The single platform changing property management forever—Rob from McGrath explains how
Ailo
19 February 2025
In today’s market, more business owners are recognizing that property management is not just an add-on—it’s a key driver of stability, scalability, and long-term profitability. Few people understand this better than Rob Zappia, General Manager at McGrath on the Lower North Shore.
With decades of experience in the industry under his belt, Rob has seen it all—the challenges, the inefficiencies, and now, the solution that is revolutionising the industry.
If you’ve ever struggled with outdated systems, felt overwhelmed by disconnected processes, or wondered how to future-proof your property management business, this interview is a must-read. Rob breaks down exactly what’s changed, why it matters, and how one platform is helping property managers and business owners scale smarter, not harder.
How has the role of property management evolved in real estate businesses over your career?
Property management is the beating heart of a scalable business—it’s where the real value is. To me, it’s about looking after investors, making sure their asset is properly managed. It’s different to sales, which is all about the transaction.
“In real estate, your property management department is your asset. That’s where the real stability and long-term value is in a business.”
— Robert Zappia, General Manager Property Management at McGrath Hunters Hill, Lane Cover, Mosman, Crows Nest, Willoughby and McMahons Point
That’s what you can sell. You can’t sell a sales business the way you can sell a rent roll.
For a long time, property management was a bit on the side. But I think after COVID, more business owners recognised the value is in their property rental department. Sales directors who own businesses now take it more seriously, because they can see it’s what keeps their business strong.
How has property management technology evolved as the industry has?
In our industry, systems are everything. Traditionally, property managers were sold plug-ins—you needed an inspection manager, a separate program for documents, another one for payments. It was messy. I believe having one system that does everything, end-to-end, is the future.
Before Ailo, we had a bunch of different systems, and they were all okay individually, but together? It was clunky. The older systems were trust accounting programs with a little bit of property management on the side.
“Ailo is different—it’s the first system I’ve seen that is actually built for property managers, not just for trust accounting.”
— Robert Zappia, General Manager Property Management at McGrath Hunters Hill, Lane Cover, Mosman, Crows Nest, Willoughby and McMahons Point
Ailo is the only true property management system. It has simplified everything. We’re not jumping between platforms anymore. Everything’s in one place, which makes our jobs so much easier.
What was it like leading your team through the transition to a new technology platform and a stronger focus on growth?
There was some pushback at first—there always is with new technology. But once they saw how Ailo worked, they got onboard. It sells itself.
“The big game-changer was Projects. As property managers, we used to have sticky notes everywhere, reacting instead of planning. Projects helps structure the day and get ahead.”
— Robert Zappia, General Manager Property Management at McGrath Hunters Hill, Lane Cover, Mosman, Crows Nest, Willoughby and McMahons Point
And, in the past, when you told a property manager, ‘We’re growing,’ they’d push back and say, ‘I’m already at capacity.’ But now, because they’re working more efficiently, they can take on more without feeling overwhelmed.
Read more: How teams use projects
How has your move to Ailo changed the day-to-day feel in the office?
The office is calmer. Property managers log in and get their work done, rather than stressing over emails and juggling different systems. Ailo helps the team to do their work more efficiently rather than getting lost in email chains all day.
What do your clients think of the Ailo platform and your new level of service?
We have a commercial property owner—he’s about 60, owns six or seven properties. He had a large insurance bill that needed to be paid. I called him and said, ‘Jump on Ailo, upload your bill, and attach a credit card.’
I thought this was going to be a struggle, but five minutes later, he called me back saying, ‘That was amazing. I should be using this more often.’
Going back to the dark ages, this would have taken a week—waiting for funds, transferring money, clearing payments. With Ailo, it was done in minutes.
As general manager, how does Ailo help you keep on top of what the team is doing and where they might need extra support?
“The KPI reporting in Ailo is unlike anything I’ve seen before. I can see response times in real minutes, how much work is being done, missed inspections—everything.”
— Robert Zappia, General Manager Property Management at McGrath Hunters Hill, Lane Cover, Mosman, Crows Nest, Willoughby and McMahons Point
It holds property managers accountable, but in a way that helps them, not punishes them. It actually makes them better at their jobs.
Now when we pitch for new business, we can tell clients, ‘Our average response time is X minutes. Here’s how quickly we complete projects.’ You can’t do that with any other system. We’re not just saying we provide great service—we can prove it.
What would you say to a business owner considering Ailo?
I’d tell them, ‘You need to jump onboard. It’s an end-to-end product, no plug-ins, full visibility. Property managers love it, clients love it. It’s a no-brainer.’