Want seamless transformation? Choose a partner who shows up

When Belle Property St Kilda decided to leave their legacy systems behind, they discovered something their old software providers never offered: actual people, in their office from day one, making sure every team member felt confident from the first click.

No remote training videos. No generic webinars. No "figure it out yourself" approach that legacy systems are famous for.

Instead, they got Adam Hooley, Ailo's Head of Client Migration, along with Customer Enablement Specialists Gabi Everard and Kristie te Giffel, walking through their doors on go-live day, ready to sit beside every property manager and turn migration day into something surprisingly upbeat.

"Teams often learn best when they're doing their tasks in front of the computer," explains Hooley. "We call it the how-to context. When somebody goes to do a lease and they're not really sure what to do, we're standing right next to them saying, 'Right, OK, do this, this and this.'"

Belle Property St Kilda's migration day started with the entire team gathered together. Hooley ran through the essentials: getting emails connected, forms integrated, and helping everyone orientate themselves on the screen.

Then came the old-school touch that made all the difference. A printed checklist landed on every desk, outlining exactly what each team member needed to explore in the platform. As property managers worked through their tasks, Gabi and Kristie circulated, ticking off achievements and providing instant support.

"A lot of people get a lot of comfort just having us walking around the office," notes Hooley.

This hands-on approach stands in stark contrast to the legacy systems Belle Property St Kilda left behind, where support meant logging a ticket, waiting days for a response, and losing valuable time instead of being productive from day one.

What the Ailo specialists brought wasn't just technical expertise. They brought emotional intelligence.

"It's much easier for us to keep an eye on morale," Hooley explains. "If we see people that are kind of withdrawing or they're not engaging, then we can pull up a chair and sit down next to them and actually spend more time with them."

When a property manager at Belle Property St Kilda seemed overwhelmed during routine inspection setup, Kristie noticed immediately. They sat down together, worked through the process step by step, and turned potential anxiety into confidence.

This kind of in-person support means small roadblocks never snowball, keeping momentum high and the team confident from the very beginning.

That’s the difference: legacy systems leave those moments unnoticed, while Ailo’s in-office team can spot and support the people who need it most.

Perhaps the most practical advantage of having Ailo's team on-site was their ability to fix issues instantly. With admin access at their fingertips, they could resolve migration quirks immediately.

"If little quirky things aren't quite right, we can just jump in admin UI and fix it," says Hooley. "It gets stuff fixed very quickly for them that might just be things that were missed or broken during migration."

For Belle Property St Kilda, this meant no productivity loss in those crucial first days — the team were transforming their work from day one. While other agencies switching legacy systems might spend weeks ironing out kinks, Belle Property's team was running at full speed from day one.

The contrast with legacy property management systems couldn't be starker. Traditional providers typically offer:

Generic online training modules

Email support with 48-hour response times

Remote implementation consultants who've never seen your office

A "sink or swim" mentality that leaves teams struggling for weeks

Belle Property St Kilda experienced something entirely different. They got a partner who understood that successful migration isn't about software, it's about people. It's about being there when someone needs to process their first lease application. It's about spotting the team member who needs encouragement.

As Hooley observes, larger offices like Belle Property St Kilda are "geared for change" and "usually adopt change much better" when properly supported. With games throughout the day and celebratory morning tea, Gabi and Kristie helped create genuine excitement about new capabilities.

Belle Property St Kilda's experience raises an important question for the property management industry: Why should agencies accept anything less than in-person support when making such a critical business transition?

Legacy systems have conditioned the industry to expect minimal support, long learning curves, and frustrated teams. Ailo's approach with Belle Property St Kilda proves there's a better way.

"Teams learn best when they're doing their tasks," Hooley emphasises. And Belle Property St Kilda learned that when you have the right people beside you on day one, you're not just learning a new system. You're transforming your entire approach to property management.