The agencies winning (literally) at service have one thing in common

So many property management agencies are stuck playing defence. The phone rings with a maintenance emergency. An investor calls asking for an update. A renter has a question. Before you know it, your entire team is just reacting.

But some agencies have flipped the script entirely.

Recently, Ailo ran a competition to find the best Project templates across the thousands of property managers using the Ailo platform.

The entries revealed something striking: the agencies delivering outstanding service had figured out that in property management, sometimes your systems are your strategy.

But what was even more striking was what happened next: The moment winners were announced, agencies across the country started asking for their templates, and the winners wanted to share them. Because these aren't just property managers using the same software – they're a community that believes when one agency gets better at service, it lifts the entire industry.

A high tide lifts all boats.

Bernadette O'Sullivan, Ailo's resident Project specialist, reviewed every entry.

"We focused on the level of service participants were delivering to their clients," she said. "We were particularly impressed by workflows that included multiple client touchpoints to keep communication clear and proactive."

Translation: these property managers built transparency and communication directly into their workflows. No chasing updates. No clients left wondering. No scrambling. These teams turned their workflows into their competitive advantage.

Here’s how they actually did it:

The best templates kept everyone informed without property managers having to chase anyone. Investors could see progress in real-time. Team members knew exactly where things stood. Clients never had to ask "what's happening with my property?"

When someone was away sick or on leave, work didn't stop. These templates made it easy for the next person to pick up exactly where things left off. No panicked handovers. No dropped balls.

Instead of waiting for clients to chase them, these property managers built check-ins into their workflows. That shift – from reactive to proactive – is often what separates agencies that retain clients from those that lose them.

Special shout-out to Megan Van Hoeyen, Kate Stewart, and Corrine Forsyth for their Highly Commended projects, too! 🏆

When agencies join Ailo, they're not just buying software. They're joining a community of forward-thinking businesses who are reimagining property management. Templates built by peers. Workflows tested in real agencies. Best practices shared across hundreds of businesses.

Legacy systems were built around trust accounting. They force your team to prioritise admin over relationships. But property management isn't about trust accounting. It's about service.

Ailo's Projects put communication and workflows at the centre. When you eliminate the daily admin grind, your team can focus on building relationships and delivering exceptional service.

That's not a feature difference. It's a fundamentally different philosophy about how property management should work.

The agencies featured here aren't winners because of their size or resources. They just made a decision: stop accepting systems that hold you back and join a community that's building something better.