property management software: My Mother: Part 1, See No Evil
- 09/17/14 04:41 AM
I have to hand it to her - she always sees the best of a situation where others might be more inclined to see the GIANT PILE OF POO in the room. An optimist verses a realist would be one way to describe our different styles of addressing issues.
Take, for example, my mother's rental homes. Because these rentals are across the state, she never inspects the homes or meets the tenants. Instead they are handled by a property management firm and she places all her faith in them to handle all issues related to the rental, from advertising … (3 comments)
property management software: ISO: Laughter - Take Two
- 09/15/14 03:52 AM
I didn't realize how much I needed this today. I liken it to when you sit down for a massage appointment because you have a sore back and you are amazed that the muscles in your feet are sore. And how awesome is it that someone is rubbing them! Laughter is always good medicine, and an especially good way to start off a new week. So, before you take on the world of buyers, sellers, tenants and investors, sit back, and prop up those feet for a minute. Have a beautiful week, friends.
(78-year-young granny rides for the … (2 comments)
property management software: Wordless - A Tall Order To Fill
- 09/10/14 03:27 AM
This past week I took a day off from Rentec Direct and traveled with my family to the Jedediah Smith State Park in the Redwoods National Park in Northern California to celebrate my brother turning 50. We Southern Oregonians are so blessed with the abundance of natural beauty surrounding us! I can't imagine finding a finer place to call home. We hiked through the forest, swam in the crystal clear Smith River, munched on huckleberries, and soaked in the last of summer's sun. Just a couple days in this magical place will reset your outlook! If you haven't yet had the … (11 comments)
property management software: Hot or Cold: Which Are You?
- 08/27/14 06:03 AM
We have all seen the frenzy of ALC Ice Bucket Challenges by now - some quite elaborate and others just a 10 second dump. I have to admit, I was skipping over them as I had no idea what the heck it was about and I had better things to do with my time than watch a bunch of people dump buckets of water on their heads. Then I was challenged by Nathan and Dulcey whom I work with at Rentec Direct to participate in the challenge. I lamented a bit about the icy badgering to one of our farm interns who … (3 comments)
property management software: Employee Murdered While Working
- 08/20/14 07:18 AM
Yesterday an employee of an upscale apartment complex in Portland, Oregon, was murdered while she was working. Family, community members and Property Management professionals are all asking the same question - Could something more have been done to avoid this tragedy?
While we do not know if the killer was a tenant or someone off the street, I want to remind all industry professionals, please do not skip the step of performing a diligent tenant screening prior to renting to anyone. This step alone will deter risky/dangerous applicants from looking to move to your community. Working for years in the … (7 comments)
property management software: Keep It Short, Sweetie.
- 08/12/14 07:23 AM
Last week I was hit with the same question three times in a row by new customers who use Rentec Direct to manage their tenant and owner portfolio. They knew we offered a way for their prospective tenants to see their property listings as well as Tenants & Owners a spot to login to a portal, but for some reason, we did not have a how-to article explaining the quick-n-easy way to find these unique web addresses. After the third phone call, I decided to create a quick video that addressed this question as I'm sure if three customers called … (2 comments)
property management software: The Long And Winding Road to Gold Beach, Oregon
- 08/05/14 03:25 AM
As long as you don't suffer from carsickness, and you aren't concerned about a little bump in the road here and there, I recommend you try the trek from Grants Pass, Oregon - home of Rentec Direct - to Gold Beach, Oregon, via the Merlin-Galice Highway and back roads. I have been wanting to take this drive for sometime but usually think of it come winter - when back roads in Oregon can be sketchy - or in the heat of summer when forest fires prevent much back-woodsy action. This past week my family loaded up our van and headed west, trailing along the … (5 comments)
property management software: "All the Single Ladies!" & The Garbage Disposal
- 08/04/14 08:27 AM
For some reason I can't get this Beyonce song out of my head after reading a Facebook post today from one of my family members... " To all the lovely ladies out there, garbage disposals have their limitations. 'Food scrap' should infer small plant matter. If you don't eat it, it shouldn't go in there. This includes; bones, rinds and pocket change. This isn't the end of Fargo for goodness sake."
So my feminine feathers were just a little ruffled when I read this because every landlord, property manager and real estate agent knows this kind of appliance abuse isn't isolated … (29 comments)
property management software: Instructional Video Tips
- 07/30/14 09:15 AM
In my last blog entry I touched on the idea of instuctional vs. sales videos and how keeping a clear objective is important in guiding your content and tone. With some great feedback from our property management professional circles, we've learned that the instructional videos seem to be more captivating when: 1.) They are more personal sounding 2.) We vary who handles the voice-over After our customers have been sold on Rentec Direct's software, we win them over excelling in customer support. Most of the time, we assist the same customers over and over and we pride our team on having … (7 comments)
property management software: Sales Verses Instructional Videos
- 07/17/14 08:38 AM
As we continue to create more and more videos, our team at Rentec Direct has been sorting through older videos where both marketing and instructional objectives were combined and are working to create a new approach to communicating with our customer base. Besides the SEO benefit you receive from a video platform, it feels like a video's content should be direct and accessible so as to reach the intended audience. In other words, "short & sweet." Taking an existing customer on a marketing ride is a waste of their time and likewise, wining and dining a potential customer with instructional details makes for a … (2 comments)
property management software: Wordless - Amazing and Crazy!
- 07/09/14 08:40 AM
It's a scorcher here in Southern Oregon and my afternoon coffee-break from Rentec Direct did NOT include a walk around the block, rather a detour on the net to this absolutely wild video! I read that they created it in one take... simply amazing! You have to check it out and then join me in never complaining about how challenging a game of Jenga is...
Stay cool out there, AR cats. ;)
… (5 comments)
property management software: Going Gorilla On The Competition?
- 07/09/14 07:50 AM
One of our close competitors in property management software recently raised their subscription rates and we all know how these hikes in rates can cause some people to jump ship. There they are... just floundering... waiting for someone to rescue them, right?!
I've never liked it when competitors in any marketplace try to steal customers through back-handed methods but reaching consumers when they are ready & willing is what any good marketing team strives for. How you reach them... well there in lies the rub. Whether we are selling or renting a home or product, using only one … (3 comments)
Janell is a member of Rentec Direct, a web-based property management software program designed to help streamline the day-to-day operations of landlords and property managers. … (4 comments)
property management software: Happy International No-Diet Day!
- 05/06/14 07:04 AM
For real, they made May 6th an International holiday to honor what I do daily. And now, somehow, I feel extra entitled to bake some brownies after work, eat 1/2 the tray, and have an extra glass of wine tonight to wash them down. Just 'cause it's a holiday and all... On a serious note, this holiday was created (back in 1992) by a Brittish woman named Mary Evans Young who overcame Anorexia and wanted to encorage others to apprecaite their bodies, just as they were, without compulsive dieting. So, three cheers to you Mary and your awesomeness! Now go … (5 comments)
property management software: Who Needs Insurance?
- 05/05/14 10:33 AM
Boy, this weekend was a windy one here in Grants Pass, Oregon, hometown of Rentec Direct! After reading today's headlines I started thinking about business & home owner policy coverage. What if the same disaster described in the news article had happened right now while I was busy working or while my family slumbered? Would we be protected? What about our belongings? What if a life was lost? In this story, both the home-owner and renter went un-scathed, however it's a different story for the building and belongings.
Considering a disaster at a business location, not only are the office … (1 comments)
Remember the good ol' days of Tenant Screening when you had to fax over a paper rental application to a screening company that was open 9am - 5pm in another time zone than you? And you had to un-jam the application a couple of times because the stupid fax you owned hated your guts? And then you had to re-fax it because the screening company was out of fax paper when you did finally get your fax to go through? And then you … (3 comments)
What are you doing today to honor your mother? Well, by mother, I mean Mother Earth. At home, we have: Switched to online statements (utilities, credit card, bank statements) Eliminated one-time use products (plastic-wrap, straws, single-serving packaged foods) Reduce plastic use (water bottles & plastic shopping bags) Donate useful items we no longer use (clothes, furniture, garden containers) Have you considered ways to cut down on paper waste in your office? Paper use taxes our natural resources BIG time - from depleted trees, to energy used to convert raw material, to dioxins and dies used in manufacturing, to energy … (1 comments)
property management software: A Bird In The Hand...
- 04/15/14 11:01 AM
After a lengthy phone call and some time spent drawing up a creative action plan for a property manager, I felt confident that we had touched down on all the services he needed and shortly he would begin using our property management software and be a happy long-term customer. His business was a going to be a large account for our company, which always … (2 comments)
ON MY PLANET... community memebers will be able to create local policy that allows freedom from intergallactic control (I know... it's a pretty big dream...) Afterall, being a part in a community is suppose to give you a voice. ON MY PLANET...As a community member on this planet, I would be able to share my voice with my neighbors about what I think is good policy. And in turn, they could do the same (totally seem fair, right?) We would work together to create an awesome place to live. ON MY PLANET...There would be rules prohibiting … (3 comments)
property management software: Oh, I just bought a castle... that's all...
- 03/31/14 07:29 AM
While my day is playing out, I many times stumble across property management inspiration and stories that make me go "Ew!", "Aaaaahhhh" and "No way!!!" With customers across the globe managing an endless variety of properties within a wide demographic, it's never a boring job. At Rentec Direct, we see high-end homes being managed professionally by real estate offices and mega-budget bungalows being flipped by individual landlords and everything in between. There are lots of every-day tasks that need to be dealt with that aren't flashy- leaky faucets, lease renewals, bank reconcilliation - but it's re-assureing to know the day-to-day is handled … (1 comments)
I have to hand it to her - she always sees the best of a situation where others might be more inclined to see the GIANT PILE OF POO in the room. An optimist verses a realist would be one way to describe our different styles of addressing issues. 
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