RMUC.24: A Property Management Paradise of Connection and Learning
This year’s Rent Manager User Conference in Palm Springs was truly an Oasis of Innovation for property management professionals. Blending...
When it comes to running a business, there’s never a “one-size-fits-all” solution. This is especially true in the digital age, where companies of all kinds rely on a myriad of technology solutions and software to get things done. No matter the industry, it has never been more important to not only have the right programs to improve enterprise operations, but to ensure that those programs and services can share crucial data between systems.
This kind of inter-software communication is called data integration, and according to the 2024 State of SaaS Integrations Report, 84% of businesses say that this technological communication is “very important” or “a key requirement” for their customers. Put simply, data integration—also known as software integration—allows a company to combine multiple sources of data, including databases, spreadsheets, apps, cloud services, and others, into a consistent format that is more accessible and easier to digest for decision-making purposes. There are several types of software integrations, including APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), Middleware, Webhooks, and Custom Code. No matter which type is used, this growing business model is especially common in the manufacturing, government, healthcare, and retail industries, but it is becoming increasingly common within the property management industry, as well.
This is where the Rent Manager Integrations Program comes in.
The Rent Manager Integrations Program began in 2016 and has grown today to a coalition of over 175 providers. Like other forms of data integration, our Integrations Program connects Rent Manager and other software by building “a bridge between our two pieces of software to push and pull information and create a seamless and easy experience for the user,” according to Megan Barnes, the Integrations Program Product Marketing specialist. Utilizing Rent Manager’s open API, companies can connect with our software to allow for the free flow of information from the customer’s Rent Manager database to the other technology resources, and vice versa.
Currently, the PropTech providers within the Integrations Program are split into nine categories, including:
A tenth category—the Solutions Program—is currently in development. Comprised of consultant-based services, this category will link Rent Manager customers with companies that provide operations-enhancing services, rather than another software provider. Combined with the other nine categories, customers can create a custom package of integrations that tailor their Rent Manager experience specifically to their business needs—something that the Integrations team says is the core tenant of the program.
Senior Channel Partner Manager, Joe Easton, explains the need for choice in terms of competition. “We believe that our customers are able to thrive when they are able to operate differently from their competitors, so they can’t let their software tell them how to operate. Through our highly customizable software, they can operate in unique ways, […] this includes what integrations they choose to use or not use,” says Easton.
For example, certain providers empower Rent Manager customers to choose the best process for performing inspections, rather than being limited to just one approach that may not work for the way their operation handles unit inspections. Depending on the size of the organization and their staffing needs, the sheer number of available technology integrations provides an almost endless number of possibilities in ways that customers can choose to run their businesses.
Our Integrations Program benefits Rent Manager customers by giving them more control over how they run their business through the software, but what about the advantages to Rent Manager and the companies involved in the program? The biggest and most important benefit is a wider audience for both Rent Manager and its integrated providers. The program exposes all companies involved to a wider customer base. The technology providers gain brand recognition and the opportunity to work with Rent Manager customers, and Rent Manager gets access to a new audience in the form of customers who work with our partner companies.
As each organization can tailor their Rent Manager experience with as many integrations as they need, the flexibility and freedom of choice can only create additional positive outcomes in the years to come. And when users are satisfied with their software solutions, they’re more likely to maintain their relationships with Rent Manager and the integrated technology solutions utilized to run their business.
Eight years after the launch of the program, its solid reputation in the industry is known far and wide. “We get a lot of inbound interest in the Integrations Program,” says Easton. “Companies will reach out to us. […] They know we offer this great opportunity, and they want to work with our customers.” The positive word-of-mouth marketing is something that will only continue to spread as the program continues to flourish.
The final piece to the positive reputation behind the Rent Manager Integrations Program? According to Barnes, it is the level of care that Rent Manager provides—not only to our customers, but to our integrated providers as well. “Something we hear regularly from a lot of our integrations is that the level of care and customer service that we provide is phenomenal, and unlike anybody else they work with,” says Barnes. This attention to detail and level of effort put into finding new users for each available integration, for example, shows the companies we work with that we’re also invested in their success, and we will do as much as we can to ensure a positive experience for that company and their customers.
To learn more about the Rent Manager Integrations Program, visit the Integrations page on the Rent Manager website.