The property management landscape is becoming more competitive with new players entering an already saturated market and companies struggling to gain new business.  To maintain a sustainable business model and generate revenue, it’s important for management companies to focus on finding fresh new leads that are in need of the service you provide.  In this blog post, we’ll focus on four significant ways to boost lead generation and stand above the competition.

1) Be visible on search engines

When developing or updating your HOA, condo, or rental company website, it is important to make SEO or search engine optimization a priority.  Search engine optimization is an important effort that leads prospects from searching for specific information to your website, discovering that you have an answer to their question and eventually, you can help solve their challenges.  For management companies that service one or more geographic locations, implementing local SEO is critical because association boards and apartment managers will search for a management company in their vicinity. Here are a few SEO tips to help guide your efforts:

• Focus on the keywords that are most important for prospects to find you and implement it in your content, page titles, descriptions, links, and images.
• Implement local keyword search into your SEO strategy.  For example, if you’re a condo company that manages high-rises in Seattle, make sure that your site is discoverable for the keyword.  Pudget Sound Condo Group, for example, does a good job with their local search efforts. They’ve added relevant keywords in its page title, URL, and description – thus, they are on the first page of Google’s search engine.
  
• If your budget allows, spending marketing money on online search ads such as Google Ads or Bing allows you to improve your company’s visibility.  Again, if you’re a local management company, keep in mind how a local HOA board or apartment manager would search for you.
  

2) Make digital marketing a priority

Digital marketing is an important effort that allows companies to increase their reach by sharing knowledge and expertise.  HOA, condo, and rental management companies can benefit from digital marketing by building credibility over time. Digital marketing includes a variety of tools all meant to support your efforts in moving prospects along the sales funnel – blogs, email marketing, social media, search engine optimization, and online advertisements.

Here are a few ways to engage in digital marketing:

• Add a blog to your website and write content frequently.  Write about the challenges community associations or apartments face and how to solve them (such as board meeting efficiency, keeping residents engaged, the impact of drones, and the list can go on).
• Build an email list to send newsletters or company updates to.  If you are providing new services such as in-house maintenance, that’s something worthwhile to share with your audience.
• Create your presence on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  Share your blog articles, company updates, new staff joining, tips, and more.

3) Network and share your expertise at industry events

Networking at events helps you to make connections and build relationships with prospects.  There are many trade associations that operate on a national and state-level such as Community Association Institute (CAI) for HOA’s and condos, and National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) and Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) for apartments and rentals.  These trade associations provide a multitude of services that empower management companies to succeed. They provide opportunities to attend industry conventions, luncheons, and other events that are great for networking, sharing your knowledge with others, and learning the latest trends.   Other ways management companies can utilize their memberships in trade associations include purchasing a booth or sponsorships, speaking at conventions or teaching classes, or providing expertise at luncheons that laser-focus on an important topic such as emergency preparedness or handling community relationships.

4) Leverage modern technology solutions

Community management software is not often considered a lead generation tool, but from the experience of our clients, I’d argue that it can become a very powerful asset that gives you a competitive edge.  When board members or apartment managers seek a property management service, they are looking for the whole package. If you don’t provide the services they’re looking for due, and if part of that reason is that you’re using an inefficient software platform, your prospect is more likely to go with another property management that uses a more powerful software platform.

Obtaining new sources to generate more quality leads is a very important goal of growing your property management portfolio of community associations and/or apartments.  A combination of these four strategies enables you to not only generate new leads but move them along the sales funnel to becoming a customer and building a sustainable property management business.       

About Pilera

Pilera Software is the premier community and property management suite that has helped thousands of community managers and back-office personnel enhance communications, improve customer service, and manage compliance and operations.  May we help your community achieve these success stories?  Book a demo to see how Pilera’s community management suite can help your company. 

A community association manager juggles many responsibilities that work toward the common goal of operating a community that is compliant and enhances resident’s property values.  However, many managers fall short of fulfilling this goal.  This may be due to lack of communication with residents, ineffective processes, resistance to change, or job stress. In this blog post, we emphasize on tips community managers can implement to better optimize processes to overcome these obstacles.  

1) You\’re not communicating with residents

If you’ve not informed residents of the construction work blocking access to their street or of a rule in the governing documents that a resident violated, then your communications plan needs to be amended.  Not communicating about important ongoings in the community can result in an abundance of incoming calls and emails from residents.  Furthermore, this can lead to internal chaos and wasted time.

Positioning for better success:

Communication at the right time with the most effective methods builds a resident’s trust in your team.  Start out by creating a communications plan.  This plan should emphasize what you will convey to residents, when, how frequent, and who is responsible for communicating.  With all the hard work you\’re putting into your plan, don\’t forget to determine how you will measure success. Check out these ten tips to succeed at your community communications.          

2) You\’re implementing antiquated processes

Are you using outdated processes to manage your communities that create more work than it reduces?  If yes, then it’s important to replace those internal processes and systems with more efficient counterparts.  If your residents are constantly calling in to ask repetitive questions or your staff is rummaging through paperwork to find a completed work order from last quarter, that takes out time in your day that could otherwise be utilized to work on projects that are more critical in nature.

Positioning for better success:

The best way to implement modern processes and technology is to keep yourself updated on industry trends and software.  Trade association websites such as Community Association Institute, ECHO-CA.org, and many others deliver a great variety of industry insight.  You will find topics pertaining to insurance, legal, ethics, maintenance, resident engagement, vendor management, amenities, and more. Then, identify any bottlenecks in your current processes and gradually work to streamline them better.  To accommodate your new modern processes, look for technology systems that work FOR your process – not create extra work. Specifically, a software system that can scale to your needs, releases new features regularly, offers flexibility, customization, security, and provides proactive customer support, will help you to achieve your goals.

3) Low resident satisfaction

Residents may not be involved in their community (or have feelings of apathy), and one of the reasons may be that their expectations are not met.  That being said, it\’s not feasible to meet each resident’s expectations within the community\’s budget and operational constraints.  However, building awareness and consideration for them will make a big difference.  Then, you can implement the most desired and cost-effective ideas.  Adapting to change effectively – whether it is new internal processes that benefit residents or new amenities or cost-cutting where possible – is an opportunity to build a better sense of community, increase property values, and maintain a competitive advantage.   

Positioning for better success:

The key to staying ahead in the midst of changing expectations is knowing your community.  Keep yourself abreast of new trends in residential living, send a survey to your residents to better understand their needs, and identify ways to increase resident retention and satisfaction without breaking the bank.  When residents search for a new home or condominium unit, they are also looking for an enriching experience that gives them a sense of community.  Residents should have access to a central location for all important community information. Be sure to stay in touch with them on a regular basis.  Investing in amenities that your community wants is another great way to adapt to resident needs. As per a recent study by Robert Charles Lesser & Co, communities immersed with greenery and that provided walking/jogging/running tracks, were the most preferred.  Additionally, experts suggest that personalizing amenities to the heartbeat of the community appeal most to prospective buyers.

4) Job burnout

As a community association manager, you are constantly on your toes and wearing a lot of hats.  Understandably, not every hat you wear will bring excitement as you work through your day. Handling resident complaints about the excessive noise next door or reconciling bank statements may just fall into the category of redundant and unexciting, but a necessity of your job.  The high demands of the job or engaging in repetitive actions may result in burnout and feeling stressed.

Positioning for better success

Before you begin your day sending emails, take a good five or ten minutes to organize your day.  What pending tasks do you need to complete? What else do you hope to accomplish today? Creating a list will help you to understand what you’ll expect to do today.  Are many of the tasks you perform redundant? If your answer is a yes, then take some time during the day to identify the areas that are consuming most of your time. It’s completely okay to take a bit of time during your day to identify the sluggish aspects of a process because it will reap much more benefits in the future when you come up with a more efficient process.

About Pilera

Pilera Software is the premier community and property management suite that has helped thousands of community managers and back-office personnel enhance communications, improve customer service, and manage compliance and operations.  May we help your community achieve these success stories?  Book a demo to see how Pilera’s community management suite can help your company. 

Community Association Management Companies (CAMs) play an important role in managing administrative, accounting, financial, and maintenance tasks for the communities that have hired them. However, when servicing clients, CAMs face various challenges, such as resident dissatisfaction, overburdened managers, and dissatisfied boards. These issues often arise from a lack of forming and maintaining strong connections with their communities. That’s where a CRM comes in.  

This blog post will look at the top challenges management companies face, how a CRM can address these challenges, and why implementing a CRM is vital. Thus, we will equip you with the correct tools and knowledge to improve resident happiness, board connections, and management efficiency.

Challenges that management companies are currently struggling with

Low Retention Rate 

Community Association Management companies often struggle with low retention rates. This issue primarily manifests as most HOA communities leave their current management company within two years, opting to either self-manage their community or sign on with a competing management company.  

This revolving door phenomenon forces CAM companies to seek new clients to replace the clients they have lost. This adds extra strain to management companies because they spend more time acquiring new sales. Moreover, high turnover in community management can undermine the trust and satisfaction of existing clients, who may perceive it as instability or lack of value in the services provided.  Focusing your efforts on retention becomes vital through strong client relationships, proactive communication, and demonstrating value to ensure long-term satisfaction. 

Eroding Resident Trust 

Many management company interactions center around payment requests, invoicing, collections, and handling violations. Over time, the transactional nature of these relationships can make residents feel less valued, unheard, and unsatisfied. As trust erodes, residents may become more hesitant to participate in community activities, resulting in strained relationships and possible disputes.

Board Doubt and Oversight

Board members may often raise concerns about the value they’re getting from your management services. They want to be certain that services are efficient, jobs are completed on time, and communication is clear. Thus, a lack of proper management of community issues or communications can strain the board-management relationship. 

Operational Inefficiencies

Community Association Management companies frequently face inefficiencies, such as manual processes, data in different places, and communication gaps. These inefficiencies can result in delays when responding to resident issues and inconsistent or poor service, all leading to increased workloads for managers. Additionally, operational efficiencies lead to more unpredictable schedules and stress for managers.

Limited Resident Engagement 

Creating a sense of community and encouraging resident participation is important for a well-functioning community. However, management companies often struggle to keep residents informed. Limited communication channels and a lack of personalized interactions can all hinder building an engaged community.

Outdated Technology

Leveraging the latest technology is important for delivering exceptional customer service.  However, several management companies are tethered to outdated systems. Being stuck in the past technologically can throw a wrench into your communication, data management, and operational efficiency.  This ultimately diminishes the quality of services you provide to communities.

How CRM can help CAMs build better connections

By leveraging an industry-specific CRM, management companies can streamline operations, build resident trust, and improve board relationships. Let\’s discuss how CRM built specifically for the CAM industry can help your company.  

1. Track resident interactions and provide support

With a CRM system, management companies can easily track resident interactions and provide efficient assistance. Here\’s a deeper look at how CRM may solve these key concerns:

Centralized Data Management

CRM enables management companies to keep all resident-related information in one unified platform. This includes residents’ contact information, communication choices, service requests, support requests, payment history, and unit information.  

Centralizing data has many benefits. It enables your staff to access up-to-date resident information, reducing response times and increasing overall efficiency. It also improves data quality and consistency, decreasing mistakes and redundancies in resident records. Furthermore, having a centralized database allows team members to collaborate more effectively since everyone can access the same data source. 

On-Demand Support through a Knowledge Base

One significant benefit of adopting a CRM system built for the community management industry is the ability to provide on-demand help through a searchable knowledge base. A knowledge base stores important community information, such as frequently asked questions, troubleshooting tips, and community policies and procedures.

Residents have 24/7 access to the knowledge base, allowing them to solve common problems at their own convenience. This eliminates the need for support teams to handle common questions, allowing them to focus on more meaningful or urgent tasks. A well-maintained knowledge base also improves resident satisfaction by delivering prompt and correct answers to their questions, resulting in a more efficient and streamlined support experience.

Efficient Handling of Support Tickets

CRM systems help management companies handle support issues more efficiently. When a resident submits a question or request, the CRM simplifies the process by enabling them to contact the right managers quickly. 

With a CRM, you can keep residents informed about the progress of their requests, and they can communicate back with you, which creates a two-way feedback loop. This approach streamlines support processes by maintaining regular updates and keeping residents informed throughout the resolution process.

2. Communicate with residents

Effective communication lies at the heart of successful HOA management. A CRM system can revolutionize how HOA managers interact with residents, fostering efficient and personalized communication.

Proactive, Multichannel Communication

CRM solutions built for the community management industry enables you to engage with residents proactively through many channels. These channels include phone calls, emails, text messages, postal mail, website notifications, and resident portals. This proactive strategy ensures that residents receive updates, announcements, and notifications in the format that best meets their needs. Moreover, by embracing multichannel communication capabilities, management companies can improve the efficacy of their outreach initiatives, increase resident participation, and establish better community relationships. 

Tailored Messages with Dynamic Distribution Group

CRM systems with communication capabilities provide dynamic distribution group functions, allowing management companies to segment residents according to locations. This segmentation allows management companies to provide relevant and targeted communications to certain groups of residents. For example, management companies can form distribution groups for homeowners, renters, and board members in a specific area for emergencies. Dynamic distribution groups help to enhance engagement, responsiveness, and resident happiness by personalizing communications to the interests and needs of each demographic.

3. Increase transparency and collaboration

Management companies must update board members regularly on the status of community tasks and projects.  Here’s how a CRM improves transparency and communication with your board.  

Collaborative Task Management

A task management system within your CRM allows management companies to collaborate with board members on community-related tasks. Each task can be categorized, prioritized, and assigned to a particular team or board member to ensure everyone knows their responsibilities.  

Email Notifications and Updates

Task management features within a CRM can automate email alerts to board members for task assignments, changes, and updates. This proactive communication keeps board members informed and engaged with community initiatives, projects, and ongoing duties. Email notifications also function as reminders to take action and follow up.

Document Management and Sharing

Within a CRM, document management tools can help management companies store, organize, and exchange key documents, including contracts, rules, meeting minutes, and reports, with the HOA board. Authorized board members may securely view these documents, guaranteeing transparency and quick access to critical information. Additionally, document versioning and permission management improve security and governance.

Reporting and Analytics

CRM systems have extensive reporting and analytics capabilities that provide information on task progress, completion rates, resource allocation, and overall performance. Management companies can generate reports and view information on dashboards to share with the HOA board, highlighting critical data, trends, and successes. These reports provide transparency by offering information about operational efficiency, resident satisfaction, and community initiatives.

5 Features Your CRM should have

Here are the 5 features your CRM should have:

1. Communication

CRM systems should have powerful communication capabilities.  Communication is vital for building connections, resolving issues quickly, and keeping stakeholders informed. CRM\’s communication component offers seamless engagement with residents and board members through several channels like email, phone, text, and portals.

With Pilera’s communication technologies, CAM benefits from seamless contact with homeowners, stakeholders, and the HOA board through many channels. This enables people to select their preferred communication channel, ensuring that timely and relevant communications reach them.

2. Customer Support

CRM systems should enable customer support teams to effectively respond to resident queries, complaints, and service requests. A CRM system with extensive customer support capabilities automates ticket administration, tracks support interactions, and guarantees that issues are resolved on time.

Pilera’s help desk function simplifies customer service for management teams. It enables managers to provide superior customer assistance by leveraging automated processes and knowledge base, increasing resident satisfaction.

3. Operations

A CRM system with strong operations management capabilities simplifies work assignment, scheduling, and tracking. It allows management companies to handle maintenance requests and track repair progress quickly.

Pilera’s operations management tool helps Community Association Management (CAM) improve task management, maintenance, ACRs, violations, and more.   It also empowers collaboration with tools such as ticket assignment, automatic email notifications, and automatic audit logs.

4. Resident Engagement

Engaging residents is critical to creating a lively community and encouraging involvement in events, projects, and decision-making processes. Your HOA CRM should incorporate resident engagement features like community portals, event management, and surveys.

Pilera’s resident engagement portal offers residents a unified platform for accessing community information, participating in debates, and learning about future activities.

5. Board Collaboration

A powerful CRM should have comprehensive board collaboration tools to promote effective governance and decision-making. It allows CAM businesses to create, allocate, and monitor jobs, handle architectural modification requests, and provide reports demonstrating workload and work completion progress.

With Pilera’s board collaboration tools, CAM companies can enhance transparency, improve collaboration, and streamline operations, leading to better governance, informed decision-making, and a more cohesive community environment.

From Transactions to People-First, with CRM designed for CAMs

In conclusion, a CRM system is critical for Community Association Management organizations to manage challenges. An HOA CRM system streamlines communication, provides efficient customer assistance, optimizes operations, increases resident participation, and allows for smooth board cooperation. These capabilities enable CAM businesses to strengthen resident connections, increase transparency and confidence with HOA boards, streamline operational procedures, and provide superior services to their communities. CAM businesses can overcome barriers, increase efficiency, and achieve long-term success by utilizing a CRM system like Pilera while maintaining a flourishing and connected community.

About Pilera

Pilera Software is the premier community and property management software that has helped thousands of community managers enhance communications, operations, client support, engagement, and voting.  Book a personalized demo to learn how Pilera can help improve efficiency and reduce costs.