for Morgan Properties

From streamlining resident communications to making move-ins seamless, mobile applications are revolutionizing the apartment living experience. As new apps continue to flood the market, owners and managers now have more opportunities than ever to make their communities stand out from the competition.

How can owners and managers integrate mobile apps?

Thanks to apps, residents can now handle their entire apartment experience at their fingertips (literally). Residents can pay rent, put in maintenance requests, and communicate with the leasing office and their neighbors all in one place, right from their mobile device.

Morgan Properties worked with their property management software to develop an app that fits our brand, was tailored to support our specific needs, and could be easily implemented across our 350+ communities. Through surveys and research, we found that residents want to communicate their needs on the go. This app permits them to handle all home-related tasks whenever and wherever they are.

Property managers also benefit from this technology. Consolidating all of these features into one platform helps teams save time on cataloging and addressing resident requests. By creating a one-stop app, you can streamline day-to-day communications to ensure that on-site teams can focus more of their time on enhancing the resident experience and less time on administrative tasks.

What challenges still exist?

With any technology, there are still a number of challenges when implementing new mobile apps. As technology evolves, so do resident expectations for ease of use and reliability of getting correct information quickly. At Morgan Properties, we go through an extensive vetting process before we activate any new features for resident use. We also have a pilot program where we test an app at one property, expand next to a group of properties to see how it performs, and then assess if it is a viable resource for the portfolio.

Ultimately, every app that owners/managers offer to their residents is a reflection of their company. If the app does not work properly, it will be the on-site team dealing with fallout, not the app developer. That’s why establishing an open line of communication with app developers is critical to success. Owners and managers must initiate an honest dialogue, communicate pain points, and collaborate on solutions that thoughtfully address their residents’ concerns.

Owners and managers should also consider how they plan to educate property teams and residents about new apps. While many of Morgan Properties’ residents are tech-savvy, we still encounter residents who struggle to use mobile apps, and we encourage them to consult our on-site teams for help. It’s important for owners and managers to ensure their teams are prepared when a resident pops into the office with app questions or issues. And even if residents are not having any technology issues today, property teams should still have go-to procedures for addressing concerns when the technology inevitably does falter.

How can real estate mobile apps improve?

As we look ahead, the primary area of opportunity for real estate mobile apps is creating one that supports the entire resident life cycle. Currently, there is not a single app that seamlessly integrates resident communication, day-to-day tasks like rent payment, with lease renewals and all of the associated move-in/move-out processes. There is a significant opportunity for developers to design an app that addresses resident needs from start to finish.

Owners and managers who recognize the power of mobile apps and embrace using them to improve the resident experience will be best positioned for success.