Having worked as association managers in the past, both Daniel and Mitch understood the aches and pains that come with being a board member and that there was a lack of education and support, especially for self-managed community associations. This inspired them to found HOA Assist.
“We started HOA Assist because we recognized that there was a gap, a need in the market that wasn't really being serviced the way we felt that it should, primarily with self-managed HOAs all over the country. Being on the board of an HOA is a hard job. And with our background, we recognized that and wanted to be helpful and provide them with a service that could guide them in successfully managing their association.” — Mitch Gassen, Co-Founder, HOA Assist
Unlike most association management companies, HOA Assist focuses primarily on providing financial services and education to self-managed community associations so they can feel empowered and connected.
“We're not a traditional management company; in fact, we're not a management company at all — we're a financial services company for HOAs. We have found that there are a lot of people that are frustrated with living in an HOA. They don't really understand how it works. Our mission is to help eliminate the confusion and provide more clarity.” — Daniel Stedman, Co-Founder, HOA Assist

Previously, the team at HOA Assist struggled with software that was difficult to use, lacked support, and was inefficient. As a result, they found it harder to meet their customers’ needs and business goals.
“We decided to change software because we kept getting surveys back from our clients with the number one theme being that the portal was difficult to use. It was also very limited. You could only do one thing at a time and had to be tied to your desk because it wasn’t cloud-based. Also, when we needed help, we would reach out to their support team and wouldn't hear back for weeks. It was extremely frustrating and we knew we needed to make a change. ” — Mitch Gassen, Co-Founder, HOA Assist
All of this motivated Daniel and Mitch to start looking into new software options, which led them to AppFolio Property Manager.
“We switched to AppFolio because it was simple and easy to use. They were continually innovating. We wanted our clients to be proud when they got into their portal and our staff to be able to navigate everything with ease and have the resources and the training materials they needed. Thankfully, AppFolio offered all of those things. In partnering, we now feel like we have software that's truly growing with us.” — Daniel Stedman, Co-Founder, HOA Assist

Since switching to AppFolio, Daniel and Mitch have a true technology partner that listens to their feedback and puts their business first.
“With AppFolio, it is a night and day difference from our previous software. We feel supported, they're responsive, they're helpful, and they have a ton of training tools. That makes such a big impact on both our internal staff and our clients as well. We have absolutely found it easier to achieve our goals using AppFolio.” — Daniel Stedman, Co-Founder, HOA Assist
While switching software is no easy task, the team at HOA Assist were fully supported during the implementation process and could get up and running quickly.
“Our onboarding process with AppFolio went very smoothly. We had clear expectations, and they really set the bar on professionalism — something that we still to this day continue to glean from. The way they took care of us and were acutely aware of the detail that was needed really eased our minds knowing this large volume of data was going to get processed into our database.” — Daniel Stedman, Co-Founder, HOA Assist

The team at HOA Assist prides themselves on providing service that isn’t just great, but unmatched for their customers. Because they have a strong technology foundation, they can provide self-managed associations with the kind of tailored experience and assistance they need.
“I truly believe the service level that we provide directly reflects the leadership we have in place, not only within our organization but how we treat our clients on a daily basis. Every single person that calls us or emails us matters. We want to provide them with an unmatched level of service that they're not accustomed to experiencing.” — Mitch Gassen, Co-Founder, HOA Assist
This level of service is mirrored in their relationship with AppFolio, where they feel supported and valued as a customer.
“There are countless times in which we have felt the team at AppFolio is truly living out their value of listening to their customers. We have brought many suggestions to them and they have been extremely responsive to the things we've asked them to do. Also, if we run into issues we have tons of resources in the Help Center. And if that doesn’t work, they’re very quick and clear in how they respond to you — and they’ve always been very kind.”— Daniel Stedman, Co-Founder, HOA Assist