Automate or hire? 10 property management tasks and how to tackle them

Property management is a complex, multifaceted business. From tenant relations to financial reporting, every task demands attention—but not every task demands a human touch. With the rise of automation tools, property managers now face an important question: which tasks should be automated, and which require the nuance and judgment of a skilled team?

Here’s a breakdown of 10 essential property management tasks and whether they’re better suited for automation or staff.

What Is Property Management Automation?

Property management automation uses software to automatically handle routine tasks like rent collection, maintenance tracking, and owner reporting without manual intervention. This technology eliminates repetitive work such as sending reminders, updating spreadsheets, and generating reports. It frees your team to focus on relationship-building, complex problem-solving, and business growth.

Benefits of Property Management Automation

Automation helps you take control of your operations and build a foundation for growth. For a small team, the impact is immediate.

Key benefits include:

• Time Savings: Spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on strategic goals.
• Error Reduction: Minimize human errors that happen with manual data entry and tracking.
• Better Satisfaction: Faster responses and consistent communication lead to happier clients and residents.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Organized data and clear reports help you see what’s working.
• Scalable Growth: Handle more doors without growing your headcount at the same rate. Research shows AI-driven efficiencies can help real estate companies gain over 10 percent or more in net operating income.

Automation vs. Manual Management: A Quick Comparison

1. Tenant Communications

Best for: Hybrid (Automation + Staff)

Tenant communication is a cornerstone of property management. While automation can handle routine messages—like rent reminders, maintenance updates, or lease renewal notices—human interaction is still essential for conflict resolution, nuanced questions, and building trust.

Automate:

• Welcome emails
• Rent reminders
• Maintenance status updates
• Lease renewal alerts

Use Staff:

• Handling complaints
• Negotiating lease terms
• Resolving disputes

Platforms such as Buildium allow you to automate tenant communications through email templates and resident portals, freeing up staff to focus on more complex interactions.

2. Owner Reports

Best for: Automation

Owner reporting is a data-heavy task that benefits from automation. Property management software can generate monthly or quarterly reports, track financials, and even send them to owners automatically.

Automate:

• Monthly income/expense statements
• Occupancy and vacancy reports
• Maintenance logs

Use Staff:

• Customizing reports for high-value clients
• Explaining anomalies or trends

Buildium and Propertyware both offer automated owner reporting features that reduce manual effort and improve transparency.

3. Leasing Tasks

Best for: Automation

Leasing involves a series of predictable, repeatable steps—making it ideal for automation. From listing syndication to digital lease signing, automation speeds up the process and reduces errors.

Automate:

• Listing to multiple platforms
• Online applications
• Background and credit checks
• Lease generation and e-signatures

Use Staff:

• Conducting in-person or virtual tours
• Answering applicant questions
• Handling exceptions or special cases

Automating leasing tasks can reduce time-to-lease and improve applicant experience.

4. Maintenance Requests

Best for: Hybrid (Automation + Staff)

Maintenance is one of the most frequent touchpoints between tenants and property managers. Automation can streamline the intake and routing of requests, but human oversight is still needed for vendor coordination and quality control.

Automate:

• Online maintenance request forms
• Auto-routing to vendors or technicians
• Status updates to tenants

Use Staff:

• Vendor negotiations
• Emergency repairs
• Quality assurance

Buildium automates maintenance request intake and routing with automatic status updates. Managers retain oversight of assignments, invoices, and communications, with approval workflows available via the owner portal and integrations. You can even organize related tasks and work orders into projects and customize templates to avoid repetitive admin work.

5. Invoicing and Accounting

Best for: Automation

Accounting is one of the most automation-friendly areas in property management. Modern platforms can handle everything from rent collection to bank reconciliation with minimal human input.

Automate:

• Rent invoicing and collection
• Late fee application
• Bank reconciliations
• Owner disbursements

Use Staff:

• Auditing and compliance
• Handling exceptions or disputes

Buildium and other platforms offer full accounting suites tailored to property management, including automated 1099 generation.

6. Tax Reporting

Best for: Automation

Tax season can be a nightmare without automation. Fortunately, the top property management software includes tools to generate and e-file tax documents.

Automate:

• 1099 generation and e-filing
• Expense categorization
• Year-end summaries

Use Staff:

• Reviewing for accuracy
• Consulting with tax professionals

Automated tax reporting ensures compliance and reduces the risk of human error, especially when managing multiple properties.

7. Marketing and Lead Management

Best for: Automation

Marketing is another area where automation shines. From scheduling social media posts to nurturing leads through email campaigns, automation ensures consistency and scalability.

Automate:

• Listing syndication
• Email drip campaigns
• Lead scoring and segmentation
• Social media scheduling

Use Staff:

• Creating content
• Managing high-value leads
• Analyzing campaign performance

Tools such as Buildium offer built-in marketing automation features that integrate with leasing workflows.

8. Inspections and Compliance

Best for: Hybrid (Automation + Staff)

Routine inspections can be scheduled and tracked through automation, but the actual inspection still requires a human touch.

Automate:

• Scheduling inspections
• Sending reminders to tenants
• Generating inspection reports

Use Staff:

• Conducting inspections
• Assessing property condition
• Following up on violations

Automation ensures that inspections are never missed and that documentation is consistent and accessible.

9. Document Management

Best for: Automation

Managing leases, applications, and compliance documents can be overwhelming without automation. Document management systems can store, categorize, and retrieve files instantly.

Automate:

• Lease storage and retrieval
• Document expiration alerts
• E-signature workflows

Use Staff:

• Reviewing legal documents
• Handling exceptions or disputes

Buildium offers robust document management features that integrate with leasing and compliance workflows.

10. Performance Analytics and Growth Planning

Best for: Hybrid (Automation + Staff)

Automation can surface key performance indicators (KPIs) but interpreting them and making strategic decisions still requires human insight.

Automate:

• Occupancy and turnover tracking
• Revenue per unit analysis
• Expense benchmarking

Use Staff:

• Strategic planning
• Portfolio expansion
• Vendor negotiations

Business intelligence tools help property managers identify trends and opportunities for growth, with experts at McKinsey suggesting that generative AI alone could generate $110 billion to $180 billion or more in value for the real estate industry.

How to Get Started with Property Management Automation

Bringing automation into your business doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s a practical approach:

• Identify Time Sinks: Focus on tasks that cause the most headaches or consume the most time, such as rent collection and maintenance tracking.
• Choose the Right Software: Look for platforms designed for property managers, such as Buildium, that are easy to learn and use.
• Start Small: Get a handle on one area before expanding to other parts of your business.
• Train Your Team: Show them how the new tool makes their jobs easier and helps them succeed.

Making the Right Choice for Your Property Management Business

The future of property management lies in a thoughtful blend of automation and human expertise. Automation excels at handling repetitive, rule-based tasks—freeing your team to focus on high-value, relationship-driven work. By strategically applying automation where it delivers the most value, property managers can reduce costs, improve service, and scale their operations with confidence.

To learn more about how Buildium can help you automate, sign up for a free 14-day trial, no credit card required, or schedule a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions About Property Management Automation

How much does property management automation cost compared to hiring additional staff?

Property management software typically costs a fraction of a full-time employee’s salary—for which the median annual wage was $66,700 in May 2024—while working 24/7 without benefits or time off.

How long does it take to see a return on investment from automation?

Time savings appear immediately, while financial returns from reduced errors and faster processes typically show within a few months.

Should I automate all tasks at once or implement them gradually?

Start with one or two pain points like rent collection or maintenance, then expand once your team is comfortable.

Can automation work effectively for smaller property management portfolios?

Yes. Automation delivers value for portfolios of all sizes. Buildium supports everything from single‑digit to multi‑thousand‑unit portfolios (no minimum unit count), with documented success at large scales. The efficiencies gained from automation help you establish solid processes early on.