Using Reviews to Compare Property Management Software Options

Knowing where to look and what to look for can be a huge help in your search for the right property management software for your business. The ubiquitous nature of property management software in the real estate world today requires a keen eye for choosing the right solution. As you do your research, you want to understand the pros and cons of all your options, their core features, and their secondary features.

Reviews from real people on sites like Capterra and G2 can help you do just that. Finding reliable reviews from those who have experience using a particular software is invaluable in making the right decision for your property management business.

Let’s take a look at what features you should look for and how to find reliable reviews when weighing your property management software options.

What Property Management Software Features Should I Look For?

Before deciding which property management software to choose, it’s important to know just what you’re looking for.

The most popular property management software have features like:

• Late fees and invoice automation
• Automation to collect rent online
• Online lease signing and document storage
• Financial tracking and reporting
• Work order tracking
• The ability to create a custom lease application
• In-app communication and messaging to reach tenants
• Custom rental applications
• Tenant screening to find the right renters
• Free checklists (i.e., a move-out checklist)
• Rental listing syndication

A well-built property management software platform should include these core features to not only reduce your workload but also boost overall efficiency. By simplifying your day-to-day tasks, property management software helps you focus on growing a profitable rental portfolio.

Start Simple

Now that you know what features you’re looking at, you can start a simple search.

A Google or ChatGPT (or your LLM of choice) search can help you find reviews for the product you’re looking for. A search can help you find out:

• What seems to be the general consensus?
• Do you see the same concerns from multiple users?
• Do people find the platform has an easy-to-use interface?

Rarely is a product completely awful or absolutely amazing. Be sure to read a variety of reviews in order to get an accurate picture. Looking at multiple reviews and getting a general idea about the platform before diving in can better inform your decision.

If you’re looking for an accurate, up-to-date breakdown of property management software reviews, check out our article on comparing the top property management software.

Find Reliable Sources

In order to make an informed decision on what property management software is right for you, it’s crucial to find reliable sources.

Some sites publish all reviews—real or fabricated. Most times you can tell which sites to stay away from, but a couple of sure signs that the site may not be reliable are:

• If the site doesn’t require identification verification
• If the site has numerous poorly written reviews
• If the site allows software to pay for a higher ranking

Keep an eye out for these signs and be sure to double-check that the site is unbiased. Sites with great reputations, like G2 and Capterra, earn their standing by being stringent and ensuring only high-quality reviews get published. Sites trusted by Google, like TrustPilot, are less strict but can be a good source to consult as well.

The key is to carefully examine every site and be sure they have measures in place to only share legitimate reviews.

Understand a Site’s Scoring System

After you get a sense of people’s experiences and feelings toward different property management software platforms, you can dig further by reviewing a site’s—or a collection of sites’—scoring system.

When looking at a site’s scoring system, ask yourself:

• Is it rated on a five-point scale?
• How are points awarded?
• Are different features weighted heavier than others?

Once you understand the scoring system, figure out the average score on the site. You may see a 4.6 out of 5 and think you’ve found your match. However, if most of the platforms on the site get a 4.7 out of 5, a 4.6 shows that the particular software falls short.

As you go through different sites’ scoring systems, you’ll quickly get a sense of which platforms are worth a second look—and which ones to leave behind.

See How Recent Reviews Are

Recency matters when it comes to reviews of property management software. If a platform hasn’t had a review in years, that’s a red flag. Innovative and evolving platforms have both a recent history and a long history of reviews. If they don’t have recent reviews, you want to research why this is the case. It could indicate that the software hasn’t been responsive to current user needs.

As a rule of thumb, you should focus on recent reviews over old reviews. Knowing what the platform is like now is more valuable than knowing what it was like five years ago. When you see a review claiming a feature isn’t offered, double-check to be sure that the software in question doesn’t now have the feature.

Talk to Other Landlords

Apart from trustworthy sites, the most important reviews are from fellow landlords in your circle. Don’t forget to ask other landlords about the property management software they use. Dialogue between yourself and other landlords offers you valuable information that would be hard to get otherwise. Their experience with the platform can give you more insight into the software’s plusses and minuses and how it impacts their day-to-day operations.

Conclusion

Comparing property management software options can be a bit overwhelming, but it’s worthwhile in the end. As a landlord, it’s crucial to find high-quality, reliable reviews that provide insights into different software options.

Finding the right property management software for you is the next step in taking your rental property business to the next level.

Why You Should Keep Innago On Your List

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on both G2 and Capterra, Innago’s property management software helps you take your rental business to the next level with features like

• Simple online rent collection for you and your tenants
• Work orders and maintenance requests in one place
• Online lease signing
• Expense and reporting insights
• Free downloadable lease templates
• Tenant screening
• Listing and syndication
• Renter’s insurance

A free software, Innago simplifies rental property management by automating your everyday tasks, allowing you to focus on growing your rental portfolio.

FAQs

What is the highest-rated property management software?

Though ratings are based largely on individual portfolio size and needs, Innago, a free property management software, consistently ranks at the top of review sites like Capterra and G2, where it is rated at 4.9 out of 5 stars.

What is the best property management software for small landlords?

Innago, a free property management solution, is the best free property management software for small landlords in 2026. With its simplification of tasks like rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance, and accounting, countless small landlords have streamlined their rental operations with Innago.

What are the four property categories that a property manager can specialize in?

Property managers, those who oversee the daily operations of rental properties, can specialize in the four primary types of property management: residential, commercial, industrial, and special purpose property management.

What are the 5 P’s of property management?

The five principles of property management are property, people, pricing, promotion, and performance. These principles help you grow returns and protect the value of your rental properties.