A letter from IREM President Libby Ekre, CPM®

The daily work of a property manager is filled with a variety of tasks requiring a variety of hard and soft skills. And every day, you are likely introduced to some new technology that promises to automate and enhance the way you do your job. In this issue, we look at how proptech can make you better property managers. But buyer beware! As you read these stories, remember that you don’t want to invest money in a new solution that doesn’t integrate well with the rest of your technology stack or that will soon be obsolete.

Collecting and recording tenants’ rental payments is an important part of a property manager’s job. “Automating rent payments” examines solutions to automate the payment process, which can benefit your business, residents, and tenants.

Imagine properties with lobbies maintained by tireless robots, overseen by security patrols working 24/7 with a back office assisted by automated financial reporting. These are some of the scenarios we look at in “Robotics revolution.” Just one example: Vince Zuppa, vice president of property management at Prologis, explains how using robotics (drones and predictive analytics) to assess paving conditions is saving $80 million annually on repairs and maintenance for its North American properties.

Proptech is also influencing the manufactured housing industry, which has evolved far from its humble origins in the 1920s as mobile homes. Today, manufactured home buyers and renters are looking for the latest amenities for their properties, like smart technology and home assistants, and property managers need to promote these features to attract tech-savvy residents. In “Filling the need,” read more about the unique aspects of managing manufactured homes.

Of course, not all innovations require new technology. In “A model for the modern workplace,” Waqar Hasan, CPM®, PCAM®, writing from Dubai, examines the drawbacks of the current office condominium model and suggests alternative management models that can unlock new opportunities for investors and tenants alike.

In July, IREM launched its newest certification course, Managing Affordable Housing (MAH201). This course is one of the options for property managers interested in getting their Accredited Residential Manager (ARM®) certification. In “Ready for anything,” three IREM members with long careers in affordable housing explain why learning more about affordable housing will benefit the careers of residential property managers.

In “Support for IREM certifications,” Grant Burton, CPM®, ARM®, shares his personal story of how scholarship support through the IREM Foundation made it possible for him to earn his IREM certifications, propelling him into leadership roles at the property management firm where he worked.

The value of IREM’s educational opportunities and the ARM certification are also emphasized in “A wealth of knowledge,” where we honor the life of E. Robert Miller, CPM®, 1980 IREM President, who died in March. In a 2021 article, Miller remembered how early in his property management career, he thought, “I wish there were something out there that could direct me on how to be a professional property manager.” And then he discovered IREM and the Journal of Property Management. Miller’s tenure as IREM President featured two highlights: helping launch the ARM certification and bringing more women into the organization at a time when membership was predominantly men.