At our recent Ailo x Mecca event in North Sydney, Adam Buchert, Director Stone Real Estate Hawkesbury, opened the panel with a line that landed harder than anything I could have said as host: “Less than a year ago, I was ready to sell the rent roll.”

Every principal and property management leader there knew exactly what those eight words meant. Burnout. Frustration. A business that feels harder each year despite the effort you pour into it. 

Under Mecca’s soft retail lighting, surrounded by luxury fragrances and glass counters, Adam spoke with a calmness that only comes after walking through a genuine turning point. 

What followed was one of the most honest accounts of operational strain I’ve heard from a principal.

The breaking point Adam wouldn’t ignore

Adam explained how a legacy tech stack had quietly turned his rent roll into a liability. A cluster of bolt-on tools promising efficiency but delivering complexity. Wage pressures rising. Trust accounting that felt like "diffusing a bomb every month". Staff spending valuable hours mediating between disconnected systems instead of helping owners and tenants.

"We were haemorrhaging money through systems that promised efficiency but delivered complexity," Adam revealed. 

The proof came when they cancelled just one EFTPOS terminal and reclaimed almost $1,800 monthly. If a single peripheral device was costing that much, imagine what the entire legacy stack was draining.

His team was exhausted. Reconciliations leaked into late nights. New business opportunities slipped past. The business wasn’t underperforming, it was being suffocated by its own tools.

Adam didn’t arrive at Ailo with optimism. He arrived with healthy scepticism, shaped by years of grand promises from legacy providers.

So he trialled exactly one feature: direct-to-wallet rent payments.

The impact was immediate. Real-time payments. No more trades chasing money. Month-end reconciliation marathons vanished. What started as a small test became the catalyst for complete operational turnaround.

As Adam said on the panel, “I expected maybe thirty per cent of what Ailo promised, and that would have been a big improvement, but the reality was that I got more than a hundred per cent.”

When confidence and profit return together

The turnaround metrics tell only part of the story:

: The first month's savings from consolidating tools covered the entire migration cost. Property management shifted from cost centre to profit driver.

: Staff previously trapped in after-hours reconciliations now spend afternoons on proactive outreach. The same team handling more properties with less stress.

: Live performance metrics in listing presentations close new landlords without fee reductions. Numbers sell better than promises.

: Real cash flow visibility replaced optimistic spreadsheets and crossed fingers.

But the part of Adam's presentation that stayed with me was this: Adam didn’t just avoid selling his rent roll. He rebuilt his enthusiasm for property management and mapped an expansion strategy. Same team. Same market. Different platform… and a different outlook.

The quiet revolution in property management

This isn’t a story about software. It’s a reminder that outdated systems are not immovable. They are replaceable liabilities. And for principals contemplating exit plans, the problem is often not the work itself, but the tools making that work unnecessarily hard.

If you’re standing at that crossroads, Adam’s journey offers a clear signal: transformation doesn’t require a leap. Sometimes it starts with a single test, a small shift, or the courage to question the systems you’ve tolerated for too long.

The real question is not whether to modernise. It’s whether you’ll wait until the exit paperwork is drafted, or make the shift while growth is still well within reach.

If you're wondering whether your rent roll represents an anchor dragging you down or an asset ready to soar, Adam Buchert's journey offers compelling evidence that a single platform decision can transform the equation overnight.

The question isn't whether to modernise anymore. It's whether you'll wait until you're drafting exit paperwork, or make the move while growth remains possible.

From exit plan to expansion: How Adam Buchert's turnaround proves legacy systems are replaceable

You're setting up a new property. It's 3pm on a Friday. You've done the property condition report, sorted the keys, followed the landlord instructions. Now you've got 14 minimum standards to check and document before you advertise it.

Electrical safety? Heater in the main living area? Window latches? Laundry?

Which system was it logged in? Actually, someone might have emailed the electrical safety certificate last week. This might take some digging...

When compliance lives separate from your workflows, things slip through.

"This is the fanciest footwork I have ever seen!"

Kayla Symons, Senior Property Manager at Belle Property St Kilda, doesn't have that problem.

Before Victoria's updated compliance enforcement rules came into effect on 25 November – requiring properties to meet 14 minimum standards before listing – the Ailo team released some updates to the platform.

Lavender

"I can't thank you guys enough for how quickly you built this,” said Kayla. 

“This is the fanciest footwork I have ever seen! We have confidence and peace of mind now knowing our properties meet minimum standards."

When Kayla's team sets up a new property in Ailo, Victoria's 14 minimum standards (plus the new blind cord anchor requirement taking effect 1 December) appear in the Projects workflow – right where they're already working. Not on a to-do list in another tab.

Fixed heater: Required ✅ (certificate uploaded)

Window locks: Required ✅ (checked during property condition report)

Smoke alarms: Required ✅ (certificate uploaded)

The Project requires compliance to be addressed before progressing to the next stage, so nothing slips through the cracks.

 For every property, Kayla can see at a glance what's compliant, what needs attention, what doesn't apply. No more wondering if something's been missed or just doesn't matter.

 Compliance certificates, documents, notes, and next scheduled check dates live against each property. When a landlord asks if their property is compliant, she can pull up the property record and show them. No digging through emails. No piecing together spreadsheets.

 lives in the same system, too. When compliance checks require property access, there's a complete audit trail of who held keys and when they were returned.

What this looks like on a Friday afternoon now

It's 3pm. A property manager is setting up a new management. The compliance checks appear in their Projects workflow. They mark what's required, upload certificates, mark what doesn't apply.

Everything's documented. They list the property knowing compliance is sorted.

A month later when the property owner asks if everything's compliant? They can pull up the property record and show them. No separate login. No spreadsheet. No scrambling.

"So many Victorian agencies will benefit from this," Kayla said.

Want to see how compliance works in Ailo?

Most property management platforms treat compliance as a bolt-on – a separate app your team needs to remember to check. With Ailo, compliance isn't something your team has to stress about remembering. It's built into the workflow itself.

If you're tracking Victoria's minimum standards across spreadsheets or separate portals, there's an easier way. Book a demo to 

How Kayla keeps on top of Victoria's 14 minimum standards in Ailo

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 

 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 

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.

Check out Projects

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.

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?"

2. They made covering for each other effortless

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.

3. They made clients feel looked after, not managed

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.

Cloud

Growth

Property Management

Admin & Support

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.

If you’re an Ailo user, access the winning templates and watch the full webinar at 

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

Property managers across Australia are taking five minutes for fun — and the chance to win a $50 MECCA voucher each day* — as Ailo launches 

, a new game designed to spark a bigger industry conversation.

The PM Puzzle is a daily game created specifically for property managers — a way to connect, compete, and win prizes. But the real prize may be something bigger: a fresh perspective on the systems that shape their working lives.

Play today!

Ailo, the all-in-one platform built to move property managers beyond legacy systems and into a new way of working, is challenging the sector to stop normalising burnout and outdated technology.

"I used to think constant late nights and endless admin were just part of the job. I never had five minutes to take a breather and reset. But the truth is, it wasn’t me – it was the legacy software systems we were stuck using," says Catherine Wells, a former property manager now at Ailo.

She says the game was originally created by a team member as a playful way to spark a deeper conversation.

"The PM Puzzle is a lighthearted way to say: you don’t have to settle for the old way,” she says.

For some property managers already trying it, the game has become a small daily ritual.

The PM Puzzle is more than a game — it’s a chance to join a community of property managers choosing a different future. Anyone can play along, but only property management professionals using a valid work email are eligible to win prizes. 

*The full competition terms are available 

Charcoal

Ailo launches The PM Puzzle: a simple game with a serious message

Corrine Forsyth, Head of Property Management at Ray White Beenleigh, couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to slip through the cracks.

Her agency had used the same compliance provider for six years. The team did everything they were supposed to: sending work orders, updating tenant details, chasing quotes. But the system created constant friction. The previous compliance company used a separate portal that relied heavily on manual updates. Even when the team kept everything current, the lack of integration meant information could fall out of sync, creating risk for the business and frustration for tenants.

White

Even worse? She couldn't trust the data she was seeing.

, Ailo's compliance partner that keeps more than 40,000 homes across Australia safe and compliant, came to Ray White Beenleigh for a full audit, that uncertainty became crystal clear.

"I was extremely surprised at the properties that weren't compliant that the portal said were compliant,” said Corrine.

The compliance portal would show properties as "compliant" on the front page, but clicking through revealed a different story. For their business owner, that lack of confidence wasn't acceptable.

When Corrine met with Marco to discuss Ailo's compliance solution (fully integrated and powered by DC Smoke Services), the value was immediately clear.

No separate portal. No manual updates. Certificates and invoices would land automatically against each property in Ailo, where the team was already working. Real-time visibility. No lag, no gaps, no blind spots.

"That was a major selling point," she said.

Corrine is speed-driven by nature. Once she makes a decision, she moves fast. And the changeover itself was seamless.

Since moving to Ailo Compliance, complaints have stopped entirely. The integration changed everything - certificates and invoices now land automatically, scheduling happens in the background, and status updates are real-time.

The team can focus on relationships instead of admin

With compliance running automatically, property managers could spend more time building relationships with owners. And that trust meant recommendations were rarely questioned anymore.

"We don't have to think about it and we can focus on customer relations." - Corrine Forsyth

Tasks that used to require constant attention like updating portals, chasing quotes, and reconciling data, simply disappeared.

"I think it's just one less thing that they have to worry about," she said. "So then they can spend their time on other things, especially from an auditing perspective. As a senior property manager, you really want to be building new relationships with the client instead of constantly auditing your portfolio."

For their business owner, the integrated compliance solution delivered something invaluable: confidence that the business was protected, without having to rely on staff catching every detail manually.

Ray White Beenleigh was transparent with owners about the changeover, and haven't had any pushback. Entry notices are handled properly now, and scheduling is more reliable. Even last-minute cancellations (which had been a problem with the previous provider) have practically disappeared.

Looking back, Corrine said the transition was seamless and the impact has been significant.

What was once a source of constant worry is now completely invisible. No manual portals. No angry tenants. No legal risk. Just a team with the confidence and capacity to focus on delivering exceptional service.

Get in touch

How Ray White Beenleigh eliminated risk and freed their team with Ailo Compliance

When Jodie Stainton and Jess Calvert from Harcourts Solutions with 2300+ properties under management made the switch to Ailo, they achieved something in five weeks that they hadn't managed in three years: complete standardisation across their entire property management team.

The transformation was so profound that today, if you asked their team whether they'd go back to their old system, the answer would be unanimous: "They wouldn't. They would have done it sooner."

The three factors that drove the decision

For Harcourts Solutions, the decision to switch to Ailo wasn't taken lightly. After five major system changes in 10 years, their team had genuine concerns about another transition. But three critical factors made Ailo different:

"Team happiness is really important to us," explains Jodie Stainton.

The second factor was client satisfaction. "It's really critical that we get everything right, and Ailo's allowed us to do that."

The third was growth - both organic and through acquisition. What set the Ailo platform apart was its unique ability to handle acquisitions seamlessly. 

"The fact that it allowed the databases to all from the front end look the same, and everyone to be able to work on the same system, that was an amazing thing that we hadn't seen in any other system."

The moment of realisation came just five weeks after implementation.

"There was this moment five weeks afterwards where Jess and I looked at each other and said, we have every single one of our team members doing the same thing the same way, and we've not achieved that in three years beforehand," Jodie recalls.

"Anyone in property management knows how difficult that is," she notes. "But the reason that's so important is because of the continuity of service. It's team happiness. They're all working on the one thing and making it exceptional. So all of a sudden, the whole standard rises."

The standardisation hasn't just improved consistency, it's transformed how the team operates daily.

This clarity has also revolutionised recruitment. "We can recruit more property managers or greener property managers and really know that they have all the skills and all the tools they need to do the job, cause all they have to do is follow the bouncing ball," says Jess.

The difference from legacy systems is stark. "Before, in a legacy system you had to know what you were looking for to do the job, whereas today I show up to work today and I have a list of all the things that I have to do today to be successful in my role and to provide great service."

Despite initial concerns about another system change, the implementation proved surprisingly smooth.

"I don't think that was too mammoth of a task. It still felt easy. We still operated the business really well," Jess notes.

The key to success was Ailo's specialised support approach. "What you had was someone actually working on the trust accounting area, someone working on the project area, someone working on the implementation of the data. We knew exactly what was happening."

Getting team buy-in was crucial for Harcourts Solutions. They took a methodical approach, including office visits to other offices to see Ailo in action and allowing team members to "just look at everyone work" to understand how it functioned in practice.

Today, the team sees clearly how they were "working around the system to make it work" with their previous software. "They see it now and they get why and they go, we totally get why you wanted to do this."

A 70% investor adoption rate speaks volumes

The investor response to the Ailo platform has been remarkable. "Close to 70% of our investors jumped on the app and actually just started to change what they wanted," Jodie says.

This high adoption rate has transformed communication. 

"They use the app more, which means their communication is central in one place. They're using the chat feature, which means the chat responses and replies are so much quicker—again, a greater experience for the client and for our team."

Perhaps the most telling example of Ailo's impact came from an unexpected source - a tenant's response to a routine inspection.

"She got a message from a tenant after a routine inspection... she sent this beautiful thank you letter to the tenant, and the tenant responded and said wow, in the 30 years I've rented, I've never been thanked for how I've cared for the property," shares Jess.

She reflects: "I think every property manager would like to offer that experience to a tenant. Now they're actually able to deliver it because it's so easy, seamless, all in one place."

For Harcourts Solutions, Ailo has delivered on all three of their critical factors: team happiness, client satisfaction, and business growth. The transformation achieved in just five weeks has set a new standard for their operations.

For property management businesses considering their next move, the message from Harcourts Solutions is clear: the risk isn't in changing, it's in waiting too long to make the switch.

"We should have done it sooner": How Harcourts Solutions transformed property management in just 5 weeks

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.

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 👇

None

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!

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.

18.12.25 | Release Notes

What's New in Ailo

18 December 2025

Introducing your rent calculator 🧮

Small but mighty updates

More updates you asked for