Building and managing a property portfolio are challenging, time-consuming tasks. The good news is that the days of paging through newspapers to find your next investment and inputting all your tenant-related data into an Excel spreadsheet are far behind us.
There is an array of property investment tools that will help with every step of the process, from finding and procuring properties to managing them and later selling them. Seeff – a widely respected South African real estate expert – takes a closer look at some of these tools.
First things first: tools to help you find your next investment
Various real estate agencies’ websites, as well as property portals, can help you successfully recognise property investment opportunities. For example, filters on the Seeff website allow you to select filters that will only show you properties with a flatlet, where pets are allowed or that are on show. Property portals like Property24 and Private Property allow you to search for all listings in a particular area. Property24 also provides (at a small price) recent sales reports that divulge property trends and statistics pertaining to the area that you’re considering buying in. Property Investors would do well to invest in Lightstone Toolkit, which offers town, estate and suburb reports, as well as reports on individual properties. All these tools are designed to help you successfully invest in property.
Bond calculators and indicators
Various property practitioners’ websites – including the Seeff website – offer an array of calculators that help property investors understand what their investments will cost and how much they can afford. By entering the total purchase price and the bond amount, you can get an immediate breakdown of transfer costs, such as transfer fees and duties, deeds office fees, electronic document preparation and an array of other costs. You’ll also get an immediate breakdown of bond costs. Using Seeff’s calculators, you can calculate exactly what your monthly bond repayments will be. A handy currency converter provides a useful tool for international property investors.
Helping you manage your properties
Help is at hand for landlords and property managers thanks to various property investment tools and management platforms like TPN Rentbook. Landlords and managing agents with less than 20 leases can use Rentbook’s cloud-based software for free – and for more sizeable endeavours, the platform remains remarkably affordable. The easy and intuitive system helps you keep track of what’s happening with your property portfolio. This includes tracking payments and expenses, seeing what bills are coming up, when your lease agreements will expire and many more useful metrics. Whether you’re renting out one property or 50, such tools will help to make your admin manageable.
Making your property stand out
As a property investor, you want to increase the value of your investment property in any way possible. One of the most effective ways to shine the spotlight on your property when you’re looking for a buyer or a tenant is to bring it into three dimensions online. Thanks to tools like Matterport, you can create three-dimensional tours and floorplans. These allow your would-be buyer or tenant to immerse themselves in your space without having to leave their home or office.
Whether you’ve been a property investor for decades or you’re new to the game, tools such as these will simplify your life and make it easier to get maximum returns on your investments. The best person to talk to about property investment is an experienced property practitioner. Get hold of Seeff for all the assistance you may need in your future property investment endeavours.
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