What Is the Best Property Management Software?

If there was a single software solution that answered every need for property management business owners, what would that be? While there isn't one software solution that fits every need, there are plenty of property management software options and advancements that make it challenging to grow your business without embracing technology. 

How can business owners know what they need or what works best? A property management consultant helps evaluate your business operations, find areas to optimize, and implement the best property management software options that meet your needs now—and grow as you grow. We also train your team to use technology effectively to better serve existing clients and impress potential new clients.

Choosing from the many available software options can be overwhelming! We're here to help. Here are the Real-Time Consulting Services' best property management software. 

Property Management Operation Technology

If you're still using spreadsheets and checklists to manage renters and properties, it's time for a technology upgrade! Today's most competitive property management companies apply cutting-edge technology to handle every aspect of rental property management, from your business operations to communication tools and marketing. 

When analyzing technology options, a property management consultant helps business owners address client needs and find solutions to help them meet their goals. The best property management software helps improve operations to help you provide market-disrupting service for:

• Rent collection and payment reminders
• Maintenance scheduling
• Leasing and renewals
• Responding to owners, renters, and potential clients
• Accounting and invoicing
• Owner and renter portals
• Listings and showings
• Document management

Software solutions like Appfolio, Propertyware, and Buildium help business owners with all-in-one solutions. These software options also allow property managers to start with a few technology solutions and add more as their business and clients' needs change. 

Choose Wisely

Before picking a new technology solution, make sure you evaluate costs and services to choose the software that makes the best financial sense for your company. Implementing new technology can be a daunting task! Working with a property management consultant helps business owners avoid expensive mistakes like:

• Investing in the wrong solutions and overspending on software they don't need 
• Taking a DIY approach to buying and installing new software (then wondering why it doesn't work)
• Underestimating their needs and choosing a low-cost solution that doesn't help their business
• Not realizing the full capabilities of technology and overlooking valuable features

The best property management software solutions require more research and training than merely downloading an app from an application store. While your new software package might include an app, make sure you have the right help when researching, pricing, and implementing new technology for your business. 

Marketing Software Solutions

Can software help property managers market their business more effectively? Part of becoming a disruptor in your area is making sure property owners and renters know who you are and that you deliver the best property management services in the market. 

If you're managing your sales and marketing plan by manually responding to inquiries and making cold calls, you need help. The right property management marketing solution helps maximize your time, qualify leads, and nurture them through your sales funnel. 

Property management business owners can also benefit from technology that manages social media marketing and automates inbound content. A property management consultant helps business owners boost their marketing with:

• Tools like Hootsuite to schedule social media posts and analyze engagement
• Platforms like HubSpot to push content, track campaigns, and automate your sales and marketing communications

To grow your business, you need a software solution to manage existing and potential business, keep your team organized when serving clients and growing your business, and build and automate operational processes. The right CRM (Customer Relationships Management system) makes it easier to track clients and new business leads. 

The Best Property Management Software

With so many options on the market, how do you know which one is best for your business? We’ve researched the top platforms, evaluating their features, benefits, and drawbacks, to help you make an informed choice.

Here are three of the best property management software solutions available today.

1. Buildium

Buildium is a cloud-based property management solution tailored for small to mid-sized property management businesses. Known for its user-friendly interface, Buildium offers a suite of tools that simplify essential tasks like rent collection, tenant communications, and maintenance tracking.

Benefits:

• Intuitive Design: Buildium’s easy-to-navigate interface makes onboarding simple for teams of all sizes.
• All-in-One Solution: The platform covers everything from lease management to accounting, making it a comprehensive choice.
• Scalable Plans: Buildium offers pricing tiers that grow with your business.

Drawbacks:

• Cost: While scalable, Buildium’s pricing may be less appealing to smaller portfolios or solo landlords.
• Limited Advanced Features: Some complex operations may require additional tools or integrations.

This tool is ideal for property managers overseeing 50–5,000 doors, managing residential portfolios such as single-family homes and small multifamily units, and focusing on long-term rental properties.

2. AppFolio Property Manager

AppFolio is a robust platform designed for property managers handling larger and more diverse portfolios. It’s especially popular with companies managing mixed-use properties, including residential, commercial, and student housing.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Features: AppFolio covers marketing, leasing, maintenance, and reporting in a single platform.
• Automation: Automates time-consuming tasks like rent reminders, late fees, and tenant screening.
• Mobile-Friendly: A responsive app ensures you can manage operations from anywhere.

Drawbacks:

• Cost-Prohibitive for Small Portfolios: Pricing is better suited for businesses with larger door counts.
• Learning Curve: The wealth of features can feel overwhelming for new users.

This software is perfectly suited for property managers handling 200+ doors, managing a mix of residential, commercial, and multifamily properties, and requiring advanced reporting and automation tools.

3. Rent Manager

Rent Manager is a highly customizable platform designed to cater to property managers with unique needs. Its flexibility makes it a favorite for businesses managing diverse property types or handling more complex operations.

Benefits:

• Customizable Tools: Rent Manager adapts to your unique workflows, offering tailor-made solutions.
• Integrated Features: From marketing to accounting, the platform offers a broad range of capabilities.
• Scalability: Suitable for portfolios of all sizes, from a few units to thousands.

Drawbacks:

• Pricing Transparency: Costs aren’t readily available and require direct inquiries.
• Complexity: Some users may require training to fully leverage the platform’s capabilities.

Rent Manager is an excellent choice for property managers overseeing diverse portfolios that include both residential and commercial properties, ranging from a few units to large-scale operations, and seeking advanced customization for unique workflows.

The Best Property Management Software Needs a Well-Trained Team

The industry's best property management software won't help your business without a team trained to utilize the system to its full capacity. However, property management business owners don't have to handle the responsibility of training their team on new systems. 

Work with a property management coach to get your team up to speed with your up-to-date software solutions. We are well-versed in all of the top software solutions, and we will help your software systems work seamlessly with your team to level up your services in your market. 

We're Here To Help Find Property Management Software Success

Property managers can't be afraid to upgrade and evolve with industry technology! If you're not sure where to start (but you know you're due for an upgrade), Real-Time Consulting Services is here to help.

There isn't an out-of-the-box software solution for every property management business. You have specific needs and unique goals that require a customized solution to serve you now and into the future. When it's time to find the best property management software for your business, contact us for a free consultation!