By Sydney Webber

Published Aug 14, 2023

Updated Sep 4, 2024

At a glance

• Partner: Vincent Cotton, a passionate Community Manager at Mission Fairways, a Madera Residential Community
• Duration at Madera: 8 years
• Key achievements with Updater:
  • Remarkable improvement in move-in experiences
  • Seamless integration with PetScreening
  • Drastic reduction in waiting times
  • Direct path to task completion, enhancing overall resident satisfaction

Skeptic to advocate: Updater’s impact on team’s productivity and communication

Vincent Cotton has risen through the ranks at Madera for close to a decade and carries a legacy of time-tested leasing practices. “When I heard about Updater, I was a little skeptical. I was trained by an old-school leasing professional.” But after using Updater, Vincent shared, “I was astounded, especially with the more recent updates. I find it a lot easier.”

Updater has also made an impact on Vincent’s ability to lead his team. He shares, “I’m big on teamwork. Updater provides a centralized area where everyone can see what needs to be done and be better prepared.” The tool improves his team’s productivity and communication. “We can work better to achieve the things that need to be done prior to moving, which makes our move-in days a lot easier.”

Chaos to calm: Updater’s impact on move-in day

Before Updater, new residents would often show up unprepared, despite the team’s best efforts to collect the items necessary for move-in day. “People have sat in the office for hours, delaying their move-ins because of incomplete steps,” says Vincent, painting a vivid picture of the stresses associated with moving. With the weight of keeping a high-traffic community satisfied, the need for a streamlined process was palpable.

Vincent describes the old process of collecting move-in information as not only time-consuming for his team, but the constant phone and email reminders were an annoyance for certain residents. “Those phone conversations diminish relationships depending on the irritability of the resident and how often they need to be reminded prior to moving.” Updater’s simple moving checklist allows residents to complete tasks “at their own pace,” says Vincent.

Vincent’s favorite aspects of Updater

“Having a centralized area where everyone can see pending tasks has transformed our move-in days,” he shares. His favorite features include:

1. Seamless PetScreening integration: Vincent’s team now tracks pets effortlessly and ensures every resident understands the pet policy, thanks to the smooth integration between Updater and PetScreening.

2. All-in-one prorate calculator: The convenience of having a prorate calculator within Updater eliminated the need for external tools, making the process more cohesive.

3. Easy onboarding: The ease of Updater is evident in Vincent’s swift adoption: “Before official training, I dove in, found my way around, and it was a breeze,” he recalls with a hint of pride. “Everything was already imported. It’s not like we had to do much.”

4. Transparent dashboard: “We need to provide more availability to employees and have flexibility with our schedules,” he says. The transparent dashboard allows even substitute employees to pick up where the regulars left off seamlessly.

Residents at the heart

Beyond the onsite team benefits, Updater shines in its resident-centric approach. As Vincent notes, the smoothness of the move-in process “sets the tone of their duration living here.”

The integrations with third-party services transform Updater into a convenience hub. “Having that one-stop-shop where everything about moving is at your fingertips is incredible,” he notes. The underlying theme? A smooth move-in equates to a happier year-long (or longer) stay.

In Conclusion

With Updater, Madera Communities significantly improved the move-in process, making it more efficient and resident-friendly. Before they made the change, residents faced challenges and delays. Now, Updater’s comprehensive moving checklist provides residents with a clear, step-by-step guide to facilitate a smoother transition. Vincent Cotton emphasized the tool’s ease of use and the transparent dashboard’s benefits for team coordination. Overall, Updater has proven to be an essential tool for enhancing both operations and resident satisfaction at his community.

Want to create a move-in experience so good, your residents will remember it all year long? Get started with Updater.

Sydney Webber

Sydney Webber has worked in marketing and multifamily real estate for a decade. She won the 2022 Platinum DotComm award for her podcast, Renter Obsessed, which was also the first official podcast of the Multifamily Social Media Summit. She’s been a mainstage speaker at multiple AIM conferences, and her expertise has been featured in Globe Street, Multifamily Insiders, and Multihousing News.