Property management is a huge industry — one that generated $76 billion in revenue last year — but it’s still stuck in its old ways. Austin-based Ender is looking to change that.
Property managers have to post on multiple websites to find prospective tenants, then answer phone calls, texts and emails to schedule multiple appointments. After that comes meeting the prospective tenants at the property and giving them a full tour.
Property managers have to go through this whole process even if the prospective tenants aren’t interested. If they are interested, there comes background checks, signing documents, getting the security deposit and more.
Ender uses technology to streamline the leasing process. This involves posting on over 80 listing sites, automating responses to tenant inquiries, providing access to secure self-showings and bringing the application process and rent paying online. This also helps reduce the need for leasing agents.
On Monday, Ender announced it has raised $7 million in seed funding to take its business to the next level. The company says it’ll use this funding to expand its smart leasing services throughout Texas, and later make its property management software and smart leasing across the company.
In addition to the funding, Ender announced it has appointed Jason Ellefson to head of operations. Ellefson is a veteran in the management and hospitality industry, who has opened hotels, restaurants and clubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami.
“Property management is a coordination and classification problem,” Jon Lonsdale, co-founder and CEO of Ender, said in a statement. “A cohesive platform benefits property investors, tenants, and vendors by simplifying leasing, payments, accounting, and communication in one platform.”
Oh, and in case you were wondering about the name, the company offered insights about that in its release, as well.
“We named the company after ‘Ender’s Game,’” Lonsdale said. “We found the book inspiring, the movie less so.”
