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June 25, 2020

Heatherman Homes Explains How Technology Has Revolutionized Property Management for Global Clients



If there’s one industry that frequently falls behind the latest in 21st Century technology, it’s property management in the United States. Thankfully, the lag is not representative of all property management agencies.



Heatherman Homes, for example, decided early on that out of area property owners, maintenance staff, and tenants deserve to feel closer and more accessible. The key, they found, was to fully embrace technology. Heatherman Homes shares three key areas that technology has helped their business become one of the most successful, full-service real estate agencies on the East Coast.

The Speed of Finalizing Lease Agreements

Email and instant messaging between property owners and property managers (as well as property managers and prospective tenants) can facilitate a finalized lease agreement in a matter of hours. The latest in property management technology can collect online application information, run background checks, review credit, and collect security deposits almost immediately.

Property managers using e-sign technology can save time and paper for everyone. Tenants, property owners, and property managers can easily login to their secure online accounts and access searchable rental agreements in digital format.

Heatherman Homes on the Efficiency of Critical Property Management Tasks

The day-to-day demands on property management like rent payments and maintenance requests are also more easily managed with digital tools.

Though many property managers still do so, there’s no need to require checks and money orders from tenants that would rather pay with card or direct deposit. Merchant processing services integrated with property management software make it easy for renters to submit payments. Simple upgrades like automated payments and credit card processing ensure that property owners get more payments faster.

Most importantly, note experts at Heatherman Homes, modern systems track these payments. Property managers, owners, and tenants can view payment history at any time.

The latest in maintenance reporting and ticketing software also make it easier for tenants to get help from property management. Broken equipment or tenant accidents can receive more immediate attention and save the property owner on increased maintenance costs resulting from issues going unreported.

Property managers can also equip their maintenance staff with GPS tools to track the availability and ETA of a responding technician. As an added plus, owners and managers can hold their maintenance staff accountable to time spent and projects completed.

Information Management

A steadily increasing number of property management offices run in smaller office spaces. The main reason for the smaller space is because there is no need for massive filing cabinets.

Secure servers and cloud storage allow real estate office staff to find any tenant/property/client information in a matter of seconds. There is simply no need for mountains of paperwork.

The Exposure of Available Properties

When a property is ready for owners to market to new tenants, online directories (like Zillow, Apartments.com, and more) publish listings immediately. Prospective tenants can access all relevant information on available properties before calling the real estate office.

As a result, property managers are able to oversee more properties than they did just a few years ago. Prospective tenants call the office further along in their buying decision, shortening the sales cycle for agents.

Heatherman Homes is a real estate agency based in Stafford, Virginia. Frances Heatherman, was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top 100 real estate agents in the U.S., and Brendan Heatherman, retired Marine Corps officer and co-owner, launched Heatherman Homes, LLC to merge the latest in technology with the property management industry. As certified Military Relocation Specialists, Frances and Brendan serve clients internationally — whether those clients are renting/buying from overseas before moving back to the states or homeowners seeking to rent their homes while being transferred overseas.



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