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Apartment industry software company AppFolio has released FolioSpace, a new product it’s calling “a next-generation resident experience” that enhances the expediency, quality and value of interactions between residents and property managers, according to an Oct. 23 press release.
The company, which states it has more than 20,000 property management customers, also announced it has acquired home management and services concierge LiveEasy as part of its new approach to providing for renters. LiveEasy started as a relocation management solution and evolved into a more well-versed lifestyle services application.
“By vertically integrating LiveEasy and offering its services as part of FolioSpace Resident Onboarding, AppFolio will reduce the stress of moving, deliver increased convenience, and save renters time and money,” the release stated.
FolioSpace is built to derive more value from the renter’s occupancy experience starting at the application stage, which will include faster decision-making due to more accurate and comprehensive data verification and processing.
Approved tenants can expect a modern onboarding and move-in due to a “configurable digital checklist to streamline leasing and welcome new residents” and, through the new LiveEasy integration, “access to savings and dedicated support in setting up their utilities, internet and cable, and moving services.”
The Resident Services Marketplace will provide users with an essential vendor database while the all-new Resident Inbox offers a hub for property communications, in which maintenance requests, leasing questions, payment insights and other needs will live for the resident.
The new services will also rely in part on Realm-X, AppFolio’s end-to-end multifamily housing operating system designed to flatten and integrate the countless daily activities faced by institutional apartment owners. It also works with private landlords and can scale to serve management offices of all sizes.
Realm-X includes personalized automation at the specific user level, according to Will Moxley, senior vice president of product at AppFolio. In a June 2024 statement upon its release, he called it “an additional pair of hands.”
“Our early customers recognize Realm-X as a strategic advantage that streamlines their daily operations, freeing up time to reimagine how they want to run things in the future,” Moxley said. “And right now, it’s allowing them to sustain their growth while improving the productivity of every team member.”
Venkatesh Ganapathy, CEO of LiveEasy, which started as MoveEasy, said in the release that his company’s mission overlaps with its sale.
“LiveEasy’s mission is to provide surprisingly simple moving and living experiences that combine technology and human touch for renters and homeowners,” said Ganapathy. “With AppFolio’s commitment to innovation and expansive footprint, we believe this combination will propel that mission and enable us to exceed the expectations of both current and new customers.”
Inman reviewed LiveEasy, then MoveEasy, back in 2017 and throughout its evolution. The company was lauded for the digital efficiencies it applied to one of the most emotional aspects of homebuying — moving.
“Among other things, the product follows homeowners beyond the relocation with consistent updates and offers information on insurance services, mortgage refinance, home security, home management tasks and even internet service providers. It also helps keep agents in touch with customers over time and prepares users for their next move. MoveEasy has in place a number of national brokerage relationships,” the review said.
AppFolio’s growth across the space reflects a greater trend in multifamily-focused software investment, likely a result of the single-family market’s plodding course correction. This year’s sales volume looks to be notably low, according to Fannie Mae’s latest forecast. In turn, Redfin reported renters are leasing for longer.
To improve the quality of stay over time and ensure renewals, landlords and property managers are turning to tech, like AppFolio.
“We envision a world where living in communities feels magical and effortless, freeing people to thrive,” said Chris Womack, chief growth officer of AppFolio. “By welcoming LiveEasy and enhancing AppFolio’s one powerful platform through FolioSpace, we are taking an important step on our journey of delivering exceptional value and experiences to our property management customers and the residents they serve.”
