Getting your team excited about new software isn't easy. According to the National Apartment Association (NAA), 68% of property management professionals hesitate to try new software solutions. While the upfront cost might give you pause, consider this: 47% of property managers say they're "on the busy side" and 15% feel overburdened. The industry's turnover rate of (33% (compared to the national average of 22%) shows how these challenges affect teams.

Good property management software makes everyone's work better. Your team won't need to review applications by hand anymore. Your leasing agents can spend time on what they do best, and applications that used to take days can wrap in minutes. 

We've helped hundreds of property management groups make this change successfully. Here are five approaches that work:

1. Focus on what your team does best

Your leasing agents shine when they're building relationships with future residents and offering great service. Right now, they're probably spending hours on paperwork instead. 

Josh Lin, VP of McKinley Apartments and Properties, which manages over 14,000 units across Michigan and Florida, shares how things were before implementing Findigs as his company’s software solution:

"To have our leasing agents who oftentimes are in their first career job, trained for just five days, then having to understand Fair Housing, manage applicant complaints, determine whether documents are fraudulent, and calculate income—that was just an unfair position to put them in."

When software handles the paperwork, your team can spend time on more productive activities. As Erin Holcomb, Sr. Customer Success Manager at Findigs notes, automated solutions allow "leasing agents to actually lease. They can tour apartments and homes. They can spend their time ensuring that prospects become applicants, and qualified applicants become happy residents."

2. Share real results

Numbers make success clear. Properties using Findigs process 20% of applications in less than a minute, 30% in under an hour, and 60% within 24 hours—much faster than the usual two to three days. This dramatic improvement can result in faster move-ins and higher occupancy rates.

Keep track of metrics like: 

• Minutes saved per application
• Applications processed each day
• How many applications turn into leases
• Money saved on vacant units

When your team sees how much time they're getting back in their day, and how many more qualified residents they're bringing in, they'll wonder how they ever managed the old way. 

Start tracking these numbers now, even before making the switch, to help your team see the difference they’re making. Every minute saved on paperwork is a minute your team can spend helping residents feel at home.

3. Set your team up for growth

Say goodbye to what Sebastian Hart, Sr. Director at Findigs, calls "monotonous work" - like "calling an applicant or emailing an applicant who's not responsive to try to say, 'Hey, you forgot your June and July paystubs.'"

McKinley Apartments saw the difference this makes. Lin explains: "Before, they were so focused on getting the sale that if a resident came in, the resident was waiting in line...for everyone to get through all their prospect activity. Now they can balance their time, and as we all know, renewals are the large majority of your revenue."

When your software handles applications smoothly, your properties can grow without needing to hire more staff for paperwork.

4. Make learning the new system easy

Matt Lynch from the Findigs Sales Development Team understands that change takes time: "Some people have been doing the same processes for 15, 20 years. Linda is in the office and she's the detective making sure there's no fraud, and then Jerry's checking things out, giving the final say." While the change can be daunting at first, “it's just getting them to realize how much bigger of a lift this could be for them,” Lynch adds.

You can choose to train your team and:

• Give them hands-on practice
• Write clear instructions
• Pick someone to answer questions
• Notice and praise early wins
• Listen when things aren't working

Or, you can work with specialists to:

• Partner with companies that know these systems well
• Let them handle specific tasks or the whole process
• Keep oversight while doing less day-to-day work
• Share your screening rules so they can be applied across applicants

5. Watch a better resident experience pay off for everyone 

Great property management software makes applying for a rental better for everyone. Steve Carroll, CEO of Findigs, explains why: "Any tool that relies on your team to log in and take action is only as good as human availability. If someone applies at 1 a.m. on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, that application might wait until after the holiday weekend—your team has other priorities on Wednesday, Thursday's a holiday, and it could easily be Monday before anyone looks at it."

With automated systems, Carroll notes, "you can now turn right around and say, 'Yes, you're approved, would you like the unit?' It's a much better experience for everybody involved."

Carroll makes an important point about catching fraud: Manual reviews often slow down the 90% of honest applicants just to spot the 10% who might be dishonest. The right software thoroughly screens and is actually more secure than manual review—without making honest applicants wait.

Making changes that last

When you help your team understand and try new tools, everyone's work gets easier and more rewarding. Your leasing team can focus on what they love: helping residents and building great communities.

Want faster applications with less risk?

DecisionAssist from Findigs handles rental applications from start to finish. Your team can fill units quickly with qualified residents while spending more time on sales. Book a demo with us to see how it works.