Technology resources can be difficult to come by today, especially those at a reasonable price that make a genuine impact for multifamily operators. 

Multifamily organizations often grow at a rate much faster than the pace small IT teams can implement new technologies broad enough to support their expanding organization. That means IT teams have to prioritize their activities and leverage strategic solutions effectively. 

Even if your organization is not tied to a particular platform, it is important to utilize technologies to their fullest extent. In order to be a nimble organization that provides real-time answers to investor and client requests and opportunities, it is important to utilize systems that enable collaboration, workflow and decision-making.

Fortunately, there are some practices you can follow to make sure you’re choosing the technologies that can provide the most impact with limited IT resources.   

Built-in Support. First and foremost, you should look for technologies with built-in support structures that don’t require your IT team or onsite teams to provide technical support. These technologies are becoming more common as IT resources have become more expensive.

At Laramar, for example, we have recently deployed a combined helpdesk tracking solution for both IT and software support teams. We are also deploying additional functionality with Office 365, with communication platforms such as Sharepoint and Microsoft Teams. 

Integration with Property Management Systems. Nothing is more inefficient than having your onsite teams work in disparate systems with different logins. Every software application you use should be integrated with your property management system and allow your associates to access it through the system. This saves associates time and allows them to spend more time leasing apartments, which results in higher revenue. 

On-trend technology. When considering technology, start with the technologies you, your friends and your family members use. This is a good indication that the technology is current, intuitive and will be quickly adopted, which usually decreases the amount of support tickets and time associates spend answering questions in the leasing office. If your family and friends won’t use it, your residents probably won’t either. And if they don’t use the technology, it creates more work for your teams and a negative resident experience. 

When it comes to supporting portfolio growth from an IT perspective, a keen focus should be dedicated to communication and prioritization. It is important to be able to react to changing priorities and ensure proper communication of project expectations and deadlines. Concentrating on the technologies that specifically assist with those priorities while not breaking the budget will make life easier for onsite teams.