30 questions to ask your new PMS provider

The right property management software (PMS) will save you time and help you deliver a more effective service. On the other hand, investing in a subpar PMS can be more trouble than its worth. Why add yet another software to your already overburdened technology stack if it's not going to streamline your processes or elevate your functionality?

Whether you're looking to use property management software for the first time or upgrade your existing solution, you need to properly investigate your options before you commit. To help you, we've broken down 30 key questions you need to ask a potential PMS provider. 

Introductory

Before you work with a PMS provider, you need to understand the basics about their company and their product. Asking these seven questions will help you to get a sense of their offering and whether it suits your specific needs.

1. How long has your business been operating?
2. How long has your PMS been on the market?
3. Is your PMS server or Cloud-based?
4. What's the maximum number of users?
5. How regularly do you release updates?
6. Can I submit feature requests?
7. What data security measures do you have in place?
8. Can I have a free demo of your PMS?
9. Can I read any existing customer testimonials?

Price

No matter how effective a PMS is, if it doesn't align with your budget, it's not the right one for you. Asking these questions can help to uncover any hidden costs and avoid unpleasant surprises down the line. 

1. What's the monthly cost of your PMS?
2. Are there any additional charges on top of this cost?
3. Is there a setup fee?
4. How are payments managed?
5. Am I locked into a contract for a certain period of time?

Onboarding

If you're switching to a new property management software or implementing one for the first time, you want to start reaping the benefits quickly. This means that you need to get set up and trained on the platform as soon as possible. To understand how long this might take and help manage your expectations, it's important to ask the following questions.

1. What's included in the onboarding process?
2. How long does onboarding take?
3. What training do you offer as part of onboarding?
4. Is training available for my whole team?
5. How quickly can I migrate my data over?

Features

Perhaps the most important questions to ask property management software providers are about the features, functionality, and benefits of their offering. Think about what you need to make your processes more streamlined, efficient, and effective. Try to align your questions with these requirements. 

1. How does your PMS save customers time?
2. Can I customise documents created in the platform?
3. How does your software leverage automation?
4. Can I collect payments through the software?
5. How does your PMS aid maintenance request management?
6. Do you have owner and tenant portals or apps available? What can be seen in each? Can they be white-labelled?
7. How does your PMS integrate with other systems or solutions?

Support

No one wants to implement a new system or software and then be left in the lurch, unsure of how to overcome issues or gain full functionality. Support from your PMS provider shouldn't stop after you've been onboarded. You need to ensure that you have ongoing access to a support team in case a problem should arise. 

1. How can I get in touch with your support team?
2. What is your average response time for support tickets?
3. What kind of post-training support is available?
4. Do you have an online knowledge base or manuals with further explanations?

You're ready to find your perfect PMS

Now you know how to navigate conversations with providers, you're ready to find the right property management software for you. 

To kick off your search, why not explore the comprehensive functionality of StuRents Operations? To find out more about how our PMS can save you time and hassle by automating the rental cycle, take a look at our three Operations plans, or email hello@sturents.com.