Published on September 29th, 2017
By Christina Burch
Having a property management business can be stressful. However, one of the best ways to streamline your workflow and offer effortless communication is by relying more on mobile devices.
If your property management business is completely or even mostly mobile, you have the freedom to handle your business from anywhere. Mobility also means you can automate most tasks so you can accomplish more. It is a great way to reduce stress, paperwork, and costs, and can be helpful to property managers, owners, renters, homeowners, and board members alike.
Here are some ways to ensure that you’re making the most of out of your mobile processes and investing in a strong mobile future:
Make Maintenance Requests and Fulfillment Easier
When you manage a high-unit complex, maintenance requests are a given. Some may include a routine check-in while others can lead to emergency situations. Either way, if renters can make maintenance requests online – and you can be notified of those automatically, and on your phone – you can decide how to best handle the request or deploy a maintenance vendor quickly. Having these convenient options makes a big difference in how well you get things done, which translates largely as your business grows over time. Setting the precedent now that maintenance requests are handled efficiently is the best thing you can do for yourself – and will always be an attractive offer to your renters and homeowners.
Streamline Communication
The more mobile your property management company is, the more you can streamline communication with renters, prospects, homeowners, and board members. It can help you get more done, while also giving your renters and potential renters the opportunity to get their questions answered or their feedback heard.
When juggling communication with prospects, getting back to them quickly matters. They may want to find a rental fast, and if you do not respond within the timeframe they expect, they might find a place elsewhere. Keeping occupancy rates high and getting good renters into the properties you manage is important, but it is not always easy to do. If you find a good prospect and they can reach you – and in the method they are likely to prefer – you have a higher chance of getting them into one of your managed properties.
When it comes to getting board member approvals or communicating information to homeowners in your community association, being able to streamline it makes all the difference. Bulk messages can be sent via email and text to the association, while board members can vote on approvals through an online portal. Even architectural reviews can be completed online, making the process run smoother and faster.
Help Owners Feel Better about Management Options
It’s not just renters and prospects who want to get hold of you easily and conveniently. Owners should be able to do the same. As the manager of their property, high-level stakeholders commonly have important requests or need to pass along information to you. When you are fully mobile and can offer them an easily accessible online owners portal, you can make a big difference in how they feel about your ability to manage their properties.
Check Into Your Business Anytime, Anywhere
When business insights and regular reports are available at your fingertips, you can also be assured that your business is headed in the right direction even if it’s the middle of the night or you’re a thousand miles away. That’s good news for you, your owners, renters, and any prospects headed your way.
Keeping your property management business running smoothly matters, and fully adopting the mobile lifestyle can help make that a reality.
Comments by Christina Burch