Out of the Windy City, on the cutting edge of real estate, comes Spaces — a combination property management company/brokerage dedicated to remaining locally-owned and fiercely independent. Their die-hard commitment to the city of Chicago, their customer-first approach, and their dedication to technology makes them uniquely positioned to meet the needs of their residents. We caught up with Katherine Goens, Social Media and Marketing Coordinator at Spaces Real Estate, to learn more about how Updater helps them go above and beyond for their residents.

What value do you think Updater brings to your residents?

Updater definitely provides our clients with convenience. Our residents who utilize the tool find it refreshing that the platform consolidates all their moving tasks into one place. They see it as a one-stop shop when it comes to completing their move. On top of that, the user-friendly interface helps minimize the confusion and hassle for those tasks.

What was the implementation process/time commitment like for your team when implementing Updater?

The implementation process for setting up Updater was fairly seamless, and the Updater team was there to assist the entire time. Once the onboarding was established, it was smooth sailing. Now that it’s fully integrated, there’s no legwork on our end. Invitations are automatically sent out to our residents.

What would you say to property management teams that are concerned that the implementation process might burden their IT team or staff as a whole?

Spaces doesn’t have a full-time IT team, but that didn’t prevent us from implementing Updater because of how simple the onboarding process was. I’d tell anyone thinking about adopting Updater to not be concerned. A single individual from our team took the lead on the project and it was no burden at all. Plus, the rewards were more than worth it!

How have your teams benefited from using Updater?

Being able to provide Updater as a resource for our clients definitely gives us a leg up on the competition. Updater also provides another value-add for our potential residents that other properties may not offer. In this business, you need to do everything you can to make yourself stand out and Updater helps us do just that.

How have your residents responded to Updater?

They love it! Updater is a perk that really benefits our residents and makes their lives easier, so there isn’t anything for them not to love!

What do you see as one of the greatest challenges currently facing the property management industry?

Keeping tenants happy year after year and making our properties stand out among a sea of competitors is definitely a challenge. When potential renters browse online, everything starts to look the same; properties and buildings all start blending together. It’s a challenge to identify the small things we can do to keep ourselves top of mind. This is why it’s so important to us that we provide our clients with all the resources they need to make their entire moving process — beginning to end — as seamless as possible.

What excites you about the future of the industry?

We’re really excited about the variety of products that are emerging in the Chicago market. One trend that we’re keeping our eye on is co-living. It began in New York and San Francisco and is currently making its way to Chicago. The premise of co-living is that residents are matched blindly with roommates and rent a room in a shared apartment. While living with a stranger may be seen as a downside, most times the unit comes furnished and fully stocked with certain toiletries. For young professional just moving to a new city, it’s a great (and safer) avenue for finding and renting a space to live.