Property Management Software
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Top software solutions by category
Buildium
Buildium’s all-in-one property management software helps property managers streamline daily tasks in the rent, vacancy, and maintenance cycles. Over 13,000 customers use Buildium to manage over one million units.
Property Boulevard
Property Boulevard is a property management system designed for commercial and residential property portfolios. The system has management and accounting capabilities and provides access to multiple network users. The software offers...
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Rent Manager
Rent Manager is a software system for both residential and commercial real estate companies. The financial accounting component of Rent Manager has full integration and includes standard functionality such as a general ledger with...
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AppFolio Property Manager
AppFolio provides cloud-based property management software that allows residential property managers to market and manage their business. This solution includes accounting, leasing, marketing and property management functionality.
All...
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Propertyware
Propertyware is a cloud-based, end-to-end property management software that helps property managers and operators scale their businesses with several different property types, including mixed portfolios.
Propertyware’s platform...
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SKYLINE Software
SKYLINE from SS&C Technologies is a web-based property management and accounting solution suitable for small to midsize real-estate firms. Designed to handle an array or key operations, SKYLINE is capable of offering integrated tools...
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Maintenance Connection
Maintenance Connection is a cloud-based software system for maintenance management. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes in general facilities management, healthcare, manufacturing, government, utilities, warehouses, energy development,...
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Rentec Direct
Rentec Direct serves as a web-based, full-featured management system for landlords and property managers that is designed to suit the needs of those managing properties between 25 and 5,000 units. Rentec has no startup fees, no term...
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Total Management
Web-based tracking and accounting solution ideal for residential, commercial, and student housing. We like being able to navigate multiple screens from a single browser - without using tabs.
MRI Commercial Management
MRI Commercial Management is built for commercial property managers. It offers real-time, actionable data which can be used to manage assets, all from the secure Alloy platform. Commercial Management (CM) clients include managers of...
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MRI Residential Management
MRI Residential Management suits multi-family managers looking to reduce costs while also increasing property occupancy. MRI Software has developed a comprehensive system that offers end-to-end functionality, managing everything from...
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MRI Bostonpost
Bostonpost Technology Property Manager provides cloud-based software and services to thousands of properties managing affordable housing accross the US. All Federal and State funding programs are supported, including housing subsidized...
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Property Manager Cloud
Property Manager Cloud has been providing solutions to property managers and landlords for the past decade. Their web-based application offers robust functionality, yet is flexible enough for companies managing single units to those...
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Yardi Genesis2
Genesis2 from Yardi is a property management and accounting software for small to midsize businesses. The cloud-based solution allows property managers to market, lease and manage many different property types from a single, mobile...
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Budgetrac Property Management
Budgetrac is a cloud-based, comprehensive property management and accounting solution suitable for commercial properties such as industrial, office and retail.
Budgetrac shares real-time information across organizations through role-based...
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INFO-Tracker™
INFO-Tracker by Netintegrity Inc. is a property, accounting and maintenance management system that offers segment-specific modules customized for Condo HOA, residential, 3rd party rental, commercial real estate and affordable housing...
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roomMaster
roomMaster from InnQuest Software is a Windows-based property management solution designed for the hotel and hospitality market. The scalable solution is suitable for small bed and breakfasts to large resorts.
roomMaster offers a...
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Property Matrix
Property Matrix is a cloud-based property management solution geared towards apartment complexes and multi-family unit properties. It offers a full suite of applications for managing multiple properties: tenant and lease tracking,...
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SimplifyEm Property Management Software
SimplifyEm is a property management software designed to meet the requirements of small and mid-sized landlords and property managers. The web-based solution offers features like property accounting, tenant management, lease tracking,...
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Qube Property Management Software
Qube Property Management (PM) software provides a solution that is deployable on a cloud-based or on-premise system. It is designed for a variety of property management company sizes as well as industry segments including commercial,...
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Pebblegate
Pebblegate is a web-based property management solution. The modular platform includes tenant & lease management, property accounting, budgeting & forecasting, and building maintenance; companies can implement only the applications...
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SOFT4RealEstate
SOFT4RealEstate from Softera Baltic is a property management system designed to help commercial operators manage their tenants. The solution is built on a Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform and is operable in both web-based and on-premise...
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CICTotal Manager
CICTotal Manager is a property management software for multifamily properties. The web-based system is accessible from anywhere, and users can see updated statistics on their business in real time. Users can manage their properties...
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Domum Link
Domum Link is a cloud-based property management solution suitable for businesses of all sizes. Key features include lease management, employee management, building maintenance, automated listing postings, tenant communication and reporting...
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PropertyBoss
PropertyBoss is a property management solution for mid-sized to large property managers. The software caters to managers of affordable housing units, apartment complexes, manufactured housing, military housing, residential, self-storage,...
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Visual Lease
For organizations managing 50 or more commercial leases, Visual Lease is a comprehensive web-based lease administration and portfolio management solution that helps organizations track lease data, critical dates, financials, documents...
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WOW! On the Web
For corporate facility managers or commercial property managers looking for a better way to manage their assets, work orders and preventative maintenance, WOW! (formerly Work Order Wonder) is a comprehensive cloud-based solution that...
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Yardi Voyager
Yardi Voyager is a cloud-based property management and accounting platform for both commercial and residential entities. This software is designed for small portfolio real estate owners as well as large enterprises.
Yardi Voyager...
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Easy InnKeeping
For hotels, condos, resorts and other short-term properties, Easy InnKeeping provides a complete web-based software suite that manages everything from reservations to marketing to financials in one of the simplest systems on the market....
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Infor Property Management
We recommend Infor AMSI to property owners and managers that need an integrated solution with budgeting and forecasting, tenant and lease tracking, customer management and more. Available as a "cloud" or on-premise system.
Apartment Information Management
Apartment Information Management Software (AIMS) is an all-in-one property management solution for apartment owners, landlords, and property managers. Released in 2011, AIMS offers the same functionality that can be found in leading...
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Greenhouse PM
Greenhouse Property Management offers highly-customizable and user-friendly web-based software designed specifically for landlords and property managers with a portfolio of less than fifty units.
Yardi Store Enterprise
Yardi Store Enterprise offers self-storage software from the cloud and is designed for large, multi-facility ownerships, management companies and REIT’s.
The system provides multi-site reports to compare revenue for every site in...
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CiraConnect
With over a decade of experience in the Community Management market, CiraConnect is a world class system for management companies and large, self-managed communities. This system offers completely integrated cloud-based and mobile-app...
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PMX Property Management
PMX Property Management offers a system for property managers of all types built on the MS Dynamics NAV platform. It is suitable for managing apartments and vacation rentals as well as commercial, industrial and international properties....
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Smart Hotel
Smart Hotel offers a full-featured Hotel Property Management System suitable for a wide variety of industry verticals like corporate hotels, resorts, retreats, wilderness lodges, and marinas. Front Office & Property Management and...
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BuildingLink
BuildingLink is a property management platform with 23 modules and 400 customization options. Dashboards enable users to oversee resident and staff activity, and a search function can quickly retrieve information on any unit for one...
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Save time.
Save money.
There are hundreds of Property Management systems. Sifting through them can take weeks.
Choosing the wrong software can harm your business.
In minutes, we'll give you matches for your needs and budget.
100% free to you. How?
Buyer's Guide
Property Management Quick Summary
Property management software helps landlords and real estate professionals track leases, residents and maintenance tasks, as well as collect rent and manage finances to reduce costs and streamline operations.
Benefits of Property Management Software
Property management software applications can lead to several key benefits, including:
Tenant and lease tracking. Helps managers perform two important functions: keep track of tenant details, such as rent payments or contact information, and lease dates. Lease tracking can also automate the leasing process from prospect to move-out.
Maintenance management. It's critical that property managers keep buildings and utilities in operating condition so tenants find value and comfort in their homes. With this application, residents can submit work orders and managers can assign work and track schedules so that important maintenance tasks are completed in a timely fashion.
Accounting. Assists with tracking rent payments, includes a general ledger and can generate reports to visualize the financial health of your properties.
Tenant portal. An online portal allows your tenants to pay rent, make maintenance requests and communicate with landlords at any time. This portal can also send alerts and notifications about upcoming rent dates or important messages from managers to residents.
Competitive Advantages of Using Property Management Software
Whether you manage a single apartment complex or dozens of commercial facilities, property management software can provide the functionality needed to handle daily tasks, letting you focus on your business in other ways:
Grow your business. Automation gained from software allows property managers to spend more time marketing their properties and managing applicants to find the best residents or renters. Marketing tools give you the ability to quickly post vacancies to various sites, like Craigslist or Apartments.com, with just a few clicks.
Offer increased convenience. With an online tenant portal, residents can pay rent any time of day, which adds convenience for them and makes collecting rent easier for you. In addition, a portal opens a line of communication among tenants and office and maintenance staff, so everyone can be quickly notified about important announcements.
Gain financial oversight. Reporting and analytics tools help you gather your financial, tenant or marketing data to identify trends that could be harming your business or opportunities to make improvements.
Businesses Sizes Using Property Management Software
Property managers have different requirements based on their portfolio size and type. Modern software offers functionality to help any type:
Single and multi-family buyers. Perhaps the most common type of property management, these buyers enjoy a wide selection of systems that help manage apartments, condos or houses, including core functionality of accounting and tenant tracking along with portals and vacancy marketing.
Niche-segment buyers. While most property management systems feature the same core functions, many focus on certain property segments:
HOA management software offers additional features to track meeting minutes, bylaws and elections necessary to operate an association.
Affordable housing software includes functionality to manage funding programs, track compliance and generate audit reports.
Vacation rental property software focuses on online booking management and marketing features to give owners a wider reach for potential renters.
Enterprise level buyers. Those who manage several properties across a commercial enterprise can opt for a system that shows an overview of their entire portfolio.
Additional Software Property Managers May Need
Modern property management software helps handle virtually any day-to-day task, but depending on your specific needs, you may want to integrate with other systems:
Marketing automation: Some property managers with large portfolios may need some extra help advertising their rentals. Marketing software can help you manage email, social media or text campaigns to reach a wide swath of potential tenants.
Maintenance management software: Residents deserve functional, clean properties, and managers may need more robust work order systems to tackle the volume of daily maintenance requests.
Property management accounting software: Helps landlords track rent payments, maintenance and inventory costs and create forecasts and budgets to gain an overview of financial health and maximize profits.
Rental property management software: Helps owners automate recurring tasks, such as collecting rent and generating financial reports, and handle maintenance requests remotely to manage a portfolio of properties.
Apartment management software: Includes core accounting and tenant and lease tracking functionality with additional online listing management tools, and a tenant portal to streamline rent collection.
Features Guide
A List of Common Property Management Features
When comparing property management software, it's important to understand the functionality included in each. The most common functions of these systems are listed in the table below:
Accounting
Manage the general ledger, accounts payable and rent payments. Most systems assist with bank reconciliation and generating financial reports.
Tenant & lease tracking
Assists with the entire leasing process, including tenant screening, move-in and move-out management and rent and utility payment collections.
Budgeting & forecasting
Develop accurate operating budgets and reports and forecast future costs and values, as well as account for consumer price index (CPI) changes, inflation and market rates.
Building maintenance
Submit and track work orders, either from employees or renters, and assign tasks to maintenance workers.
Tenant portal
Allows tenants to pay rent and fees, submit maintenance requests and opens a communication channel between residents and staff.
Feature Details and Examples
Accounting: Accounting features in property management systems work much like financial accounting in other systems: they help keep your numbers accurate and up-to-date, with a general ledger, forecasts and dashboards offering a holistic view of expenses and profits. Generate reports can be used to present to stakeholders and to identify trends or opportunities.
Accounting summary in Buildium
Tenant & lease tracking: This feature is the core of any property management system, as it helps organize and track all important information about your residents and their lease agreements. This may include: past due payments, crucial lease dates, contact information and more. Most systems also offer tenant screening tools as a part of tenant tracking.
A tenant profile in MRI Residential Management
Budgeting & forecasting: These features deliver value to property managers by centralizing all current financial information and historical lease details to produce accurate projections and forecast future costs. Reporting features can be used to generate customizable reports to easily share information with stakeholders.
Various types of reporting options in Rentec Direct
Building maintenance: Maintenance management functionality allows both residents and staff to submit, track and assign work orders for any type of request, from structural issues to pest problems, through an online portal. Many systems can automatically assign tasks to maintenance workers to ensure a quick response.
Hemlane's maintenance request dashboard
Tenant portal: As mentioned above, an online portal offers residents various ways to communicate with landlords or office staff, accessible at any time of the day. Tenants can update contact information, pay rent and other fees, submit maintenance requests, view lease documents and communicate with office staff.
A resident profile in the tenant portal from Propertyware
The Property Management Software Features You Really Need
Property management software is often flexible enough to match your specific needs and scale with your business growth. However, there are some crucial applications for certain types or stages of property management:
Small apartment complex or single-family homes
Tenant and lease tracking: For property managers with a smaller portfolio, keeping track of rent payments and lease documents can be centralized for quick retrieval of important information, such as which resident's rent is past due.
Multiple complexes, rentals or an HOA
Tenant portal: When you have several buildings or rentals to maintain, letting tenants contact you through an online portal helps you stay on top of emerging problems you may have missed otherwise.
Enterprise business buyer
Accounting and reporting: Corporate real estate professionals need more robust accounting and reporting tools to make strategic decisions to lower costs. Some may also consider facilities management software.
Pricing Guide
How Property Management Software Is Priced and Hosted
Typically, property management software pricing is based on a few key factors:
How many units do you manage?
How many applications do you need?
How do you want the system deployed?
Vendors most often charge per unit, per month—but be aware that many have minimum monthly costs no matter how large your portfolio. Other costs may include implementation, support fees or hardware expenses.
In addition, costs may differ for on-premise or cloud-based deployments; cloud-based software is generally a smaller investment up-front.
What Businesses Typically Budget for Property Management Software
When we look at how much companies are prepared to spend on property management software per month, the numbers vary. We see a couple concentrations of buyers:
A combined 48 percent expect to pay between $10 and $75 per month—the vast majority of these buyers manage apartments or single-family properties.
A combined 40 percent expect to pay at least $151 per month—these buyers are generally commercial, retail, self-storage and other mixed-portfolio managers.
(Note that these prices do not include any potential up-front fees, such as installation and training.)
Budget for Property Management Software
A resident profile in the tenant portal from Propertyware
Hidden Costs of Property Management Software
Property management software has a relatively simple pricing structure, but some solutions include costs that you may not have anticipated. In addition to the monthly fee per unit, consider these other common costs:
Add-on modules that may not be automatically included in the plan you chose
Implementation services or fees for the vendor to help set up the software for success
Training options to help your team use the system effectively
Access to an API to further customize the software to meet your needs
FAQs
What Are the Key Functions of Property Management Software?
As mentioned above, property management software offers several benefits:
Tenant and lease tracking. Manage tenant contact information, lease details and important notifications to avoid late payments or move-out dates.
Maintenance management. Submit, assign and track work requests, from staff or residents, and close out work orders to ensure important tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Accounting. Track all your financial records, from rent payments to expenses, and generate reports to get an overview of operations.
Tenant portal. Open a communication channel among landlords, staff and residents online, where users can make work requests, pay rent or post to a message board.
What Questions Should I Ask Vendors When Evaluating Property Management Products?
When seeking information about property management software, you should ask a few questions to make sure it's the right fit for your needs. These include:
What parts of the software do users most frequently report problems with?
While you should pay attention to what vendors are excited to share about their system, be sure to ask about common pain points for customers and which features typically take the most time to master.
What are the additional required costs for the software?
Aside from monthly subscription costs, you should get an idea about additional costs for other services or hardware—training and implementation are common up-front costs to consider.
Can you customize the system to meet my specific needs?
Most vendors are flexible enough to customize their software by adding new fields for tenant information or combining a specific set of features for you.
How Can Property Management Software Help Me With Marketing?
Marketing your vacancies and conveying quality in the photos and text you post can be a time-consuming challenge for property managers. Modern property management systems offer functionality to help with website and vacancy management, with features for branding, search engine optimization help, social media integration and full marketing campaign management.
Check out this example of how software helps you market properties and find tenants in the busy summer months.
Can Property Management Software Help Me Find High-Quality Tenants?
A major feature of most modern property management solutions is tenant screening tools, which allow you to screen for credit, eviction and criminal records much more quickly than manual methods. Screen with accuracy to avoid bad tenants so you can spend more time showing off your amenities.
What Are Some Drawbacks I Should Watch Out For?
Property management software won't immediately solve your operational challenges, but it can significantly streamline your more tedious daily tasks.
As with any software investment, it's important to have a clear goal in mind for the system—maybe you need to automate rent collections or make it simpler for residents to make maintenance requests. A clear objective will help your company determine the exact functionality needed to reach it.
Tips & Tools
Build a Business Case for Property Management Software
Sometimes it's difficult to get your management to sign off on a new investment like software. But there are a few key property management software benefits that could help you get buy-in from your team:
Faster lease signing. Automated vacancy postings and screening tools streamline the application process so that you find the best tenants and can have them sign leases quickly.
Automation facilitates communication. Software provides a tenant portal that connects residents and landlords to conveniently email each other about important information so that managers can focus on improving the business.
Financial tools handle tedious tasks. Property management software has industry-specific tools to calculate common area maintenance (CAM) reconciliation or automate late fees.
Relevant Articles
Here are some recent articles about property management software you should check out:
Recent Events in the Property Management Market
Here are some important recent events concerning the property management industry:
As homeownership rises, rental affordability improves in 2017. The 2016 Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey shows that homeownership will reverse from its historic low in 2016 and begin trending upward, as millennials prepare to buy. An anticipated effect of this trend is a damper on the growth of renters and cheaper rental rates overall.
AssetEye assists multi-property professionals. RealPage acquired AssetEye Inc. in 2016 to offer their solution for data aggregation, reporting and collaboration, which extends the scope of RealPage's software. This acquisition allows the company's cloud-based solution to cover other property types, such as hospitality, commercial, multi and single-family, senior living and student housing.
Use trending colors to make rentals pop. Adding bursts of bold colors in apartments can impact the mood and behavior of renters. So whether you follow the suggestions of Pantone with its color of 2017, Greenery, or personalize the hue to your renter demographic, consider how colors can potentially turn prospects into renters.
Top Products - September 2017 FrontRunners
Our FrontRunners™ Quadrant
FrontRunners quadrants highlight the top software products for North American small businesses. All products in the quadrant are top performers. Small businesses can use FrontRunners to make more informed decisions about what software is right for them.
To create this quadrant, we evaluated over 100 Residential Property Management products. Those with the top scores for their capability and value made the quadrant.
You can download the full FrontRunners for Residential Property Management report here.
Small businesses should use FrontRunners to make more informed decisions about which software is right for them. See our About FrontRunners page for more information.