10 Tips for Selecting the Best Property Management Inspection Software

Are you making property management inspections harder than they have to be?

Have you looked into a paperless property management inspection software solution that saves you time and money?

As a property manager, your job is much easier if a tenant hasn’t let the bathrooms mold over, allowed the dryer vents to burn into the walls, or completely ignored the “smoke-free living” clause in their lease. So, when you perform a move-out inspection, you approach the property hoping for the best, but often dreading the worst.

Walking up to the front door, you’re juggling the keys, clipboard, loose property inspection documents, pen, pencil, highlighter, while gasping for air as the clunky digital camera around your neck nearly chokes you to death.

Being a property manager is a blessing and a curse. Property management can be one of the most rewarding industries to work in. Making connections, building trust, creating rapport—these are the things you excel at. These are the things that make you a great property manager.

So, why can’t you just focus on that? Why does the property management inspection process have to be so tedious and waste so much of your time?

Property Management Inspection Software Saves the Day

The old way of property management inspection is dead and gone. Property management inspection software for iPhone and iPad has changed the way brokers and property managers are able to provide value to property owners.

A great property management inspection software allows you to easily combine the clipboard, paper, pens, digital camera, et al into one easy to use software and mobile app.

Not all software for property management inspections is built the same, though.

We’ve listed a few tips for selecting the property management inspection software and app that will work best for you.

10 Tips for Selecting the Best Property Management Inspection Software

1. Research the Property Management Inspection Software Market —

   • There are a lot of different options available to you. Research can be a great way for you to weigh all of the options and make an educated decision. Reading blog posts, articles, and software review sites is a great way to determine if a certain property management software solution makes sense for you. Be sure to take note of all the features and added value each property management software solution offers you. Your main purpose should be finding a solution that saves you time, money, and hassle, while adding value to your clients—the property owner.

2. Create a list of property inspection software requirements —

   • Property management inspection software, while relatively new to the marketplace, is not always created equal. When researching a property inspection software solution, you want to have a good understanding of what you require and how you will use the software. What challenges do you need to solve to justify implementing this software into your property management business?
     1. Are you, the broker, going to be performing each inspection yourself, or do you need the ability to assign properties to multiple inspectors?
     2. Can you view inspection reports and progress in real time via a desktop or mobile property inspection software solution?
     3. Are you easily able to build out custom templates for residential, commercial, maintenance, or any other type of inspection you might need to perform, or is there only one default option?
     4. Can you or your inspector easily add comments to each room, photo, floor plan, and property?
     5. Does the property inspection software generate a clean, professional, report that is custom branded with your logo?
     6. Are your inspectors and tenants able to digitally sign the report?
     7. Can you easily send and edit the report through your Mac/PC or mobile app to the property owner?

3. What are the benefits of this property management inspection software solution? —

   • Whether you’re the final decision maker, or just doing the research for your head broker, it is important to list the benefits of the property inspection software you are planning to implement. Creating a pro’s and con’s list is the best way to get a clear picture of how valuable a software solution will be for you. For instance, our property management inspection software, Inspect & Cloud, offers these benefits:
     1. Custom Property Inspection Templates
     2. Bulk Property Import
     3. Professional Design with Your Logo
     4. Email Reports
     5. Edit Reports from Your PC/Mac
     6. Signature Box
     7. Secure cloud storage you can access from anywhere
     8. Inspection Map and Calendar to easily see upcoming, overdue, and past inspections
     9. Broker dashboard for managing multiple inspectors
     10. Custom Area Renaming
     11. Auto-Text Comments
     12. Time Stamped & Bulk Photo Export
     13. Video Inspections
     14. And many more… (see the Inspect & Cloud features page for more information)

4. Build a short list of property management inspection software vendors —

   • Putting together a short list of the most valuable property management software solutions can be a daunting task. Eliminating those products that will not provide you and your clients with the value needed, though, is a great way to know that you’re choosing the right software solution. Use your software pro’s and con’s list as a way to determine the products that make the most sense for you, providing the most value on the whole.

5. Put together a list of outstanding questions —

   • Great customer service is something that you will want any product you choose will be able to offer you. Choosing a property management inspection software is a big decision. If you still have questions after reading through a software solution’s website, put together a list of questions and email them or ask them over the phone to a software solution’s customer service department. (You can contact Inspect & Cloud’s Chief of Customer Service, here)

6. Evaluate property inspection software demonstrations —

   • If you’re still on the fence about a product, ask the software solution provider if they would be willing to give you a demonstration of the software. They might even have product demonstrations already posted on their website. A person-to-person demonstration of the software will allow you to ask any questions and make sure you are confident in your property management inspection software decision. (Click here to schedule a demo of Inspect & Cloud now)

7. Rank the value of each product and feature —

   • Now it’s time to rank each of the software solutions that you’ve researched. Looking at all of the features, customer service, ease of use, and design of each property management inspection product—give a 1-5 ranking to each one, ordering the product with the most important features and solutions at the top of your list.

8. Compare pricing to value provided —

   • Once you have a good feel for the features you want and the various software solutions that meet those needs, it’s time to compare pricing. Typically, you want to find a good balance of quality service, functionality, and feature sets, paired with a competitive price. The best property management inspection software and app solutions will save you hundreds of dollars each month, in addition to the time and effort you’re able to apply to growing your business.

9. Ask for a Free Trial period —

   • The “don’t take our word for it” model of doing business gives you piece of mind. Ask the property management inspection software representative if you can try out the product for free. This is a great way to test the inspection software in your office and out in the field to make sure it is going to fit your needs. (You can find Inspect & Cloud’s Free Trial, here)

10. Start Inspecting —

    • Once your Free Trial is live, be sure and use it out in the field as though you were already implementing it as part of your inspection process. If you plan on having multiple inspectors using the mobile property management inspection app in the field, then set them up and make sure the inspection software works as advertised. When you’re satisfied, you can fully integrate the new property management inspection software and app into your daily routine.

Being a property manager is often a thankless job. It doesn’t have to be tedious, though. Property management software solutions are a great way to free up time so that you can focus on the parts of your business that you enjoy—connecting with people and growing your value.

At Inspect & Cloud, we understand that you have multiple solutions available to you when it comes to property management inspection software. Our software was designed by actual real estate brokers and property managers to take into account all of the challenges you face as a property manager ever single day.

We encourage you to check out the competition so that you are educated on the other options available. We feel strongly that we have created a property management inspection software solution and mobile app that goes above and beyond what other solutions can offer.

But don’t take our word for it. Get started with your free trial of Inspect & Cloud today.

Inspect & Cloud — Property management inspection software done better.