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Guide to Taking Your Property Management Business Mobile Flipbook PDF
Guide to Taking Your Property Management Business Mobile
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Guide to Taking Your Property Management Business Mobile
The property management world is changing, which means property managers need to start doing things differently. One of the biggest changes in the last few years can no longer be ignored: It’s time to take your business mobile. Mobile access is becoming more essential for any property manager’s success. Approximately 80% of people with smartphones carry them at all times, and 60% of people ages 12 and older in the U.S. (future renters!) own smartphones. With Google favoring mobile-friendly sites, it’s more important than ever to make sure your clients and potential clients can find your company and get what they need from their mobile experience. So, how exactly do you take your property management business mobile? There are several aspects to consider.
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Mobile Offices A common misconception about “going mobile” is that it means simply having a website optimized for smartphone and tablet access. Although that’s an important piece of the puzzle, mobility really means so much more: It’s the ability to run your entire business from anywhere, at anytime. The freedom of having a mobile office saves you time on mundane tasks (such as cashing paper checks, printing and filing, and manual data entry), fills your vacancies faster (posting new vacancies on the spot, with the push of a button), and keeps your online presence up to date (instantly respond to comments and reviews).
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With mobile offices, your data is securely protected in the cloud, accessible from any device when you need it. For things like online rent collection, this is extremely important. You’ll no longer have to be onsite to hand someone a paper application or wait until you get back to the office to see who’s paid rent on time. Business keeps moving, even when you’re out of the office. In some cases, you don’t need an office space at all—with many mobile businesses operating from coffee shops or on the go, saving staffing and overhead costs. Providing flexibility and efficiency, mobile offices are viable options for smaller to medium-sized property management businesses.
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Paperless Options Like going mobile, going paperless can be a huge boost to your property management company. For large-sized companies, the sheer volume of paperwork produced is significant, largely because it must be safely and securely stored somewhere. When you securely store all your data in the cloud, however, you no longer have the need for physical storage—freeing up space and keeping residents’ and applicants’ information safer. Not to mention, it can significantly cut down on costs for paper, printing ink, and postage.
Another really important, yet seemingly insignificant, reason to go paperless is manual data entry efficiency. Messy handwriting and tired eyes can lead to data errors that need correcting, which can be significantly time-consuming for you and leaves your residents and prospective renters frustrated. With online data entry, however, it’s done only once and without the risk of manual entry errors.
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Mobile Inspections Self-service options for renters and owners are always a plus. Mobile inspection options can help your company complete onsite inspections more efficiently, so you can move people in and out much quicker. With a mobile device, you can take pictures of any problems or damage, create maintenance requests, and upload or view any reports stored in your database. You can also easily post copies electronically for owners or residents to access at their own convenience.
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Online Applications and Leases Reading and signing applications and leases from mobile devices makes the renting process much smoother for your applicants and residents. It saves them a trip to the office (which is a huge win for out-of-towners) and eliminates excess paperwork to process and store. Applications and leases are a significant part of a property manager’s responsibilities, so simplifying the process reduces the workload and streamlines the leasing flow. Plus, handling paperwork on a mobile platform can also alleviate some of the stress of renting by enabling people to show their interest in your property from anywhere, expanding your pool of potential renters.
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Text Messages for Resident, Owner, and Prospect Communications Texting is a quick and efficient method of communicating information with owners, vendors, and prospects. There are plenty of ways to provide your residents with important information and announcements, but hanging paper notices on the front door isn’t the best option anymore. Enabling residents to send text message maintenance requests, for example, can be one of the easiest ways to ensure they reach you and receive a fast response. It also provides proof of conversation and delivery to both property manager and renter, maintaining a record for any questions about the discussion or how anything was handled. From a legal standpoint, going mobile doesn’t mean giving up any protections youʼve built into your business. Don’t use texting for extremely serious matters or for signing leases or addressing similar types of concerns—those types of matters go beyond a text conversation. Otherwise, text message is always a good initial channel for reaching modern renters.
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Marketing Your Mobile Options Mobile trends are hugely impacting marketing approach and strategy. These days, people access email more on mobile devices than on desktop computers, and the Direct Marketing Association says 66% of people have purchased a product or service because of a marketing message they read in their email inbox. Bottom line: Mobile marketing works, and marketing your mobile capabilities really pays off. Marketing correctly can really improve your property management business. Your potential applicants should be aware of your company’s mobile offerings so they can use those features when applying to rent or lease one of your properties. Make it clear that you offer online applications, leases, rent collection, and maintenance requests, as well as text message communications.
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Mobile options aren’t just a fad anymore. They’re a necessity for today’s modern renters. When you embrace mobile in your business, everyone benefits—reducing overall costs, making everyday property management tasks easier, and keeping residents happy, all of which are good for business. Automate, modernize, and grow your business with AppFolio property management software. Learn more at www.appfolio.com.