Ben White has spent two decades in property management, and as he marks his 20th anniversary in the industry, the Ailo founder maintains that while technology enables transformation, culture drives success.
“I’m as much an optimist on the industry as anyone; I yield to no person on optimism about the future of property management,” he says with conviction.
Now processing transactions for almost 250,000 users nationwide, from boutique agencies to major networks like LJ Hooker, Ray White and PRD, Ailo has emerged as a significant force in the industry.
Discussing how the platform operates, Ben believes its success comes from effectively serving agencies of all sizes.
“We’re taking on businesses with multi-thousand property rent rolls and going really well.
“But we’ve learned that whether you’re managing 100 properties or 5000, the core challenges remain the same – it’s all about change management.”
A cultural transformation Ben has seen a lot of change over the years and defines property management’s evolution as occurring in three distinct waves.
The first wave digitalised paper processes, while the second introduced cloud-based solutions.
Now, he says, we’re entering the third wave – one focused entirely on experience and service delivery.
“The next evolution is customer experience. That’s why we built Ailo as a single platform because you can’t have how you communicate, how you pay money, how you do your work, and how you report to your clients as separate things,” he explains.
The platform replaces three to four legacy systems with one integrated solution, streamlining operations while improving transparency for all stakeholders.
But Ben also emphasises that technology alone isn’t the answer; he says business owners need to fundamentally shift their perspective on property management’s role within their organisation.
“A lot of people think it [property management] is just there, like the furniture.”
“But if you shift to a more positive strategy and view property management as a hub for relationships, everyone in your community becomes a potential customer.”
Ben also challenges the traditional view that property management exists primarily to generate sales leads.
Instead, he advocates for a more holistic approach in which property management becomes the business’s relationship hub.
“Every landlord, every renter, every owner is up for grabs now to be a customer.
“And if they become a customer of yours, and those keys are sitting in the key cabinet, you will win the sales market because you’ll get 70 to 80 per cent of those listings when they come up for sale.”
The power of transparency One of Ailo’s key differentiators is its live payment system, which Ben says has transformed how agencies manage arrears.
“We had a property manager tell us about calling a tenant about a missing payment. The tenant said ‘I’m pretty sure I paid yesterday.’ The property manager could see it hadn’t come through, and while they were on the phone, the tenant logged in, made the payment, and it appeared instantly. That level of transparency changes everything.”
This real-time visibility extends across all aspects of property management, from maintenance to communications, helping build trust between all parties.
“When there’s perfect transparency, things that are intractable today and very stressful actually go away. Money gets paid faster, things are on time, landlords are happy because they can see what’s happening.”
The recruitment challenge In the current market when we need them most, one in five agencies that Ben speaks with are involuntarily understaffed – they simply cannot find enough quality people.
He believes this staffing crisis directly relates to workplace culture.
“Good people will increasingly not work for bad bosses. The world’s too transparent now,” he states.
“There are lots of conferences on growth in property management; you don’t see many conferences about how to recruit and retain staff and culture.
“Growth ultimately starts with your team because you can spend $50,000 on Facebook ads, but if you haven’t got a team to support it, that’s all going to get wasted.”
Through analysis of platform data, Ailo has identified that response times to client communications are the single most significant predictor of business success.
“The most outstanding performers respond within about 60 minutes, with the very good at under 90 minutes. It’s not about long, formal emails – quick responses and even emojis often work better.”
The future of property management Looking ahead, Ben says he would like to see property management evolving beyond its traditional scope of collecting rent, coordinating repairs and finding tenants.
“If I could have a magic wand, I’d rename it to the place where relationships are nurtured and maintained in an agency. That’s what it is,” he says.
“Property management will expand to offer more comprehensive services. We’ll move beyond basic referrals into deeper involvement with mortgages and utilities. The focus will shift toward providing substantial, value-added services.”
But you can’t just sit and wait for change to happen in your own agency with the cost of inaction rapidly increasing.
“The cost of just sitting there doing nothing, wait and see, has never been higher.
“You can play to win or play not to lose. They’re totally different strategies.
“A lot of people try to preserve the status quo, but you’ll see plenty now choosing to play to win.”
“We’re seeing agencies across every state and territory making the transition to a more integrated, experience-focused approach to property management.
“In the future, I think fees will go up. I think property management will be offering more services. I think clients will be happier.”
Tips from Ben: Building Tomorrow’s Property Management Business
Property management leaders can create sustainable growth by focusing on the key areas that drive both team satisfaction and business success.
- Measure What Matters: Track response times to client communications – Ailo’s data shows this single metric predicts everything from arrears rates to client satisfaction. Getting this to under 90 minutes changes everything.
- Reimagine Service Delivery: Look beyond traditional property management services. Consider offering maintenance planning, utilities management and other value-added services that benefit both landlords and tenants.
- Enable Cultural Change: Focus on building a workplace where property managers can thrive. This means providing the right technology, supporting professional growth and recognising achievement. Remember: recruiting costs far outweigh retention costs.
- Embrace Transparency: Implement systems that provide real-time visibility to all stakeholders. When everyone can see what’s happening, trust increases, and stress decreases.
- Think Relationships First: Transform your property management division from a transaction processor to a relationship hub. This mindset shift creates opportunities with current clients while attracting new business.
For more information about Ailo, visit ailo.io
