LONG & FOSTER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Defining the Future of the Industry
with Asset Management
Company
Long & Foster Property Management
Chantilly, VA
Portfolio Type
Single and Multifamily Residential
Previous Solution
Propertyware
A Bit of Backstory
Patrick Bain is the President of Long & Foster Property Management of Long & Foster Companies, which is a large real estate company owned by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Today, Long & Foster manages a portfolio of more than 7,500 units and is the largest property manager of single family homes in the Mid-Atlantic.
Interview with Patrick
We sat down with Patrick to learn more about his vision for Long & Foster and how AppFolio Property Manager PLUS will be an instrumental business partner in their success.
Can you share the impact that switching to AppFolio Property Manager PLUS has had on your business?
The biggest reason we decided to make a software partner switch was to solve the challenge of scale. We had been on Propertyware for eight years when we started the search. For us to continue to grow our business in the Mid-Atlantic–and really make a significant impact in the single-family property management space–we knew we needed to be able to scale every process and transaction within property management. Everything had to be repeatable. When managing a large portfolio, you can’t have 100 different ways of doing things; the process has to be simple and easily replicated, and that is what AppFolio has done for us.
When I look to the future of the industry, I know we can only get where we want to go with AppFolio Property Manager PLUS.
"When I look to the future of the industry, I know we can only get where we want to go with AppFolio Property Manager PLUS."
Can you describe the transition to AppFolio and your service experience?
I have gone through several large data integrations, and switching to AppFolio was without a doubt the smoothest transition I have experienced. The resources that AppFolio provided during the transition were very helpful. With a dedicated onboarding and training team, as well as onsite visits from our strategic account manager, we experienced minimal disruptions to our business and customer base. I believe both our employees and our customers feel a positive impact from this change. It is easier to get through the work of the day with AppFolio.
AppFolio Property Manager PLUS is not just a product, but it's also a service offering. The services team is a true partner in our business and they live and breathe the partnership strategy that they promise.
How do you leverage technology to provide a better service experience for your customers?
With the combination of online portals for owners and renters, and streamlined communication options like texting and email, AppFolio has enabled us to provide our customers with the kinds of experiences they expect. We have a sense of ease when it comes to communicating and we receive a lot of positive feedback from customers on our service.
"The services team is a true partner in our business and they live and breathe the partnership strategy that they promise."
What changes do you anticipate for property management in the future?
Our vision at Long & Foster is to change the single-family property management space and become innovators as traditional property management transitions into asset management.
To deliver on the true value of asset management, property management companies will have to partner closely with software providers to create memorable, modern customer experiences. As we vetted all software vendors in the space, it was obvious to our company that AppFolio is the future of the property management industry.
AppFolio Property Manager PLUS is the software that will take our business into the future. We have a great partnership and we’re looking forward to things to come.
What would you say to someone who is considering switching to AppFolio?
I would recommend AppFolio to any property management company, regardless of the size of their portfolio. If it’s a small company that wants to grow, AppFolio has the tools and the team to help that company grow. And if it's a big company, that wants to get bigger, AppFolio has the strategy in place to be the top software provider in the property management space.