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Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

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Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#101

Post by ryanwaggoner »

DanBlake wrote: post #50

I own with my father a 30 unit building. With that, let me just address the tagline: "Connect with tenants effortlessly, automate rent with online rent collection, organize work orders, and much more!" - Connect with tenants effortlessly - Not a good thing, Usually leads to excess work orders, more "asks" and petty squabbles about this and that. - Automate rent with online rent collection - Not sure how this is going…

I'm not trying to attack you personally, but your response is typical of the real estate industry, and exactly why there's a hole in the market worth billions. For whatever reason, customer service is almost uniformly bad in the real estate industry. It's so bad, people don't even realize how bad it is, because they've never had anything else to choose from. For example, this kind of attitude makes me really sad:

I think the last thing we would want is to make it easier for the tenant to complain about things.

This is the same kind of disdain-for-customers attitude that leads web developers to build paid services that are really hard to cancel.

The marketing and branding in real estate are also a joke, but it's the customer service thing that really gets me. There's a huge opportunity here for someone to do it right.

Disclosure: I'm an active real estate investor with three small properties.

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#102

Post by DanBlake »

rwhitman wrote: post #86
DanBlake wrote: post #50

I own with my father a 30 unit building. With that, let me just address the tagline: "Connect with tenants effortlessly, automate rent with online rent collection, organize work orders, and much more!" - Connect with tenants effortlessly - Not a good thing, Usually leads to excess work orders, more "asks" and petty squabbles about this and that. - Automate rent with online rent collection - Not sure how this is going…

So basically what you're saying is this tool actually solves the tenant's problems, and not the landlord's...

Couldn't have said it any better myself. That is really what it all comes down to.

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#103

Post by waterlesscloud »

DanBlake wrote: post #96
dminor wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My current apartment complex has a portal where one can pay via eCheck and it's pretty awesome. Do you have a "convenience fee" for paying by credit card? How well do you advertise it? > I think the last thing we would want is to make it easier for the tenant to complain about things. Kinda sounds like a place where I don't want to live. How are your ratings on ApartmentRatings.com?

You might not. Its not about not fixing things when they break or keeping the place clean. Those things are legitimate concerns and are taken care of. Its about when a tenant complains because he wants all new appliances because he thinks they use too much electricity. Its about when a tenant wants to get 100$ off his rent every month because he now has a sick uncle living with him. Its about when a tenant wants to h…

" This is not a restaurant. We do not depend on referrals, walkins or other methods. Dont apply the restaurant methodology to owning a building because it doesn't work. In a restaurant, you keep everyone happy so they come back again. Spilled something on you? Free meal. Steak was cold? Come back for half off. Just doesn't work like that in renting."

It could work like that if there was Yelp For Landlords.

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#104

Post by Travis »

oojacoboo wrote: post #98
Travis wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many potential customers have you talked to that said they would 100% purchase this? While I would love it if you'd prove me wrong (go, do it! be a success!), your responses here appear a little naive. Spending 2 years building something like this is very impressive, but it doesn't sound like you've talked to very many customers. (I get that just from the vague statements you're making about "these days", "starti…

Well, we have hundreds of beta accounts currently. I'd say that is something. Also, the interest has been quite high, not to mention, we aren't pioneering anything in this space, there are quite a few other competitors that do very well.

How many of those beta accounts are paying?

Like I said, I know nothing of the space, so I wasn't even aware of competitors. I think that's good news that there are others already succeeding, now you just have to do things better than they do!

That said, how do you know they're doing so well?

Another spin on the idea that I'm sure you've thought of: what about targeting this software to a bigger client, the companies that run apartment buildings? Include a notification system (so they can notify all building residents), and you could start to build building-based online communities. Anything like that in the works?

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#105

Post by pitdesi »

theoreticalee wrote: post #79
DanBlake wrote: post #50

I own with my father a 30 unit building. With that, let me just address the tagline: "Connect with tenants effortlessly, automate rent with online rent collection, organize work orders, and much more!" - Connect with tenants effortlessly - Not a good thing, Usually leads to excess work orders, more "asks" and petty squabbles about this and that. - Automate rent with online rent collection - Not sure how this is going…

Good feedback. Setting up tenants for an online account is optional. Heh, I wouldn't want to create more work either. However, if tenants are setup w/ an online account w/ rental collection online, the amount of paperwork would be slashed to a fraction. Every thing would automatically be digitized and collected, and your staff that normally collects the 800+ checks a month (400 units * 2 tenants) will have more time…

I own some units and I LOVE the fact that many of my tenants pay me automatically through their Chase billpay or whatever that automatically deposits money in my account. This is so much better than me collecting checks

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#106

Post by JacobAldridge »

DanBlake wrote: post #50

I own with my father a 30 unit building. With that, let me just address the tagline: "Connect with tenants effortlessly, automate rent with online rent collection, organize work orders, and much more!" - Connect with tenants effortlessly - Not a good thing, Usually leads to excess work orders, more "asks" and petty squabbles about this and that. - Automate rent with online rent collection - Not sure how this is going…

Having worked, trained and coached property management businesses, I think much of your review is valid - especially the work order elements. It's not about (as some of the other responses say) being a crappy landlord or ignoring a small fix that turns into a ten grand piece of work - many tenants (maybe not you, dear reader, but when you have a rent roll of hundreds or thousands) do make inane requests. These aren't so much maintenance things as requests - now that I've signed a lease for this cheap house, can you install air-conditioning, build a fence, and re-do the bathroom, and I'll approve a $10 rent increase at the next renewal.

Your response to other elements contacts, tasks, and automated rent collection says to me that the product isn't designed for you. When I've got a team of 4-5 property managers, 600+ properties, some on fixed leases and some on holiday letting schedules, time lost to paperwork is enormous. Actually, I've not worked with an office that hasn't had some sort of technology for contact and property data; managing work orders, automating payments, assigning tasks to other managers are all fairly common now as well (and I see other key selling points in the product, so that's not to be taken as a criticism for 2 years' work).

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#107

Post by DanBlake »

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #101
DanBlake wrote: post #50

I own with my father a 30 unit building. With that, let me just address the tagline: "Connect with tenants effortlessly, automate rent with online rent collection, organize work orders, and much more!" - Connect with tenants effortlessly - Not a good thing, Usually leads to excess work orders, more "asks" and petty squabbles about this and that. - Automate rent with online rent collection - Not sure how this is going…

I'm not trying to attack you personally, but your response is typical of the real estate industry, and exactly why there's a hole in the market worth billions. For whatever reason, customer service is almost uniformly bad in the real estate industry. It's so bad, people don't even realize how bad it is, because they've never had anything else to choose from. For example, this kind of attitude makes me really sad: I t…

How did you come off saying that our customer service is bad? Thats a pretty big jump without knowing me or our business.

Dont assume that because we dont want to induce more work orders / complaints that we have bad service.

What you are saying is "bad" is akin to me asking why sites dont have a "Dissatisfied? Click here for a refund" button on every page. Providing absolute ultimate customer service will cause you to go out of business. Customers will take you to the cleaners if they can get away with it and you need to have boundaries to stay afloat. You can find a great middle ground and keep everyone happy doing it also.

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#109

Post by axod »

delano wrote: post #100
axod wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Offtopic, but why the hell are people still using cash/check to pay bills in this day and age? What country are you in? Do they not have modern banking?

I'm not sure where DanBlake is from, but paying rent by cash/cheque is still the norm in Canada.

Do you send it through the post or drive to a office or something? I just can't see how there could possibly be a less efficient way to pay bills.

I'd simply go insane if I had to remember to pay bills.

Re: Ask HN: Review RentPost.com

#110

Post by roel_v »

oojacoboo wrote: post #88
roel_v wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out http://www.landlordmax.com/ and especially the blog. This guy (selling Java-based desktop tenant management software) managed to eke out quite a profitable business in a few years time. His blog has stats, afaik with sales and nr of users etc. (he used to hang out on the old BoS boards (maybe still does?) and was one of my inspirations back then to get into actual product development).

yep, and there are others too, even web based ones. This isn't anything new, we just think our service is and will be better.

Yes, I was just making the case that there is a market for it, and that internet-only sales is possible in this market.
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