Managing your rental property may require handling issues such as tenant screening, rent collection, unit maintenance, lease enforcement, and evictions. Dealing with all these things alone can be alarming, especially when you have a solid real estate portfolio. Fortunately, various technologies and software are available in the market to help accelerate your business growth and boost returns on your investment.
Taking advantage of advanced software and applications simplifies certain aspects of the renting business for you and your Seattle tenants. You can streamline tasks to improve efficiency, making your lives easier by allowing you to manage everything with your devices.
SJA property management uses practical and effective software and tools to help your business improve in Seattle, Washington. Let’s take a look at the technologies we use.
1. Property Management Software System (AppFolio)
Modern real estate management software is a tailor-made solution for landlords, owners, and investors. It helps you manage and oversee your rental properties by offering cutting-edge features like online communication, automation, report generation, and online tracking which improve the efficiency of your business and saves you time and money. It operates locally to optimize rental processes and increase the performance and transparency of your business.
Here are a few benefits of using property management software:
Robust Accounting and Reporting
Real estate management software like AppFolio allows you to accurately capture every transaction, including mortgages, rent, debts, bills, banking information, and security deposit to offer real-time insight into your financial budget, which needed for fast and confident decisions.
24/7 Online Communication
A variety of online software available in the market enhances communication. It lets you quickly contact your tenants through emails, text messages, and push notifications. You can send reminders about rent payments and outstanding orders to ensure everyone stays on the same page regarding payments and deadlines.
Quick Online payments
You can give your tenants fast payment solutions by providing online software, allowing them to send rent to your bank account, check their statements and collect receipts. It increases convenience and may potentially prevent late rent payments.
Maintenance Management
Online property management software allows you to track all maintenance requests and schedule appointments for vendors and suppliers.
Apart from these features, property management software also protects your rental documents which include lease agreements, addenda, policies, and notices, making investment ventures much easier for those who are overstressed and overburdened.
2. Electronic walk-through system
Property inspections or walk-throughs are critical to maintaining your asset’s longevity and determining its accurate value in a competitive market like Seattle, Washington. Implementing an electronic walk-through, unlike traditional pen-and-paper inspections, allows you to manage property inspections at your fingertips.
For example, a system or app like HappyCo helps you conduct a virtual assessment every six months or when tenants move in and out of the property and offer landlords and investors a series of benefits and value-added features, including:
- Customizable inspection templates
- Electronic and speedy documentation
- Improved compliance
- Dashboard for instant intelligence
- Flexible and fast updates
- Automatic backups and drafts
Electronic systems let your team quickly identify repair issues, take pictures of any potential damages, keep records of and draft comprehensive inspection reports, provide data-driven insights, and see what works correctly for your unit. The system’s unique feature is that you can have a move-in walk-through form and then take the same form electronically to compare both, checking for damage after tenants move out.
3. Digital Signature Program Software
Gone are the days when landlords used to visit their tenants personally to sign a lease agreement. Since the workforce is going hybrid and remote, a digital program is a way to go today. With digital signature software, you do not need to deal with papers and wait for physical mail. Here are a few modern features a digital signature app offers:
Easy-to-use
With eSignature apps, you can create your account in minutes anywhere, and anytime and sign a lease agreement right from your phone or tablet. You can avoid paperwork and offer your tenants a quick and modern way of signing a lease and confirming their identity.
Fully customizable
eSignature apps offer fully customizable lease templates that allow you to change tenants’ personal information, lease date, and company logo, conveniently stamping your brand identity on your rental documents. Apps like ZOHO or Ever sign enable you to customize, send, approve, and get the lease documents signed legally and securely on the first go.
Legally binding
eSignatures are a secure and legally binding way that helps improve customer experience and strengthen legal compliance. Digital signature apps comply with UETA, ACT, and PIPEDA and have the same legal status as handwritten signatures.
Centralized document storage
Looking for property-related documents can be a hassle, especially if you own multiple properties. However, you don’t need to search files, desks, and computer folders to find lease documents. eSignature software like SmartVault provides a centralized document repository where you can store all essential documents, such as addenda, policies, eviction notices, lease agreements, and other important files.
4. Online Advertising Reach
Virtual marketing is one of the significant benefits of tech-savvy real estate management. There are various listing platforms where you can post your Seattle rental vacancy, along with digital pictures and extensive real estate descriptions to draw the attention of your potential tenants in no time.
Popular websites like Zillow, Zumper, HotPads, and Trulia provide professional listing information, home photos, videos, and virtual tours, allowing you to rent your asset quickly. Additionally, you can post rental vacancies on social media websites and build a virtual presence to reach more tenants. You can also create content like blogs and articles to highlight the best features of your rental property. It will connect you with a larger pool of quality tenants and allow you to fill the rental vacancy faster.
As you can see, technology offers an array of benefits to landlords like accessible rent collection, quick walk-throughs, digital signature facility, maintenance, and more. Integrating enhanced technology provides a hassle-free rental experience and peace of mind to you and your Seattle tenants. However, if you still find rental unit management difficult, consider partnering with SJA Property Management.
SJA is a premier property management company serving Seattle, Washington, Seattle’s Eastside and the Greater Puget Sound region since 2009. We provide sophisticated, personalized, and comprehensive management services for single-family residences, luxury homes, condominiums, and multi-family buildings.
For more information, simply fill out our online request form or give us a call at (425) 658-1920 – SJA property management in Seattle, Washington.
