Customer Story

Graycliff Capital: Fostering Investor Trust With Secure, Transparent Software

Graycliff Capital

Established: 2011
Location: Greenville, SC
Asset Type: Multifamily Residential
Investment Type: Syndications
Previous Solution: RealPage

Over nearly two decades, Graycliff Capital has grown into a trusted investment firm managing multifamily real estate across 9 states, focusing on disciplined growth and community impact. We spoke with Mary Craig, Director of Investor Relations, about how the security and transparency of AppFolio Investment Manager support their hands-on, relationship-driven approach.

Equity Under Management

$779 Million

Assets Under Management

$2.25 Billion

Investor Base

400+ Investors

“The key reason we looked to make a transition was that we needed a tool with strong security and one that was transparent about how it manages risk. AppFolio Investment Manager gives us confidence that our investors are protected, and that’s the most important responsibility we have as a firm.”

Mary Craig
Director of Investor Relations, Graycliff Capital, $779 Million EUM

Due Diligence That Drives Results

Stepping into their 17th year of business, Graycliff Capital is an investment management firm with decades of experience across capital markets, development, asset management, and construction. What began as a small core team of partners has blossomed into a strong 20-person firm that manages $2.25 billion in assets. While their growth is impressive, it’s not the result of chasing trends but the product of a disciplined approach grounded in trust, transparency, and a focus on sustainable, long-term growth.

Specializing in multifamily real estate, Graycliff sees each investment not only as a financial opportunity for investors but also as a chance to strengthen the communities they serve. What has made Graycliff so successful is their due diligence process of thoroughly researching potential markets before presenting opportunities to investors. Today, their portfolio spans 9 states across the Sunbelt and Mountain West, including North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Prioritizing Investor Security

Unlike firms that take a hands-off approach, Graycliff remains closely involved in every asset. Their teams are frequently on-site, ensuring each property is operating efficiently and aligned with strategic goals. With this level of engagement, they quickly realized that their previous investment management software had become stagnant, with no meaningful product improvements and limited support.

“Our previous software functioned for us, but it wasn’t evolving and it didn’t have bank-grade security, which had become increasingly important to us,” Mary shares. “Security was the biggest driver for us. We wanted a partner that was upfront about how they manage risk.”

On top of that, the lack of automation was slowing down their workflows: “We were spending a lot of time manually slicing and dicing investor data: who invested, how much, and when. It was all tracked across spreadsheets and reports.”

Given these growing challenges, making the switch to AppFolio Investment Manager was an easy decision for Graycliff Capital.

“AppFolio offers bank-grade security, which brings a different level of confidence. We want to be at the forefront of that, and AppFolio helps us get there from a technology standpoint.”

Keeping Investors Informed at Every Step

Since implementing AppFolio Investment Manager, Graycliff has seen improvements across key areas of their operations. Our platform’s intuitive, investor-friendly interface has made it easier for Graycliff’s stakeholders to access key information — like performance metrics and K-1s — whether from a desktop, phone, or tablet.

“One of the things I appreciate about AppFolio is how easy and transparent the system is. The dashboards are user-friendly and easy to digest, so our investors know where they stand when they log in. That clarity builds trust. Our goal as a firm is to make it easy for investors to do want to invest with us, and AppFolio helps make that possible.”

The AppFolio Difference

One Platform, Real Results

From streamlining investor communications to enhancing data visibility and operational efficiency, AppFolio Investment Manager makes it easier for Graycliff Capital to deliver on their high-touch, relationship-driven strategy:

Reporting

“With AppFolio Alpha™, we can more easily send quarterly reports to our investors. The reporting and tools available within AppFolio Investment Manager give me quicker insights into how we’re performing.”

Investor Portal

“AppFolio Investment Manager is easy for investors to find what they need. If they want to log in and download all of their K-1s for the year, it’s a simple, seamless process. Whether they’re on their phone, tablet, or computer, the information is available anywhere, anytime, which makes it incredibly easy to invest with us.”

Distributions

“The distribution process has become so much more streamlined for us on the back end. I really appreciate that we can build in approval levels based on our system settings; it adds an extra layer of control. As a firm, we’re meticulous when it comes to anything involving money, and this functionality gives our CEO extra peace of mind.”

Fundraising

“Before AppFolio, our fundraising process was entirely manual. I’d build out Excel trackers, prep outreach lists based on investor preferences and contributions patterns, send emails, track every investor response, and update the team daily. Using the fundraising portal is a game-changer because it automated so much of that workflow. Depending on the raise, the fundraising functionality now saves me about an hour a day. It’s time I now spend pitching the deal to investors, reviewing and auditing, rather than manually managing the process.”

Software That Evolves With Your Business

When evaluating software solutions, what stood out most to Graycliff wasn’t just AppFolio’s functionality, but the people and a clear commitment to continuous improvement. “The intention around your platform’s continued growth and betterment is the door opener. You have a robust team, they are incredibly responsive, and it’s clear the product is only getting better,” Mary shares.

Mary also appreciates that even with all the features they’re currently using, she knows there’s more potential to unlock greater efficiency and performance. “The tool is awesome and has a ton of functionality we’re not even scraping the surface on. It allows me to move faster and operate more efficiently, which frees me up to focus on higher-value work for the firm.”

Learn More About AppFolio Investment Manager

Charting a Path for Purposeful Growth

Looking ahead, Graycliff Capital has ambitious goals for growth and is focused on continuing to deepen relationships with both their investors and the communities they serve. One of their priorities is to double their active investor base, and AppFolio plays a key role in helping them get there by streamlining backend processes and freeing up time to focus on meaningful engagement.

That extra time has also allowed Graycliff to put more intention behind another long-standing value: giving back. In recent years, they’ve made their commitment to giving back by launching One Graycliff, a nonprofit that supports the communities where they own properties, with a focus on women, children, housing, and education.

“Fundraising takes time, especially when you’re personally following up with investors,” Mary explains. “AppFolio takes care of the tracking and reporting, so I can focus on having real conversations.”