The Buzz – On-Site’s Blog
Addition of experts in apartment business technology a bridge to success in expanding On-Site’s product platform Mountain View, Calif. – On-Site.com, the top provider of online marketing and leasing automation for the apartment business, announced the hiring of two experienced executives in its Silicon Valley headquarters. The company welcomes Maria Mitchell, who was most recently… Read more >>
On-Site.com re-launches to showcase marketing and online leasing technologies for apartment managers and renters Mountain View, Calif. – The top provider of online leasing automation for the apartment business announced today that a facelift is coming for its homepage. Launched this week, the redesign features a contemporary style and improved accessibility. The new website uses… Read more >>
With 3.5 million e-signatures captured and counting, On-Site expands sales team to address increasing demand for online apartment leasing technology Mountain View, Calif. – On-Site.com, the top provider of online leasing automation for the apartment business, announced the selection of two key teammates joining the company’s expanding sales team. Both have a deep history in… Read more >>
Our statistics from the Manhattan rental market suggest several intriguing trends: In 2005, Wall Street jobs outnumbered technology jobs 8 to 1. Today it’s 4 to 1. The last 18 months shows a boost in “Creative” jobs – hiring in segments like media and fashion is now 70% higher than its five-year average. Today’s income/rent… Read more >>
With 3.3 million signatures already collected online, On-Site makes it even easier for renters to sign lease paperwork from any computer or mobile device
Mountain View, Calif. – On-Site.com, the top provider of online leasing automation for the apartment business, today announced several upgrades to its electronic signature technology.
Since creating E-Sign in 2008, it has become On-Site’s most popular feature with renters and apartment owners alike. On-Site delivers a fully integrated and 100% paperless “listing to lease” platform for the property management industry that incorporates marketing and online leasing tools.
Based in Silicon Valley, the company replaces the paper-centric, disconnected process that typifies the traditional process for searching and securing apartments. On-Site’s clients represent over two million apartments in all 50 states, ranging from independent landlords with a single unit to the country’s largest privately-owned property management company.
The convenient method of signing lease documents electronically automatically archives the files securely while driving down printing and storage costs. On-Site estimates that a typical apartment community will achieve a $312 increase per month in net operating income by adopting E-Sign.
“Today’s renter has outpaced the technical ability of most apartment industry software systems and processes by several laps,” said Jake Harrington, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at On-Site. “A majority of today’s renters are not only comfortable doing business online – it’s their preference. Why push them toward antiquated, paper-centric, offline transactions?”
On-Site was the first software provider to the multifamily industry to offer e-signatures and has captured more E-Sign leases than all other providers combined – over 3.3 million to date. The federal E-SIGN Act of 2001 permits electronic contract execution, a version of which has been adopted in all 50 states. On-Site’s customers enjoy the ability to allow qualified residents to sign – and invite existing residents to renew – leases online, accelerating the time to close or extend contracts.
The latest generation of On-Site’s E-Sign includes several innovations:
- Renters may “touch to sign” using any mobile device or computer, imprinting their unique signature
- Online signing ceremony is ready for use 240% faster without sacrificing security
- Technology is built into online leasing process that includes “live” unit availability, revenue management pricing and payment processing
Studies conclude that 4 in 5 apartment renters search online. In fact, properties seeking the most qualified batch of prospective residents must make it easy to business with them after business hours.
A look at On-Site’s statistics shows that prospective residents who choose to apply over the Internet are indeed more financially qualified than their offline peers. Over the past three months, On-Site data shows that online applicants score higher and are approved at double the rate of applicants who choose to submit a paper application.
These online applicants don’t just work in the tech sector. During that same three month period, only 7% of applicants who applied via the Internet reported working in the computer industry. The statistics show a relatively even distribution across such diverse fields as law, medicine, and finance.
On-Site’s customers further demonstrate that online leasing is not limited to conventional and student housing, but has transformed operations at affordable, military and mixed-use properties.
Aaron Stright, Operations Manager for Washington-based HNN Associates, LLC, solely manages affordable housing. He says his apartment management company requests that all prospective residents complete their application online. Each application is accessible through On-Site’s platform to access credit and background checks with no further data entry. Once a prospective resident has been screened and cleared, a leasing agent invites an applicant to sign his lease electronically.
“On-Site’s technology has not only saved us time and paper, it’s also been very helpful in our interactions with residents,” Stright says. “A resident is required to electronically initial each page of our lease before the technology allows them to sign the final page. If a resident later says they never read one of the pages and were unaware of a certain policy, we have proof otherwise.”
Stright estimates that 97 percent of HNN’s residents take advantage of On-Site’s e-signature technology.
Document management is a component of On-Site’s best-in-class online marketing and leasing tools for property managers. The company has been voted Best Resident Screening Service three years in a row and its paperless office platform was a finalist in the First Annual Green Initiatives Awards from Multi-Housing News.
Apartment industry technologists combine next-generation automation with human analysis in this fight against crime
Mountain View, Calif. — On-Site.com, the top provider of online leasing automation for the apartment business, announced that it is now delivering exceptionally faster results with the help of artificial intelligence.
Apartment management companies rely on On-Site to qualify and screen prospective renters, a process that often involves a criminal background check. Property managers use criminal records in their screening process because individuals with a criminal past are more likely to commit crimes than those without, posing a risk of harm to their neighbors.
"Today, over two-thirds of our customers run criminal and sex offender searches – a rate that has doubled over the last five years as the availability of reliable data has grown," says Jake Harrington, On-Site’s Chief Revenue Officer. "Still, these sources of reliable data are a long ways from being nationwide. We look to technology to boost accuracy and turnaround time without sacrificing quality control."
There is no such thing as a comprehensive national criminal check: many jurisdictions remain isolated from centralized repositories. So-called "national" databases still contain large coverage gaps and are updated inconsistently, requiring expertise in local apartment markets to fill in the blanks.
Criminal records are notoriously difficult to access because they are stored in a hodgepodge of databases in thousands of courthouses across the country. Moreover, the criminal files themselves –- which are sometimes incomplete and are never formatted consistently –- require careful analysis by trained researchers.
"This analysis obviously takes some time," adds Harrington. "Other screening products force you to choose between waiting for an answer, skipping that step because it takes too long, or worse, deciding between the two options on case by case basis, which violates Fair Housing law."
On-Site recently deployed a new weapon in this particular fight against crime. By utilizing intelligent computer "agents" to aggregate, normalize and integrate online data into its platform, the company has boosted turnaround time by as much as 400 percent in some regions without any degradation of quality.
Having seen the success of automated data extraction tools from government databases in other industries, On-Site looked to automated agents as the key to unlocking criminal records.
Based in Silicon Valley, On-Site has wrangled with the byzantine criminal court system since its founding more than a decade ago. California is among the nation’s worst examples of a modern, centralized custodian of public records. Despite being the most populous state, its 58 counties do not talk to one another to contribute their hundreds of millions of records to a single database. And California is not alone -– many of the nation’s major metropolitan areas lack a unified infrastructure.
Historically in these disconnected regions, a court runner needed to travel to a physical courthouse to search at a computer terminal or wait in line while a court clerk browsed through physical file cabinets. In extreme cases, courthouses are only open for business limited hours and days, especially with budgetary reductions. "Live" searches can take a week or more to complete. And even with some courthouses coming online, searching still required human interaction.
Today, On-Site’s computers crawl "live" records online in much of the country. This technique eliminates human error and elevates the work of On-Site’s criminal research team from data entry to analysis and classification. On-Site allows property managers to specify crimes, such as speeding tickets and petty misdemeanors, that should be disregarded under their rental guidelines.
On-Site’s automated agents are currently in place at dozens of counties in California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee -– all locations that would otherwise require a runner to visit the courthouse in person during business hours.
Robust criminal screening is a component of On-Site’s best-in-class online marketing and leasing tools for property managers. The company has been voted Best Resident Screening Service three years in a row and its paperless office platform was a finalist in the First Annual Green Initiatives Awards from Multi-Housing News.
About On-Site
Founded in 1999, On-Site has grown to become the gold standard in the apartment business. On-Site has a proven record of delivering best-in-class technology in a solution that can be implemented today. On-Site’s marketing, leasing and mobile tools deliver lead generation, resident qualification, document storage, e-signatures and cloud computing services. On-Site allows apartment operators to maximize occupancy, enhance quality control, maintain compliance and ensure consistent success at all levels of property operations.
New and familiar faces set to boost business growth and lead account management programs at leading apartment technology firm
Mountain View, Calif. — On-Site.com, the top provider of online leasing automation for the apartment business, announced three key teammates that will focus on maximizing the success that customers enjoy with On-Site’s solutions.
Taking the reins as National Sales Manager is Monte Jones, a 15-year veteran in the multihousing industry. Monte most recently ran the sales group at RentPayment.com/Yapstone, a payment processor and integrated partner with On-Site. Between 2001 and 2010, Monte rose to become the Senior Vice President of Sales at First Advantage SafeRent, a resident screening provider, where he created a professional account management team, built one of the industry’s largest field sales and support staffs and oversaw the successful integration of six acquired companies. He joined SafeRent during its start-up days in Colorado.
Monte has recruited and trained both regional leadership and local personnel throughout his career. He will lead On-Site’s sales offices in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix and Austin.
“I’m thrilled to join a company so focused on building value for its clients,” said Monte. “We are well positioned to grow our core businesses and deliver innovations that anticipate our client’s needs.”
On-Site delivers best-in-class online marketing and leasing tools for property managers. The company has been voted Best Resident Screening Service three years in a row and was a finalist in the First Annual Green Initiatives Awards from Multi-Housing News.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, apartment managers know Regina Busciglio-Weinstein for her expertise and enthusiasm. She has served as a regional account executive since 2008 in one of the On-Site’s most successful markets. In her new role as Training Director, Regina will bring her product and industry knowledge to a larger audience and ensure that On-Site’s clients nationwide receive high quality service by developing training programs and facilitating strong implementation standards.
“I have loved getting to know and assist many of On-Site’s California clients,” Regina said, “and I’m looking forward to widening that experience to even more satisfied users.”
Further, Ruby Lohmann, who worked with On-Site’s clients in the Pacific Northwest from 2006 to 2009, returns to the company as a national account executive. Ruby will use her knowledge of property operations and best practices with On-Site’s solutions to aid clients in her home state of Washington as well as across the country.
“We offer a popular, integrated solution and are introducing several new products amidst a very bright outlook in the apartment sector,” said Jake Harrington, On-Site’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Ruby, Regina and Monte are three of the most successful and positive people in the business, and I am confident that they will contribute to our customers’ success for years to come.”
About On-Site
Founded in 1999, On-Site has grown to become the gold standard in the apartment business. On-Site has a proven record of delivering best-in-class technology in a solution that can be implemented today. On-Site’s marketing, leasing and mobile tools deliver lead generation, resident qualification, document storage, e-signatures and cloud computing services. On-Site allows apartment operators to maximize occupancy, enhance quality control, maintain compliance and ensure consistent success at all levels of property operations.
Touring on the road and without a website, the conference producers designed a professional-grade web presence in days, not months
Mountain View, Calif. — When On-Site.com signed on to sponsor this year’s 12-city tour of the Apartment All Stars, they didn’t realize the starring role the company would quickly take.
Now in its ninth year, the industry veterans teach strategies on winning leases, retaining residents and enhancing curb appeal. The conference typically relies upon an outside agency to design a customized marketing site to promote their events.
As the tour started, an unexpected change of plans left the Apartment All Stars – who advise audiences on effective marketing – without a marketing site of their own.
In late March, Kate Good, professional speaker for the All Stars, asked if On-Site could help in a pinch. On-Site is the top provider of online leasing automation for the apartment business. The company offers its Online Marketing Suite™ for multifamily operators to showcase their communities with dynamic websites, content syndication to drive traffic and prospect management tools to make every lead count.
Later that week, ApartmentAllStars.com was up and running using On-Site’s platform. Kate was able to select a template, upload photos and include text and links. Customizing the “look and feel” required no programming or technical experience, while On-Site’s support team helped with technical and creative recommendations. While On-Site’s Online Marketing Suite™ platform is intended to feature apartment communities and property management companies, Kate adapted the intuitive system for her organization’s needs.
“When we needed quick help, we called the experts at On-Site to save the day,” Kate said. “Not only did they jump right in, they had us live in a matter of days. This is a living example of a fantastic group of professionals who do whatever they can to help a customer.”
About On-Site
Founded in 1999, On-Site has grown to become the gold standard in the apartment business. On-Site has a proven record of delivering best-in-class technology in a solution that can be implemented today. On-Site’s marketing, leasing and mobile tools deliver lead generation, resident qualification, document storage, e-signatures and cloud computing services. On-Site allows apartment operators to maximize occupancy, enhance quality control, maintain compliance and ensure consistent success at all levels of property operations.
Now entering their ninth year of educating, inspiring and motivating leasing professionals, the Apartment All Stars welcome On-Site on the road with them for 2011.
The group is well-known for their energizing events and practical, actionable information to improve apartment leasing success – sounds like a terrific match for On-Site!
The tour visits over 10 cities each year, and we hope you’ll join us at a city near you.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On‐Site empowers Corum Real Estate Group’s "green" leasing platform to drive efficiency and offer choice of channel for today’s mobile resident
Denver — With so much natural beauty, Colorado offers countless outdoor adventures to its new residents – so the last thing they want to do is be stuck inside a leasing office filling out paperwork.
Recognizing the appeal of an eco-friendly rental application process that can be conducted from anywhere, including on‐the-go
with a smart phone, Denver‐based apartment operator Corum Real Estate Group turned to On‐Site.com’s paperless leasing
platform.
"We wanted to enhance our online application and screening process for prospects," said Gayle Gahagan, Director of
Operations at Corum, which manages thousands of apartment homes in the Denver area and in Colorado resort towns.
With On‐Site, instead of the disjointed and paper-based leasing process that is common at most apartment communities,
multifamily owners and operators can get an improved all-inclusive online platform that incorporates leads, credit applications and lease documents. Corum now accepts rental applications 24 hours a day, qualifies new residents using On‐Site’s best-in-class screening system, and then calculates, signs and stores move‐in paperwork online.
"We are committed to delivering efficient and easy‐to‐use technologies," said Gahagan. "On-Site delivers all of these
expectations and then some." On-Site, based in Silicon Valley, is a recognized pioneer with a patented platform for enhancing
convenience and enforcing quality control for apartment managers and owners.
"The right technology can drastically reduce administrative costs for communities, and reduce the stress of moving for
renters," said Jake Harrington, Chief Revenue Officer at On-Site. He notes, "Most Colorado residents are not native to the state, many are young, and all would prefer to complete a leasing transaction with the same ease that they can buy plane tickets on Travelocity or books on Amazon. Our solutions offer this same ease of use, along with an eco‐friendly approach that caters to an increasingly mobile resident. It’s a win‐win."
About On-Site
Founded in 1999, On-Site has grown to become the gold standard in the apartment business, with a proven record of delivering next-generation marketing and leasing technology in a solution that can be implemented today. On-Site’s lead generation, resident qualification, document management and e-signature tools provide powerful online leasing solutions, allowing clients to maximize occupancy, enhance quality control, maintain compliance and ensure consistent success at all levels of property operations.
Contact Amy Maley (650) 934-4151
About Corum Real Estate Group
Corum Real Estate Group is a multi‐faceted real estate firm specializing in fee management, development and asset services. Corum manages and owns office, retail, industrial, multifamily and investment properties; its multi‐unit properties range from luxury market loft and apartment rentals in the Denver area to its developments for seasonal and long term housing in the Colorado resort locations. As managers, brokers and developers we are determined negotiators who recognize the key pressure points involved in every transaction, for both the tenants and the landlords we represent. Corum provides corporate office and multi-unit residential leasing and property management services for both our own properties as well as for our property owners. Founded in 1986, our clients value our local expertise along with the service that comes from working directly with our experienced executive staff.