Tools I Use to Run My Property Management Business
The difference between difficulty managing your property, and a smooth operation, often comes down to the systems, vendors, and tools you use.
Ditch the horse and buggy, excel sheet you’re using!
Below you’ll find companies we use to operate Emerson Property Management. If you’re self-managing, these can help you run your rental like a business, not a hobby.
CAUTION: Using all or the majority of the companies below would definitely be overkill.
Don’t kill a fly with a cannonball!
Simply review the list and see if any companies would help you resolve a pain-point you’re experiencing in your business.
Note: some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we may earn a referral commission at no additional cost to you.
Rent Analysis
RentCast
Get real-time rent estimates, comps, and market data to price your property correctly.
Best for: Avoiding the biggest mistake landlords make, which is overpricing and sitting vacant.
Property Management & Workflow Software
Buildium
All-in-one platform for rent collection, accounting, maintenance tracking, and reporting.
Best for: Replacing spreadsheets, Venmo, and scattered systems with one centralized platform.
LeadSimple
CRM and workflow automation built specifically for property management companies.
Best for: Building repeatable processes and managing leads, onboarding, and operations.
Leasing, Showings & Listing Performance
Tenant Turner
Automates showings, pre-screens prospects, and helps you lease faster with less back-and-forth.
Best for: Saving time and filtering out unqualified renters before you ever talk to them.
Rent Engine
Leasing and pricing insights backed by real rental demand data.
Best for: Understanding demand timing and optimizing your pricing strategy to reduce vacancy.
PlanOmatic
Professional photos, 3D tours, and floor plans for rental listings.
Best for: Increasing lead volume and reducing days on market with high-quality listing presentation.
PRS
Professional real estate photography services for high-quality listing images.
Best for: Local, reliable photography to make your property stand out and increase leasing demand.
Screening & Compliance
Acutraq
Background screening platform for credit, criminal, and eviction reports.
Best for: Making consistent, objective tenant decisions and reducing legal risk.
PetScreening
Standardizes pet and assistance animal screening with proper documentation.
Best for: Reducing risk, staying compliant, and avoiding emotional decision-making around pets.
Maintenance Coordination
Property Meld
Centralizes maintenance requests, vendor communication, and tracks repair timelines.
Best for: Reducing chaos, improving response time, and creating accountability in repairs.
Utilities & Move-In Experience
Citizen Home Solutions
Helps tenants set up utilities and home services during move-in.
Best for: Creating a smoother move-in process and reducing tenant confusion.
Communication
JustCall
Business phone and SMS platform with call tracking, recordings, and automation.
Best for: Running professional communication instead of using your personal phone.
Documents & E-Signatures
PandaDoc
Create, send, and manage agreements with built-in e-signatures and automation.
Best for: Leases, management agreements, and any repeatable document workflow.
Accounting, Finance & Payroll
QuickBooks
Industry-standard accounting software for tracking income, expenses, and financial reporting.
Best for: Clean books and understanding property performance.
Gusto
Simple payroll, contractor payments, and HR tools.
Best for: Paying vendors or building a small team without headaches.
Monarch Money
Personal finance and net worth tracking platform to see your full financial picture across all accounts.
Best for: Owners who want to track rental performance alongside their overall net worth and cash flow.
Marketing & Follow-Up
ActiveCampaign
Email marketing and automation for newsletters, follow-ups, and lead nurturing.
Best for: Staying in front of prospects and building long-term relationships.
A Quick Reality Check
The above tools are only useful if properly applied.
Think garbage in, garbage out.
No software or tool is going to work if you’re unresponsive to residents, poorly handle maintenance and repairs, and don’t adequately screen prospective residents.
Looking to Buy Another Property?
We’ve vetted a small group of investor-friendly Realtors who understand rental performance, not just sales.
Reach out here for the contacts.
Want This Done For You Instead?
If you’d rather not build and manage all of this yourself, we provide full-service property management for long-term rental owners in the Greater Houston area.
We handle leasing, screening, maintenance, rent collection, bookkeeping and asset management.