Go beyond the fear to make technology your ally

Becoming a ‘power user’ of your agency’s Property Management Software is a great first step

The property management landscape is undergoing intense technological change. 

Embracing innovation will ease the pressures of your day by ending annoying tasks such as double-entry of data and help you be respected in your agency as a top performer in your field.

Focusing on your own professional development will also shift attention from some of the more emotional aspects of the role, like conflict management. 

Developing your skillset opens new opportunities, demonstrating a personal commitment to a career path in property management and real estate as a whole.

Sometimes, knowing where to start can feel a little overwhelming. 

A good first step is to become a “power user” of your agency’s Property Management Software (PMS). 

You’ll save hours every week by using its capabilities for tenant management, maintenance tracking, rent collection and financial reporting. Prioritise your learning of automated workflows, document management, notifications and the mobile app. 

You can go beyond the PMS and become an expert in creating workflows with allied applications, such as Forms Live, or REI Forms – a legally-compliant forms application developed by Dynamic Methods and used by most agencies. (There are alternative products that are used mostly in Victoria and by some South Australian agencies.) 

Other third party applications that you might use will cover issues such as anti-money laundering, verification of ID and automated signing, which is often provided by DocuSign.

An important area for exploration right now is AI and machine learning. 

AI is here, and it is coming to revolutionise your role – a fact accepted by 72% of PMs, according to research. There’s no need to fear its undoubted power, so long as you’re determined to be an AI “power user”. It’s going to help you in a variety of ways, such as offering predictive maintenance schedules and optimised rental pricing, and ending the form-filling nightmare of double-entry.

Talk to your managers about how you can begin to use these tools. Check out online courses that would make your team more efficient, enhancing your own job satisfaction and improving the profitability of your agency.