8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

8 Property
Management
Business
Goals
YOU DIDN’T KNOW
AN OPE N API C OULD
HE LP YOU ACHIE VE
Two Property Management Technologists
Share Their Use Cases
8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

As a successful (and busy) property

management company, you’re
probably using a host of digital tools
to keep your business running—
everything from marketing apps to digital note platforms to Google Sheets. But do
you even know how many tools you’re running? Can you keep track of them all?

What if there was a way to hook into all that information you have living outside of
your property management software? An open Application Programming Interface
(API) allows you to integrate your other digital tools, so you and your team have
everything you need in one place, at your fingertips. Brawley
Reishman
“We built the first version of a product to automate workflows for sales, leases, and of Westward360
moves without a direct integration to our Buildium data,” says Brawley Reishman, CTO in Chicago, IL
of Westward360 in Chicago, IL. “When Buildium released the Open API, and we were
able to tie into our data, the reliability of the system and the quality of our customers’
experience dramatically improved.”

Introduction | 2
8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

“The biggest reason why we exploit an API,” explains Noah Smith, Head of
Operations and Technology Management for Lobos Management in Pittsburgh,
PA, “is because we can get best-in-class products that are more suited to what
our demands and requirements are.”

We talked to these two property managers, who use Buildium’s Open API
extensively to achieve very specific business goals that grow their business
and keep them competitive.

They shared some of their most recent projects, as well

as some more on the horizon, to help you understand just
how the Buildium Open API can enhance your property
management data workflows and propel your business to
new efficiency.
Noah Smith
of Lobos
Management in
Pittsburgh, PA

Introduction | 3
8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

An Open API acts as a middleman that allows you to retrieve and deliver the information requested in real time. Think of an
API like a courier that constantly goes back and forth between a warehouse for you—delivering and also carrying your parcels
WHAT IS AN
(learn more about how an Open API works).

Open API? It can allow you to connect data and analytics from different apps into one dashboard, as well as give your team one point of
access for all of your digital tools. You can also get it to pull data from Buildium into other databases as well to execute custom
tasks for your properties.
With most property management
software, you pay for a core set of
features and services. Developers See the full list of
create the features they believe the data and read/
write capabilities of
market most needs. And while that may Buildium’s Open API.
handle most things for most companies,
there are always exceptions unique to
every business.

With an Open API, however, property

managers have the freedom to
customize their property management
data workflows. How? “When Buildium opened up its API, that created a world of possibilities for us in terms of how we could interact with Buildium,”
says Brawley Reishman, CTO of Westward360 in Chicago, IL. He uses Buildium’s Open API to automate tasks through dynamic
templates and custom apps his team has built to meet the specific needs of this company.

In the next section, we’ll describe some of the customizations Reishman has created through Buildium’s Open API. We’ll also
hear from Noah Smith, Head of Operations and Technology Management for Lobos Management in Pittsburgh, PA.

What is an Open API? | 4

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

8 Goals Achieved
GOAL #1:

Real-Time Rental and Occupancy Rate Tracking

IN BUILDIUM’S OPEN API

Two of the most basic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for any property manager are rental and occupancy rates. Smith has
created an entire dashboard for leasing rates across properties and agents within Buildium using the Open API.
Reishman and Smith have integrated
apps and services, such as RingCentral, The Lobos team can look at rental rates month over month or year over year. Because some of the portfolio rents are driven
primarily by the student population, they can see the expected climb in new leases over the summer months and the drop
into the Buildium platform to pull in
when school begins. By looking at leasing across their portfolio, Lobos is able to forecast budget and staffing to accommodate
data and execute tasks more efficiently. their busy months and then ramp down after their leasing season.
Both have taken the API a step further
and built their own apps or integrated
spreadsheets with Buildium that help
them keep tabs on mission-critical
business goals.

Here, Smith and Reishman share seven

company benchmarks that they have
begun to move toward using Buildium’s
Open API.

Goal #1: Real-Time Rental and Occupancy Rate Tracking | 5

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve
GOAL #1:
Real-Time Rental and Occupancy Rate Tracking
(continued)
They’re also able to compare rental and occupancy rates at
similar properties under their management across different
neighborhoods.
“We can say ‘Hey, Colonial Arms is very comparable to
Bradford,’ for example. So we can look to see how one is
doing relative to the other. And if one is doing well and one’s
not, that’ll generate questions why.”
They can also compare rental and occupancy rates in
completely different offices, as well as rental rates for
individual leasing agents.
“We’re a company that’s always investing in our properties,”
says Smith. And they’re constantly monitoring their marketing
to make sure apartments are attractive and leasing agents
are following up on rental prospects effectively.
“We have a philosophy that is if you hit these basic things
and follow basic steps, you’re going to do well in renting
apartments.”
They use their rental and occupancy rates to determine where
their time and investments are falling short, or where a leasing
agent isn’t meeting numbers.
For example, if a high-performing leasing agent leaves and
their replacement isn’t delivering, management can step in.
“Our first response when we see lagging numbers is to
come back to those basics and do refresher-type training or
management coaching for a while—just to get somebody else
in there to help stabilize the efforts in that market.”
Goal #1: Real-Time Rental and Occupancy Rate Tracking | 6
8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

8 Goals Achieved
IN BUILDIUM’S OPEN API
GOAL #2:

More Efficient Property Management

Westward360 manages many different property types, from

multifamily to single-family units to associations. As you can
imagine, every property has its own unique set of features, such
as how to access the roof, the location of the cable box, where
to store bicycles, and much more. Reishman needed to keep all
of that information in one place for the customer service agents,
maintenance staff, and property managers who handle the day-to-
day administration of the property.

So his team built what they call a Property Journal application,

which integrates tightly with Buildium through its Open API.

“We’ve got keys, lockbox locations, storage areas, parking area info,
bicycle storage info, lightbulbs, roof access, water shutoff locations,
catch basins, clean outs, all that kind of data, right? Information we
need to manage the property properly,” says Reishman.

Goal #2: More Efficient Property Management | 7

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

GOAL #2:

More Efficient Property

Management (continued)

He can also store images of the property and

THE CHALLENGE
information about which vendors are preferred
To keep details of each property in one central location for more efficient workflows and communication amongst employees.
or blacklisted. Anytime something needs fixing or
updating, staff members don’t have to hunt down
a previously used vendor or reinvent the wheel HOW THE OPEN API INTEGRATION WORKS
looking for a new one.
Property Name MIDDLEWARE Full Name
Data Mapping

“The idea is that there are these property-level

Property Address Resident Info
details that we previously didn’t have a home for,”
explains Reishman. “But now, for example, when Resident Name Property Property-Level
Global Data Data
our CSRs need to know the plumbing company
a particular building uses, they can come in and Resident Contact Vendor Contact

access it here. That’s huge.”

Vendor Name Address

Vendor Contact Info Vendor

THE END RESULT

Any staff member can access specific details about any property, allowing them to view
preferred vendors, contracts, property features, and more.

Goal #2: More Efficient Property Management | 8

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

8 Goals Achieved
GOAL #3:

A Better Move-In/Move-Out Experience

IN BUILDIUM’S OPEN API

When renters or owners move in or out of a property, it creates a lot of paperwork. That’s
particularly true for HOAs and condominium associations. To make sure the process runs smoothly
and all applications, certificates, and other paperwork are collected, Reishman and his team have
set up dynamic templates that are activated by three kinds of triggers:

1 2 3
Event-based Triggers Move-date-based Triggers Interval-based Triggers
Forms or requests for information Templated forms or emails For example, reminders
are sent based on an action are sent based on a pre-set to submit the moving truck
taken by an owner or renter, moving date. certificate are sent at intervals
such as a move request. until the resident does it.

Goal #3: A Better Move-In/Move-Out Experience | 9

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

GOAL #3:

A Better Move-In/Move-Out
Experience (continued)

Westward360 created standard text and email templates for all phases of
the move-in/move-out process, with the ability to customize templates for
individual properties.

“It’s an automated workflow, essentially cutting out all of the back-and-forth

communication that would happen around moves,” Reishman explains.

The system notifies everyone involved in a move so that everyone knows

when the move is happening and what is required for it to go smoothly.
If a resident wants to modify a move, everyone involved is notified of that
as well.

Westward360 also uses dynamic templates for leasing processes. If an

owner in an HOA wants to lease out their unit, the system notifies the board
and sends out the proper documents and applications. It’s all automated.

Goal #3: A Better Move-In/Move-Out Experience | 10

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve
8 Goals Achieved
GOAL #4:
Better Customer Service Tracking
IN BUILDIUM’S OPEN API
Lobos Management uses RingCentral to run their VoIP calling
system. Each agent has their own phone number through the
system, which logs their calls and texts as well.
For Lobos, it’s essential to keep track of calls and texts made
between company representatives and residents.
“We occasionally encounter situations where residents will
say, for example, ‘I am not sure if my roommate has already
called for this.’”
But, he says, it’s difficult to parse out information from the
RingCentral logs. He and his team have integrated RingCental
with Buildium, pulling the call logs and other analytics
directly into their Buildium dashboard. Now that it all posts to
Buildium through the Open API, it’s much easier to keep track
of how often agents are interacting with residents and how
those interactions are being handled.
Having that log is essential because agents are not always
checking in regularly. And if they are only with the company
for a short time, it’s important to have a record of the
communications they had with residents.
This is particularly important during the busy summer months,
where the rental market is moving at a breakneck pace, as
college students flood the Pittsburgh rental market looking
for housing for the fall semester.
“It’s a transparency thing more than anything else,” says Smith.
“We have about 900 apartments that are fueled by the University
of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. And it’s a little more than one
fifth of our portfolio. So, in the summer, it’s just fast and furious.
People are making commitments all over the place. Just to be
able to track those commitments is key because sometimes a
resident will move in and say, ‘Oh, but the leasing agent told me
I was going to get a new kitchen, or new carpeting, or things
like that. So just to have some type of transparency into the
communication has been really useful for us.”
And while simply having a log of calls is the priority for Smith’s
team at the moment, having more accessible logs and
analytics from RingCentral could be used as a diagnostic tool,
as well. If an agent has lower lease rates, or a building has a
sudden uptick in turnover, information from customer service
calls could give Lobos insight into what is deterring renters or
compelling residents not to renew their leases.
Goal #4: Better Customer Service Tracking | 11
8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

GOAL #4:

Better Customer Service Tracking

(continued)
Eventually, Smith would like to see not only calls and texts,
THE CHALLENGE
but emails integrated into a central communications hub.
Keeping a history of all communications, not only for customer service, but for legal purposes as well.

“We really just need to get [all the information] into the
system, make sure we have a record, which is why it was HOW THE OPEN API INTEGRATION WORKS
so important that we had that capability with the API and TRIGGER MAPPING ACTION
Phone System Activity Notified of Phone Activity Call Information
specifically to be able to transfer that information,” explains
Smith. “In an ideal world, we’re going to integrate Outlook
MIDDLEWARE
as well.” Data Mapping
Time of Call

Phone System
Even with admin access to Outlook, Smith finds it very Phone System Call Duration Conversation
Activity Data Data
difficult to go in and search for emails. And every time an Call Log

employee moves on, it’s important for the company to back Caller ID

up their correspondences with residents. “So [an Open API]

really helps save a lot of time and increases transparency. Text, Content

It’s pretty useful, I think, for us.”

THE END RESULT

Integrating RingCentral with Buildium to pull in all call logs to one central location.

Goal #4: Better Customer Service Tracking | 12

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

8 Goals Achieved
GOAL #5:

Money Saved Through Contract Tracking

IN BUILDIUM’S OPEN API

While Reishman already has a workflow around move-ins, he’s
planning to create a workflow around contracts, as well. To do
that, his team will build an app that keeps track of contracts
the management company and its properties have signed and
when they expire or auto-renew.
He explains how easy it is to lose track of contract expiration
dates, which could leave his properties without an essential
maintenance service.
Even worse, if a contract auto-renews, it could end up costing a
property or his management company serious money, locking
them into another long-term contract they don’t wish to be in.
An elevator contract is the perfect case in point.
The app will keep all contract documentation in one place and
notify the right people ahead of time when the contract is about
to expire, or before the termination deadline.
Reishman is already doing this for trash contracts using
spreadsheet apps and Zendesk. When a trash contract is up
for renewal, a notification is generated, as well as a request for
a new proposal from the waste management company, and a
letter requisition termination with instructions on how to certify
and send the letter.
Reishman’s hope is that they can expand this process and tie it
together with Buildium data using the Buildium Open API.

“Elevator contracts will go for 10 years sometimes, so we’ve got

to be careful,” he explains. “If they auto-renew and you don’t
notify them to terminate within a certain date range, you could
end up locked in for another 10 years. People lose track of that
so easily.”

Goal #5: Money Saved Through Contract Tracking | 13

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve
GOAL #6:
Building Better Relationships
with HOA Boards
One of the keys to building a strong
relationship with any HOA board is to help
them run their associations more efficiently.
The ability to help them budget, conduct
meetings and elections, and generally
keep an eye on what’s happening with their
residents makes a property management
business invaluable.
Westward360 manages a number of
associations of different sizes—over 15,000
units, in fact. Since Buildium introduced its
Open API, they’ve taken several steps to
integrate solutions for HOA management.
Condo Association Meetings touchscreen), and submit the ballot. When the ballot is submitted, it
is converted to a PDF that is stored in the association’s cloud-based
“We’ve got to do a better job of making it easy for managers to plan
archive, and the result is automatically tabulated in a Google Sheet
and execute on condo association meetings.”
that is set up to facilitate tabulation of all proxy forms and ballots,
including those received in person.
Reishman’s team is doing that through the Buildium Open API, too.
Using information entered by a staff or association member, they
“We include a random ID number in the email that is distributed, which
can run a script that generates and sends out proxy ballots for HOA
is our security mechanism. When the forms are received, that random
board elections to all association owners. Owners can complete
ID comes back in as well and is matched to that user,” he explains.
the form online, sign the document using their phone (or any other
THE CHALLENGE
To make HOA meetings more accessible and efficient to run through digital tools.
HOW THE OPEN API INTEGRATION WORKS
MIDDLEWARE
Data Mapping
Ballot Data Ballot Data
Ballot Responses Responses
*Association owner email addresses pulled in from Buildium
THE END RESULT
A consistent, error-proof way for property managers to conduct association elections with the click of a button.
Goal #6: Buidling Better Relationships With HOA Boards | 14
8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

8 Goals Achieved
IN BUILDIUM’S OPEN API

GOAL #7:

Generated Reimbursements Through

Automated Water Billing “We have around 200 different
buildings, so it’s a long, iterative
monthly process. There’s no question
Noah Smith from Lobos Management has also been working hard on
[the Open API integration] is going to
a way to scale billing in order to generate reimbursements. In fact, he’s
created a platform that integrates with Buildium through the Open API. be incredibly helpful with respect to
the turnaround time for getting these
In many of Lobos’s buildings, water and sewer bills are divided things communicated. And it’s also
proportionally between units. In a lot of cases, the number of
going to reduce the amount of errors
bedrooms dictates the percentage of water and sewage a unit is
responsible for. that we have dramatically. After
deployment, we reduced data entry
In some cases, water and sewer bills are prorated, depending on the errors by about 75%.”
move-in date of the occupants.
Noah Smith
Lobos Management

Goal #7: Generated Reimbursements Through Automated Water Billing | 15

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

GOAL #7:

Generated Reimbursements “I can’t do it without the API,” says Smith. “I can upload a water charge,
Through Automated Water Billing but the resident won’t know what the charge is for. It’s all about clear
and transparent communication with residents and trying to mitigate
(continued) confusion.” In addition, having a place to pull the data and make the
calculations in one stroke will mitigate a lot of work for the Lobos
team. “It’s definitely easier to pull the data, make the calculations, and
include the charge memos in Excel using the API. It’s a huge time
saver. In our first month after deployment, we reduced our time to
complete the task from 40 hours per month to 12.”

Despite all these variables, Lobos still wanted bulk billing

THE CHALLENGE
capabilities, as well as a place to annotate each line item. To itemize, allocate, and prorate water and sewer billing while still having bulk billing capabilities.

“We have to really be transparent about what we’re posting,

HOW THE OPEN API INTEGRATION WORKS
so we break the charges down. We break down water, sewer,
wastewater; whatever is billed to us by the utility provider, MIDDLEWARE
Data Mapping
we make sure that they’re all there in the billing system.”
explains Smith. Lease ID
Prorated &
Allocated Water Bill

So, the challenge for Smith was to create a bulk charge Water
Lease Data Billing Data
tool that could handle multiple charges at once and Lease Start Date Date Range

include memos for each line item. Smith and his team
created a spreadsheet that included allocation formulas
Prorated &
# of Bedrooms
for each building, as well as a place for charge memos. He Allocated Sewer Bill

can then pull all of that information into Buildium and send
out bulk charges.

THE END RESULT

A spreadsheet that integrates with Buildium that allows Lobos to add line items and customize billing amounts while still sending
out bulk bills to all residents through emailed statements—eliminating over 4,000 physical mailings and minimizing errors.

Goal #7: Generated Reimbursements Through Automated Water Billing | 16

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

GOAL #8:

Monitoring Resident
Satisfaction with Maintenance

While Noah Smith has a lot to focus on, he knows how

THE CHALLENGE
essential a solid reputation is among residents in 2021.
Make sure that maintenance tasks and requests are completed to residents’ satisfaction.
“Reputation management is so important in property
management right now,” says Smith.
HOW THE OPEN API INTEGRATION WORKS
That’s precisely why he makes sure to survey his TRIGGER MAPPING ACTION
Task Completed Notified of Task Completion Survey Emailed
residents every time a maintenance request is completed
using the Buildium Open API, a communication tool called
Toad and Survey Monkey. MIDDLEWARE
Data Mapping
Task Completed Information
Email &
Smith continues, “Reputation is so important, especially Task Data Survey Data ¨

since we have been renting more units, sight unseen,

than ever before. Online reviews clearly factor into the Task Details Task Status

decision of where a renter chooses to live. We strive to

provide excellent customer service in the hope that our
current residents will represent us well to our prospective
residents. By deploying resident satisfaction surveys THE END RESULT
regularly, we get valuable feedback that lets us build Residents can send feedback immediately after a task is completed and communicate if there’s an issue.
upon what we are doing well and act quickly on negative
experiences before they materialize in some other form.”

Goal #8: Monitoring Resident Satisfaction with Maintenance | 17

8 Property Management Goals You Didn’t Know an Open API Could Help You Achieve

What It Boils Down To

Both Reishman and Smith have big plans for their companies now that Buildium has
launched and continues to expand on their Open API’s endpoints and capabilities.
ABOUT BUILDIUM
Reishman plans to build out even more workflows for leasing, HOA meeting
management, insurance tracking, and other areas of HOA management where manual Buildium is the only property management solution that helps real estate
processes create inefficiencies and opportunities for error.
professionals win new business from property owners and community
associations seeking services. Backed by expert advice and relentless
“It is impossible without the API to create a process that you can stick with at any kind
support, Buildium enables you to outperform across all facets of your
of scale,” says Reishman.
business with intuitive software that balances power, simplicity, and ease of
use. Buildium services customers in more than 50 countries, totaling over
Meanwhile, Smith will continue to improve on their billing capabilities and integrate
leasing tracking. As more becomes available through the API, Smith intends to expand 1.9 million residential units under management. In 2015, Buildium acquired
on their software builds. “Pieces are being opened, and as they’re being opened, we All Property Management, a leading online marketing service for property
have ideas to apply them,” says Smith. managers, making Buildium the only company to give property managers a
way to acquire new customers and increase revenue. For more information,
By empowering them to integrate information and processes from other critical areas visit buildium.com, and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
in their tech stacks, both Lobos Management and Westward360 can create processes
that suit their unique properties best and keep their businesses functioning in the
newest ways they can think up.

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