If you’re a CRE professional interested in exploring the property management software field, you’ve probably come across a host of different platforms. From out-of-the-box software solutions that claim to be one size fits all to ultra-customized monstrosities that have you paying for features you’ll never use, it can be difficult to locate the goldilocks style “just the right fit” property management solution that your portfolio needs.
At Quarem, we listen to CRE pros like yourself, scouring the feedback of a wide range of competing products as part of our dedication to learning and growing with our client base. Here we’ve compiled a list of five of the top common complaints and cons of individual software solutions, along with lessons these missteps can teach quality companies looking to produce the best possible product for their commercial real estate partners.
1. Failure to Design with Property Managers in Mind
There are plenty software solutions on the market that tout themselves as providing “out-of-the-box” capabilities or “one-size-fits-all” simplicity. Real-world users of these products consistently dispel the myth that this is an admirable trait in a property management software provider. Property management software producers can learn from this feedback, ensuring that products are designed with the needs, modules, functionality and tools CRE professionals need to manage diverse portfolios.
2. Lack of Integration and Communication
The multi-faceted nature of commercial real estate calls for programs with multiple modules for handling all aspects of a company’s business. A huge frustration for users of CRE management software is when these individual components of a single program lack the ability to integrate and share data internally. Sophisticated providers, such as Quarem, have used this knowledge to ensure users input data once, allowing cross-population of fields across individual units, modules, forms and more and saving time that could be used to grow your CRE portfolio.
3. Implementation Woes
So, you’ve bought a seemingly fantastic product only to experience serious growing and roll-out pains. Maybe your current data isn’t transferring in or the program isn’t playing nicely with your existing programs. Worse yet, perhaps you and your staff have been left on your own to fumble through an unfamiliar piece of software with no implementation help. Providers of property management software solutions should keep in mind this real-world and exasperating headache, offering full implementation as part of every package to ensure your product becomes a solution and not an expensive time drain.
4. Lack of Real Support from Real Experts
In a similar vein, support for your product shouldn’t end once installation has been completed. CRE professionals are always on the go, looking for the next big deal or opportunity. Reliance on their existing software tools and quick fixes when problems go wrong, are must-haves; numerous complaints pop up when these things are lacking in their property management software. Property management software solutions should consider themselves active partners in the business of their clients and provide responsive support, long after the initial sale is made.
5. Missing Multi-Platform Accessibility
Our final major and frequent complaint from CRE professionals is a lack of flexibility in accessing critical data once the property management software has been eliminated. Individual portfolio properties aren’t located in the same place and neither should your company’s data. The ability to access critical information, exchange messages and otherwise utilize your property management software from home, office or mobile device is a critical demand in today’s fast-paced CRE world. Property management software should meet the demands of its clients, offering multi-platform accessibility and cloud-based data storage to ensure constant business continuity.
Perhaps you have one or more of the above complaints with your current property management platform or you’re interested in selecting a software partner that’s cognizant of these cons and actively works to design their software to avoid them? Quarem’s contingent of solutions may be able to help meet your needs and avoid stumbling blocks or hiccups present in other products. Contact Quarem today for a no-cost consultation and analysis of your CRE property management needs and find out how our goal to always keep learning and growing can help add efficiency and savings into your CRE portfolio.
