News & Updates

5 Essential Features To Add To Your Multifamily Property Management Software Stack

Wish your property management software did more? Here are the top five software feature add-ons that will make your job easier.

You may have the title of “property manager” or “property owner,” but we all know that your job description includes juggling a million other tasks. Thankfully, you don’t have to be the only one completing those tasks anymore!

A multifamily property management software (PMS) helps you balance all of your duties, establish efficient lines of communication, gather more data-driven insights, and ultimately free up even more time for bigger and better things in your community!

What’s more, multifamily software can deliver more satisfied residents, less overwhelmed staff, and a potential to earn even additional revenue.

Three of the most popular PMS are Yardi, Entrata, and OneSite RealPage. Each of these provide features such as manager dashboards, resident communications, online payment options, or events calendars. While these well-known options offer loads of convenience, your property may need more assistance, options, or data. This is especially true for areas like parking and amenities. That’s when it’s beneficial to integrate add-on features for even more functionality.

5 Features To Enhance Multifamily Property Management Software

If we had to pick only five features to add to your existing PMS stack, these are the top ones that will help you automate, streamline, and boost efficiency!

1. Integrated parking management

It’s hard to find a property management system that truly does it all. In particular, most of them don’t have great parking solutions, which leaves your parking lots in a state of chaos. For example, they often don’t make it easy to enforce parking rules or check whether a vehicle is registered.

After all, statistics reveal that the average household owns 1.9 vehicles and that more than three-quarters of Americans drive to work every day. That means you may have a limited parking ratio on your property. A parking management software tool allows you to prioritize resident and guest parking, parking enforcement, and parking integrations.

Community Boss complements PMS like Yardi, Entrata, and RealPage with Parking Boss, a one-stop-shop for parking management.

  • Resident parking: With Parking Boss, you can assign each unit a parking spot, and offer premium spaces or garages as a way to generate ancillary revenue. Utilize custom parking decals so guests can’t duplicate paper passes or generic permits. This type of technology also makes it easier to enforce parking rules.
  • Guest parking: Allow each unit a set amount of free guest parking time per month, then offer a paid guest parking option to earn additional revenue. Guests can easily register online via a URL or QR code.
  • Parking enforcement: Whether your team patrols parking or you hire a third-party company, parking enforcement is made easier with Smart Warning Stickers and an online database. Once a violation is issued, the vehicle’s owner can scan the warning QR code to view why the violation occurred and how they can resolve it. You also gain parking data about the most frequent type or location of parking violations.
  • Parking integrations: Parking Boss is a type of multifamily software that can also integrate with other solutions, such as community gates and parking garages.

2. Modern mapping

There’s something satisfying about following your blue dot along the route in Google Maps. Provide your residents, guests, delivery drivers, and emergency responders with the same experience in your community, thanks to modern mapping.

A community map is a digital property map that highlights unit numbers, parking spaces, mailboxes, amenities, offices, and additional points of interest. These types of maps can even include stairwells, elevators, evacuation routes, emergency exits, real-time occupancy data, and guest parking spaces.

Instead of performing a web search or asking in the main office, residents and guests can quickly find what they are looking for in your community map! When a delivery driver or emergency response personnel is looking for someone, the blue dot easily guides their way. And best of all, this multifamily housing software allows potential new residents to tour your property without a paper map in hand (which also saves some trees).

Think your property would benefit from these mapping features? The top three property management softwares (Yardi, Entrata, and RealPages) don’t include this feature yet, but Community Boss has an interactive map that beautifully enhances your community experience.

3. An interactive Community Directory

An interactive community directory is similar to a community map, but includes more customized information. It can also include details on accessibility (stairwells and elevators), garbage and recycling centers, or amenities.

Some community directories include bonus features, like a self-guided move-in option that includes a new resident’s unit number, parking space information, and mailbox location. In fact, this is a standard feature included in Community Boss!

Plus, an interactive community directory simplifies the headaches of paper maps: where am I, and how do I get to where I need to go? Find your way through the community from your current location to your destination with a smart community directory.

Like maps, the most popular property management software stacks don’t include a community directory element. However, they do provide calendars, events, and message boards, which pair seamlessly with Community Boss’ Community Directory feature!

4. Amenity reservations

In fact, amenity reservations directly tie in with a community directory. Imagine one virtual destination that lists each amenity name, description, operating hours, reservation details, and even payment information (if applicable).

Perhaps you have a clubhouse that can be reserved for small parties, or maybe your pool cabanas are popular in the summer, or maybe the barbecues fill up on the weekend. By utilizing a property management software that includes amenity reservations, your residents have a fair, easy-to-use tool to reserve an amenity, make a payment, collect a deposit, and agree to the terms of use.

As we mentioned previously, the data provided by multifamily property management software can help inform your decisions. With amenity reservation software, you can determine which amenities to upgrade with next year’s budget and better understand the type of amenities your residents prefer.

If you want more control, access, or capabilities than your property management software offers, consider utilizing Community Boss’ Amenity Reservations tool!

5. Time-saving integrations

You’re busy running a community, so allow a PMS to save you time! Once you determine what you spend the bulk of your time on, find a software that will help manage that and therefore give you precious minutes (or hours!) in return.

Find a tool that integrates with other tools, such as gate clickers, amenity key cards, or a registration platform. Aim to find convenient integrations that save you time, make it easier for residents, and provide an added layer of security.

Don’t know where to start? Try integrating Community Boss with your property management software. It offers single click move-ins and move-outs, automatically links resident contact info to units, and even keeps a backup of every unit’s history.

How Community Boss Can Elevate Your Multifamily Property Management Software

As a property owner or manager, you simply don’t have enough hours in your day to accomplish all of the items on your task list. That’s why we’ve done the research for you! And after searching for the best features, we’re confident that Community Boss has the best complimentary features for your multifamily property management software! Here’s why:

Community Boss is a multifamily software that helps you guard, enhance, and monetize your community so you can manage like a boss!

  • Integrated Parking Management: Parking Boss helps you take control and create revenue with smart parking solutions.
  • Modern Mapping: Visit, navigate, and deliver to your community with a familiar Google-like map.
  • Interactive Community Directory: Custom, searchable maps with unlimited points of interest make it simple for potential customers, new residents, delivery drivers, and current occupants to explore your community.
  • Amenity Reservations: Optimize your amenities with reservations, 24/7 payments, and automatic refundable deposits.
  • Time-Saving Integrations: Self-service, convenience, and security pair perfectly with Community Boss software.

Schedule a demo today to discover why Community Boss has the best multifamily property management software features to help you guard, enhance, and monetize your community!