Misconceptions About PM Leasing Automation with Abi Wasserman of Showmojo

Misconceptions about Property Management Leasing Automation We’re talking about leasing automation today on The Property Management Show, and our specific discussion centers around what it is and what it isn’t. We’re also talking about how it can help property managers save time and improve their reputation. Our guest is Abi Wasserman, sales manager at ShowMojo. What is Leasing Automation? Simply put, leasing automation is the removal of any manual effort from the leasing process. With automation, you’re reducing the cost of manual effort that you put into the entire leasing process. From the moment the listing goes on the market to the way the application process begins can be completely automated for property managers. It includes syndicating the listing, screening a potential resident before they even visit the property, and coordinating showings. That’s the scope of leasing automation. One of the main misconceptions about leasing automation is that it simply means lockboxes or self-showing technology. Those things can be one component to leasing automation, but there’s more to it. Automation contains a lot of the self-showing process. It covers the way prospective tenants see a property. You can also still automate your leasing process without using lockboxes or self-showing technology. For example, for an occupied property a lockbox isn’t going to work. You can’t have prospective tenants showing up to take a tour of a home where your tenant still lives. Not owners want self-showing technology available, either. Showing technology might be part of what you do, but it’s not the entire automation process. What Leasing Automation is NOT There are some property management companies that have taken steps to implement workflow automation. A lot of sales people use canned responses to emails. That makes your process similar, but it doesn’t mean you’re automating that process. If you’re still picking up the phone to schedule and reschedule appointments or manually checking your calendar for times that are available to you or your phone is still ringing with inquiries – you’re not using an automated leasing process. If renters cannot self-screen before scheduling a showing, that’s not leasing automation. To be fully automated, you need to incorporate an entire process instead of taking one or two steps towards it. From the moment a property is available all the way up to a prospective tenant filling out an application, you can automate the process without any of your own labor. Once the screening starts and the move-in checklist comes out, you’ll need a high-touch plan to work with your tenants. The tech moves aside to the high-touch property management. Automation Does Not Mean Artificial Intelligence Maybe you’re worried that automated pre-leasing means people will try to call about a listing and get caught in an automated phone tree that takes forever to navigate and still ends up at someone’s voicemail. That’s a misconception. It’s also a misconception that robots will take over all of the pre-leasing work if you automate. According to Abi, you have to set up your process for best practices. Some property management companies want prospective tenants to be able to schedule their own showing online, without talking to anyone. Others prefer to have interested tenants talk to a live person. The automated process does not take out the human. It’s instead a prospect-driven leasing process that allows the renters to be in the driver’s seat. There’s an immediacy to it that prospective tenants want. A lot of times, tenants aren’t looking at listings during business hours. They’re scrolling through sites at 8pm or 11pm.