task better and scale faster as portfolios grow.
Most property management software views one property at a time, so portfolio-wide trends stay hidden from operators who need them.
Good software serves every user type: renters, owners, managers, maintenance staff, and contractors all need to be considered.
Fortress was built by veteran property managers to centralize operations and surface real-time insights across the full portfolio.
Many factors are pushing multifamily owners and operators to rethink property management. From labor shortages to seemingly neverending maintenance requests and everything in between, there’s no shortage of pain points in property management. I’ve scaled a property management company from a few hundred units under management to over 30,000 units. I know firsthand how inefficient and frustrating property management can be, which is why I’m sharing ways we’ve rethought management by embracing automation, centralization and technology.
This article originally appeared on Forbes.com
Automation
Centralization
In the current state of property management, a property manager is a generalist. This person is tasked with doing everything from leasing tours to collections to answering resident questions. In rethinking property management, what if the work was divided up to create specialist units? Specialists will likely be better at their assigned tasks than a generalist, and operators can pay fewer people more money to do a better job. This approach also helped us rapidly scale our property management company.
Technology
The standard for property management software solutions on the market today is to look at each property individually versus a portfolio holistically. So, there’s limited portfolio-wide functionality and business intelligence offered with many of these tools. We encourage operators and software providers to think globally. Being able to see portfolio-wide trends in real time will help operators make faster, more informed decisions without needing to manually review each property’s individual reports.
The standard is also for technology to be really amazing for renters or for owners and managers, with very few being great for all user types. User types include renters, managers, real estate investors, management companies, maintenance professionals, contractors and more. Each group needs to be considered when developing tools for today’s market. Technology companies would be wise to consider all of the parties involved and collaborate with other tools in the market to make the best experience possible for the industry.
By embracing automation, centralization and technology, we see the future of property management having more meaningful work or specialized work resulting in higher paying roles for managers, more transparency for owners and renters and a wholistically improved experience for all users and departments.
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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:
· Founder & CEO
Scaled a Nashville affordable housing operation, couldn't find a system built for it, so she built one.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to what people ask about this topic. Still curious? Talk to our team.
Contact UsWhy should property managers embrace technology now?
Labor shortages and non-stop maintenance requests make the old manual way unsustainable. Technology automates repeat tasks, centralizes scattered work, and shows portfolio-wide trends in real time. That frees teams to do meaningful work like building resident relationships instead of pushing redundant paperwork.
What does automation do in property management?
Automation handles redundant, repeatable tasks like resident outreach after a move-in or a work order. People can only remember so much, so automating these steps creates wins and frees managers for more meaningful work. Building real rapport with residents beats pushing paperwork every time.
What is centralization in property management?
Centralization means dividing property management work into specialist units instead of relying on one generalist to handle everything from leasing tours to collections to resident questions. Specialists usually do their assigned tasks better than a generalist. Operators can pay fewer people more money to do a better job and scale faster.
Why is most property management software limited?
Most property management software looks at each property individually instead of the portfolio as a whole. That creates limited portfolio-wide visibility and makes business intelligence harder to act on. Seeing portfolio-wide trends in real time helps operators make faster, more informed decisions without manually reviewing each property's reports one by one.
Who should property management software be built for?
Property management software should be built for every user type, not just one. That includes renters, managers, real estate investors, management companies, maintenance professionals, and contractors. Most tools work well for renters or owners but few work well for all groups. Every user type deserves to be considered during development.
Can technology help affordable housing operators rethink their work?
Yes. Affordable housing operators can rethink their work by automating repeat tasks, building specialist teams, and using software that reads the whole portfolio at once. Fortress was built by veteran property managers to centralize operations, deliver real-time insights, and serve every user type involved in affordable housing.
Related resources
Fortress Core Platform
See how Fortress centralizes operations and surfaces real-time portfolio insights in one system.
Custom Integrations
Connect Fortress with the tools your teams already use, no manual exports needed.
Leasing Solutions
Automate leasing workflows so managers spend less time on repeat paperwork.
