AppFolio Property Manager

We needed a platform that we could easily migrate our HOA into from an outside management company, but one that allowed for the majority of business to be done and maintained in a cloud based environment.

Onboarding was very thorough and allowed us to really break down the processes and make sure that we had all of the areas of management identified.

Where we struggled was in the post launch support. You have to reach out to the support team in a forum rather than by email and phone and then wait. That piece has made it a little more difficult to smoothly launch certain features like email, setting up reoccurring fees, and things that the homeowners really should see very little stumbling in from their board.

AppFolio Property Manager for our residents is phenomenal. It serves us and our residents very well as far as them having access to their portal. I find the program difficult to use from a data entry standpoint. There are many features on our end that make usage for us much more difficult.

I think it is one of the best solutions out there for the price. Cheaper solutions don't have the same features (i.e. check printing for multiple bank accounts). If you need personal support or are not overly tech-savvy, you will be better off with a higher-end product that delivers more personalized service. If you are a tech-forward organization that can figure out your needs and features on your own, then I think Appfolio is a great solution.

We are able to manage the move-in process from scheduling a tour to the day of move-in through AppFolio. On the management side, budgetary things are managed in this system as well. When it comes to a true tool that’s easy to use and effective in helping to manage a property--this is it! Leasing consultant performance can even be tracked easily in this system.

It is easy to use, and the tenant portal and communication with tenants works well.
Their tech support and customer service can be nonexistent at times.

AppFolio Property Manager has focused on larger PM clients for the past couple of years. In the past, circa 2014, any company willing to pay their fees would be able to get the program. They experienced more problems with smaller PMs who were growing (probably because the businesses were growing and the staff was not as seasoned), so they blocked smaller PMs in 2018 or so. This made them more profitable because the 80/20 rule was used to focus on their best, most efficient use of resources, but it limited the clients who could get the program. I think this was a mistake long term. It was short-sighted, and instead of fixing and supporting the small PM problems and helping them grow into larger PMs that could utilize the program, they just blocked anyone who was not yet their most profitable client.

If any colleague or resident asked about the system we used, I would highly recommend it. It is a huge step up from the other platform software we were using, so there are so many more features for both managers and our tenants. As a tenant, it seems they really enjoy the cleanliness of logging in, paying rent, asking for maintenance or contacting the manager. Easy and clean!

AppFolio Property Manager is great for small to medium-sized businesses (managing 300 - 1,000 units). I don't know if it would be as useful for extremely large organizations or extremely small organizations. There are so many features that we don't use (we don't currently have a need for) but I can't imagine a smaller business owner needing half of the features this software offers. As I haven't worked for a large organization that utilizes this program, I'm not sure if it would be beneficial or if it would meet all the needs of an extremely large organization (10,000+ units); therefore, I'm unable to speak on that portion.

I can only speak for the types of properties I am currently managing, which are single-family, multi-family and small retail. AppFolio is well suited for property management of each of these. As my business grows I will be better able to determine if AppFolio will be suited for other types of property management. I feel very confident that if I have a situation arise that doesn't appear to work well with AppFolio that their development team will work to correct the problem(s).

I would recommend the program to anyone that does property management. The search features and user-friendliness of the program alone has helped functionality of our company greatly. Their support is great and replies in a timely manner. Appfolio overall has helped our company be more productive and reach more customers locally and internationally with streamlined processes that have been great time savers.

AppFolio Property Manager is best suited when there are multiple people who must receive a specific report related to the on-site property management of a specific asset. This is where it excels the most. However, it can be tricky to export the data sometimes for use in modeling. A lot of the tinkering with numbers must be done within the program rather than externally.

If you have only 1-5 properties to manage, AppFolio might be overkill. But once you get over 10, it becomes more valuable. If you, also, have mult-unit properties, this only increases AppFolio's value. The property management side is so detailed and complete that it is well worth dealing with an antiquated accounting system.