A change of property management software should solve a defined problem. Moving because another dashboard looks more attractive can create extra work without improving the underlying process. This checklist was reviewed on 16 October 2026 and does not rank or claim to have tested individual products.
Define why you are changing
Write down the difficulties with the current arrangement. These might involve finding records, handing over tasks or producing a useful report. Describe the outcome you need rather than starting with a long list of possible features.
Check whether the problem arises from the product, its configuration or the way the team uses it. Ask the existing supplier about unresolved issues before assuming a migration is the only answer.
Use the same short demonstration brief with each alternative. Include a task that currently causes difficulty and record how each proposed system handles it.
Inspect what will transfer
Prepare an inventory of properties, contacts, documents and outstanding work. Test an export from the existing service and check whether someone unfamiliar with the system could identify the records.
Ask the prospective provider what can be imported directly and what requires manual work. Clarify how relationships between records will be preserved, such as a document belonging to a particular tenancy.
The ICO's security guidance addresses keeping personal information secure and available. Include access permissions and recovery arrangements in the migration plan rather than concentrating only on the visible screens.
Reconcile before switching off
Move a small sample first. Compare it with the source records, checking dates, balances where relevant, document attachments and unresolved tasks. Record differences and agree how they will be corrected.
Plan the changeover with everyone who uses the service. Establish which system will hold the working record during the transition and how new information will be captured without duplication.
Confirm subscription notice periods, assistance charges and the arrangements for retaining access to necessary records. Obtain written terms rather than relying on assumptions from an old product comparison.
Keep the old records available until the transfer has been checked and the required retention arrangements are in place. A successful move is one in which the team can continue its work confidently and account for the information it brought across.