PropertyBridge and On-Site Introduce New Online Leasing Tool

By Barbra Murray, Contributing Writer

Oakland, Calif.—Eager to accommodate increasing demand for a virtual apartment renting process, PropertyBridge Inc., an electronic payment services provider catering to the multifamily housing industry, partnered with online leasing automation provider On-Site.com to answer the call with a new online leasing solution.

“It started with our existing clients; they’d seen interest from their renters,” Tim Baker, manager of partner marketing with PropertyBridge, tells MHN. “Our strategy is if a client comes to us and wants us to offer a functional utility, then we want to be able to meet that need. On-site has a very advanced and savvy technology, so they were the perfect partner.”

The online platform synchronizes several steps in the leasing process from would-be renters’ search for an apartment to current tenants’ monthly rental payments, and nearly every point in between. Through use of this comprehensive tool, PropertyBridge’s clients can reach a wider audience with automatic postings to leading advertising sites like Craigslist and provide flexible access with optimization for mobile devices. But it’s no cookie-cutter system. Property owners and managers are able to present their offerings with a look that is tailored to reflect the individuality of each apartment community.

Those on the hunt for a home can peruse the layout of units and scout openings through the real-time floor plan offerings and availability check feature. When searchers move forward to the application stage, they are presented with a customized online application, and when the management is ready to screen applicants, a custom qualifications matching feature expedites the process. Approved applicants can then sign on the dotted line–virtually, that is–with e-signature lease agreements.

Ease of use is a key component of the platform, not just for the renters but for property managers as well. Existing property management software can be seamlessly integrated with the system, scanning can be eliminated with the use of a document archive, and those in charge of finances can deposit payments into a property bank account.

PropertyBridge’s new top-of-the-line product, according to Baker, is reflective of the company’s joint venture with a first-class partner. “On-site has incredible technology,” he says. “We feel they are the best of the breed. They’re a step ahead of everyone else in the game.”

Online processes and activities are becoming more and more prevalent in the apartment housing world. Surely, in the future, prospective renters will be able to stroll through a unit and gauge ceiling heights, but many industry experts believe that the virtual component will go only so far. Phill Boersma, senior vice president in the San Francisco office of Apartment Realty Advisors, tells MHN, “There’s the element of knowing a neighborhood, which is something you can’t get online.”