Nebraska Lifestyles Property Management: Space for more possibility
Nebraska Lifestyles Property Management
Established: 1972\ Location: Omaha, Nebraska\ Portfolio: Single-family, multifamilyNebraska Lifestyles Property Management is based in Omaha, Nebraska. It has been a local establishment for over 50 years and manages over 900 units consisting primarily of single-family homes, in addition to some smaller multifamily apartment complexes. In conversation with Director, Jenny Stephens, we explored how Nebraska Lifestyles Property Management has unlocked new possibilities and paved a path to exponential growth with the help of AppFolio Property Manager.
Units managed
900+
Onboarding new owners
90% faster
Online maintenance
inspections
50% increase
Closing maintenance
work orders
100% faster
“We made the switch to AppFolio because it was able to match what we needed.”
Before switching to AppFolio, the team at Nebraska Lifestyles struggled with their software. As their business objectives became more and more focused on growth, they felt like it was holding them back and making it difficult to achieve their goals. Jenny shares:
“We needed software that could grow with our portfolio. Yardi didn’t have the capabilities for the growth path we were on, and it wasn’t very user-friendly. So we made the switch to AppFolio because it was able to match what we needed. Instead of offering individual features separately, with AppFolio we had a full circle product that could do it all — one and done. It was a really good business decision because we were able to not only be more cost-effective but save time and simplify our processes.”
Saving time with streamlined processes
“Onboarding new owners, whether it’s multifamily or single-family properties, is always a huge challenge. There’s so much data entry and so much you have to do to make sure everything operates. With AppFolio, I have found it’s very simple and easy. Before, with Yardi, it would probably take a day or two to enter and onboard new owners into our system; now, with AppFolio, the entire process is just five minutes. It is a night and day difference.”
Having a more streamlined owner onboarding process not only saves the team time but also helps to improve accuracy and provide a better customer experience. Jenny shares:
“If I were to take an owner who has 100 properties tomorrow, it's so seamless for us to onboard that portfolio with AppFolio. This is really important for us because sometimes we get owners that have 5, 10, or 20 different properties, and if it’s not seamless and there are too many people trying to fix, change, or add things, then mistakes can happen.”
Having more streamlined and efficient processes has freed the team at Nebraska Lifestyles to focus on larger initiatives like business growth. Over the next few years, they have big plans to expand their portfolio into other markets and states and will be using AppFolio to ensure their workflows are consistent and teams are aligned. Jenny explains:
“Our goal is to be in five cities in five years. We'll be expanding into Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Florida, which is really exciting. With AppFolio, we are able to duplicate the processes that we're doing in Omaha and maintain consistency even if we’re across the country. And that's something that'll be huge for us. Instead of having 15,000 properties with different systems, we can run everything under the same platform.”
Managing maintenance for a portfolio of primarily single-family homes can be challenging for any property management business. However, thanks to the automated tools within AppFolio, Jenny and her team can maintain oversight and control. Jenny shares:
“The new Unit Turn Board feature in AppFolio is super cool. We have full visibility into our work orders and every stage of the move-out process. So if a unit needs a carpet cleaning, we are able to prioritize that job or put it on hold if we need to. You can even add estimates. You basically have a maintenance project management system built into AppFolio for unit turns. It has made things easier, and our team is quickly able to understand what service is needed for each property.”
Unit turns aren’t the only workflow that Jenny and her team have been able to streamline and digitize. Inspections have also greatly improved since moving to AppFolio. Jenny explains:
“We perform so many inspections. We’ve been testing and seeing how the new Online Inspections feature works in AppFolio. We're reducing paper, and our team is becoming more efficient in the field, which is a huge benefit.”
Keeping communication clear and kind
“We really wanted to streamline how we communicate with our residents, owners, and team. AppFolio has helped us achieve this. From the time a renter applies for a unit to the move-in date, we're able to communicate 100%. Our motto is ‘Clear is kind.’ When you are clear, it is kind. We like to be straightforward so no one is left out or confused. With AppFolio, we are able to keep the lines of communication open and strong.”
Beyond leasing, Jenny and her team lean on the mobile communication capabilities in AppFolio to stay in touch with their residents and share important information. Jenny shares:
“One of the things we like the most when it comes to communicating within AppFolio is the bulk text messaging feature. We can just send a text out really quickly to all of our residents, like, ‘Hey, there is going to be a really bad storm in Omaha. Please report to us. Do the following.’”
Additionally, the Nebraska Lifestyles team enjoys using the notes feature within AppFolio because it enables them to keep on the same page and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Jenny goes into more detail:
“The notes feature is really important for us — you can make notes, anywhere and everywhere, for everything, whether it's about a vendor, an owner, or property maintenance. Having the ability to make and save notes has helped us to be much more aligned.”
With growth being such a big objective for Nebraska Lifestyles, the team is laser focused on their marketing efforts and premarketing their available units on their website and other rental listing sites. The marketing tools in AppFolio make this process seamless. Jenny shares:
“We premarket our future listings using the vacancy posting tool in AppFolio. It allows us to publish an upcoming vacancy through the website and on rental listing sites. With the click of a button, everything is published everywhere. It allows us to premarket effectively and efficiently ahead of time. This way can pre-qualify more renters, which has been super beneficial for us and our owners and renters.”
Along with great listings, Nebraska Lifestyles is able to appeal to the modern renter with a professional, AppFolio-built website that helps attract more renters and owners while leaving a lasting impression. Jenny explains:
“Our website is very clean and informative. People can easily find everything they need. If they’re a renter, they can see our availability or where to apply, and if they're an owner, they know right where they can make an inquiry. It’s just very user-friendly and easy to navigate.”
A relationship built on support
“We have a good, strong relationship with AppFolio. They always have new features coming out on a consistent basis, which we like to test out. In working with the software, we require all of our new team members to go through the online AppFolio training, and we make sure they understand where they can find the support tools they need like the Chat feature and Help Center.”
When the team at Nebraska Lifestyles needs a little extra support or help with making an update, they feel AppFolio is right by their side. Jenny explains:
“When we need AppFolio to help us with an update, it's pretty quick. If we're like, ‘Hey, we need to change the hours on our website,’ or ‘We just got accredited with the Better Business Bureau and need it added to our website,’ they always get back to us quickly.”
Space for more possibility
Being able to access their most business-critical processes, whether they’re at the office, at a property, or at home, has empowered the team at Nebraska Lifestyles to get more work done and have more flexibility. As a result, they have been able to uncover more opportunities for their business.
“In property management, you used to spend 80% of your time in front of a computer. Now it's great because my leasing manager can do all of her tasks in AppFolio and also go show 10 houses in the afternoon. It's all on her phone.”
“AppFolio is fully mobile. It gives flexibility to every team member, which is very beneficial for our company.”
Jenny Stephens
Director, Nebraska Lifestyles Property Management, 900+ units
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