Whether you’re the manager for a number of properties, or you’re an individual owner of a property you manage as a business, the right tools are a necessity. One of the greatest things about technology today is the availability of and accessibility to high quality, comprehensive management applications. Best of all, because you download them to your smartphone, they’re accessible from anywhere (highly coveted feature for us on-the-go individuals).

Here are our top five recommendations for the best apps in the industry:

• RentTracker. This app has received favorable reviews and takes the #1 spot for property management app on both iTunes and Google Play. The application is available for free and managers can track information for up to 3 tenants at absolutely no cost. Larger portfolios are managed in packs purchased as add-ons, so there’ no waste. Managers will find benefit in the ability to manage a great number of functions, including: tenant and contractor information, owners and vendors, and in-depth financial information with reporting features. Visit www.renttracker.com for more information.
• Buildium. With this paid-for service, users have access to its mobile application, which means access to custom-designed property websites, rental listings, rental applications, credit and background checks, and more. Visit www.buildium.com for more information and then visit the App Store to download the free mobile manager.
• AppFolio. Also a paid-for service, current customers of AppFolio have the opportunity to access its free Android and iOS application. This provides full property management options on-the-go, including photo uploads, contact management, listings management, and more. For information, visit www.appfolio.com, then go to your App Store to download to your phone.
• DIY Landlord. With this app, owners can manage the first two tenants free of charge. From there, users have the choice to add in-App purchases starting at $.99 for each individual. Bulk purchases can be made at a savings as well. The most notable features of this App are its ability to offer users the option to track partial payments, as well as sending payment receipt to tenants by SMS text message or e-mail. You can find the App in your App Store.
• Housters. This completely free of charge application operates on a donation-only basis for a limited time. You get access to tenant, owner, vendor, and financial information without paying anything. In addition to being fairly comprehensive, another benefit of this app is its cloud-based platform, which means all information is updated, synced, and available from any device. Search for Housters in your App Store to download.

Our biggest recommendation when searching for the right App for your business needs is to pay attention to the reviews. Some are bogus, but you should be able to get down to credibility by reading through the top 10 and bottom 10 reviews. Additionally, you should always Google the name and see what comes up in the results. If industry pubs or articles have been written with good or bad news concerning the company or App itself, you’ll quickly find out.