Letting agent software

[nationwide]

Hi
Just wondering if anyone has used RentPro the web based letting agent software, is it any good? Or perhaps someone could recommend something similar that they have used? Many thanks...

[Paul_f]

There are just too many on the market to say which are good or bad. Get a demo of any that you are considering as they will all tell you their system is the best, which you should always take with a pinch of salt. If your portfolio is under 50 properties then and Excel spreadsheet is usually adequate.

Watch out for escallating monthly fees and tied-in contracts which you should avoid at all costs.

[mind the gap]

Also consider a paper-and-pencil-based system.

It's cheap, easy to use, very portable and works even in a power cut, or when your computer crashes

[jrsteeve]

Have a look at Gnomen too, we've just started using their software. Takes a while to get used to it all, compared against Excel etc, but the website integration - for tenants and landlords to log in and report issues/check accounts etc - was one of the selling points that got me.

[keydow]

make sure its web/cloud based. download type softwares' are dying out rapidly but there are still a few around. you dont want to get stuck with something that's not updated regularly or maintained

[Esio Trot]

Make sure it's NOT web/cloud based. Download type software is still the best as you remain in full control. You don't want to get stuck with something that's not updated regularly or maintained, or suddenly goes bust and you find the web access suddenly disappears!

[jjlandlord]

For updates and maintenance web based should be superior since tool can be continuously updated. On the other hand having the software installed on your computer should mean that you'll be able to continue using it long after vendor disappeared.

[theartfullodger]

3 rules in computing... (re. data & systems in all case...)

a) Take a copy...
ii) Take another copy & make sure you can recover your systems from it...
3) Take another copy & put it somewhere (geographically..) else..

Having started in the IT industry almost 40 years ago (arrrrggghhhhhh....) when almost everything was central-computer based and seen things change this way & that I would merely comment that each new fad is later found to have various problems and the issue with ALL IT solutions, web-based, downloaded-on-your-computer, woteava... is, it WILL fail - some time...

[oaktree]

I've used 3 or 4 different commercial systems and various home made or excel type spreadsheets.

If below 25 then use pen and paper or excel; less than that isn't enough to warrant the expenditure. If more than 50 then I would go for CFP Winman as being the best of a mediocre bunch; it includes a good double entry bookkeeping system and will track all the relevant dates that you need as well as providing marketing lists etc. Its not cheap but has (paid) ongoing support. Go for the sql version not the adb as thats being phased out.

As the artfullodger points out, a backup process for your data is VITAL as software WILL go wrong at some point. I'd avoid the idea of web or cloud based systems unless you have a guaranteed, never-going-to-drop-out connection to the interweb because it will fail just as you are about to pay landlords before going off on a 4 week holiday (yeah, like you'll ever get a chance to do that running an agency!!)

[jrsteeve]

CFP not cheap? They quoted approx £2.5k for the software plus monthly 'support' costs. Couldn't believe what I was hearing when they said that at the end of their presentation.