If you’re working in the property management business, you want to ensure the most efficient use of your resources.
You’ve probably heard about or are already using property management software, such as DoorLoop, Buildium, or Landlord Studio, that can help you out with screening tenants, collecting rent payments and late fees, or maintenance request.
But we won’t discuss property management apps in this article. Instead, we will focus on the software solutions you can use to optimize and streamline your day-to-day tasks in property management - in other words, GPS tracking apps for property managers.
We’ve shortlisted our favorites, but before we present the apps, let’s start with the basics.
Wondering How Much Time Your Employees Spend on a Property?
What Makes the Best GPS Tracking App for Property Managers?
Some GPS-tracking app features bring significant benefits to property management businesses.
We’ve listed the crucial features to look for above:
GPS Time Clock
For a property management business, it’s essential to have data on when the location has been visited and how much time an employee or a contractor spent on it. You can get this data easily with a GPS tracking app installed on employees’ mobile devices.
Then, whenever there is a punch, GPS data is recorded, so you’ll know the exact whereabouts of your employees during the clock in and out and be able to automate timesheet creation.
GPS Tracking
However, GPS tracking can be an overall capability of the app to capture data not only during punches but also track property management staff throughout the shift.
As there are differences between GPS tracking apps regarding GPS accuracy and frequency of gathering GPS points, you should be aware of such details when making decisions.
We’ve tested and compared a few GPS tracking apps regarding frequency and accuracy, so you can check out the article 5 Best GPS Tracking Apps: Tested and Compared to learn the results.
Real-time GPS Tracking
Some GPS tracking apps offer near real-time tracking, while others allow you to view this data historically. Monitoring your employees and contractors in real time will help you manage them better and dispatch the available ones to the nearest location.
Geofencing
GPS tracking apps often come with geofencing capabilities, enabling entry detection to your sites. This means you can create geofenced boundaries around the real estate you manage and set the app to remind employees to clock in or out or alert you when your crew arrives or leaves the site.
Scheduling
Employee scheduling is another excellent feature of the best GPS tracking apps that property management businesses can benefit from. Besides communicating schedules and assigning tasks and jobs quickly, some software solutions can also suggest the shortest route to real estate, so the benefits are many.
Mileage Tracking
Your employees and contractor spend a lot of time traveling from one location to another. But, unfortunately, you can’t always be sure they are taking the most efficient route and being accountable for expenses.
Choosing a GPS tracker with a mileage tracking feature can be great for property management businesses that want to cut down their mileage costs.
After a brief overview of what to look for, we can move on to our list of the best GPS tracking apps for property managers.
1. Timeero - Best Overall GPS Tracker App for Property Managers
If you have one shot to choose one app to use along with your property management tool, your best bet is Timeero.
This cloud-based GPS tracking system offers all the necessary features and functionalities to streamline your day-to-day operations and workflow.
Timeero’s mobile app functions like a reliable and accurate GPS time clock that will let you collect data on your employees' and contractors' working hours and locations during their shifts.
When your crew is logged in, you can see their hours, whereabouts, and jobs/tasks on a single Who’s working dashboard. If there is an emergency on a rental property, you will have no problem determining the available worker nearby who can jump right in and get the job done.
Using the user-friendly Job/Tasks feature, you can create any real estate you manage as a separate unit, assign employees to work on the property, and add addresses, notes, and relevant contact details, for example, contacts of property owners. You can use these jobs and tasks while scheduling your team members without a hassle, ensuring all relevant information about their shifts reaches them.
The geofencing capability offers additional options for your property management business. For example, you can set geofences around all locations you manage and set the app to send in-app reminders and notifications to your employees to clock in/out once they’re on-site or alert you of any off-site or missed punches.
As an additional measure, to ensure better workplace accountability and that your employees are on-site when clocking in, you can restrict their punches to the geofenced zone, which is a great way to prevent employee time theft.
In Timeero, mileage tracking functions seamlessly. The app starts logging miles automatically and records the routes your employee takes are efficient. To cut down on your mileage costs, you can also use the suggested mileage feature, showing you the shortest route.
You can generate customizable reports on employees, jobs, and more from your gathered data.
In addition, you can use Timeero’s integrations with common payroll and accounting software to streamline payroll and mileage reimbursement. Timeero, for example, integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, Rippling, Viventium, Run powered by ADP or ADP Workforce Now, Xero Australia or Paychex, so syncing data between Timeero and these solutions is quite a breeze.
Key Features:
GPS time clock
GPS tracking
Real-time GPS time tracking
Geofencing
Mileage tracking
Scheduling
Reporting
Track job costing real-time and historically
Kiosk with facial recognition
Messaging blasts
Timeero’s Pricing:
Timeero has simple pricing, where you pay only monthly charges per user. It comes in three pricing packages:
Basic: $4 user/month
Pro: $8 user/month
Premium: $11 user /month
Timeero offers a discount for annual subscriptions, so you get a month free of charge. There is a 14-day free trial to check out the app, and no credit card is required.
Downsides:
Timeero doesn’t come with a free plan.
Reasons to choose the app:
Accurateall-in-one time, location, and mileage tracking with scheduling and core field employee management features.
2. QuickBooks Time - Good Choice for QuickBooks Users
QuickBooks Time Tracking (previously known as TSheets) is a popular time-tracking software and the next one on our list of best GPS-tracking apps for property managers. Companies that are already using QuickBooks Online or Desktop for accounting and payroll purposes could benefit from this app, thanks to its GPS tracking and geofencing features.
QuickBooks Time will allow your workers and contractors to clock in and out using the app on their mobile devices while simultaneously capturing their location. Using the app, you can see the real-time location of your crew members in a single dashboard. The geofencing feature lets you set the clock in and out reminders when they enter or leave the property.
Besides its GPS tracking and geofencing features, QuickBooks Time can help you manage your projects more efficiently. The software lets you create schedules and work orders, track time spent on your projects, and compare project estimates vs. actual costs and billable vs. non-billable hours to get better control over your resources.
Key features:
GPS time clock
GPS tracking
Geofencing
Mileage tracking
Scheduling
Project tracking
Kiosk with facial recognition
QuickBooks Time Pricing:
QuickBooks Time price consists of monthly charges per user and a monthly base fee. There are two pricing packages:
Elite: $40 monthly base fee + $8 per user per month
Premium: $20 base fee + $ 10 per user per month.
There is a 30-day free trial to check the app, plus a discount for new customers.
Downsides:
QuickBooks Time is not the friendliest app on the market. Plus, its pricing is confusing and on the expensive side. In addition, our tests show that its GPS tracking leaves much to be desired.
Reasons to choose the app:
QuickBooks Time works well with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, so payrollwill be a breeze.
3. ClockShark - GPS Time Tracker for Invoicing and Quotes
ClockShark is another GPS tracker that caters to the needs of real estate managers. The cloud-based software is intuitive and straightforward. Your team members and contractors can access it via web or mobile apps designed for iOS and Android phones.
When the employees clock in or use their breaks, the app will record their location besides capturing their hours. In addition, the app will capture their location periodically, giving you a glimpse into your employees' working hours.
ClockShark has geofencing capabilities, so you can define the real estate you manage and have the app remind your crew to clock in and out or receive alerts when there is a geofence violation.
ClockShark comes with a single dashboard view of all your available employees’ whereabouts, jobs, and working time, and a scheduling feature so that you can manage them more efficiently.
You can create and send invoices and quotes from your app, set hourly limits to your jobs, and get alerts when you reach the threshold.
Its integrations with common payroll and accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Run powered by ADP, or ADP Workforce Now, will streamline payroll processing.
Key Features:
GPS Time Clock
GPS Tracking
Real-time GPS time tracking
Geofencing
Scheduling
Job management: Invoices and Quotes
Reporting
Kiosk with facial recognition
ClockShark’s Pricing:
Clockshark price includes the monthly base fee and the monthly costs per user. There are two pricing packages.
Standard: $16 monthly fee + $7 per user per month.
Pro: $30 monthly base fee + $9 per user per month.
Downsides:
ClockShark could do better regarding the frequency of GPS tracking; this way, it still leaves room for unwanted behaviors. A mileage tracking feature would complete the package they offer.
Reasons to choose the app:
Job management features and tracking the job costs can come in handy to property managers.
4. Hubstaff - GPS Tracking with Geofence
We conclude our list of best GPS tracking apps for property managers with Hubstaff, a handy tool for companies that want to track dispersed teams, jobs, and projects.
As with other tools, Hubstaff relies on your employees' mobile devices to track their location while on the field. Employees can use iOS or Android mobile apps to clock in and out from work, and during their shifts, you can have real-time insight into their locations and movements.
What sets Hubstaff apart from other software on our list is the ability to automatically start the employees’ time clock once they arrive at the real estate you manage, reducing the odds of human error. Alternatively, you can set the app to send notifications upon arrival and remind them to punch in their hours.
Using Hubstaff, you can use data the app gathers for invoicing, billing, or payroll. You can also generate customizable reports, track how the progress of your project, and optimize your resources.
Hubstaff integrates with payroll and billing software and task management apps to streamline your workflow.
Hubstaff Key Features:
GPS time clock
GPS tracking
Geofencing with the auto clock in and out
Real-time monitoring
Scheduling
Reporting
Hubstaff Pricing:
GPS tracking features are available to subscribers of Hubstaff Field packages. There are three packages you can choose from.
Field Pro: $12 per user per month. (minimum 2 users)
Desk Field: $15 per user per month.(minimum 2 users)
Enterprise: Customized offer.
Hubstaff offers a 14-day free trial to test the app. There is a discount for annual subscriptions.
Downsides:
Since Hubstaff doesn’t offer mileage tracking, there are more affordable options on this list.
Why choose the app:
If you want to automate your timecards completely, Hubstaff may be the answer.
How to Choose the Best GPS Tracking App for Property Management Team?
The best GPS tracking app for your property management business is the one that will improve your everyday practices and make them more efficient.
If you’re already using a property management solution you use, consider which pressing business needs related to tracking and managing your employees are still unanswered.
We hope we helped you out a bit with our suggestions. As all the apps have a free trial, just pick the one that seems to fit you the most, and give it a try.
Ready to Advance Your Day-to-Day Practices?
With Timeero, you can track and manage your field employees.
Natasa is a writer specializing in the IT and software industry with 6+ years of experience in content writing and online marketing. During that period, she wrote more than 1,000 articles and several ebooks. She majored in English language and literature and loves cats, sneakers, and candy. When she's not working, she's probably binge-watching Netflix.
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