Gestion Immobilière Service Plus: a family transformation
Immerse yourself in the history of Gestion Immobilière Service Plus, a family-run business that has forged an enviable place for itself in Sherbrooke’s real estate sector for over 20 years. With 156 units in 19 buildings, the company is preparing to pass the torch to its two sons, to ensure its future.
Having just concluded an offer to purchase an 8-unit building, we spoke to Étienne Tardif, Property Manager, who shared his background and challenges with us.
The situation : redefining the future of a family business
Étienne has always gravitated towards the company, but after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he chose to join the family business to contribute to its growth. Their first challenge was to set up an efficient management system to support its development.
” The first challenge we set ourselves was to incorporate authorised payments and a more efficient management system, because my father did it all manually, a little Excel file with papers and cheques. “
Before Proprio Expert was introduced, their operations were limited to the use of Excel files, without recourse to specialized tools. This rudimentary approach had its effectiveness, but they soon realized that it was not going to live up to their ambitions.
At a family reunion, they discussed the purpose of the company. What did they want to do with it? They realized that if he and his brother didn’t join the business, their parents would gradually consider liquidating the real estate.
” We asked ourselves what was stopping us from growing right now, what was blocking us? And that was the management system. It was all based on a system my father implemented many years ago, and then it had reached its limit for sure. “
To kick-start their project, they set out to find a software package that would combine accounting and property management functionalities, enabling them to create a solid foundation. That’s how they discovered Proprio Expert;
The solution : Moving from a rudimentary system to an operating software
Proprio Expert was integrated sequentially last spring. They have targeted the first stage they want to implement by July 1rst , building the system and implementing pre-authorized debits. Right from the start, Proprio Expert proved to be a major asset in terms of efficiency.
« We still had a few tenants who paid in cash, we had transfers that we received, we had some programmed, we had to chase 3-4, 5 tenants every month, then there were post-dated checks … and then with the student blocks, sometimes we had 4 transfers for an apartment. »
Once everything was centralized, the process became fast and error-free regarding rent amounts, especially when not all leases start on July 1rst and are spread throughout the year.
The next step for Gestion Immobilière Service Plus will be to invite tenants to use the software; The accounts have already been created, so all they have to do is send them their access details. This approach is in line with the installation of automatic payments, the main obstacle to the expansion of the real estate market.
Étienne and his family already have in mind the next two aspects to tackle: lease renewals and RL-31 slips. For now, these tasks are still carried out manually, which takes up a lot of time. But they are confident that this situation will improve when the software is integrated. From now on, these documents will be accessible to tenants at all times, avoiding the inconvenience of lost documents.
« Each year, around 30% of tenants claim to have lost their RL31 slip. »
Implementation: a user-friendly tool, with plenty of support
For Étienne, Proprio Expert’s best feature is its ease of use. Once you understand how the tree structure works, it’s easy to navigate the software, thanks to its intuitive configuration.
” It’s pretty user-friendly, it’s fun to be able to play in a tab, you can go and play in your blocks anyway, it’s fine I think. “
Étienne is a fan of learning by exploring. As soon as he gets his hands on a new piece of software, he loves to play with its features and discover for himself how everything works. One of Proprio Expert’s major assets is its training courses and video tutorials. They help avoid the development of bad habits, while facilitating an overall understanding of the software’s structure, thus enabling optimal use of its functions.
Another aspect that Étienne appreciates is the ongoing support offered by Proprio Expert.
” Customer service is really great. There’s the ” chat ” online, I ask the question with my membership number and in 6 minutes my question is answered. I don’t need to call or anything. Honestly, I have nothing to say. I think I used it 4 times, if I’m not mistaken. And every time, it was really perfect. “
It’s still too early to measure exactly how much time has been saved since the recent implementation of Proprio Expert. However, Étienne is convinced that this transition will offer considerable advantages, propelling their company towards more efficient and effective management.
Would you recommend Proprio Expert?
During an evening gathering of real estate industry players, a new player in the market asked Étienne if he should make the leap to management software. Here’s his answer!
“We’re in the process of implementing Proprio Expert in our company, and so far it’s going super well, it’s user friendly and there’s super good support. I’ve already recommended it, so get on board and take the plunge, it’s worth it!”
In conclusion, Gestion Immobilière Service Plus has begun its transformation towards Proprio Expert. This transition has improved the efficiency of their property management by simplifying payments. Implementation has yet to be completed, but the team is confident of future benefits. Thanks to an innovation-oriented approach, the family business is ready to prosper with the next generation at its side.
