Property Management Buyer's Guide

How to run your evaluation

Once you understand the basics of what type of software you need in terms of size, features, and basic design, it's time to start comparing different packages. Submit a BuyerZone request for property management software quotes and you’ll be put in touch with up to five qualified providers based on your requirements.

Start with the standard phone conversations and web site visits, just to get a general idea of what each vendor has to offer. However, you should be prepared to spend the majority of your time evaluating the software itself.

Most vendors will provide either a trial version of the software or a demo you can watch to let you get a sense of how the software really works. Find out how the software handles your most common activities, such as entering tenant payments or creating maintenance requests, to gauge how the program feels.

Understanding these packages can be tricky, so if you get access to an online trial or demo version of the software, you should definitely ask the vendor to walk you through it. Whether the walkthrough is done as a web conference or in person, it will help you get much more out of your evaluation.

Ease of use
When evaluating software packages, don’t depend solely on checking features off of your list. Getting your staff to adopt a new system can be difficult, so it’s essential to choose software that's easy to use. Of course, every salesperson will tell you their property management software is easy to use. You need to decide for yourself what “easy to use” means, but here are some examples.

• Is entering information intuitive?
• Can you skip sections if they're not applicable, or include non-standard information?
• How much is automated for you?
• Can you easily find specific information about a tenant or unit?
• Are the various screens easy to understand?
• Does the “flow” from section to section match your workflow?
• How many steps does it take to perform basic actions?
• Can you switch immediately from one task to another if an emergency comes up?

No matter how easy the basic functions are, users will always have questions, so investigate the built-in help features as well. How much contextual help is included? Are there pop-up “tool tips” to explain various buttons? Is the help system useful? Make sure your employees will be able to get the help they need.

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