There’s no industry that hasn’t been affected by the growth of technology. No matter what people do, they constantly get tech tips that are supposed to make them more effective at their job. The real estate industry is not immune to those trends.
As a property manager, you probably went through some online technology tips by now. Yet, somehow, you remained immune to most tools you could start using. It’s time to change that! Do you want to be a more effective property manager? We’ll give you tips for that!
10 Tech Tips for the Certified Property Manager
1. Ditch the Paper
Whenever you’re making a new contract, you print it out. You have file storage full of maintenance bills and all kinds of paperwork. If you need a precise lease, will you find it easily? No. What about all that paper that goes to waste?
It’s time to do something about this.
You use the computer to create contracts, anyway. Why print them out when you can store them in the cloud? Dropbox is a great tool for that.
When your new tenants are supposed to sign a lease, they can do it digitally. You’ll get your digital signature, too. Then, you’ll categorize all documents in Dropbox and you’ll access them whenever you need to.
2. Choose Your Real Estate Software
What does a property manager do? They take care of the paperwork, communicate with tenants, record maintenance activities, engage in accounting and bookkeeping, and manage the property from all other aspects. Did you know that most of these processes can be automated?
You can use accounting, budgeting, and tax software to organize those processes. But you can also choose automated real estate software that includes multiple features beyond finances. It will help you organize process and product management, contract management, party and property information, event management, invoicing, and more.
3. Show Your Property Through Virtual Reality
Do you have an apartment or another property that’s ready for renting? Instead of scheduling tours, you can showcase it through virtual reality. The potential tenants can view it any time, without spending time and money to get to the scheduled appointment.
If they are really interested after the VR experience, they can come over for a real tour.
4. Learn All You Need to Know About Blockchain
Blockchain technology is changing the real estate industry. Tenants and landlords can make transactions with Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. When the middleman is out of the picture, everyone benefits from reduced costs.
5. How About Drones?
Surveillance is an important aspect of your job as a property manager. To make it more affordable and more effective, you can use drones to monitor large areas. You’ll get the images on your computer. Make sure you learn how to take a screenshot on Mac, so you’ll catch the moment when you notice something suspicious.
6. Use Your iPad to Its Full Potential
Can you imagine a certified property manager going around the property with a notebook, taking notes with a pen all the time? That’s hardly the image of a modern-day manager. Today, you see them conducting inspections with a tablet instead of a notebook. They can take pictures and take notes at the same time. They have access to those notes from all devices since they sync in the cloud. The manager can share the notes with tenants or maintenance firms, as the needs imply.
Your iPad is your best friend. Install an effective note-taking app and make it part of your daily life. The fact that you can record notes makes the device even more convenient. Who bothers to type when you can just speak?
7. Use Maps
Whatever service you choose to feature your rental property, use the mapping feature. It’s important for potential tenants to find the property via GPS. They won’t get lost when they decide to check it out. Plus, you’ll save yourself from calls that ask for instructions.
The map is also useful for those who want to check out the neighborhood. Google Maps will give them a tour. With Satellite view and enough zooming in, they can move through the street, see the buildings, check the nearby restaurants, and get a feel of the neighborhood’s vibe.
8. Use Google Forms
Google Forms gives you access to different templates that make your job easier. You want to get contact information from potential tenants? Just send them a form! You need feedback on maintenance? You can send them a form for that, too. Forms are great because they give you the same type of information from all tenants. You can compare the data and create reports that tell you how effective the property maintenance is.
You can also create your own forms for surveys and data collecting.
9. Promote the Property
Are you using social media to promote the property? Do you have a website with implemented SEO strategies? When you have property to rent and you’re looking for the right tenants, you shouldn’t limit the process to posting ads. You want people to notice your online presence.
The social media profile, for example, will show how the tenants interact with each other. Many will leave feedback. If the property is good and the maintenance is flawless, you’ll get great feedback. Do you know what that means for people looking for a place to rent? They are willing to pay a higher price for a rental property with a good reputation.
10. Find and Feature Information About the Schools
Before renting a property, parents conduct a lot of research to find out about the quality of schools in the area. What does a property manager do in this case? They conduct the research for potential tenants and feature it on the property’s website or social media pages.
You need to provide research-backed data about the quality of local schools. Get ready to do a lot of research and double-check your information before featuring it.
These Technology Tips and Tricks Make You a Better Manager
When you think about all tasks you complete on a daily basis, you would accept any tool that takes some of the burden off, right? Technology has the power to make you more effective. Automation can take over technical tasks, such as accounting. But technology goes further than that.
You can implement tech tools in planning, management, surveillance, promotion, and all other aspects of your job as a property manager. Aren’t you excited about the opportunities you just discovered?
This article has been contributed by James Dorian.