How to Develop a Custom Property Management Software?

The Dubai and several other part of UAE are considered to be the most attractive places for real estate investments. Thanks to the government policies and supportive measures the real estate industry is booming, despite the fact the past few years were not so good due to the pandemic, the Dubai specifically and several other parts of UAE have witnessed record high sales and rental stats. Where the market is rapidly growing more and more investors are investing into real estate and property management, it means the competition for a property management and real estate business is very high. There are tons of ready-made off-the-shelf solutions for property management which provide very advanced features for landlords, tenants, hotel guests, management and all staff as well. However, if you really want to stand out of the crowd then you must have to do what others are not doing. That is why any good real estate business would chose to develop their own custom property management software.

The customized property management software allow businesses to build the system as per their existing business processes. The off-the-shelf property management systems are designed for a large user group, which means all of the users will eventually end up changing their business processes and methods as per the software, else they will have to do a lot of manual work or in some cases they can’t even do it manually due to the magnitude of the work. However, a custom property management system is tailored to aid the existing business processes and methods, it doesn’t impose any change as it is completely designed as per the needs, so it can significantly boost the performance and productivity. That is why for real estate and property management businesses a tailor-made custom property management software is always the best choice.

But the question is how to develop it? Most of the time the biggest hurdle that any business owner or manager faces is the hesitance about developing a custom software as it involves technical details, programing, source codes, etc. That is the reason we are writing this article to help our audience understand how they can have an excellent custom property management software in Dubai, UAE.

Make a Plan! And Set Goals

Without a good plan you can’t get what you want and the project could get very messy. Here by good I don’t mean a high-level professional IT plan type of plan, but just a simple plan which covers all important aspects. Being a business owner or a manager you will have to do some research. Talk with your sub-ordinates, sales teams, accounts, operations, and all heads of the departments and ask for their feedback. Draw a map of the existing business processes and work flows, a simple flow chat would suffice. Enlist the features you are currently needing and also think about some things that you might going to need in future. Try to take feedback from your customers about all the user interfaces you are providing them and you want to provide them. Have a detailed look at your competitors and industry leaders. This will draw the blue prints of your custom property management software.

Think about what you want to achieve by implementing this property management software. For example, you think currently your customer service and complain mechanisms are lagging, and you want to improve that area and so on. Try to compile everything in a single document, this document can be later used as the requirement to be shared with the IT Company who will be developing the custom property management software for you. You don’t have to worry about technicalities, just try to keep it simple, as simple as any ordinary person can understand and make sense of it. This can serve as your plan very well.

How to Find a Software Development Company in Dubai?

Finding a good software development company in Dubai, UAE is very tricky. There are hundreds if not thousands of custom software development companies in Dubai and in entire UAE. However, there are only a few who could deliver. As you already have a document and your goals are documented, you can share it with different software development companies in Dubai. The search/Google is the best place to begin with. Search for the software development companies in Dubai, make a list. Ask your friends and colleagues and if anyone of them suggest any company add it to your list. It is safe to have at least ten custom software companies in the list to start. I will explain later how you can short list and finalize one of them. But at the initial stage it is good to have at least a list of ten companies. Then start with their website, go through their website, try to find their customers, look up for testimonials and their business partners. Check their blog and see how active they are at their blog. It is very simple. Now rearrange your list and put which you think is good at top and arrange them all.

From now on I will list the scrutinizing process in steps, try to follow them as per the order:

Contact the listed custom software development companies via Email or Contact Form
Ask them to sign the NDA (Non-disclosure Agreement)
Share your requirement document with them and let them revert back to you
Schedule a short call or an online meeting to initiate the process
They will definitely ask you several questions, try to answer them all
At this stage you would know which one of them are more interested and capable
Make your list shorter and cut it to at least five
Ask those five custom software development companies for a meeting and presentation
In this meeting try to evaluate the representatives, their presentations, and discussion, etc.
Ask them to submit their initial proposals, offers, credentials and also ask them for references to their existing customers
Evaluate those offers on the bases of technical and commercial aspects, try to contact their customers and ask them for their opinion and experience
Take at least three out of these offers and negotiate the technical and commercial proposals
Ask them to share project plan and full technical scope of work
Ask them to offer you guarantee, warrantee, maintenance and SLAs and compare them
Now you can easily chose any one of them
Sign Agreements and Kick Start the project

Here in UAE we always find customers who are unhappy from off-shore service providers, which is why we always recommend our readers and customers to go with a company who is based in Dubai or anywhere in UAE. It is very difficult to set disputes with the off-shore company. A well-reputed custom software development company like RSI Concepts will always deliver good projects. Such companies always help and support their customers and they are also bound by the local laws, hence the customer’s rights are well protected.

How to Execute Custom Property Management Software Development Project?

Any software or IT system development project is executed in several phases. All software development companies in Dubai, UAE or in fact all around the world works on the project in different phases, because that is the most practical and efficient way of doing it. Before even starting the project you should ask the software development company to provide you a detailed scope of work and a project plan. If you already have experience or if you are totally new to custom software development, here are some important steps that will help you in executing a custom property development software project:

Step 1 – Wireframe: Any software development project starts with a wireframe phase. The custom software development company provide a wireframe which is a demonstration of the user interface (UI) and it also explains the user experience (UX) in great details. You can ask the software development and design team to make amendment at this stage. As it is easier and usually there is no additional cost of making changes at this stage unless you are asking for a big change or you deviate from the original scope of work. The wireframe explains each and every screen of the software so be careful at this stage and make sure you get everything as per your need and expectations.
Step 2 –UI Design: Once the wireframes are finalized the next step is to design the user interface. The user interface will be the final look and feel of your custom property management software. Since it is a custom property management software development so the business will have the full ownership and rights over it. It is good to ask the design team to make it aligned with your brand and use your logo and branding to design the UI and UX.
Step 3 –Development: After completing the UI/UX designs the project now enters into the development phase. This is the stage when the custom software development company will write the source code, build algorithms and functionalities in your custom property management software. Mostly the software development companies share the progress after completing the development phase but some companies also provide regular updates and share the incomplete software too. For example, if the tenant management module is complete they ask you to test it while they are working on the other modules in parallel. The better approach is to let them finish the complete software and then test it this will save a lot of time and hustle.
Step 4 –UAT: After completing the development phase the project enters into the test phase. In the testing phase both the custom software development company and the business does the testing. At UAT (user acceptance test) stage you must have to check each and every functionality to make sure everything is as per the previously agreed scope of work. Any feedback or changes can be made at this stage, but it is better to stick with the actual scope of work.
Step 5 –Launch: At the UAT stage the project is still in the test environment, after passing that stage the project is deployed in a live environment, whether it is a cloud, online server, or local/in-premises server. The launch also have two stages. First stage is beta launch. In the beta stage the customer property management software is made available to a selective audience which includes users from all user groups. At this stage businesses can take feedback and suggestion and make amendments too if needed. After the beta launch is successful a training program is executed to make all employees familiar with the new software and then the project is fully commissioned and made available to everyone.
Step 6 –Post-Launch: The post-launch includes all the marketing efforts and an active user feedback collection campaign. This provides businesses an idea about the effectiveness of the custom property management system. Businesses can also collect feedback and suggestion and consider them in future updates or revised versions of the software.

These steps are a general overview of the software project execution. Businesses and the software development company can establish a different understanding and project plan to ensure better results. However, it is better to do one thing at a time and complete the entire project in multiple phases and stages.

What are the Important Features of a Property Management System?

The features of any software determines its usability and the value it can add to the user experience. For a customized property management software it can have and it should have all the necessary features that a business wants and that are required to help business in achieving their short term and long term goals. A custom property management software have different application in slightly different industry sectors, hence for each the features and specification could differ from one another. Here are some application of a property management software:

Real Estate Management
Residential Facility Management
Industrial Facility Management
Hotel Management
Shopping Mall Management
Centralized Information Center
Multi-branch & Multi-location Management

There are many more but the common thing is that each property management software have similar kind of user groups so each one have almost similar user interfaces. Apart from the user interface there are several other modules that are common too. So, here we will list some key features and modules that can benefit all different types of property management software.

Web Interfaces of a Custom Property Management Software

The web interface is the most common feature of property management software and such systems. The web interface is designed to allow users to easily access the system using a simple web browser. The web interface should have a few key features that will make it more efficient and user friendly:

Intuitive User Interface with adequate helping material such as (tool-tips, help icons, etc.)
Allow online access from outside the organization as well
Should have responsive and cross-platform compatibility features
Simple and easy to understand navigational structure
Ability to prevent user from accessing unauthorized information and functions
Ability to offer different color schemes and allow users to arrange their dashboard

The web user interface is a very important aspect of any software tool. For property management software the web user interface should be very user-friendly. A good user interface (UI) can speed up different tasks and have significant positive impact on user’s performance. The web user interfaces are designed for both the internal and external uses. Internally the employees, sales teams, customer support and service teams, maintenance teams, management and all other business functions use it and externally the interface is made available via online for the customers.

Smartphone Applications and Mobile Interface

These days the smartphone applications are getting very popular and more common than ever before. Businesses are offering mobile applications and continuously trying to improve them. The biggest reason of the popularity of the smartphone applications is that users can get a very personalized experience. Here are some key features that your smartphone application should have:

Dedicated interface for different user groups (landlords, owners, tenants, maintenance teams, office staff, management, etc.)
Compatible with Android and iOS Mobile Phones
Single Time Sign-in with additional security features
Ability to download, upload and scan documents through the device camera
Online Payment Features to allow users to make instant payments
In-App alerts and news along with Push-notifications
Real-time access to the central information center
Ability to search for content, information and communication
Ability to look up for branch or office with navigation
In-built communication module (chat with staff, complaint center, feedback and suggestions, etc.)
Appointment booking and integration with queue management system

These are some of the most commonly used features in a property management software mobile app. Businesses can add more innovative features to enhance the user experience and to improve the productivity.

Internet Interface or Website

The internet interface or website of a property management business is available for everyone to access via online. It has to be perfect as it had significant impact on the overall digital brand identity of the business too. Although some property management businesses consider websites separate form their core property management application, however a property management business’s website is also just an extension of their core property management software as it heavily rely on it. Whether you already have a website or are upgrading your website along with your custom property management software, it is better to have the following features in your website:

Simply Navigational Structure and Well Organized Menus
Multimedia content such as Photos and Videos of the property, hotel room, etc.
Smart search with multiple filters to facilitate the property searching
Real-time data synchronization and updates from the central information center
Simple and user-friendly user interface and design theme
Customer centric content and provide additional information along with all listings
Dedicated search result page and property listing pages
Responsive and cross platform compatibility
Super-fast page loading speed on both desktop and mobiles
Simple user registration and dedicated user dashboard to improve personalized user experience
Integration with CRM and complaint management systems
Visible contact information, appointment booking module and simple contact forms
Online payment gateway integration to provide multiple online payment options
Simple and easy sharing features with social media integration
Online chat module or WhatsApp integration
Ability to download and share the property in PDF format

These are just a few most important features of a property management business’s website. You can also add more features and request your website development company to help you adding more interactive and engaging features on your website.

Customer Portal

The customer portals are designed for providing customers service and information. The modern day property management system offer a variety of features that can help improving customer experience and customer journey. Your custom property management software should have all key features to facilitate customer interactions and to make them happy. Here are some important features that your customer portal should have:

Simple and easy online registration
Multiple channels to communicate and share documents, contracts and details
24/7 easy access to the information center, customer support and complaint centers
Dedicated maintenance module to expedite the maintenance request processing
Simple and easy in-app communication and customer feedback module
Good payment gateway service integration to provide multiple easy payment methods
Preferences and customization to provide a personalized customer experience
Similar user journey and user experience across all platforms and channels
Online Directory for various departments and concerned staff members

Businesses can should offer all the important features that they think could help their customers and improve their experience. The customer experience is crucial for customer satisfaction which is a key to long term success.

Sales Team Portal

A dedicated sales team portal can help property management business in boosting sales and revenue. The portal allow simple and easy management of the sales staff. It also record various stats and KPIs which can help management in monitoring and improving the sales department. Each business have different methods and internal processes. That is why a custom property management software can help businesses improve their sales department’s efficiency and performance as it supports their existing processes and help them make improvements. Here are some key features of a sales team portal for the property management software:

Real-time data synchronization and integration with central information center
Instant notifications, alerts and facility to set reminders and follow ups
Smart property visit scheduling module to increase customer visits
Sales Performance and Target Comparison and other Performance Matrices
In-built features to share contracts and process documents to expedite the process
Integration with CRM module and ability to push feedback and surveys to the customers
Ability to send customized notifications, reminders and alerts to the customers
Ability to communicate and share files with other team members through the dashboard
A full-fledged document processing and work flow management module

Each business have different requirements and establish different processes over the time. So, the custom property management software development will allow them to make the software as per their needs which will improve the performance and productivity of the sales department.

Maintenance Requests and Complaints Management

Each property management business knows that this sector receives a huge number of maintenance requests and complaints too. That is why businesses often use a separate complaint management system or they use CRMs and other specialized tools to handle and manage customer complaints and maintenance requests. Most of the modern property management system have maintenance requests but not the complaint management module, or in some cases both are merged and treated as the same, which is not right. A good property management system should have separate maintenance requests and complaint management modules. Here are some key features that you should consider while developing a custom property management system:

Dedicated and separate Maintenance Request Management and Complaint Management Modules
Facility to segregate the maintenance requests on the bases of priority and importance
Facility to segregate different types of customer on the bases of their categories (regular, VIP, Premium, Residential, Commercial, etc.)
Automatic complaint distribution mechanism and notifications/alerts for the concerned staff
Automatic customer feedback or review collection after completing the maintenance
Intuitive complaint management module with ability to forward and escalate the complaints
Complaint escalation and forward should trigger pre-programmed alerts and notifications
Direct communication with the complainant and ability to share their contact details through the dashboard/portal
Active customer feedback collection and ability to close the loop

For any property management system or facility management system proactively managing the complaints and maintenance request is extremely important. It requires a strong communication network and the custom property management software allow you to automate various processes, set alerts and notification which makes it a lot easier and quicker for the staff to deliver good quality service.

Dedicated Modules for Each Business Function

A custom property management software allow businesses to create dedicated modules for each business function (sales, marketing, operations, maintenance, procurement, maintenance & service, etc.). The businesses have full control over the work flow, data sharing and administrative mechanisms. The customization allow them to make the software as per their needs, hence after commissioning the custom property management software the business or any of its functions doesn’t need to make changes to their processes and routines. In fact the software help them to improve their current processes and methods they follow. This could significantly boost the overall productivity and profitability of the business. As in case of a ready-made or off-the-shelf solution the businesses always have to make adjustments and even big changes in their internal and external business processes and methods they are following, which in long term also impact on their strategy. So, it is crucial that the new software is just helping and making improvement in the existing processes.

Work Flow Management and Administrative Hierarchy

For any property management businesses the work flow and administrative hierarchy is very important. Each businesses have different internal structure and over the time they tend to develop and evolve into a very unique and distinctive eco-system. A stock or off-the-shelf solution can never meet the needs of a growing organization. So, a custom property management software is always remain superior in this regard. It provide more flexibility and control over internal processes, assigning and defining job roles and setting up administrative hierarchy. This enable businesses to gain full control over their strategic and tactical processes and enables them to alter anything anytime as per their needs without making any change or customization in the existing system. It also makes regular administrative tasks simpler and easier. With just a few clicks a manager can appoint someone on a job role, or even assign them additional charge of two positions. Within a few clicks, a business management can change the access and control of any employee. Such things are very helpful for the management and keep them focused on their primary tasks and goals.

Business Intelligence Data Collection

Collecting valuable business intelligence data is extremely crucial in the modern data driven world. For any business it is crucial to have a good understanding of their customers, the market trends, and of course their own weaknesses and strengths. Make sure you custom property management software is capable of collecting valuable business intelligence data and system usage information. That is not all, the data collection, system stats, user activities and such details could be very helpful in certain scenarios. Businesses do whatever they can to improve their customer’s experience and to make them happy and satisfy. Businesses also invest heavily in systems and solutions which can help them to boost the performance and productivity. Here is a short list of some key data points that every property management business should consider monitoring and recording:

Login activity and task activity record
Workflow and approval records
Performance matrices and employee KPIs
Customer happiness and customer satisfaction matrices
All kind of trends and customer purchase patterns
Customer and visitors details and their demographics
Performance matrices for each department and business functions
Ability to conduct customer feedback surveys and ability to process the feedback data
Accounting and Finance KPIs and performance matrices
Customer support center and complaint management department’s performance data
Website analytical and social media statistics

These are just a few key areas which will help you to focus on more details which you can ask your software development company to include in the reporting and analytical modules. This data can help management and heads of the departments to make better strategies and take informed decisions.

Future Scalability and Maintenance

The custom property management software should be able to handle scalability. The problem the off-the-shelf solutions is that as the business grow and its needs grow the cost increases, whether it is just adding more users or up-scaling the server and IT infrastructure, the cost also keep increasing as the needs increase. However, in case of a custom software the business holds the full ownership rights and the customer property management software developer will have to transfer each and every bit of source code, resources and any other ingredient they use to build the software application. Which provide businesses a great advantage and allow them to scale as much as they want without bearing additional cost. Moreover, the business doesn’t get dependent on the development company and they can easily do the maintenance at in-house or they can acquire the services of another third-party. This not only provide more control but also keep the cost under control.

Conclusion

In Dubai and in fact all across the UAE the property management and real estate business is booming. The market is very competitive and the customers are very savvy. In such conditions a business will have to offer excellent services and a unique kind of customer experience which can help them retain their customers and build their reputation and credibility in the market. There are several options available for the property management software however, having a custom property management software which is tailor-made as per the needs and requirements of your business could be game changer. It can boost efficiency and performance without disturbing any existing business process or methods a business is currently following. It can also integrated easily with the existing systems and tools. The customer property management software is much more flexible, offer great control and independence and it is also much more cost-efficient with greater ROI in the long term.

RSI Concepts is a leading customer property management software development company in Dubai, UAE. The purpose of this blog was to give our audience a better understanding of how a custom property management software is built. If you want to learn more about the topic or if you want us to help you building your property management software, please feel free to reach us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

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