Case Studies > MK Property Management Finds More Time To Focus On Customers And Business Growth With AppFolio

MK Property Management Finds More Time To Focus On Customers And Business Growth With AppFolio

Company Size

11-200

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

AppFolio Property Manager
Buildium

Tech Stack

Web-based Property Management Software
Accounting Infrastructure

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Digital Expertise
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Remote Asset Management

Services

System Integration
Training

About The Customer

Connie Miller and her partner started MK Property Management 15 years ago with just a few properties as an investment for future retirement. Over the years the business has grown and now they manage over 225 properties with a staff of just two full-time employees. Connie has kept the company small so they can devote personalized attention to the properties and their owners – when an owner calls, he talks to Connie or Tami. Simplicity and personalized service are what differentiates MK Property Management from their competition.

The Challenge

When Connie was ready to move from manually managing their properties using Excel spreadsheets she started searching for web-based property management software. Her requirements were straightforward – she wanted the flexibility to work while she was out of the office, a system that was easy to use and dedicated support to get started properly. They initially used Buildium property management software for about a year, but it was a tough year. They didn’t have anyone they could call – almost all communication was done through email. It was very frustrating. Because she wasn’t comfortable with Buildium’s accounting infrastructure she was also keeping dual books. It was double the amount of work. Connie thought that the different web-based property management software solutions looked similar when they first selected Buildium. But when you actually work with them day-to-day, they are very different. They had to learn that the hard way, but in the end they switched to AppFolio because it is much more user-friendly and most importantly she trusts the accounting.

The Solution

Switching to new property management software not only affects the property management staff, it also impacts the owners, so Connie needed to be sure the reports and Owner Packets were straightforward and easy to understand. The owners were confused by the reports they had been sending previously so she wanted to be sure there was no confusion this time. She actually got several unsolicited emails from owners thanking her for the clear and easy-to-read new reports. Prior to using AppFolio Property Manager, Connie was spending time posting ads for her vacant properties to Craigslist.org but she wasn’t able to do it very regularly because it was just too time-consuming. It would take her at least ten minutes per property to post to Craigslist. Now it takes her less than one minute per property because she posts directly from AppFolio – that definitely saves a lot of time. Another key difference for Connie is the quality of service she receives from the AppFolio team. Connie never felt comfortable using Buildium and she attributes this to her implementation experience. She didn’t receive enough personalized support to get her started and was never confident that the accounting was working properly. Connie’s experience with AppFolio is very different. If she can’t find an answer from the help section all she has to do is pick up the phone and she always gets a quick response. She was trained properly so she felt sure that they started on the right foot. The dedicated Client Services support just makes it so easy for them.

Operational Impact

During the week dedicated to paying owners, prior to using AppFolio Connie typically spent more than 50 hours just gathering the information on the income and expenses, writing checks and compiling reports. Now with AppFolio the reports are easy to run. She can see that they’re correct and email them immediately to owners. For example, this week is their deadline week and it took her only two days in the office – that’s less than half the time she used to spend.
Now that they are using AppFolio for accounting, marketing, and property management Connie has found more time to be out in the field looking at properties with new potential owners and networking in the community. AppFolio has really given her so much more time to generate more business and keep their customers happy.

Quantitative Benefit

Connie typically spent more than 50 hours just gathering the information on the income and expenses, writing checks and compiling reports. Now it takes her only two days in the office – that’s less than half the time she used to spend.
It would take her at least ten minutes per property to post to Craigslist. Now it takes her less than one minute per property because she posts directly from AppFolio.