Legacy property management systems rarely fail all at once. Instead, they create friction slowly—through manual workarounds, delayed voucher processing, inconsistent workflows, and staff burnout.
For Alpha Management, a Maine-based property management company with a long history in affordable housing, outdated software had become a growing operational risk.
ExactEstate is a property management software platform built specifically to automate compliance-heavy affordable housing workflows.
By adopting ExactEstate, the team modernized operations with flexible, compliance-ready workflows, reduced administrative workload by the equivalent of half an employee, seamlessly integrated with QuickBooks, and improved both staff efficiency and resident experience—demonstrating how purpose-built software can reduce risk and stabilize operations in regulated housing environments.
About Alpha Management
Alpha Management is a southern Maine–based property management company overseeing 362 units across a diverse portfolio that includes:
- Affordable and subsidized housing
- Senior housing communities
- Commercial properties
With 48 years of operating experience, Alpha Management manages complexity as a daily reality—particularly in regulated housing environments.
We spoke with Kevin Gerrish, Director of Leasing & Facilities, who manages leasing, showings, maintenance requests, and vendor coordination. His role spans compliance, operations, and resident experience—making software reliability essential.
The Challenge: Legacy Software in a Regulated Housing Environment
Alpha Management’s team was experienced and capable, but their performance was consistently undermined by a property management system that had not meaningfully changed since 2004.
That legacy Property Management Software created inefficiencies across critical workflows:
- Move-ins and move-outs
- Maintenance and work orders
- Voucher and subsidy processing
- Daily compliance-related administration
In affordable housing, software limitations carry real consequences. Government programs require accuracy, adaptability, and timely processing. Alpha Management’s previous system lacked the flexibility needed to respond to changing requirements, making voucher management slow and compliance workflows difficult to maintain.
The result was predictable:
- Skilled staff compensating for software gaps
- Manual processes increasing operational risk
- Reduced ability to scale without adding labor
Why Affordable Housing Requires Purpose-Built Software
Affordable housing is not simply conventional property management with additional rules. It involves distinct payment structures, regulatory oversight, and reporting obligations that generic PMS platforms often fail to support.
Alpha Management needed a system that could:
- Adapt to subsidy and voucher workflows without custom development
- Support compliance deterministically, not manually
- Provide flexibility without sacrificing control or auditability
Their existing software could not meet those requirements.
The Solution: Transitioning to ExactEstate
After evaluating multiple platforms that still fell short, Alpha Management selected ExactEstate based on its ability to support complex, regulated portfolios.
Despite common concerns about software migrations, the transition was smooth. According to Kevin Gerrish, onboarding was “excellent” and caused minimal disruption to daily operations.
This mattered. In regulated housing, poor implementation often leads to poor adoption—and poor adoption undermines compliance.
The Results: Measurable Improvements in Operations
Flexible, Configurable Workflows
ExactEstate was tailored to Alpha Management’s real operational needs, allowing workflows to reflect how the team actually works—rather than forcing staff to work within rigid system constraints.
Administrative Labor Reduction
The platform reduced manual workload by the equivalent of half an employee, allowing staff to focus on leasing, resident communication, and oversight rather than system workarounds.
Accounting Without Lock-In
ExactEstate integrated directly with QuickBooks, simplifying accounting processes without forcing Alpha Management to adopt a new accounting stack.
Ongoing, Responsive Support
Post-onboarding support remained fast and reliable, with minimal issues—an essential factor for teams operating under compliance pressure.
Improving the Resident Experience
Operational improvements extend beyond internal efficiency. By reducing delays, manual errors, and workflow friction, Alpha Management improved the tenant experience—particularly important in affordable and senior housing communities.
ExactEstate became more than a system of record. It became an operational partner supporting long-term stability.
Guidance for Other Affordable Housing Property Managers
For teams managing regulated housing portfolios, success depends less on feature volume and more on operational fit.
Key considerations include:
- Ease of use for frontline staff
- Flexibility for evolving compliance requirements
- Reliable support after implementation
- Software that removes work instead of adding steps
ExactEstate met those criteria for Alpha Management and continues to support their operations today. ExactEstate stays ahead of industry trends, implementing everything modern property managers need.
Key Takeaways
- Legacy PMS platforms quietly increase operational risk over time
- Affordable housing workflows require purpose-built flexibility
- Clean onboarding directly affects adoption and compliance
- Labor savings compound when workflows are deterministic
If your team is compensating for software limitations, the issue is not staffing—it is systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problem did Alpha Management face with its previous property management software?
Alpha Management relied on a legacy PMS that had not evolved since 2004, creating inefficiencies in voucher processing, maintenance workflows, and affordable housing compliance tasks.
Why is property management software especially important in affordable housing?
Affordable housing requires precise handling of subsidies, vouchers, and regulatory reporting. Generic software often lacks the flexibility needed to adapt to government requirements, increasing manual work and compliance risk.
How did ExactEstate improve Alpha Management’s operations?
ExactEstate reduced administrative labor, streamlined workflows, integrated with QuickBooks, and provided configurable tools that supported Alpha Management’s affordable, senior, and commercial portfolio.
Was the migration to ExactEstate disruptive?
No. Alpha Management reported a smooth onboarding experience with minimal disruption, supported by responsive implementation and customer service.
What results did Alpha Management achieve after switching to ExactEstate?
The company modernized operations, reduced manual work by the equivalent of half an employee, improved compliance readiness, and delivered a better resident experience across its affordable housing portfolio.
Learn how your affordable housing team can achieve similar results with ExactEstate.
Request a demo to see how ExactEstate eliminates affordable housing software problems with compliance-ready automation—without disrupting operations.
Matt Hoskins is CEO of ExactEstate, a property management software platform built by property managers for property managers. With a background in both property management and engineering, plus a Master's in Software Development from Boston University, Hoskins focuses on creating intuitive software that reduces screen time and lets staff spend more time on resident engagement. He's leading ExactEstate's growth with a commitment to simplicity, reliability, and supporting the future of affordable housing.
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