The property management software buying guide: Comparing property management software reviews

Buying property management software can be a big investment and—like any big investment—you want to be sure you’re making an informed purchasing decision; one backed by advice you can trust.

But, in a crowded software market, filled with an ever-growing list of options and ads designed to position each as “the best”, reliable advice can be hard to come by. That’s where verified reviews come in.

In this post, we’ll walk you through where to find the most useful property management software reviews from trusted third-party sites and peers in the industry. We’ll cover how to assess and compare reviews efficiently, as well, so you can get closer to your buying decision quickly.

Note: If you’re interested in other factors to consider when buying property management software, check out our other guides in this series:

• Essential property management software features
• Comparing property management software pricing
• 7 steps to find the best property management software for your business

Where to Find Property Management Software Reviews

Let’s start at the beginning. Where do you find property management reviews in the first place? You might be inclined to start with searches on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, or similar sites. These all can have honest, transparent feedback, but they have a few limitations. They may not be vetted or verified, so the risk of running into a fake review is higher. Theycan even be influenced by software companies.

There isn’t a shared structure between feedback from different users, either. For example, one user might mention certain features that another user doesn’t. Property managers each have different needs, ways of doing business, and familiarity with software that influence their feedback. This all makes it harder to compare software different reviews and software solutions apples-to-apples.

Third-party review sites can circumvent this, by vetting reviews that are submitted to their site and organizing them into an easy-to-compare structure. They work to identify fake reviews, as well, to ensure consumers are getting the most honest information possible. There are many reputable review sites out there. Here are three examples:

Software Advice® is a review site that’s been around since 2005 and is part of the Gartner Digital Markets network. It boasts a large database of all types of software, across different industries and categories. The site distinguishes itself as having a thorough verification process and Gartner is a well-established company.

G2® is a widely used peer-to-peer software review site that provides peer reviews to help users make better software choices. The platform verifies the identity of reviewers and uses multiple data points to ensure the authenticity of the feedback. This comes in handy when looking for genuine user experiences that are organized and verified by a third party.

Capterra® offers a broad range of software reviews, as well, with a focus on credibility of user feedback. The site employs a verification process that includes quality assurance moderators and control checks to maintain the integrity of its reviews.

Be sure to look into the credibility of whatever site you use and how that site collects and verifies its ratings and reviews.

How to Evaluate Property Management Software Reviews

Now that you know where to find reviews, let’s discuss how to find quality property management software reviews that will give you the most honest—and most valuable—feedback to help inform your decision.

Most review sites will post positive and negative reviews, then take an average of all of them to come up with a rating. But you don’t necessarily want to take a rating at face value. First, look at how many reviews make up that rating. The higher number of reviews, the more reliable the rating is. Second, not all reviews are created equal. Scroll down to the negative reviews, especially, and look for common themes—and if the complaints align with the features you’re looking for.

Next, a quality review will give a detailed description of the aspect of the software that they found lacking. They will describe why it didn’t meet their standards and even how they tried to resolve the problem. Reviews that are not quality will use generalizations and won’t include much detail. Some signs of lower quality reviews include words in all caps or lots of exclamation points for emphasis without really elaborating on the problem.

Key Aspects to Look for in Individual Reviews

To help you use reviews in your property management software research, let’s discuss some of the most important themes and commonalities to look for. These five factors go a long way in helping you find the right fit for your business.

User-Friendliness: If your staff doesn’t find your software intuitive, it may actually reduce your company’s efficiency and increase costs. Or they won’t use the software at all. Reviews should highlight how intuitive and user-friendly the software is.

Mobile Accessibility: The software you choose should have a responsive design and be accessible on mobile devices. That will help you work efficiently from anywhere.

Customer Support: If you do have a question, or you run into a roadblock, there should be resources you can turn to. Look for reviews that mention the quality of customer support. Reliable support could include chat resources, how-to articles, forums, educational videos, and customer service representatives.

Features: Look for reviews that detail the software’s features, such as accounting, leasing, maintenance, and communications. A comprehensive set of features will streamline your day-to-day tasks and improve overall efficiency of your team. Search for reviews that discuss the features you’re particularly interested in. For a detailed breakdown of these important features, check out our previous post in this series on comparing property management software features.

Integrations: The software you choose should address the majority of your needs as a property manager. But no software is going to fit the unique needs of every single business. Look for reviews that mention a software’s ability to integrate. For example, Buildium’s Marketplace includes an array of vetted software that is already integrated with the core platform. And if there’s something else you want to integrate, the software’s Open API lets you do that, too.

Cost and Value: Finally, reviews should provide insights into whether the software offers good value for its price. This includes the pricing structure, additional costs, and whether or not there are hidden fees. For more details on determining the net costs, value, and ROI for a particular software solution, explore our post on the topic here.

Additional Tips for Comparing Property Management Software Reviews

When comparing property management software, it’s important to consider various factors to help you make the best choice for your business. Use these additional tips to inform your decision making:

Start Simple: Begin by identifying your core needs and priorities. This will help you narrow down your options and focus on software that meets your requirements.

Quality Comparison Reviews: Seek out easy-to-assess comparison reviews that evaluate multiple software options side-by-side. These reviews can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each software, helping you make a more informed decision. Be sure that these reviews come from trusted sites such as Software Advice, G2, and Capterra.

Keep Recency in Mind: Ensure that the reviews you are reading are recent. Software updates and improvements can significantly impact the user experience, so it’s essential to consider the most up-to-date information.

Talk to Other Property Managers: Reach out to other property managers to get their opinions and experiences with different software. Personal recommendations can be incredibly valuable in making your decision.

Investigate Case Studies and Real-World Examples: To get a better understanding of how a piece of software has tangibly helped similar businesses to your own, look at some real-world examples and case studies, such as the ones on Buildium’s site. These examples will provide insights into how different software solutions have impacted property management businesses.

You’ve Compared Software Reviews. What Next?

So, you’ve done all the right research. You’ve started simple, identifying your core needs and priorities, and seeking out reliable sources for reviews. You’ve considered key aspects such as user-friendliness, mobile accessibility, customer support, features, integration, and value. You’ve looked into case studies and compared your options side by side. What’s next?

To make a confident software buying decision, we recommend choosing the software that stands out to you and testing it out for yourself. Buildium offers a no-risk, 14-day free trial that can help you decide if the software is the right fit for your needs.

By narrowing down your options by comparing reviews and getting first-hand familiarity with your top contenders you can find property management software that fits your needs and helps your business reach its goals.