They're a natural for budgeting and tracking. Unfortunately, says Haberman, many of the larger management systems have become so complex that many owners and managers can't take advantage of sophisticated options. Even today, some large property owners and managers still user older, DOS-based systems, because such programs do basic management and are easy to understand. They'll reject software that is more limited in that functionality. As well, he says, simple systems make sense because new people are always entering the field.
Turnover is a reality in any business, and certainly so in the property management field.
The complex program takes more time to implement, and takes time to train the new arrival. In the future, says Haberman, we're likely to see more landlords relying on electronic funds transfers , or EFTs, both to collect tenant rents and to pay vendors who supply services to the property. In essence, the system can use just about any medium to screen potential tenants, pay bills electronically, schedule repairs, and keep the books. And in the near future, it wouldn't be surprising if the system also collected rents directly from tenant bank accounts. The Internet is really going to be a major factor over the next few years.