Last modified on August 22nd, 2013
By Aimee Miller

Time is your most valuable commodity and you only get a finite amount of it. Running a property management company means spending much of your time out of the office, and often a fair percentage of that time ends up being wasted.

For your business success, it’s important to convert that downtime into productive time. And to that end, here are some property management tips that will help you stay productive when you’re on the go.

Hardware
The capabilities of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets continue to increase as prices steadily decline. To work effectively offline, choose the right device for you. If you are going to be doing a lot of data entry, you should consider a laptop or tablet with a keyboard accessory. If you are going to be mostly making phone calls, checking emails, texting and scanning websites, than a smartphone might do the trick.

Software
Using web-based property management software will help you take advantage of time spent away from your office by allowing you to deal with important tasks. Such software allows you access to information such as vacancy postings, rent payment data, and owner statements anywhere, anytime. In addition, by entering information directly into your database remotely, you’ll save time and hassle by averting the need for printed paper reports and inspection documents, and by avoiding written notes on random pieces of paper that may be difficult to locate later.

By being connected all the time, you and your staff can respond to and resolve issues quickly even if you are out of the office. Providing this kind of service helps to achieve high levels of satisfaction among your client base of building owners, and to achieve the degree of tenant satisfaction that leads to better retention rates.

Logistics
Working while away from the office can pay huge dividends, but you need to make sure you are adequately prepared. Beyond technology, there are a number of simple, everyday types of items to keep on hand, as well. Keep office supplies like paperclips, a stapler, pens, and paper organized in a bin in your car. You may even want to keep an instant stain remover like Tide To Go in your car for any coffee and other spills while outside of the office. This will allow you to professionally deal with vendors and clients when you are on the road. In addition, scout out clean, convenient locations for meeting with clients. There will be times when meeting at your office is not realistic, and advance preparation will help you have positive, productive meetings wherever you are.

Being an efficient “road warrior” by accessing information remotely and dealing with issues while out of the office means having more time to acquire new clients, satisfy existing clients and grow your business. And that is your ultimate goal.