What is a Property Inspection App?
A property inspection app or software is a digital tool that streamlines the process of real estate inspections for property managers, facility managers, and realtors. The app includes features like scheduling, custom property inspection checklists, automated data collection and reporting, etc.
Besides simplifying property checks, an effective real estate inspection app like GoAudits allows you to communicate effectively with your clientele. You can easily share reports and real-time updates on the property’s condition, allowing your clients to make faster decisions.
Why Should You Switch to Property Inspection Software?
To understand the reasons to switch to apartment inspection software, let’s look at the traditional methods of inspections and their limitations.
Limitations of Pen-Paper and Spreadsheet-Based Property Inspections
Traditionally, real estate professionals rely on pen and paper for inspections, which require them to manually fill out forms.
There is a chance of inaccuracies due to illegible handwriting or errors during data collection. Also, these paper-based property inspection forms are difficult to update. Property management requires companies to store all the previous inspection records, which leads to a pile of paperwork that can be misplaced or lost.
To move away from these problems, some companies use spreadsheets. Although they offer some organization in data collection, spreadsheets have their own limitations.
For example, updating them requires rewriting or manual data entry, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. The image attachment feature is limited and isn’t as user-friendly as in property management inspection apps.
The biggest limitation of paper and spreadsheet-based inspection is that they require inspectors to create manual reports, which can take up to several hours for each property.
How Does a Property Management Inspection Software Help?
In essence, a property inspector mobile app streamlines and simplifies the inspections through features like custom checklists, automated report generation and sharing, analytics dashboard, etc.
Let’s understand the benefits of these features and how they beat subpar traditional methods of inspecting properties:
- Efficient Inspections: Property inspection mobile apps replaced paper forms with pre-defined checklists and digital data collection, saving time during inspections.
- Accurate Data Collection: Digital forms minimize errors from illegible handwriting and ensure no question is missed. Features like voice notes and image capture enrich inspection data.
- Easy Data Organization: Historical records for all properties in your portfolio are stored on a centralized platform, making it easy to access them. Cloud storage ensures information is readily available from any device.
- Faster Updates: You can easily change notes, observations, and findings, eliminating the need to rewrite entire reports.
- Automated Reporting: You can generate the inspection report and share it with your firm, clients, property owners, and/or landlords, whoever you wish to share it with, in just a few clicks.
- Improved Client Satisfaction: The GoAudits apartment inspection app allows inspectors to assign repair and maintenance tasks to staff or third-party contractors. This ensures all issues get addressed ASAP and property remains in good condition leading to a satisfied clientele in the long run.
- Enhanced Collaboration: Real-time data sharing allows inspectors to collaborate with property managers, tenants, or maintenance crews within the property check app.
👉 Case Study: How Woodside Homes leverages a property check app to streamline inspections.
How to Conduct Audits Using Real Estate Inspection App?
Here’s how to use property management inspection software at different stages of audits:
Before the Inspection
Start by scheduling the inspection through the property inspection checklist app. Next, select a pre-defined property inspection template from the library of checklists as per the property type (condo, multi-family, apartment, dorm, etc.). Or, create a custom checklist for specific needs.
Before heading for the inspection, access and review the historical property information like past inspection reports and maintenance requests within the software.
During the Inspection
Use the chosen checklist as the guide to inspect the property. Mark items as complete, incomplete, or in need of repair with notes. Take clear photos and videos of damaged areas or maintenance issues.
You can even assign repairs to third-party contractors within the app to fix issues that require urgent redressal.
After the Inspection
Once the inspection is complete, generate a comprehensive report based on the completed checklist, captured data, and photos and share it with relevant stakeholders like property owners, tenants, or maintenance crews directly through the app.
Based on the feedback received from your clients, assign repair tasks to maintenance personnel and track their completion through the inspection dashboard.
Perform All Types of Property Audits Using Realtor Inspection Software
Here’s a list of property audits that you can conduct using real estate inspection software:
- Rental Inspections: Aka move-in/move-out inspection, it includes documenting the property’s condition at the beginning and end of a tenancy.
- Routine Maintenance Inspections: This is a regular assessment of the property’s condition to identify minor issues before they escalate.
- Pre-listing Inspections: Conducted by real estate agents, it helps identify potential problems that could affect the property’s value before listing it for sale.
- Seasonal Inspections: Inspections tailored to seasonal changes, focusing on aspects like HVAC systems before winter or checking for water leaks before spring.
- Commercial Property Inspections: Conducted to evaluate commercial properties like office buildings or retail spaces, focusing on accessibility, safety features, and compliance.
- Institutional Property Inspections: Used to inspect dorms, schools, hospitals, etc., for safety, hygiene, and functionalities of various areas in the respective institution.