Providing Excellent Customer Service
with Mobile Tools and Online Payments

A Bit of Backstory

Pam Steele is the Resident Relations Manager for three large multifamily properties, totalling just under 900 units. She uses AppFolio Property Manager daily to run all resident facing programs for each portfolio.

Interview with Pam

We reached out to Pam to learn how AppFolio streamlines her business and boosts efficiency across all her properties.

How do you interact with AppFolio on a daily basis?

I use every function of AppFolio every single day. I manage all things resident relations, so I touch pretty much every facet of AppFolio on a daily basis. We use nearly every feature currently and have totally incorporated all of AppFolio into our business.

What impact has AppFolio had on your business?

Before we switched, our accounting team was spending one to three days managing payroll. We were doing handwritten maintenance requests and work orders. We did not have an online payments process so people were paying by check. AppFolio has completely automated our business and has also allowed us to be location indifferent.

AppFolio is absolutely an all-in-one solution that has allowed us to grow and maintain our business without having to add capacity or new people to the team. For example, last year we brought on 197 units, and then again this summer, we’ve been able to add another 150 units to our portfolio.

How has using our Online Payments feature streamlined and automated your business?

Across our three portfolios, we have an average of 96% of our tenants paying rent online. The Online Payments process has definitely saved us time and money. We’ve saved a lot of effort on our back end; gone are the days of processing big stacks of checks!

Our residents are very happy, as well. They are able to easily log in to the Tenant Portal and pay their rent and utilities in one lump sum. They love the privacy they receive and that they can simply input their information, set it, and forget it!

How are you making your maintenance process more mobile?

With AppFolio, we’re able to have a better partnership with our tenants. Our maintenance team is able to communicate with residents out in the field from their iPad directly through AppFolio’s mobile app. All of our communication is done from the tenant’s card, so we have an ongoing record of all communication with our tenants. With email and texting features, we can always reach a resident in a timely manner. Work orders are received in the field, jobs are completed, and then the maintenance team responds back to the resident to let them know.

In addition, we have recently started using AppFolio’s Mobile Inspections feature, so when our maintenance team is in the field, they are using the online inspections report. They can easily attach photos so we have accurate documentation of the properties. With the mobile app, quick communication, and all of the maintenance features, I would absolutely say we’re saving time and are able to provide excellent service to our customers.

Are you streamlining your leasing process with AppFolio?

Absolutely. Our vacancy rate has most definitely dropped with AppFolio. We average between 98% - 99% occupancy in our portfolios. Our leasing agents are constantly working in the field with their iPads so it is very easy to lease to new customers on the spot. We’re able to access all of the information and reports from the mobile app, and finalize the process without having to return to the office.

Would you recommend AppFolio?

I love the service, I can reach out anytime through your support function, and the response time is very quick. Everybody’s extremely helpful! I’ve only been with our company for a little over two years and AppFolio has just made that such an easy transition for me personally and professionally. It is just so user-friendly, it doesn’t take long for a new hire to be up and running.

Our company loves AppFolio. Our owners love AppFolio. I absolutely love AppFolio.