WHAT DO PROPERTY MANAGERS, OR REAL ESTATE MANAGERS, DO?
Common Q&A
Find answers to commonly asked questions and learn more about what property managers can offer you. Choose an area of management, or a question category using the Q&A box on the right.
Useful Resources:
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- Additional Resources
- Orange County, CA Property Management
Other Useful Sites:
free property management software
Property management software is fast becoming an indispensable tool allowing property managers to record, consolidate, track and sort all types of information regarding their properties. While many programs can seem pretty pricey, there are a handful of free property management software programs out there that might have just enough features to get the job done. Rentec Direct and SimplifyEM are two examples of free property management programs currently available for download. In general, free management programs provide a simplified version of what a program for sale would accomplish.
Rentec Direct, the first example, is an online program that allows the user to store information on the company’s servers and access it from almost any computer in the world. A review of Rentec Direct cites that it is easy to use and navigate with functions for posting rent and expenses, recurring transactions, storing files, generating reports and the like. However, it warns that there are limitations including few ‘advanced’ features, a truncated selection of reports, and simplified financials.1
Another example of a free program is SimplifyEM, which can be downloaded from its website (or a number of other places) and claims to be an aid for keeping financials organized and filing taxes. Geared more towards tax preparation, SimplifyEM boasts features like tips for maximizing deductions, net income and tenant reports, and easy output of the user’s IRS schedule E.2
Numerous other management programs offer free trial or “lite” versions to allow potential users to see the full capability of the programs. However, depending on the size of the portfolio a manager is overseeing and how in depth he or she wants the software program to be, free property management software might be an easy, cost effective solution.
| 1 | The REI Brain website. Accessed April 3rd, 2009.: http://www.thereibrain.com/rentec-direct-online-property-management-software-review-free-software/112/ | ||
| 2 | TReXGlobal website. Accessed April 3rd, 2009.: http://www.trexglobal.com/real-estate-software |
