Customer Success Story: Heritage McDonough 3-Day Implementation
How ExactEstate Streamlined Heritage McDonough's Property Management
When Dayana Belen took stock of Heritage McDonough's property management software, the problems were hard to ignore. Her residents — mostly seniors — were struggling with a confusing portal that forced them to call her directly for help. Maintenance requests were vague, leading technicians to come out multiple times to fix problems that should have been resolved in a single visit. Reports were incomplete. Tech support was slow. And through it all, Dayana was absorbing the friction — fielding calls, manually entering data, and chasing down information the system should have surfaced automatically.
She needed a platform built for how her property actually worked. What she didn't expect was how fast the change would come.
Within 72 hours of switching to ExactEstate, Heritage McDonough had a fully operational system — one that cut Dayana's administrative time by 30–40%, gave her senior residents a portal they could actually use, and gave regional managers the real-time visibility they'd been asking for.
The Property Management Challenge
Property management software has become essential for operational efficiency in real estate operations. McKinsey analysis shows that digital transformations in operations—such as automated tenant management, rent tracking, and maintenance scheduling—can deliver sustained productivity gains and cost reductions exceeding 11%.
Property management also faces rising pressures from labor costs and complexity, with McKinsey emphasizing the need for leaders to prioritize these tools for competitive advantage.
Yet many property managers, particularly those serving senior residents with unique lifestyle challenges, struggle with legacy platforms featuring confusing portals, inefficient maintenance communications, incomplete reporting, and limited customer service.
ExactEstate resolved these issues at Heritage McDonough, serving primarily seniors and long-term residents.
The Challenges
Property Management Software Implementation
Instead of a complex, months-long rollout, Heritage McDonough focused on:
- Implementing only the highest-impact workflows first
- Prioritizing usability for residents and staff
- Eliminating unnecessary complexity
This allowed them to complete their property management implementation in just 72 hours.
Confusing Client Portals
Because many residents are older, they have varying degrees of comfort with technology. Basic communication and maintenance requests are handled through the client portal, but previous systems were confusing and inefficient, and they required a significant learning curve.
Residents had to contact Dayana directly, which interrupted her workflow and shifted the burden of data entry and communication onto her.
Inefficient Communications
The original platform made it difficult for residents to articulate the nature of their problems. Digital forms weren't specific enough to tell maintenance crews exactly what might be wrong, resulting in multiple expensive trips and longer waits.
This put Dayana's older residents at risk when furnaces or air conditioners went out during inclement weather. Additional visits created a larger paper trail. Completing tasks within the platform required multiple steps to log and close, resulting in errors, lost productivity, and frustrating delays.
Reporting and Internal Troubleshooting Difficulties
As a property manager, Dayana is responsible for creating expense and revenue reports, recording tenant information such as background checks and residency status, and handling other operations-related processes. She often has to respond to clarification requests from regional managers.
Heritage McDonough's previous PMS made it difficult to find information, produced incomplete or inaccurate data, and didn't offer real-time accounting. Regional managers couldn't access the information they needed through the PMS to clarify confusion.
Limited Customer Service
With Heritage McDonough's former systems, if Dayana needed tech support, she often had to wait for hours or days. This caused delays in every aspect of her property's operations and made it difficult to communicate with residents and process payments in a timely fashion.
The Solution: How ExactEstate Transformed Operations
Simple, Mobile-Friendly Resident & Manager Portals
The new system was designed for ease of use:
- Mobile-friendly across all devices
- Auto-generated usernames and passwords
- Clear navigation for non-technical users
Result: Senior residents could use the system without assistance.
Smarter Work Orders with Complete Data
Maintenance workflows were completely restructured:
- Appliance brands and history are included automatically
- Pre-defined issue categories for clarity
- Real-time updates and tracking
Result: Technicians arrived prepared, leading to a first-visit resolution.
ExactEstate's software allowed Dayana to link external contractors into the system, so work orders and payments could be processed instantly. Warranty information was included with all products in ExactEstate's database, and Dayana could track exactly when work was completed and by whom, and monitor the results in real time.
By enabling quick, efficient logging and closing of tasks on a single screen, ExactEstate's platform streamlined the process, reduced errors, and cut Dayana's time at the computer by 30-40%, allowing her to focus more energy on her tenants.
"With ExactEstate, everything is fast, simple, and clear. My residents get help immediately."
— Dayana Belen, Property Manager
Real-Time Reporting and Transparency
The new platform provided:
- Up-to-date financial data
- Standardized reporting across teams
- Full visibility for regional managers
Result: No more back-and-forth or data confusion.
Instant Contractor Integration
External vendors were integrated directly into the system:
- Work orders are assigned instantly
- Payments processed within the platform
- Warranty tracking included
Fast, Direct Customer Support
Support became a strength—not a bottleneck:
- Immediate response times
- Direct communication with product leadership
- Faster issue resolution
"If we have a problem, we know we'll get an answer right away."
— Dayana Belen, Property Manager
Role-Based Security and Compliance
Sensitive data remained protected through:
- Role-based access permissions
- Controlled visibility of resident information
- Secure handling of personal data
Property Management Software Implementation Results
The property management implementation at Heritage McDonough delivered immediate, measurable results. By switching to ExactEstate, the property gained an optimally designed, highly flexible platform adaptable to any business challenge—without increased costs. The property management implementation process was simple and streamlined, with ExactEstate completing onboarding in half the time of other systems.
This efficient property management implementation delivered productivity gains, reduced workload, improved resident satisfaction, and a complete solution to Heritage McDonough's operational challenges.
Key Results
- 30-40% time reduction for completing and closing tasks
- Onboarded in half the time compared to other systems
- First-visit maintenance resolution with appliance brands, maintenance history, and intuitive problem descriptions
- Mobile-friendly portals with auto-generated usernames and passwords for senior residents
- Real-time reporting with complete transactional transparency accessible to all management levels
- Direct CEO access for technical support and questions
- Instant contractor integration for work orders and payment processing
- Role-based security permissions protecting sensitive resident data
Industry Context
Heritage McDonough's results align with broader industry trends, showing the impact of effective property management software:
- Administrative efficiency: McKinsey reports that organizations that automate maintenance and lease workflows with AI achieve over 30% time savings in key processes, streamlining property management operations.
- Mobile adoption: According to industry research published by Industry Research Biz, mobile-friendly management apps are used by 76% of property managers for real-time operations, marking a 23% increase since 2022. Heritage McDonough's adoption of a mobile-friendly portal among senior residents demonstrates that intuitive design overcomes age-related technology barriers.
- First-visit resolution rates: Gartner predicts that by 2026, 40% of enterprise applications, including property management systems, will feature AI assistants that enhance maintenance dispatching and diagnostics, enabling first-time fix rates above 80% in leading programs.
- Resident preferences: According to REsimpli's 2025 property management statistics report, 74% of renters prioritize energy-efficient properties, 54% prefer smart home features, and 80% prefer paying rent online. Additionally, 72% of tenants prefer digital communication over traditional methods. Heritage McDonough's portal met these expectations even for their senior resident population.
What were the main property management implementation challenges at Heritage McDonough?
Confusing portals for senior residents, inefficient maintenance communication, leading to multiple visits, incomplete reporting, and limited customer service response times.
How did the property management implementation improve the resident portal experience?
Mobile-friendly design, accessible from various devices, and automatically generated usernames and passwords so senior residents didn't have to create accounts manually.
What made the property management implementation successful for work orders?
The platform automatically included appliance brands, maintenance history, and intuitive boxes for common problems. This gave technicians complete information for first-visit fixes. Dayana could also link external contractors, process work orders and payments instantly, and track warranty information.
How long did the property management implementation take?
ExactEstate completed the property management implementation in half the time of other systems. Once live, the streamlined process reduced errors and cut Dayana's time at the computer by 30-40%, allowing her to focus more energy on tenants.
What reporting improvements came from the property management implementation?
Complete transactional transparency made information easy to access and compile. Financial data was always up to date, and all management layers had access to the same information in identical formats.
How does ExactEstate support post-implementation?
Tech support is highly responsive, with Dayana able to communicate directly with Matt Hoskins, CEO and designer of ExactEstate's software. As Dayana says, "He tells us, 'If you have a problem, call me'."
What security features does ExactEstate provide?
Role-based permissions protect sensitive data by providing access only to those who need it. For example, a resident's social security number is kept hidden from staff.
Property Management Software Implementation Success
A successful property management implementation like Heritage McDonough's can transform your operations. ExactEstate's platform enables property managers to work more efficiently and accurately, ensuring residents have their issues resolved in a timely manner while reducing errors in reporting, work orders, and communications.
To find out what ExactEstate can do for your property management business, schedule your free demo today.
Or learn more about our approach to affordable housing management, maintenance workflows, and resident portal design.
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.
