Doubling Property Management Company Size with IoT: A Hands Free Property Case Study
Technology Category
- Networks & Connectivity - 5G
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Buildings
- Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions
- Facility Management
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Smart City Operations
About The Customer
Hands Free Property is a property management company founded in 2018 by Alex B, Arthur Diulgerian, and Fraser Mackie. The company started with the founders managing a few properties and quickly grew to manage dozens of properties, attracting homeowners with their enthusiasm and leadership. The company's mission is to become the leader in the rental property management space province-wide and eventually nationwide. They manage a diverse portfolio of properties, including vacation rentals, multi-unit corporate housing, aparthotels, and more. The company is based in Vancouver, Canada, which is considered the least affordable city in North America according to Oxford Economics’ North America Housing Affordability Indices (HAIs).
The Challenge
Hands Free Property, a property management company based in Vancouver, Canada, faced significant challenges as it expanded. The company, which manages a diverse portfolio of vacation rentals, multi-unit corporate housing, aparthotels, and more, struggled with tasks such as posting listings on multiple Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), answering guest messages, and maintaining a healthy booking calendar. Initially, they outsourced some of these tasks, which reduced the workload but also meant sacrificing a level of visibility and control. As the company continued to grow, it became clear that to scale and widen their footprint across British Columbia, they needed a tool that would allow them to automate tasks while retaining complete autonomy over the work being done.
The Solution
In 2020, Hands Free Property decided to implement Guesty’s platform to automate the tasks that were preventing them from focusing on marketing and scaling their business. The platform's Channel Manager enabled them to list their properties on an increasing number of OTAs, in addition to their existing direct booking site. The Multi-Calendar feature resolved booking blockages that previously resulted in lost profits. Guesty’s Revenue Management tools allowed them to set auto-rules for payments. However, the platform’s communication solutions, including efficient Communication Workflows, a centralized Unified Inbox, and a dedicated, highly trained 24/7 guest communications team, proved to be the most significant game-changer.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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