Most property management businesses know they need to modernise. They've seen the writing on the wall - outdated systems, stressed teams, competitors pulling ahead. Yet they wait, hoping next quarter or next year will be the "right time" to make a change.

But according to property management leaders who've made the switch to Ailo, waiting is the real risk.

"I firmly believe that the pain of staying the same is worse than the pain of change in this case," says Lindsay Burne from LJ Hooker Dickson. "I think not going to Ailo will be worse for your team in the short term, let alone the long term."

For agencies still hesitating, the message from those who've already switched is clear: the perfect time will never come, and every day you wait is a day you fall further behind.

Cloud

Brent Mason, co-director of Ray White Bendigo with 1,950 properties under management, doesn't mince words when describing the technology gap in property management.

"I think it's like anything, reflection in historical moments, it's like dial up internet and as opposed to NBN — the sooner you get on it, the faster you're gonna be able to move and grow."

His business partner Rory Somerville agrees, noting that legacy systems have essentially hit pause on innovation: "A lot of the legacy systems are I guess in a moment of pause like they're not progressive, they're not moving forward."

In property management today, that same divide is playing out between agencies clinging to legacy systems and those embracing modern platforms.

The Hidden Cost of "We'll Address It Later"

Zac Boothroyd, Managing Director at Ray White Lara, challenges the very premise of waiting. When asked what he'd say to businesses planning to address their technology "later," his response is blunt:

"Are you gonna be on the platform you're on 10 years from now? And most people would probably say no. And that's why are you gonna be on it tomorrow? You know, move, take the leap."

His team leader, Julia Demitrius, adds a dose of reality about the psychology of delay: "We kind of put it off because we weren't sure if we were ready, but I don't think you're ever gonna be ready. You need to take that chance, and then we've seen the benefits from day one. It was easy, it was simple, like we were waiting for something but there was nothing there."

One of the biggest surprises for business owners is discovering their teams are already aware of — and wanting — better technology. Rory Somerville from Ray White Bendigo has seen this firsthand through his other business, TaskBridge:

"We get to go into lots of offices... and we're seeing property managers are being aware of Ailo, they know about Ailo, they know the tech and as property managers they also want it in the business."

The fear of disrupting staff turns out to be misplaced. As Zac Boothroyd explains: "They don't wanna rock the boat, and I think they feel like they're protecting their staff by doing that, but... you're protecting them by moving forward with a platform that's gonna enable the team to grow and move forward."

Perhaps the most compelling argument comes from market pressure. Property investors aren't waiting around — they're actively seeking agencies with modern technology.

"What we've seen is the landlords have really embraced the technology, they're asking for it, they want the tech, they want the advancements," Brent Mason reports. "If we hadn't have made the move to Ailo... we wouldn't have been delivering effectively what our landlords want."

The Regret is Always the Same: "We Should Have Done It Sooner"

Across every interview, one theme emerges consistently - regret about waiting.

Joanne Lang from Barry Plant Caroline Springs, managing 750 properties, is emphatic: "Oh my god, I think it's the best thing that I've ever done... You'll be kicking yourself if you didn't sort of come across [to Ailo]."

Rory from Ray White Bendigo echoes this sentiment: "I think if I had have known all the by-products and the things that would have come out of Ailo into our business like less phone calls, better culture, better retention of staff... that the landlords love the system... we would have just made the move earlier."

The Fear is Overblown, The Reality is Simple

For those paralysed by the fear of change, Joanne Lang offers reassurance born from experience:

"I know I remembered when moving across to Ailo I was absolutely scared... oh my God have I made the right decision... at the end of the night yes."

Her advice? "We all procrastinate, that's why we don't like changes... it's the word change — just do it. I mean as a business owner... as hard as it is, you just have to make that change."

The Verdict From Those Who've Made the Switch 

Lindsay Burne's recommendation is unequivocal: "If the question is, would I recommend Ailo? wholeheartedly yes. I haven't looked backwards or questioned my decision to change to Ailo."

For agencies still waiting for the "right time," the message from those who've already switched is clear: that time is now. As Julia Demitrius simply puts it: "Make the change. Just do it, go for it."

The technology divide in property management is widening daily. The question isn't whether you'll eventually need to modernise - it's whether you'll do it while you still have a competitive advantage, or after your competitors and your own team have left you behind.

As Brent Mason warns with his dial-up internet analogy, some businesses are "back in prehistoric days" while others are "really moving forward." Which side of that divide do you want to be on tomorrow?

"The Risk is in Not Changing": Why Property Management Leaders Say Move to Ailo Now

For something so small, keys have always caused outsized stress in property management.

Keys move in and out of the office all day — for inspections, repairs, handovers, vacates. And for years, the “system” was clipboards, spreadsheets, or bolt-on software that didn’t talk to anything else. When a key went missing, the fallout was bigger than a re-cut: hours lost, trades delayed, renters frustrated, reputations damaged.

With legacy tools, the burden fell on property managers. If the logbook wasn’t updated, the spreadsheet was wrong, or the add-on didn’t sync. Chaos followed.

A digital key management that finally works the way you do

. Until now, Ailo helped you record keys. Now you can actively track them:

Real-time tracking

Built-in, not bolted on

Transparency builds trust

Because keys are embedded inside projects, they fit naturally into the work you’re already doing.

Bulk check out your keys in one go in your Ailo app.

Reserve the keys, so they’re ready when they arrive and avoid double booking.

Keys are in projects so the handover is logged automatically and tracked to completion.

 Instantly see who has a key, when it was due back, and the full activity history, so you can step in without missing a beat.

 Alerts flag it straight away, so you can nip delays in the bud.

No extra software. No chasing down clipboards. No risk of something being missed when a teammate is off sick. Just keys managed with the same visibility and accountability as everything else in Ailo.

Check out this demo from Thien, the product manager who built it 👇

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With Keys in Ailo, one of property management’s oldest frustrations finally disappears. Keys are tracked, transparent, and part of the same connected system that powers payments, inspections, repairs, and compliance.

One less risk. One less time-waster. One more way Ailo helps you run a better property management business.

If you’re already using the Ailo platform, visit the 

 to learn more. If you’re not using the Ailo platform (yet!), 

 – we’d love to show you how it works!

Get in touch

Charcoal

From lost time to peace of mind: key tracking in Ailo

Keys touch almost every part of property management – renter handovers, supplier access, inspections, and more. But they’re often a hidden source of stress, thanks to disconnected legacy software that never quite fits the workflow. Lost keys lead to wasted hours, mounting costs, and awkward conversations no one wants to have.

Keys in Ailo takes that stress away. They’re built into projects, so they sit naturally alongside inspections, vacates, and repairs. Property managers can check keys in and out, reserve them ahead of time, see a full history of where they’ve been, and manage it all on the run through the app.

, Property Investments Team Leader at Ray White Northern Coast, it’s the difference between chasing paper and having certainty in seconds.

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From paper trails to five-second checkouts

Before Ailo, Tracy’s team relied on paper sign-in sheets. Legacy systems leave property managers chasing scraps of paper or trying to reconcile different logs – a process full of gaps and human error.

“The most frustrating thing was the tracking of the keys. You had to rely on people really filling those out correctly… and then trying to chase them around”.

Now, the process takes moments. “You just pick up your phone, search the property, take a photo, put in a little bit of crucial information that takes five seconds, and check them out. It’s really, really quick and easy. There's a full record of it. It’s lovely!”

Her three-word summary? “Tracked digitally, clear and transparent, streamlined.”

Part of the workflow, not just an extra task

The real breakthrough for Tracy is that keys aren’t bolted on as another task – they’re part of the natural workflow.

Other tools treat keys as an afterthought – a separate app, another login, another manual step. Ailo puts keys where they belong: inside the workflow.

“It eliminates any mistakes and miscommunication. With routine inspections, the staff simply again take a photo, we know where that’s gone… if there’s a contractor at the house and we’re doing an inspection, simply change that over, give it over to the contractor, sign those out, and we know that when they come in, it’ll all be reconciled and closed”.

That visibility has reduced stress across the team.

“Our inspections agents don’t have just one set at a time, they’ve got seven or eight at a time, and that is stressful, she says.

“With Ailo now, you know exactly what keys you have. You know exactly where they are”.

The impact shows up daily. When a contractor borrowed a set of keys recently, Tracy didn’t need to dig through the logs. 

White

In another case, a renter’s son arrived at a property without keys while the tenant was an hour away. Tracy authorised a friend to collect them, ID checked her, and logged everything digitally. The tenant was notified immediately, and again when the keys were returned just half an hour later. “It was really quick and simple and easy.”

Tracy also sees Keys in Ailo as a competitive edge in conversations with investors. When her team takes on a new management, they photograph and log every key, and owners receive a copy.

She remembers the embarrassment of once being handed the wrong keys by another agency. “With Ailo that would be completely eliminated because there are photo records of exactly what keys you have at any given time”.

When asked what would happen if Ailo keys were switched off tomorrow, Tracy doesn’t hesitate: “I would be on the phone to you and I’d be saying there is no negotiation. Turn it back on!

Her pitch to other agencies is simple: “Ailo give us accountability for keys, which saves us time and stress.”

Tracked, transparent, stress-free: Tracy on Ailo’s keys breakthrough

When Karl Von Riegen, Head of Department at Ray White United Group, looked back at the past year, one number stood out: 922.

That’s how many organic new managements his team brought on in just 12 months.

For Karl, growth on that scale wasn’t about working harder. It was about working smarter with Ailo.

See how Karl unified seven offices, reduced arrears to 2.5%, and transformed compliance and communication with Ailo — unlocking growth his team can sustain year after year.

Ray White United Group spans seven offices and manages over 3,000 properties. With that scale, consistency is everything.

“You want to have one brand, doing things one way,” Karl says. “From checklists and payments to communication — Ailo brings it all into one system. Everybody’s working the same way, and that’s ideal.”

He contrasts this with traditional software:

Instead of juggling multiple systems and legacy tools, Karl’s team runs everything in Ailo:

The result? A seamless, standardised service experience across every office.

 they deliver a better service — they can prove it.

“Our arrears are 2.5% across 3,000 managements, which is unheard of,” Karl explains. “We just put that in front of new clients, and they’re signing.”

Rent increases are also automated, so nothing slips through the cracks. “If you haven’t had a rent increase, that’s shocking,” Karl says. “Ailo automates the whole system. We can’t forget it, and it’s done before it even needs to be.”

For Karl, that automation gives his team confidence and his investors transparency.

Communication has always been one of the hardest parts of managing at scale. Ailo made it one of Karl’s biggest selling points.

That speed and visibility means no one is left wondering if their message got through.

“You’re never not hearing from our property managers — and I can prove it.”

Karl says Ailo has also transformed the way he hires and retains staff.

The difference is clear even to recruiters.

“Recruiters are calling me within 10 minutes of an interview saying the candidate wants to work here — because of Ailo.”

With less admin and no trust accounting to grind through, property managers see a clear difference in day-to-day life. And for new hires, Ailo signals that this is a business that invests in technology, not burnout.

Would you ever go back to a legacy property management system?

After seeing the results, Karl can’t imagine going back to legacy systems.

What started as an upgrade to processes has become a cornerstone of Ray White United Group’s growth strategy.

“When you’ve got 922 new managements in a year, 2.5% arrears across 3,000 properties, and property managers who actually want to join the team because of your system,” Karl says, “that’s when you know you’ve got the edge.”

Get in touch!

The secret to 922 (organic!) new managements in a single year

Most agencies treat compliance as a necessary evil. It’s another portal to log into, another inbox to chase, another blind spot that keeps business owners awake at night.

, Head of Department at Ray White United Group, thought the same — until he saw what compliance looked like inside Ailo.

Instead of juggling separate systems, the Ailo platform pulled compliance into the same platform his team already used to run every other part of property management. Smoke alarm checks, certificates, invoices — all flowing through the one system alongside rent, bills, inspections, and communication. No bolt-ons, no busywork, no cracks for things to slip through.

For Karl, that shift was transformative. 

Large Pink angle top

Before his team used Ailo’s compliance solution, compliance weighed heavily on Karl’s seven offices and 3,000 properties under management. Legacy compliance providers created constant interruptions — endless phone calls, manual chasing, and clunky scheduling.

“With Ailo compliance, it’s pretty well a dream at the moment to be honest,” he said, “You’ve got those stupid, annoying pain points all the time with the legacy programs – they’re calling your property managers and trying to get new tenant details or scheduled appointments. Now with Ailo, it’s just seamless.”

That pressure wasn’t unique to Ray White United. Legacy compliance tools often sit outside the core system, meaning extra logins, reconciliations, and blind spots. Even the best agencies see ~10% of properties slip through the cracks from time to time.

More headspace, less busywork, happier team

The turning point came when Karl experienced compliance inside Ailo.

“It’s all through one program. The compliance technicians can jump in, they can service new tenants automatically. They know when the lease renewals are happening, they know when it’s due.”

Unlike legacy providers, Ailo’s compliance is fully embedded. From scheduling to certificates, everything runs automatically in the background. Certificates and invoices land instantly against each property, with real-time visibility for the team and property investors.

By eliminating those “$1 jobs,” Karl’s property managers have the headspace to focus on what really matters – building relationships, solving problems, and proactively supporting investors and renters.

The benefits extend beyond the back office. Investors can see compliance certificates in-app — proof their property is protected.

That transparency not only builds trust, it gives Karl’s agency a competitive edge. Compliance has become a selling point when pitching for new business — visible proof that Ray White United Group goes further than the competition.

Behind the automation, Ailo partners with DC Smoke Services — established in 2016 and already keeping more than 40,000 homes safe and compliant across Australia. Their reliability, national scale, and simple service model (no onboarding fees, no key collection charges, one invoice per job) give leaders like Karl the confidence that compliance is covered without hidden surprises.

Karl also highlighted the human touch: “Marco’s very good. He’s come out, I’ve met him twice now. I can pick up the phone and he’ll answer it straight away, or if he’s in a meeting, he’ll ring me back within 20 minutes. I like the fact that it’s family-oriented, and even though it’s a large outfit, he’s still got fundamental principles of a small business owner, so he really cares about what he’s doing.”

Compliance that proves the one-platform difference

For Karl and his team at Ray White United Group, Ailo proved what’s possible when every part of property management runs in one system.

Rent, bills, inspections, communication, and compliance — all connected, automated, and visible. No more switching between systems, no more blind spots, and no more chasing. Just a single platform where the work gets done and the results are clear.

What was once stressful and manual is now transparent, efficient, and even a competitive advantage.

His advice for other agencies is simple: Try it.

Lavender

How Karl transformed compliance – and service delivery – at Ray White United Group

Property inspections are a vital service. They build trust with investors and are the backbone of good property management. But let's be honest, they can take F-O-R-E-V-E-R to complete. For Clohee Morrow, property manager at Ray White Rural Oakley, Ailo’s AI powered inspections changed everything.

Before Ailo’s AI-powered inspections: The struggle was real

"Before Ailo’s AI powered inspections, they did take a lot longer to complete," Clohee explains.

We're talking 2-4 hours per inspection. That's a lot of time spent on note-taking, photo sorting, and report writing when you could be growing your business instead.

Now? Clohee knocks out inspections in 1.5-2 hours - and she's still getting the hang of how the tool works in Ailo.

"The first time I used [the AI tool in Ailo] it, it was incredible. When we set the camera up and we took the 360 photos, it picked up everything. And then to do the AI report, it goes into so much more detail than what we were doing previously."

The technology doesn't just save time. It catches stuff Clohee might miss.

"It's picking up little things that I was missing, in the reports, so it's making them more in depth. It's picking up everything through the dirty marks on the wall, cracks, all that."

Landlords get better documentation. Tenants get fairer assessments. Everyone wins.

Clohee's pro tip: Smart photography strategy

Here's how the Ray White Rural team maximises AI-powered inspections in Ailo:

Take close-ups of problem areas (window tracks, potential issues)

"We have started doing a whole room photo, so getting 360 to take a photo, sometimes once in one or two areas, and then taking photos of any problem areas," Clohee explains.

On the platform, Clohee's team gives feedback with thumbs up/down ratings, helping the AI learn their standards. "We have started doing that with all the little areas that we add in."

The result? The system gets better over time.

And with new features like entry/exit comparisons coming soon? The team's excited about what's next.

Ray White Rural Oakley proves that embracing AI doesn't replace good property managers, it makes them unstoppable. Less admin, better reports, happier clients.

Ready to transform your inspections like Clohee did? 

Discover how Ailo's AI-powered inspections can help you work smarter, not harder

Clohee's inspections went from hours to minutes (and she's still learning!)

Corrine’s story shows what happens when leadership, process, and technology come together. 

Ailo isn’t just a tool, it’s a pathway to growth. 

For Ray White Beenleigh, it has meant more transparency, more trust, stronger client outcomes, and a clearer vision of what the future of property management can be.

After nearly two decades in the industry, Corinne Forsyth has learned that growth isn’t just about numbers, it’s about processes, people, and the platforms that support them. 

At Ray White Beenleigh, Ailo has become central to that growth journey, helping the team deliver transparency, accountability, and new opportunities for both the business and it’s clients.

“The good thing about Ailo is that you can confidently go to a new client and pretty much say to them, 

. They can see everything that we’re doing. They can see where the tenants are paid to, they can see when the next routine’s coming up. There’s no hiding behind a portal or having to email.”

For Corinne, this visibility isn’t something to fear, it’s a competitive advantage.

“If you’re confident in your processes and your business, you have nothing to hide. I'm very particular about the way that we do things, time frames and clients’ expectations. I’m confident that my team is delivering. We go over our statistics every week in the meeting as well, then there’s nothing to hide. And if you’re doing a good job, you should be able to showcase that to the clients.”

With Ailo, growth conversations are backed by data, not just words.

"Ailo’s reminding our tenants they need to pay their rent, and our arrears dropped significantly when we moved over to the platform. And that data runs deep.”

“You can pull more data, in the monthly KPI reports, which breaks down every component. So if you really want to go into detail, you can ask your business owner for it, and you can break it down; many routine inspections we did this month, how many repairs and maintenance got reported, and this is how many we’ve closed off, this is how quickly we action things. There’s so much micro data you can pull from the system to use to win business.”

Corrine's year of networking and learning

“When I came back into a leadership role, I made a promise to myself that in the year 2025, I would focus on networking and learning. Even though I’ve been in the industry for 17 years, I’m still learning, because I have a mentor. With legislation changes and a bit of a shift in the market, t’s a good time to be a property manager. We’re getting a little bit more focused. We’re getting more recognition, we’re getting more training opportunities. My renewed commitment has sparked 

, a monthly initiative that brings together property managers and BDMs across different regions.”

“It’s more just building relationships, you can talk about the day to day of property management too. Obviously, you’re not going to give your whole playbook to the agency down the road. But if you’re networking with people that are an hour or two or even in different parts of Australia, you can share so much knowledge and you improve your process as well. Sometimes referrals come out of it, but at the end of the day, it’s good to have that support network and tribe of people.”

Corinne encourages her team to take a proactive approach when it comes to winning new business.

“The first thing I would do if I was new to this industry, is 

 every competitor in my area, to see what legacy platform they’re using. You’ll be able to get a good indication if people are using Ailo or a system where they have to rely on the property manager or the accounts manager to disperse the funds to the client. Then you can obviously pinpoint what you’re going to promote.”

When Corrine’s office first adopted Ailo, that difference was obvious.

“When we opened, and we were with Ailo, we were the only agency using it. So I heavily focused on the owner's wallet as a selling point."

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For Corinne, growth isn’t just about scale. “I’m really trying to focus with the team that sometimes it’s not always about how many doors you bring in. It also needs to be quality” By embedding Ailo into the management processes, Corrine’s team ensures a strong, accurate picture from day one. 

Proof, not promises: how to rewrite the rules of property management growth

Running a rent roll means juggling people, processes, and compliance — and for most business owners, the trust account sits at the centre of it all. It’s costly, time-consuming, and stressful — not to mention all the third-party apps you need to plug into it just to cover basic workflows.

Annual audits alone typically cost thousands of dollars. Factor in reconciliations, EOFY crunch time, and training staff on clunky systems, and it becomes one of those unavoidable headaches of the job.

But for Cadie Duncan, owner of Cadie Property Co., things look very different to businesses still stuck on legacy tech. Thanks to Ailo, her audit bills are a fraction of the norm — and she never dreads end of financial year.

 no need to coach new staff in complex payments and accounting workflows

 zero calls, zero crises, total confidence

 less admin means more focus on investors, renters, and building her brand

When Cadie launched her business, she knew audits would be a major cost. Most businesses her size, she said, pay upwards of $5,000 a year to keep the trust account compliant.

At first, her auditor wasn’t familiar with the Ailo platform. That could have meant extra work, higher fees, and a long learning curve. But instead of leaving Cadie to bridge the gap, the Ailo team equipped her with the right resources and gave the auditor their own login.

That transparency changed everything. With direct access to the platform, Cadie’s auditor could complete the compliance process with confidence.

The flow-on effect? A process that used to cost thousands now costs just a few hundred.

More than cost savings: less training, less stress

The impact goes beyond the bottom line. With the Ailo platform handling most of the heavy lifting from the payment side, Cadie doesn’t need to spend hours training staff. 

For a business owner, that means less dependency on specialist staff — and less risk if someone leaves.

It also means Cadie isn’t stuck dealing with reconciliations and disbursements. “I have so much free time. I don’t have to worry about it.”

End of Financial Year is usually the most stressful week in a property management business. Staff pull late nights reconciling trust accounts. Investors bombard phones and inboxes asking where their statements are. And business owners often feel like they can’t step away.

“I flew to Queenstown on the first of July. I didn’t really think it through, but I was like, you know what, Ailo’s got my back. Not one phone call - hand on heart!” she said.

Instead of fielding dozens of investor queries, she relaxed on holiday with her son.

That peace of mind is priceless. And it’s a competitive advantage: while other agencies were stuck in EOFY chaos, Cadie was confidently growing her business.

“It absolutely takes away so much work. I have so much free time. I don’t have to worry about it.”

Trust accounting has always been one of the trickiest parts of running a rent roll. But with the Ailo platform, you finally have a choice.

Agencies like Cadie’s run a trust account through Ailo — only it’s leaner, more transparent, and far less cumbersome. And when you complement that with direct-to-landlord payments, you reduce overheads even further and give investors more flexibility.

The point is: you’re in control. With Ailo’s choice model, money flows are simplified, compliant, and secure.

Cadie’s story shows what’s possible when you move away from legacy systems: lower audit bills, stress-free EOFY, and a business that runs smoothly even when you’re not at your desk.

Ready to see how Ailo’s choice model could transform your agency?

The end of audit complexity: Cadie’s story

Starting a new job is never easy, especially when you're stepping into a role that requires mastering new systems and processes. But for Liz Neisler, Property Manager at Ray White Buderim (QLD), joining an agency that uses Ailo turned what could have been a steep learning curve into a surprisingly smooth transition.

01.10.25 | Release Notes

What's New in Ailo

1 October 2025

Keys: sorted, tracked & stress-free ✨

Tracy’s verdict: tracked, transparent, stress-free

Ready to get started with key tracking in Ailo?

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