When Property Management Goes Digital: Shifting Your Rental Property Into The Technology Age
As a property owner, it's important that you understand the role that the mobile environment plays for your tenants and your business. As more consumers start using their cell phones for internet access, banking and various apps, it's in your best interest to capitalize on that. The best way that you can do this is to work with a property management company who has embraced the mobile marketplace. Here are some features you should talk with your property managers about implementing if you want to reach mobile-savvy consumers.
Optimize Your Website
Although some prospective renters will find your rental property by driving by, many will turn to mobile resources, including your website, for more information. If you want the opportunity to capitalize on both, consider optimizing your website for mobile devices so that the consumers who see your signs on the go can load your site from a smartphone or tablet.
If you want to show that your company is staying relevant with the newest technology, consider adding QR codes to your business signs and rental ads. If you add a QR code, your property manager can keep the linked page up to date with relevant information about the current listings so that a prospective renter can get access to the availability information right away.
Offer Online Applications
Busy lifestyles and demanding schedules have led consumers to look for convenient ways to get the basics done – including rental applications. If you can offer the application online and have a property management company who is willing to do the evaluation remotely, it will not only simplify the whole process for everyone involved, but it may even increase the pool of prospective renters to those who are at work during the times when your property managers are in the office.
Digitize Your Business Forms
Since managing a rental property is an active process, your property manager will be out on the grounds frequently, which means that there may not always be someone sitting in the office. If you offer digital versions of your forms, from the rental application to your maintenance request slips, and you equip your property managers with tablets, they can even sign and finalize lease agreements with new tenants while doing the final walkthrough and evaluation of the property.
Additionally, offering an online platform to submit maintenance requests may make it easier for your tenants to notify management when something is malfunctioning. This is important, because the sooner you can address a problem, the less damage it is likely to cause in the long run. And, when you implement an online maintenance request system, you can track the progress of the tickets and even generate reports about your maintenance staff activities.
By making everything digital, you'll be able to keep an archive of all of the information stored in backup drives without having to overrun your office space with filing cabinets and paper. And, by going paperless this way, it makes your office more environmentally friendly, too!
Take Payments Online
Work with an online payment processor to offer online rent payments for your tenants. Not only does it make it easier for your tenants to make rent payments, but it may even increase the chances of getting rent on time if your tenants don't have to mail it or work around their work schedule to get the payment to you. And, by taking rent payments online, you reduce the bounced checks that your property managers will have to deal with.
With mobile applications, online platforms and digital technology taking a front seat for most consumers, it's important that your rental property get on board with these developments. With the tips presented here, you can capitalize on the convenience of mobile access to take care of your property.