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Property Managers Discuss Why they Love Fortress Software

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Team Fortress OS6 min read
Fortress Property Management Software: Why Property Managers are Loving it

Property managers stay with Fortress because it cuts the busywork out of their day. They point to onboarding that takes about a day, centralized data they can read without spreadsheet gymnastics, and live support that actually answers. One platform built for affordable housing, not a stack of disconnected tools.

Key takeaways

  • Fortress onboarding is built to be a one-day task, and in-system training means new staff learn while they work.

  • Centralized data and built-in dashboards let teams make decisions without hunting across multiple tools.

  • Live, proactive support is a top reason customers stay, not just the software itself.

  • Fortress was built for affordable housing first, so workflows fit the work instead of fighting it.

  • Veteran property managers who tried many systems say Fortress is the one that finally fit.

There are plenty of options out there for property management software. In fact, there is almost an overabundance of choice — with multiple possibilities for every aspect of property management. What if instead of piecemealing software from every corner of the proptech space, property managers embraced an all-in-one solution, built with modern tech for today’s world?

So why are property managers from across the nation ditching their clunky and outdated software in favor of a better solution? Let’s take a look at what our clients are saying about why they love Fortress.

Onboarding & Training are EASY

Fortress was designed meticulously from a clean slate — with only the user in mind. One of the most time-consuming tasks is onboarding, so we knew that built-in training was a must. We crafted a streamlined, easy-to-use interface that makes employee training and property onboarding a one-day task — saving our users both time and money.

For Jillian Anderson, President of Elmington Property Management, the software has been transformational for her company, which operates in 15 states.

“It’s very simple to learn, which makes it, then, simple to use,” she said. “It encourages people to be active in the system in a much better way. There is much better in-system training and support. When Fortress decided to put tools like ‘Walk Me’ and ‘Onboard Me’ into the system directly, that was a big gamechanger for onboarding employees.”

Ashley Logan, Regional Manager of Elmington Property Management in Atlanta, Georgia, says she no longer fears the training process.

“For someone who’s never utilized Fortress before and is in the property management industry, I would say it is a different product and you will notice as soon as you access it,” she said. “It is clean, it’s easy to navigate. You don’t get frustrated, like, ‘Where do I go?’, ‘How do I even attempt to train someone on this software?’ It’s like — I can’t wait to show someone this software.”

Centralized Analytics

We know that jumping into the Fortress experience is a breeze, but what can it do? Our product includes robust integrations, built-in BI tools, and industry leading financial and AP software — all with zero complexity. You shouldn’t have to search to find the information you seek, and we make accessing that data easy with our immersive interface.

For Chris Brooks, Manager of Operations and Data Analytics for Independent Living in Seattle, Washington, this up-to-the-minute performance data had a positive impact on the day-to-day operations of his company.

“One of the benefits with Fortress has been it has really allowed us to focus on data-driven conversations versus having to have an emotional conversation,” he said.

“Since adopting Fortress and streamlining some of those workflows — but, more importantly, by providing intuitive dashboards — we’ve seen a 30% increase in our overall conversions from inquiry to scheduled tour. The only thing that we’ve changed internally was our property management software. We were able to showcase that we’ve had an increase in occupancy of 8% over the last three months and we have changed no marketing spend.”

Daniel Smith, Community Director of Elmington Property Management in Antioch, Tennessee, says Fortress analytics has changed the way his team operates.

“Fortress really keeps our whole team on track,” he said. “We have anywhere from 100 to 200 prospects in our database right now. Using Fortress’ follow-up features, we know when to contact them … and how to best help them in their apartment search. Other operating systems are great — they get the job done, but, at times, they can be too bulky for what I need. Fortress provides everything you need at a very simplistic level that’s easy to understand and digest.”

Having the right data at your fingertips is just one more reason Anderson’s team can’t see life without Fortress.  

“You have, as an operator, much better access to the data that you need in order to see how your asset is truly performing so that you can make the right decisions,” she said. “Our really quick and clear access to how everything was performing — that is so important for everybody to be able to speak to a property’s opportunities and successes. If you’re looking to grow your business, you have to have a tool that supports you being able to speak to how well you’re doing in the first place.”

Live support

Of course, we didn’t stop at making onboarding, training, and access to clean, centralized data effortless. We know how important it is to be accessible to our clients, and our customer support is unrivaled in the industry. And user experience is important to us — Fortress was founded upon the belief that proptech had become redundant and complicated.

For Brooks, the appeal of Fortress is not just the product, but the people.

“At the end of the day, Fortress is just software,” he said. “But what really differentiates Fortress from the other competitors … are the people. Working with them as intimately as I have over the past couple of months — they’re always proactively trying to find ways to make things better.”

Support is vital, too, for people like Logan, who had spent years making her way through software that never quite measured up.

“I can’t vouch for any other product like I can vouch for Fortress, and I’ve used a little of everything over 20 years,” she said. “With Fortress, it will give you the support you need, it will give you the access you need — without having to go all over the place.”

Having similar not-so-pleasant experiences with antiquated property software options, Smith said he was relieved to find a solution that fit all of his needs.

“Other operating systems are great — they get the job done, but, at times, they can be too bulky for what I need,” he said. “Fortress provides everything you need at a very simplistic level that’s easy to understand and digest.”

Interested in learning more about the Fortress experience? Pick a time below and our team will show you what Fortress Property Management Software can do!

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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:

Or schedule a demo with our team below and see Fortress in action:

 

 

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Team Fortress OS

Built by operators, for operators. Posts under this byline are written and reviewed by the team.

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Frequently asked questions

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Why do property managers switch to Fortress?

Property managers switch to Fortress to escape clunky, outdated software and run everything in one place. They point to easy onboarding, centralized data, and strong live support. Fortress is purpose-built for affordable housing, so leasing, documents, reporting, and resident communication connect instead of living in separate tools and side spreadsheets.

How long does Fortress onboarding and training take?

Fortress is built so onboarding a property and training employees can be a one-day task. The interface is clean and easy to move through, and in-system tools like guided walkthroughs help new users learn while they work. Operators say this removes the fear and frustration that comes with training staff on older systems.

Is Fortress easy to learn for new employees?

Yes. Fortress was designed with the user in mind, and customers describe it as simple to learn and simple to use. The interface is clean with built-in training tools that guide new employees inside the system. Managers say staff feel confident enough to show the software to others quickly.

What kind of reporting and analytics does Fortress offer?

Fortress includes built-in business intelligence tools, financial and AP software, and real-time dashboards in one connected system. Teams get up-to-the-minute data on how a property is performing without searching or running manual exports. Operators use it to lead data-driven conversations and spot a property's opportunities and wins quickly.

Does Fortress have good customer support?

Yes. Customers describe Fortress support as a top reason they stay, not just the product. Teams say the people behind Fortress are proactive and reliable, giving the access and answers they need without bouncing between tools. Veteran operators who have used many systems over decades say Fortress support stands out in the industry.

Is Fortress built for affordable housing property management?

Yes. Fortress is purpose-built for affordable housing, with leasing, compliance, maintenance, documents, reporting, and resident communication in one platform. It was created by veteran property managers who knew affordable housing teams needed software designed for their work, not market-rate tools with compliance bolted on as an afterthought.

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