How can you make proptech tools more user-friendly for commercial real estate stakeholders?

Proptech tools are transforming the commercial real estate industry, offering new ways to manage, analyze, and optimize properties, portfolios, and transactions. However, not all proptech tools are equally user-friendly, and some may pose challenges and risks for the stakeholders who need to adopt and use them. In this article, we will explore some of the best practices and tips to make proptech tools more user-friendly for commercial real estate stakeholders, such as brokers, investors, owners, managers, and tenants.

1 Identify the pain points

The first step to make proptech tools more user-friendly is to identify the pain points and needs of the target users. What are the problems or inefficiencies that they face in their daily tasks or workflows? What are the goals or outcomes that they want to achieve with proptech tools? How do they currently perform their tasks or access information? By conducting user research, surveys, interviews, or feedback sessions, you can gain insights into the user personas, expectations, preferences, and behaviors of your potential customers.

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Tom Ogrodzki

CEO @ REDD Platform | Unlocking CRE Information
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The difference between commercial real estate and other industries lies in its density (small volumes, extremely high values), physicality (significant adaptation costs), and relative resistance to economic crises. That's why proptech companies must target high-impact problems. "Nice to have" is "will not have."

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Leo Y.
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If you can’t identify the problem, your solution won’t be effective. So it’s very important to identify what problem exactly you’re solving for the customer.

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2 Design for simplicity and clarity

The second step to make proptech tools more user-friendly is to design them for simplicity and clarity. This means avoiding unnecessary features, functions, or options that may confuse or overwhelm the users. It also means using clear and consistent labels, icons, buttons, menus, and navigation that match the user's mental models and vocabulary. Moreover, it means providing visual cues, feedback, and guidance that help the user understand the status, progress, and results of their actions or queries.

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Jakob Kær Bille Krogh Nielsen

International Commercial Real Estate | Logistics & Industrial | AI Real Estate & Agentic Workflows | Speaker
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I would argue that most real estate professionals prefer straightforward and intuitive PropTech, focusing on tangible assets and the value created through its application. Effective PropTech should incorporate the technical robustness necessary for IT-related functionalities. However, for the real estate professional, it is crucial that the tool clearly demonstrates its upsides, either its positive impact on NOI/IRR, cost-saving measures, or other benefits.

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Leo Y.
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As the saying goes, keep it stupid simple. If the solution is too complex, it takes a lot of brain power to understand how it works, and to implement it, so your take rate will be lower. Hence why the iPhone was so popular, because it made the technology easier for consumers to pick up.

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3 Integrate with existing systems and platforms

The third step to make proptech tools more user-friendly is to integrate them with existing systems and platforms that the users are familiar with or rely on. This can reduce the friction and hassle of switching between different applications, devices, or formats. It can also enhance the value and functionality of the proptech tools by allowing them to access, share, or sync data from other sources. For example, a proptech tool that can integrate with a CRM system, a property management system, or a market data platform can offer more convenience and efficiency for the users.

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Leo Y.
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The easier you make something to implement, the more effective your take rate will be from your customers. Because there is a lot of friction in change, people don’t like change, so when you make the solution easier to implement, they’ll have an easier time doing so. And when they see the results you promised them, you’ll have a happy customer.

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4 Test and iterate with user feedback

The fourth step to make proptech tools more user-friendly is to test and iterate with user feedback. This means involving the users in the development and improvement process of the proptech tools, and collecting their opinions, suggestions, complaints, or compliments. This can help you identify and fix any usability issues, bugs, or errors that may affect the user experience or performance of the proptech tools. It can also help you discover and implement new features, enhancements, or customizations that may meet the user's needs or expectations better.

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Leo Y.
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Those that fail to adapt, will get left behind in the ever-changing world. The only constant is change. You must continually survey your customers to see what their experiences, and listen to their feedback. But don’t listen to it blindly, because sometimes you know better than the customer. There are many great examples in the business world of how this works.

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Leo Y.
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Those that fail to adapt, will get left behind in the ever-changing world. The only constant is change. You must continually survey your customers to see what their experiences, and listen to their feedback. But don’t listen to it blindly, because sometimes you know better than the customer. There are many great examples in the business world of how this works.

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5 Provide training and support

The fifth step to make proptech tools more user-friendly is to provide training and support for the users. This means offering various resources, channels, or methods to help the users learn how to use the proptech tools effectively and efficiently. This can include tutorials, videos, webinars, FAQs, manuals, guides, or tips that explain the features, functions, or benefits of the proptech tools. It can also include live chat, phone, email, or social media support that answer the user's questions, concerns, or issues with the proptech tools.

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6 Monitor and measure the user satisfaction and retention

The sixth step to make proptech tools more user-friendly is to monitor and measure the user satisfaction and retention. This means tracking and analyzing the user behavior, feedback, or metrics that indicate how happy, loyal, or engaged the users are with the proptech tools. This can include indicators such as usage frequency, duration, or intensity, conversion rate, churn rate, retention rate, referral rate, or net promoter score. By monitoring and measuring these indicators, you can evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your proptech tools, and identify and address any areas of improvement or opportunity.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you make proptech tools more user-friendly for commercial real estate stakeholders?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the pain points

2 Design for simplicity and clarity

3 Integrate with existing systems and platforms

4 Test and iterate with user feedback

5 Provide training and support

6 Monitor and measure the user satisfaction and retention

7 Here’s what else to consider

Commercial Real Estate

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How can you make proptech tools more user-friendly for commercial real estate stakeholders?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the pain points

2 Design for simplicity and clarity

3 Integrate with existing systems and platforms

4 Test and iterate with user feedback

5 Provide training and support

6 Monitor and measure the user satisfaction and retention

7 Here’s what else to consider

Commercial Real Estate

Rate this article

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