Property software should make it easier to find the right record when it is needed. A long list of features is less useful if the team cannot retrieve an agreement, confirm a certificate or export its files. This buying checklist was reviewed on 16 October 2026.
Start with a practical test
List the documents your own operation uses and the people who need access to them. Include agreements, inventories, inspection records and significant correspondence. Decide how you want to organise them by property, tenancy and date.
During a demonstration, ask the provider to show an ordinary workflow from start to finish. Upload a sample file, retrieve it from a different screen and check how an amended version is distinguished from the previous one. Use invented test data rather than real tenant information for this exercise.
Check search results carefully. A system that returns many similarly named files may still leave staff unsure which document is current. Agree a naming convention before transferring the existing archive.
Check access and personal information
The ICO's data-minimisation principle requires personal information to be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for its purpose. Moving records into a new system is an opportunity to consider what you actually need to retain, rather than copying everything indefinitely.
Ask how permissions are assigned and removed. Establish whether contractors, agents and administrators can be given different access. Review the provider's security information, contractual terms and arrangements for handling personal data.
Confirm how the service records changes and how your team would respond if a user left or an account was compromised. Features should support a clear internal process, rather than substitute for one.
Plan for exports and continuity
Before signing, test whether documents can be exported in a usable form with enough information to identify them. Ask what happens to access when the subscription ends and how long migration would realistically take.
Compare the complete cost for the number of users, properties and storage you require. Check whether useful functions are included or charged separately, and obtain current written terms rather than relying on an old comparison article.
Start with a small, controlled migration and verify the result before moving the remainder. Keep a record of what was transferred and check a sample of files. The right product is one your team can operate reliably and leave without losing control of its records.