3 Quick Tips to Help You Invest in the Perfect Property Management Software

Property management is about convenience and customer-service. As the COO of CMG Leasing, I am always looking to streamline our services in order to provide our residents and prospects with the best experience possible, which is why we invested in leasing technology. If you are a property management professional looking for a flexible and simple leasing solution, here's why we invested in On-Site.

CMG is a locally-owned and operated property management company in Virginia. We serve the New River Valley area with student housing, apartments and single family homes. We have 1,540 units that cover more than 3,700 beds. With six leasing offices in the area and a variety of properties throughout our portfolio, we needed a platform that could accommodate our unique workflow. While we tried other solutions in the past, those platforms did not meet our expectations. On-Site has exceeded our expectations. Their team has successfully implemented our portfolio with guest cards, online leasing, resident screening, electronic documents, e-sign, a resident homepage and more. Essentially, the platform’s core functionality aligns with our business goals.

Furthermore, we wanted a robust tool that could enhance our resident’s renting experience by adding simplicity and convenience to their daily life. For example, we wanted the ability to take a resident’s payment and apply it directly to our property management software to eliminate the hassle of manually paying rent. Automation also reduces late payments and the stress associated with the payment process. We now offer online payments and additional convenient services through our resident homepage that is powered by On-Site’s Resident Passport.

Online Resident Portal Access

• Make a payment and view balance history
• Submit a work order
• View their account

Essentially, we wanted to create a page that is all about convenience for the residents. In addition to online payments, work orders can be created by residents 24/7. Plus, the work orders are easier to track, manage, and complete. The user interface is simple and our trained staff can easily teach our residents how to navigate the platform.

Seamless Setup with Industry Experts

On-Site is designed by software developers who have property management experience and understand the intricate nature of the industry. In fact, everyone who I have worked with at On-Site is knowledgeable and has first-hand experience with property management.

We relied on a regional sales manager from On-Site to help guide us through this process and assist us when it came to setting up our unique workflow and document management. Given her background, it was easy to explain our paper process and have her create that process digitally within On-Site.com. She even reviewed our current processes and made recommendations on how to become more efficient. Additionally, she continues to help ensure that all of the documents our leasing offices use are uploaded into On-Site and are being used effectively. It was that sales manager’s unique understanding of property management and industry software that made her the perfect partner to work with on this journey.

Once the architecture was in place, we began with a targeted tiered rollout, phasing in On-Site services in stages across our portfolio. By the end of 2017, we will have the resident homepage and online application fully implemented at all of our locations. We are so pleased with the partnership that we are already looking toward the future. As a team, we are still learning about On-Site and ways to continue to use the software to our advantage. We are excited that updates containing new functionality continue to be released. On-Site also offers services beyond online leasing and payments. We have created 3D floor plans with Ellipse Design, On-Site’s in-house creative agency, to assist with prospecting. This has been a great resource for us and will only boost our already outstanding metrics that we are starting to see in our reports.

We have already had more than 14,000 online payments processed through On-Site since we launched in the spring of 2016. These payments integrate with our AMSI property management software, which is a huge timesaver. We have also received 1,323 maintenance service requests via the On-Site resident homepage, Resident Passport. The simplicity and convenience has made a difference in our resident’s lives and has resulted in a high adoption rate, which I fully expect to continue to grow. I attribute this success to strategic setup, training and the on-going support that we receive from On-Site.

If you work in property management and are considering investing in a leasing and property management platform, here are three tips and tricks to consider:

• Do your homework: When doing research on a new software platform, know the right questions to ask, and insist on a real demonstration. We knew what we wanted out of the software, but it is sometimes a challenge to articulate it. Rather than asking for a list of features, be sure that the software provider actually demonstrates the functionality. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors out there.
• Know your goals: Go into the process with a clear picture of what you want to achieve. For example, we knew we wanted to implement a way for prospects to apply online and then log in to pay their rent. It was also crucial to automate payments to save time on bookkeeping. We ensured that we had the functionality and proper integration in place for a smooth and convenient transition for the residents and staff.
• Lean on customer support: Implementing a software solution that automates your day-to-day manual activities requires a lot of planning by a skilled and professional staff. Be sure to take full advantage of knowledgeable support staff. Ease of use with a program is essential and can have long-term consequences if the platform is not set up correctly at the beginning. At On-Site, that disconnect does not exist and we are set up for success.

As I mentioned, at CMG Leasing our vision is to deliver a premier, resident-centric living experience though continuous innovation. We know everyone’s time is valuable. It was our goal to deliver a simple and convenient solution that would improve our resident and prospect’s renting experience. I believe we have achieved that with On-Site and look forward to continued innovation. If you are like us and are committed to providing the best in customer service, I recommend exploring the On-Site platform.