AppFolio's Custom HOA Technology Saves Property Manager Time and Money
YEAR
ESTABLISHED
1997
COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATIONS
18 (899 Doors)
UNITS
MANAGED
1,450+
TIME SAVED / WEEK ON
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
10-12 hrs
Company
Bennett Management Company
Eugene, Oregon
Portfolio Type
Community Associations,
Multifamily Residential, Commercial
Previous Solution
Peak Management
A Bit of Backstory
Darla Berge has been working in the property management industry for the last 15 Years. As the Controller for Bennett Management Company, she played an instrumental role in their decision to move from their previous software to AppFolio. Darla had experience using AppFolio at her previous job for about 3 years and was also involved in the implementation process. When she moved to Bennett Management, it was clear that they needed to upgrade their software systems to AppFolio.
Today, Bennett Management Company manages a mixed portfolio, consisting predominantly of community associations, managing 899 doors, as well as multifamily residential units and commercial properties.
Interview with Darla
We reached out to Darla to discover how Bennett Management Company benefits from AppFolio, and to learn more about her personal experience.
Why AppFolio?
I came to Bennett Management about a year and a half ago. We had a very old software system that was not web-based, did not have any current technology, and had a lot of glitches. Once I got up on our company processes, my goal was to research and move to new software. I had experience with AppFolio and Yardi, but for the company's best interest, we also looked at MRI, Yardi, Rent Manager, etc. We narrowed our decision down to AppFolio and Yardi based on price and functions. We were very happy with the support AppFolio could provide, as well as with our interactions with our representative, Ashleigh. The final thing that made our decision much easier was the pricing. It played a very large part in the final decision to move forward with AppFolio.
In what ways has AppFolio impacted the finances of your business?
AppFolio has allowed us to make more money. We took advantage of AppFolio's online application screening;this service is less expensive than the company we previously used as well as faster, and we are now showing a larger profit.
Are you running your business more efficiently?
Yes! We have seen a great increase in efficiency in both our accounts receivable and accounts payable. I have been able to eliminate one part-time employee and shift some duties which saved us about 25 hours a week. Just last month, we implemented a paperless statement system; we no longer mail out paper statements which is helping to get more people to activate their portal and pay online. ACH payments have been very successful and have saved us time, so we will soon be sending out letters to vendors to get set up for ACH payments, as well. Our goal is not to eliminate anymore positions but to allow room in the current staff's schedules to take on the additional business we hope to gain in 2018.
"I have used many different software systems in my property management career and find AppFolio to be very easy to use and very user friendly."
How does AppFolio's technology allow you to compete in your market?
We have become the leaders in our area for technology. Our ability to be more efficient in all areas has been seen by others, and our customers have been very happy with the updated technology AppFolio has given us. In addition, with AppFolio, we are now able to post our vacancies much faster online and have more visibility, and have people applying for our vacant or upcoming units within minutes of us posting them.
When managing your community associations, do you find it easy to track your association board members? How are you communicating with these groups?
Yes, tracking the board is great and easy to do within AppFolio. We use the "Email Association" feature often to communicate upcoming maintenance or neighborhood announcements to all homeowners. We are always working to further improve our communication and look forward to using the system more and more.
Can you share about your experience with tracking compliance & sending violation letters through AppFolio?
We really like the ability to take pictures while out driving the property then being able to upload them into the violation. Creating letters is a breeze! We are very happy with this process.
Are you using the Online Dues Payments feature? How has this new process impacted your business?
Yes, we began accepting payments as of January 2017. So far, we have nearly half of our HOA units paying online. This has saved us time, and we've seen a significant reduction in checks coming through the front door, which in turn means less time spent manually entering all of those payments. We have shaved off about 10-12 hours a week from our accounts receivable duties. We're able to capture the funds quicker which is great for the homeowners, they are able to see these transactions as soon as they have been submitted. In addition, we have also seen a decrease in delinquencies at some HOAs, and we're very happy about that!
"We have become the leaders in our area for technology. Our ability to be more efficient in all areas has been seen by others, and our customers have been very happy with the updated AppFolio technology."
Would you recommend AppFolio?
I have recommended AppFolio! We love that AppFolio listens to their customers. I have been a part of many focus groups and been able to work directly with the development teams on several projects. I enjoy being able to provide my feedback directly to the team to help AppFolio build a better product. I also really like how AppFolio pushes out updates as they come onboard. We don't have to wait for a big software release to get new features.
I have used many different software systems in my property management career and find AppFolio to be very easy to use and very user friendly. It is the best program I have used for the money. AppFolio has very good customer service and support available. We are very happy that we chose to go with AppFolio.
What's next for Bennett Management Company?
We are currently doing a full re-branding of our company and are looking forward to growth in 2018. Because of the streamlining we have seen since going live with AppFolio, we will be able to take on new business without having to add any additional staff until we near the end of 2018.