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The latest writings from our team

The latest industry news, interviews, technologies, and resources.
8 minutes

Creating a Paperless Office to Improve your Property Management Skills

Copying, filing, searching, retrieving, refiling, sending, mailing and faxing… on average a property manager spends 20% of their time on paperwork. If you’re tired of doing things the hard way, you’re not alone. Many property management agencies have converted to/created a paperless office and have never looked back since. While the change may seem intimidating at first, here are some compelling reasons why your agency should create a paperless office today.
September 11, 2024
8 minutes

4 Ways Attending a Conference Can Benefit Your Property Management Career

Being a Property Manager is hard work – you’re always juggling a dozen different tasks on a hectic schedule. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in day-to-day commitments that you forget to focus on the bigger picture -where your career or business is heading. Attending a conference is the perfect way to receive some much-needed inspiration and motivation. There’s no better way to stay informed and network with experts in the property management industry.
September 11, 2024
5 Minutes

Inspection Manager How to: New Report Editing System

September 16, 2024
10 minutes

7 Most Common Pitfalls in Property Management

What helps improve your property management skills? According to industry experts, it’s about avoiding a few common pitfalls. If these are overlooked, they may escalate into major problems, and can cause serious damage to your performance and wellbeing.
September 11, 2024
3 minutes

Tips To Improve Communication With Your Tenants

Ready to improve communication with your tenants? Inspection Manager’s online tenant options are here to help you power-up your day and enhance communication with ease. Our Branded Tenant Assisted Inspections, Branded Paperless Ingoing Reports, and Branded Digital Leases are not just tools to streamline your rental process, they’re also the key to stronger relationships and better communication with your tenants.
September 11, 2024
8 minutes

Streamlining Maintenance Requests: A Guide for Property Managers

As a property manager, one of your most important responsibilities is to keep your properties well-maintained. Whether it’s fixing a leaky tap, replacing a broken appliance, or addressing a more significant issue, maintenance requests are an integral part of your job. However, with everything else going on in your day, managing these requests can quickly become overwhelming, leading to delays, miscommunications, and dissatisfied tenants. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can streamline your maintenance requests and issues to make your job easier and keep your tenants happy.
September 11, 2024
7 minutes

Revolutionising Property Management: Inspection Manager Joins Proptech Labs

In an exciting development for property management professionals, Inspection Manager has become a part of Proptech Labs. Proptech Labs was launched in conjunction with the recent Bricks + Agent acquisition of Inspection Manager. Proptech Lab’s aim is to be the leading software development group dedicated to innovation and customer satisfaction. This integration brings together three powerful products, including Bricks + Agent Inspection Manager and Invoice Automate to create a comprehensive all-in-one solution that revolutionises property management processes. With increased resources and expertise, Proptech Labs promises enhanced efficiencies and streamlined operations for businesses.
September 11, 2024
10 Minutes

How Property Managers Can Adapt To COVID-19 Challenges

September 11, 2024
2 minutes

Updates to Inspection Manager – July Release

September 12, 2024
2 minutes

Updates to Inspection Manager – August Release

Introducing Our New App Features!
September 12, 2024
2 minutes

Check Out Our Latest Updates For January

This release sees new updates that will help you with even Faster Report Editing via the CMS, with the new Area Level Thumbs Up for marking conditions and an improved reporting functionality to Load Reports Faster. Let us know what you think of these new features!
September 12, 2024
2 minutes

Check Out Our Latest Updates For March

September 12, 2024
3 minutes

Edit Layout via Report Editing

September 12, 2024
2 minutes

Follow-ups for Tenant Assisted Inspections

September 16, 2024
3 minutes

How To Edit Inspection Report in CMS

September 16, 2024
3 minutes

How To Bulk Close & Send Routine Inspections

September 16, 2024
3 minutes

Bulk Send Tenant Assisted Inspection Requests

September 16, 2024
5 min

When Do Property Managers Refuse Tenancy Applications

Choosing good tenants is not an exact science, and oftentimes, tenancy applications are refused for a variety of reasons like bad credit or bad references.
September 3, 2024
5 min

5 Expert Qualities That Make A Good Real Estate Agent

We've listed good real estate agent qualities to help you succeed! In Australia's soaring property market real estate agents have to be on top of their game.
September 3, 2024
5 min

The Pros and Cons of Managing Your Own Investment Properties

Before choosing between managing your own property or hiring a professional property manager, landlords should decide whether saving money is worth the effort.
September 3, 2024
5 min

What Areas In Queensland Are Popular For Property Investors?

Considering a Queensland investment property? Figures compiled by CoreLogic show that the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, were the region’s strongest performers.
September 3, 2024
5 min

3 Hacks To Make Property Managers Work Smarter, Not Harder

If property managers use the ‘Blocking technique’, the ‘To Do Matrix’ and the delegate tasks SMARTER, they become more organized and waste less time.
September 3, 2024
5 min

The 5 Soft Skills Every Agent Needs To Excel

Jun 7, 2017 - Effective communication in real estate is a must. We've mapped out the essential soft skills and qualities of a good real estate agent, to help
September 3, 2024
5 min

Why It’s Important For A Property Manager To Be Mobile

Nowadays, if property managers want to be ahead of the game in real estate management business, they must focus on offering instance services on mobile devices.
September 3, 2024
5 min

How Can Property Managers Use Technology To Attract Tenants

To be ahead of their competitors, property managers must always be on the lookout for technological innovations that can help them attract new tenants.
September 3, 2024
5 min

Rafael Niesten in the PropTech podcast with Kylie Davis

Rafael Niesten talks with Kylie Davis about why property managers need to use a platform such as Bricks + Agent to make their life easier.
September 3, 2024
8 min read

6 Bathroom Cleaning Mistakes

Did you know that your bathroom holds many germs? Cleaning it isn't a fun task and you might end up making many blunders during the whole activity. While it's important to keep a bathroom clean, many people assume this and end up getting infections and other related diseases. You can maintain your bathroom and enjoy your shower by avoiding the following mistakes.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

5 Tips To Writing Attractive Property Listings That Actually Work

Trying to find a renter to fill a property is hard enough. As a property manager there are many elements that need to come together in order to be able to find the right type of tenants to a property. To sell a product to it's prospective renter, it's essential to write an engaging property listing to ensure success in engaging the right people and satisfying your clients requirements. Writing a property listing seems pretty straight forward right? The Bricks+Agent guide to writing a property listing will help you market any property to the right audience.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

5 Tips to Reduce Stress When Buying Your First Property Investment

Investing in properties is one of the best investments you can make in life. But like any other investment, it is essential to do your research before investing your hard earned money. It is a common misconception that property investment always offers you good returns. You need to consider many factors while investing in a real estate. Here are 5 tips to reduce stress while buying your first investment property.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

5 Landscaping Upgrades That Also Boost Rental Security

Too often, potential home buyers make the decision of choosing a rental property from it's curb appeal. Yet, outdoor areas and landscaping is always underdone or overlooked. Impressive and attractive landscapes can add more value to your home. The best time to start cleaning your outdoor areas is a month before you plan to list your home for rent. Doing this will give you enough time to get everything looking perfect and will also remove the impression that you have made last minute changes.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

4 reasons why our onboarding experience for service providers is the best

While you're busy working on your craft, you still need to have consistent work and the ability to run your business successfully. Sure, you might have your own systems in place, but there's an easier and more effective solution to help you manage your teams, customers and jobs so you can start seeing results and growth in your business. Here's 4 reasons why the Bricks + Agent onboarding experience for service providers is the best in driving success.
September 10, 2024
5 min read

Why Property Management Agencies Are Adopting Software Systems For Maintenance Tracking

Mandatory maintenance is something that defines the property management industry today. However, things like whether the property’s portfolio is well-maintained or not is something that is questionable. The reason why most real estate agencies are planning to, or already have streamlined their maintenance processes, is ultimately to imrprove their clients' overall satisfaction with their business. Although maintenance is quite beneficial and important for rental properties, it can keep your staff bogged down and start to affect your business, if managed ineffectively. How will you deal with property maintenance tasks? Thanks to the simplified property maintenance system developed by our team at Bricks+Agent, maintenance and repairs at rental properties are a breeze to complete. Here’s how it will help:
September 10, 2024
5 min read

Why Landlords Change Property Managers

Majority of the time its small but consistant issues that reoccur in real estate agencies daily. Whether it’s the lack of maintenance on properties, high turnover of the staff, or simple lack of communication, there's a way to help ensure your clients don't pack up and move on.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

What To Consider When Renovating A Bathroom

It’s often said that the bathroom can make or break a sale. So if you can make your buyers fall in love with this room, there’s a good chance they may be sold on the entire property. But why are bathrooms so important? Apart from the obvious washing facilities they hold, a bathroom is a much utilised room by friends, relatives and other visitors. The state of your bathroom says a lot about you, so it goes without saying that people want a stylish one that’s going to impress. Taking into consideration that a smart bathroom renovation can add considerable value to your home, it’s worth thinking about giving yours the wow factor.
September 10, 2024
7 minutes

How Much Do Air Conditioning Repairs Cost?

Heating and air conditioning are two of the most important features for your home - making sure that your family is suitably warm in Winter and comfortably cool in Summer. We come to rely so much on air conditioning that it can be a real pain when it breaks down, and it’s Murphy’s Law that it will happen on the hottest day of the year. So knowing exactly who to call, and how much you’ll pay, can save you a lot of stress. If you have a reliable local air con repair service, you can have the system up and running before everyone melts into a puddle. Even if your air conditioner is working fine, it’s a good idea to start making enquiries now so you’re not faced with astronomical charges if the unthinkable happens. As you’ll see, not doing your research about air conditioning repairs can leave you seriously out of pocket.
September 11, 2024
8 min read

What Is The Cost Of Garden Clean Up Services?

A tidy garden improves the beauty of your home and keeps you safe. As much as you can keep it clean using the DIY method, it might not be possible if you are busy. You might need to hire a garden cleaner. Garden cleanup cost can be around $45/hr. It depends with the requirements of the job. Sometimes cleaning a garden can be as low as $40/hr or as high as $50/hr. If you need services of a professional garden cleaner, it can cost you on average in Australia $164.84 to complete the whole project. However, this being an average estimation, rates can vary depending on the number of tasks involved.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

4 Characteristics Of A Great Property Manager

A property manager must be a skilled juggler of numerous tasks, keeping both landlords and tenants happy. In addition to keeping properties maintained and in good shape, they are responsible for preserving a rental property's value. Although this job only requires a high school diploma, many customers will opt to work with a specialist who has a degree in real estate, finance, or business. We've put together a list of professional qualities a property manager needs hold to make the most out of a successful career.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

Who Is The Average Australian Property Investor - Do You Fit The Bill?

Do you know who the average Australian property investor really is? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the super wealthy property speculator buying up rentals left right and centre. In fact it could be your next door neighbour, the one who’s drinking XXXX and firing up the barbie. Don’t believe us? Let’s take a look at some stats to see if we can put together a clearer profile of this person….
September 10, 2024
8 min read

8 Ways To Grow Your Rent Roll That REALLY Work

Whether you’re a seasoned property manager with an impressive portfolio or a beginner, you want to grow your rent roll and increase your monthly rental income. Right? The good news! Fortunately, there are countless rent roll growth strategies scattered over the web. But the question is what actually works? Which strategies help deliver real results effectively in a hassle-free manner? This article shares several time-tested rent roll growth strategies that really work.
September 10, 2024
8 min read

4 Ways To Turn Your House Into A Smart Home

How do you feel about interacting with your home the way you would with a website? In the future your home will know who’s in what room, make your coffee and turn on your lights. It might even choose your clothes for you based on the temperature outside.
September 10, 2024
10 min read

What Are The Costs of Wallpapering?

Are you planning on remodelling or renovating your house? If you are, you might be considering wallpaper, which has re-entered the style space this year. Available in a wide range of colors, textures, and prints, replacing old wallpaper or installing it in order to improve the property’s overall appearance could add value, attract more buyers and boost your home’s appeal.
September 10, 2024
5 min read

The Art of Making Customer Connections

Does your job revolve around customer satisfaction? Working in customer-centric industries like real estate, you will come across a lot of people and making a connection with the customer is vital to the longevity of your business. Establishing healthy customer connections is a fool proof formula for generating repeat business. Customers will come to you not just because they love your products and services, but because you offered them a smooth and convenient experience. The experts at Bricks + Agent have compiled a list of tips and tricks for improving customer connections.
September 10, 2024
10 min read

Starting A Career In Property Management

If you're on the lookout for a new career path, becoming a property manager might just be the perfect job for you. Now more than ever, people of all ages are renting instead of buying, so the need for good and professional property managers is out there. A career in property management can bring a decent salary, job security, and steady employment, and if you like to work with people, then your success is almost guaranteed.
September 10, 2024
5 min read

Misconceptions about Cloud-based Property Management Software

Cloud-based property management software is considered one of the most popular and powerful tools for many real estate agencies. But while it is quite popular among many businesses, the software can still be quite overwhelming and mysterious to many, which fuels many myths about it.
September 10, 2024

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