(April 15, 2002) — RealPage, Inc., a leading provider of property management products and services to the multifamily industry, today announced that the LaSalle Group became the first property management company to send a wireless work order using OneSite© Facilities.
Using an Ericsson R289LX with AT&T service, LaSalle Group’s Maple Knoll Townhomes in Maplewood, Minn. completed the first wireless work order.
“With OneSite Facilities, our staff is now able to view a list of work orders, select one, enter the time and complete the work order, all without touching a desktop computer,” said Jeff Siler, system administrator for LaSalle. “We are very excited about this new technology because it allows us to respond faster to the needs of our
residents.”
OneSite Facilities is one of nine product centers from RealPage’s web-based property management system. It allows property managers to process and track work orders so they can capture and analyze maintenance activities accurately, then act to lower costs and improve efficiency. It also allows them to streamline maintenance services,
resulting in faster responses to resident needs.
“The system we have created is the foundation for our wireless technology component,” said Dean Schmidt, chief operating officer of RealPage. RealPage acquired ChannelTECH, Inc., a leading multifamily wireless provider, in November 2000. The acquisition combined the web technology initiatives under development at RealPage with ChannelTECH’s pioneering success in facility management applications for handheld computing devices.
“For many property management companies, maintenance costs are difficult to manage and control,” said Schmidt. “Frequently, facility maintenance information is not tracked at all, or little of it filters up the decision-making ladder. RealPage recognizes the strategic value of maintenance management. OneSite Facilities helps
property owners and managers realize significant competitive advantages by enhancing the management of maintenance services.”
The OneSite Facilities wireless work orders option enables any OneSite user to manage their work using any common cell phone equipped with an Internet browser. Properties can select the service provider that offers the best wireless service in the local area. The wireless work orders tool also can be used on a RIM Blackberry pager.
“Good maintenance is critical to attracting new residents and retaining existing residents,” said Schmidt. “Dissatisfaction with maintenance often leads to negative referrals, and reports show that 65 percent of residents will not renew their leases if they are dissatisfied with the level of maintenance services offered. When
residents have visible evidence that the apartment community is attentive to their needs, then resident turnover is minimized.” In the next iteration of OneSite Facilities, residents will be able to make maintenance requests online.
OneSite Facilities is currently in general availability along with OneSite Screening, OneSite Property, OneSite Leasing & Rents and OneSite Learning. Other product centers will be released in the coming months. Together, the nine product centers form a comprehensive suite of e-business, browser-based tools that fully automate
important property management functions.
More than 20,000 apartment communities across the United States use RealPage’s products and services, which handle the entire management process for both affordable and conventional properties, including leasing, applicant screening, market intelligence, accounting, budgeting, property management, facilities management, marketing and
compliance reporting.
RealPage is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, with offices in Williston, Vermont. It is the combination of four industry leaders: Rent Roll, Inc., the largest developer of multifamily property management software; RealPage Communications, Inc., the premier designer of custom web sites for the real estate industry; M/PF Research, Inc., the leader in apartment market research; and ChannelTECH, Inc., a leading provider of facility management applications for handheld wireless computing devices.