Using a property inspection app is becoming the industry standard when it comes to property management. Whether you manage a single residential home or a multi-family complex with hundreds of units, your job depends on your ability to organize, communicate and plan operations.

Searching for the right property inspection app is an overwhelming task. It’s tricky to navigate through the countless options that are available to property managers to distinguish which property inspection software system is the best fit for your business.

Not every app is created equal. Which is why SnapInspect has summarized the key questions you need to ask when you are searching for your next property inspection app.

Is the app user-friendly?

It may seem like we are stating the obvious here, but not all property inspection apps are laid intuitively. When you implement software into your business, you want your staff to be able to use it effectively in the shortest amount of time possible.

Your employees must be able to easily access reports, inspections, assets and communicate externally and internally. App usability is the foundation for boosting staff productivity and reducing the time spent on each inspection. If your solution has all the relevant features you need but none of your team can or want to engage with it then it becomes useless.

Ideal Answer:

Our app is laid out to make sense for even the most non-tech-savvy individuals. Our dashboards and interfaces are easy to understand. Navigating through our software is as simple as it can be.

We onboard users through an application demo where we run through each tab, panel, and function of our app, with most customers understanding the basics after just one hour of use.

Bonus: We offer 24/7 human support that can assist you in any queries you may have in regards to our software. To supplement our customer support, we provide walkthrough videos and support documents that cater to all learnings types and understanding levels.

Do you have a mobile based and web-based application?

Having both mobile and web-based applications is crucial in the fast-paced world of property management. When you use a property inspection app that has both a web and mobile system it allows you to view inspection reports in real time, via a desktop or mobile application.

Simply put, you use the mobile app for the actual inspection side of things, and you use the web app for the back-end administrative tasks like generating reports, scheduling inspections, assigning property managers to assets, customizing reports.

Not having both options means you’ll either have to inspect properties with a clipboard, pen, and paper or manage your business operations through a mobile app and not via desktop. Both of which are vastly unattractive, demotivating options.

Ideal Answer:

Yes, we have both a mobile-based and web-based app to support your business. Conduct digital inspections in-app and then upload them to our web app. From here you can generate inspection reports automatically in seconds fitted with personalized company logos, headings, and title pages. Our mobile app can work offline too so there is no need to stress if you can not get internet on your device when conducting an inspection.

Does your Property Inspection app use cloud storage?

Cloud-based software is rapidly becoming the industry standard, and it’s not hard to see why. When you send a message to your friends on facebook, you are using cloud computing — using mobile banking? You’re on the cloud again. Are you uploading a new Instagram photo? You guessed it, cloud again.

Simply put, cloud computing is software based on the internet. Anyone can access it from anywhere as long as they have an internet connection. Traditionally, property managers would use apps and software downloaded onto a physical computer or server. Cloud computing enables your team to have access to the same programs and software through the internet.

Ideal Answer:

Yes, we are 100% cloud-based software. Our property inspection app is accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. We also have real-time data reporting. Real-time data reporting means if one of your team is completing an inspection and requires a second opinion on an area of interest, the inspector can photograph the area in-app and upload it to there account. You could be back in the office, press refresh on your app, and be able to see the photo. You can add comments, annotations and communicate in real-time.

Bonus: Our cloud-based property inspection app also allows you to go green and turn your office entirely paperless through technology. All your information is securely stored on our cloud so that you don’t need to sort paperwork or any back end admin tasks; You can throw your file cabinet out and rest assured that your information is organized safely on our cloud.