How RCP Community Management grew their business while strengthening their communities with AppFolio

Prior to using AppFolio, RCP used various solutions — even a software that Kevin developed himself — but while each system offered different capabilities, none allowed them to run their entire portfolio on one platform. As Kevin explains:
“We started out on my software and QuickBooks, and then when we grew too big for those, we adopted Caliber. During the transition from my software to Caliber every single administrative employee that worked for us resigned. It was just so complicated, and we couldn’t communicate with homeowners efficiently. So we surveyed the market again and came across AppFolio. It had everything we needed in one place and was extremely easy to use.”

AppFolio's app empowered RCP's homeowners to complete tasks on their own. This enabled the team to work more efficiently and to spend less time answering phone calls and more time providing great service. Here Rob goes in more detail:
“Within a week after moving to AppFolio we had over 150 architectural requests because homeowners could do it with a touch of their finger. We also had 200 maintenance requests come in. Having everything online made it easier for us to review and approve or resolve requests quickly, which made our homeowners happier.”
In addition to streamlining architectural and maintenance requests, AppFolio’s online payments and communication features have helped them reduce their delinquency rate. As Rob explains:
“Before AppFolio we were at 4% delinquency, now we’re under 1%. A lot of that has to do with online payments and the ability for us to send reminders via text message. When you call someone, they don’t always answer or get the voicemail, but when you send someone a text saying, ‘Hey I tried to call you about your past due balance.’ Boom, they respond.”

RCP has experienced exponential growth since switching to AppFolio — nearly doubling the number of associations they manage. When marketing their business to new associations, they believe AppFolio has made them stand out from the competition. This is evidenced by Kevin:
“AppFolio has had a big impact on our sales growth. When we initially switched, we only managed 16 communities. In just a year, we’ve expanded to 28. We have figured out how to market the software and leverage it to win new business. When we meet with potential customers, we always show them the online portal and how easy it is to use. We win every time.”

Along with support and growth, AppFolio has also aided RCP when it comes to onboarding new hires. As they have brought on new team members to support their rapid growth, training hasn’t slowed them down. Here Kevin goes into more detail:
“The training in AppFolio is really good. When we hire new managers we immediately have them watch all of the videos in AppFolio on day one. They are able to easily understand the system and get up and running quickly, which is super valuable. We’ve been able to hire a bunch of new managers as we grow with relative ease.”

Being able to access information and complete business-critical workflows from anywhere has allowed RCP to provide a better work/life balance and retain their top performers. As Rob mentions:
“Our industry is stressful, so a few years ago we adopted a four day work week. Our team also works from home one day each week. AppFolio allows our employees to basically have the office in their pocket. They can go into the system and do their job just as well as they can in the office. As a result, we’ve been able to overcome The Great Resignation we’re seeing today.”