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The Essential plan has the basic tools required to manage up to 150 units. It comes with a free Buildium-hosted website to market your property management services and your properties\u2019 vacancies with easy customization. This plan has access to the ticket support solution to communicate with the support team via email only. Electronic signature gathering is available for $5 per e-signature and reduces the need for printed forms and obtaining physical signatures.<\/p>\n
The accounting software streamlines bookkeeping and maintains accuracy by calculating expenses and automating monthly bank reconciliations. Standard accounting reports include a balance sheet, profit and loss (P&L) statement, cash flow statements, and general ledgers. The maintenance tools allow residents to request maintenance services online and automatically assign tasks to their vendors. You can even pay vendors for their services directly through the maintenance solution.<\/p>\n
Building violations can be logged, tracked, and recorded in the Essential plan. Also, property managers can add, log, and respond to assigned tasks with their internal team, and a mobile app enables team members to perform property management activities on the go. Additionally, Buildium tenant portals, board members, and building owners allow access to related reports and pertinent information.<\/p>\n
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The Growth plan includes everything included in the Essential plan, but you\u2019ll also have access to live phone support during operating hours. Property inspections are also included at no extra cost, as are unlimited e-signatures. Performance analytics will inform you about your resident\u2019s activities within the online residence center. Business analytics and insights are also provided to help you better understand how your business is performing and compare it to industry benchmarks.<\/p>\n
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In the Premium plan, the property manager enjoys all the Essential and Growth plans features and also provides an open API to connect your Buildium account to other platforms specializing in accounting and lead tracking, like QuickBooks or your real estate customer relationship manager (CRM).<\/p>\n
The Premium plan includes priority support from the Buildium team and a dedicated growth consultant to assist with tools and coaching to help you grow your business. Buildium rewards are also available for those who use the product. For example, you get 15% off the cost of your annual software subscription when 30% of your active units use credit card payments or utilize the available renters\u2019 insurance.<\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAdd-ons<\/h3>\n Not all add-ons are essential for a successful real estate business, but you may want to add some of them for extra functionality. Before deciding on which add-ons to include in your Essentials plan, consider taking a look at the next available plan, as Buildium may include some of these features within them:<\/p>\n
\nNew client leads, powered by All Property Management:<\/strong> Allows property management companies to get real estate leads consisting of interested property owners and boards seeking property management services.<\/li>\nTenant screening:<\/strong> Basic screening (available on all plans) does not require accreditation and performs soft credit checks for $15 per screening (or $30 per screen if you pass the cost to the applicant). The premium tenant screening (exclusive to Growth and Premium options) requires hard credit checks and generates a report in minutes for $18 per screening.<\/li>\nOnboarding: <\/strong>This support add-on is only available for the Growth and Premium plans. A dedicated team assists with importing your existing data into the Buildium platform and provides training.<\/li>\nOnline payments:<\/strong> To accept online payments from residents or pay your vendors electronically through Buildium, you must pay the EFT transaction charges. Charges vary by plan and whether or not you want to accept credit card payments.<\/li>\nBank account setup fees: <\/strong>Attaching your bank account to the Buildium accounting system allows transactions to be collected in your accounting ledger for automatic reconciliation, payments, and deposits. Setting up your bank with the Essential plan is $99 per account, but Premium and Growth plan subscribers receive five free bank account integrations.<\/li>\nRenters insurance: <\/strong>You may offer residents renter insurance starting at $12 monthly.<\/li>\n1099 e-filing:<\/strong> At the end of each calendar year, you\u2019ll have to process 1099s for your vendors. The platform can generate 1099s at $25 per batch and $3 per form.<\/li>\nShowings coordinator: <\/strong>Starting at $30 per month, automate the rental unit showing process with a virtual coordinator who collects prequalification information, schedules showing appointments, and coordinates follow-ups.<\/li>\nRemote check printing: <\/strong>Buildium can print and mail checks on your behalf. There is a $30 setup fee and 80 cents per check cost.<\/li>\nEZMail: <\/strong>Buildium will print and mail property-related documents for you for 80 cents per single-page mailing and 15 cents per additional page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nGeneral Buildium features<\/h2>\n Score: 4.63 \/ 5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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\nTenant communication<\/li>\n Financial organization<\/li>\n Expense tracking<\/li>\n Maintenance and work requests<\/li>\n Streamlined application processes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBuildium\u2019s features streamline day-to-day property management activities and integrate all significant accounting and leasing functions into one platform. Some tools create lines of communication between residents, vendors, and property owners, all while giving the property manager a comprehensive overview. <\/p>\n
It also has features that reduce stress by providing information to residents via a dedicated portal, the ability to pay online, and automating rent payments to minimize the need for collections.<\/p>\n
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The Buildium property manager dashboard (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe general features available on Buildium make it a comprehensive solution for property management companies. It provides portfolio organization and automation regarding tenant communication, building finances, and maintenance work orders. Its objective is to eliminate the pain points of managing multiple units while providing accurate information to all parties involved.<\/p>\n
Advanced Buildium features<\/h2>\n Score: 5 \/ 5<\/strong><\/p>\nFor a closer look at some of the key and niche features the Buildium platform offers, read the details about each feature by clicking on the sections below:<\/p>\n
For a closer look at some of the key and niche features the Buildium platform offers, read the details about each feature by clicking on the sections below:<\/p>\n
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Accounting software \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nProperty-specific accounting<\/li>\n Overall company accounting<\/li>\n Financial reporting<\/li>\n Automatic payments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nThe property accounting solution tracks transactions relating to a specific property. This includes recording tenant payments and allowing managers to collect necessary fees and deposits or issue refunds. Managers can also pay vendors for maintenance requests directly through the system, which saves time and effort by recording every check and transaction associated with the building.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nBuildium\u2019s accounts payable interface (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBuildium\u2019s real estate accounting software can also track company expenses and income and provide an accurate snapshot of bills, incoming rent, and security deposits. Financial reporting tools generate reports for cash flow, balance sheets, and income statements. The ability to track all transactions for your business in one place is more efficient and enables you to make better-informed decisions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Online payments \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nCut payment processing fees<\/li>\n Automatic deposits<\/li>\n Set recurring payments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nOnline payments speed up the process of collecting tenants\u2019 payments and cut payment processing times by up to 70%<\/a>. Residents can connect their bank account or credit card in the resident portal to set up automatically recurring payments. Recurring payments help to ensure payments are not missed and are on time.<\/p>\nInterface for collecting application fees (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe money is transferred automatically, reducing the need to make manual deposits and visits to the bank. Accepting online payments also allows property managers to collect rental application fees. These fees help offset tenant screening charges and become a source of additional income for property managers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Rental listing syndications \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nLists units on major third-party platforms<\/li>\n Anticipate upcoming vacancies<\/li>\n Full unit descriptions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nProperty management teams using Buildium can list available or upcoming units with just a few clicks as vacancies within the building arise. Listings can be syndicated to major third-party advertising websites, such as Apartments.com, the Zillow Rental Network, Craigslist, and Zumper.<\/p>\nBuildium\u2019s property description page (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe platform allows you to input a description for the listing consisting of unit details, amenities, building amenities, and photos or videos of the space. Buildium also provides the ability to see an overview of units listed on the market, units taken off the market, and potential upcoming vacancies and to assign these units to leasing agents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Rental applications \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nApply for units online<\/li>\n Customizable applications<\/li>\n Collect application fees online<\/li>\n Screen potential tenants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nOnline rental applications save time and the hassle of physical paperwork and allow interested parties to apply from anywhere. Plus, the building application is fully customizable. Edit the application as needed based on required information from the building owner and showcase building branding on the application to reinforce marketing efforts.<\/p>\nBuildium applicant dashboard (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nApplication fees are automatically processed through the form, and Buildium provides an overview of application status through an applicant dashboard. Following the application, if purchased as an add-on, you can screen tenants directly within the platform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Tenant screening \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nPowered by TransUnion<\/li>\n Full credit, criminal, and eviction data<\/li>\n Identity verification<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nTransUnion, a U.S. credit reporting agency, powers Buildium\u2019s tenant background check service. Landlords can access full credit, criminal, and eviction data to help them avoid tenant scams.<\/p>\nBuildium\u2019s tenant screening report process (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLandlords have two screening options: basic and enhanced. Unlike basic tenant screening, the enhanced tenant screening option allows for customized thresholds on recommendations, requires minimal applicant involvement, and delivers faster results. Both tenant screening plans include rental recommendations from TransUnion, a full credit report, identity verification, eviction history, and background checks for renters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Document storage \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nUnlimited document storage<\/li>\n Document organization<\/li>\n Share documents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nWithin the Buildium platform, you can store an unlimited number of documents. Some documents that should be stored are leases, amendments, insurance policies, floor plans, unit photos, and meeting minutes.<\/p>\nBuildium\u2019s document storage dashboard (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe ability to store important documents is essential when referring to documents such as applications, leases, and renewals, as well as for easy sharing with building owners. Additionally, having documents uploaded into the system enables you to easily search within the resident profiles by name, phone number, or property to find documents pertaining to them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Maintenance tracking request \n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\nIntegrates with accounting solution<\/li>\n Tenants make maintenance requests online<\/li>\n Schedule work requests<\/li>\n Automatic alerts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nThrough the Buildium platform, tenants can quickly make maintenance requests online, eliminating paperwork and increasing response time. Along with the maintenance requests, residents and owners can submit videos, photos, and documents related to their requests. Vendors can also document completed work with pictures and videos within the platform.<\/p>\nRecurring tasks dashboard (Source: Buildium)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n