We’re going to be completely honest with you—many companies in the property management industry have incredibly outdated operations. We don’t want to sound cliche and say: “Step into the 21st century,” but without the right technology, your organizational structure could seriously lack behind. At the core of gaining and retaining your renters is how well you as a company works. An efficient operation is going to perform a lot better than one where no one is on the same page.

Even still, our team at LeasingKC have found leasing offices and property management companies don’t take advantage of technology and its benefits to lean out their office structure. But since you’re here, you’re already one step closer in the right direction!

Here’s how routine technology and organizational structure work hand-in-hand to improve operations and put you in a better position to fill your vacancies.

Technology… it’s more than having a computer at the front desk

Sure, you may have a front office computer to do basic administrative tasks; you may even have an internal server for employee communications and updates. While all that is great, you can go beyond the basic and really help your leasing company grow. There are a variety of technological advancements you may overlook that could help streamline your work and make things a lot easier on you and your employees. This may include:

Using online bill pay to avoid physical checks and bookkeeping
Setting property bills on auto-pay so you don’t have to worry about remembering each month (LeasingKC offers both one-time and recurring payments)
Finding the right property management software to complement your daily operations

Let’s pause on that last one for a moment. You may be thinking, “Well, I already have property management software.” We’ll admit, a lot of offices have some form of software, but they also don’t make the most out of them. Here’s what we see all too often: a property management company spends loads of money investing in the best software they can find only to let it fall by the wayside.

These property management softwares are literally designed to make your job easier and more optimized, but it all depends on how you use them. Here are a few tips we recommend to get the most out of whichever software you use.

Learn the ins and out of the software yourself: Before you start training staff, make sure you’ve done everything in your power to become a mini expert in how the software works. This will allow you to understand the capabilities it offers that could best fit your needs. Plus, whenever employees have questions or don’t know what to do, you can be a resource to help them out.

Speak to the reps of your software company: Whenever you want to learn more about your property management software, use their reps for help. This allows you to ask questions, get advice, and even learn more about the company itself.

Follow updates and use them: Don’t ignore any updates or changes your software goes through. It may sound hard to change your operations to keep up with advancements, but you’d be surprised how much more organized your office could be if you remain about the curve. There may be added features that would be perfect for your needs, but if you don’t pay attention to upgrades, you’d have no idea.

Focus on ongoing staff training: If your management software updates and changes, you’re going to have to make sure your staff knows how to implement those changes. All too often, property management companies purchase platforms that have so much potential but then fail to train their employees. What’s the good in that? We recommend getting feedback from your staff. Do they understand the program? Is it making their job easier or more difficult? Which features do they believe will be most effective to lean out the office structure?

And speaking of staff..

Your staff should work in tandem with your upgraded technology

Some people think investing in newer technology to improve their organizational structure means getting rid of employees—we’re not saying that. Technological advances in your day-to-day operations doesn’t mean you say adios to your amazing team or stop hiring new people. Instead, you should focus on strategically using your employees to further improve routine technology and organizational structure.

So what does that look like?

Well, for one, not every staff member has to do everything. When each employee wears too many hats, it can make things a little messy and difficult to manage. Think about the skills and experience of your team. You can even sit down with them and ask what they would like to do and how they believe they can help. From there, you can separate your staff into specific duties. For instance, you can have one person who focuses on marketing, another on following up with leads, and someone else for showings. The list can go on and on. As a result, everyone has a specialized position, which can eliminate confusion on who’s in charge of what.

A more lean, well-organized office creates a better experience for renters and employees

At the end of the day, you want to make sure you give your renters and potential the best office experience and environment possible. If they step into the office and people are scrambling trying to get work done, they may not feel comfortable trusting you to house them.

However, when you combine updated technology with strategic staffing you can make processes smoother for your renters. Whenever they need to pay a bill, contact maintenance, have specific questions, etc., a lean organizational structure ensures you can cater to their needs quickly and efficiently.

Another huge benefit of focusing on routine technology and organizational structure is reducing human error. Unfortunately, all humans are fallible (and that’s okay!), but sometimes minor mistakes could create large problems down the road. With the help of technology you can:

Make sure property bills are paid on time each month
Eliminate the fear of missing checks or any other check errors (such as not signing)
Avoid charging renters the wrong rent amount and/or included utility fees
Motivate employees and make their job easier to manage (happy employees create happy renters)
Save time, money, and energy in your daily processes

LeasingKC can help with revamp your routine technology and organizational structure

If you’re in the Kansas City area, let LeasingKC be your bridge between you and your future residents. LeasingKC is a rental listing site run by local experts to help people find Kansas City apartments, rental homes, condos, and lofts.

Along with operational help, we also provide a variety of cost-effective marketing plans that allow property managers and landlords to maximize their investments.

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