Bonfire CRM blog

Navigating Change: Bonfire CRM’s Transition Journey

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:24 GMT

Transitions

All of us lived through chaos and change wrought by COVID. Every person, every family and every business has been faced with these changes and IRIO is no different. In the midst of this chapter, John Bower makes his return to IRIO after 10 years leading a non-profit organization. To lead the company not through change, but rather transition.

As CEO, Bower is charged with leading the culture, managing customer and investor relationships, driving revenue and leading the upcoming brand transition.

(speaking of chaos, 5 kids and 2 companies)

This summer I found myself having second and a third conversation with Russell about working with IRIO again. Together with Russell and John Hinckley, I helped get IRIO off the ground some 15 years ago. I left in 2012 to pioneer my own vision, and after the whirlwind we all lived through (COVID, politics, etc. etc.), I ended up shutting down what I built in February of 2022 and could not envision myself becoming the CEO of IRIO some 7 months later.

While I was flattered at Russell’s consideration, I did not jump at the opportunity. For one, I was in a fog of having run after a dream, seeing it succeed and eventually having to put a dream in the ground. The other reason was simply I was not that enthused about working at a “texting company” (more on that later) or working in the Multifamily industry.

Multifamily, like all industries, has strengths and weaknesses, with unique quirks that are both endearing and annoying. It was not until I spoke to his young son, Taylor Davis that I began to be intrigued.

Here was a young man, a thinker and he could see the need for transition. COVID has fundamentally changed the world in which we live. We’ve all been impacted and been forced to think differently about just about everything in our lives, including how we do business. And so their story is what captured my attention. Once upon a time, there was a father and son… (I think lots of good stories start like that) and they were struggling to figure out how to live in this brave new world…

And so I began to work with them. We dove into personal vision, CliftonStrengths, clarifying the vision of IRIO, their hopes and dreams, and faced the fears and problems that inevitably come from life and leading a (family) business.

And through that process, Taylor and Russell began to discover a renewed vision both personally and professionally. Using Patrick Lencioni’s Rally Cry, internally we began to say, “Transition is not possible… it is necessary.”

IRIO as a company, in this post-covid world, needed to transition from top to bottom.

A Word on Transition

It is well documented that the last few years in America have been difficult. COVID, remote work, political divide, racial tension, inflation and “quiet quitting” have impacted us all. I went through a transition and well, IRIO is a company in transition. In my own process, I came across William Bridges’ book, The Way of Transition. In it, Bridges states:

“Change is easy, transition is hard. Change is when an external event happens – either caused by actions or decisions, both planned and unplanned that impacts organizations. Transitions on the other hand, are the psychological reorientation undergone in order to come to terms with that change.”

And that is precisely what all of us have experienced – – – a massive change. The old way of living, of doing business has ended. And it is my experience that those faced with change then have the choice to go through the internal “reorientation” required to come to a new beginning. Yet before the new has come, those in transition enter into what Bridges calls the “neutral zone.” And during that interim time, there is both chaos and also creative potential. Yet, it must be faced if the person or company faced with change are to transition well.

William Bridges “Way of Transition”

Back to working for a “texting company”. As I mentioned, I was reluctant to join a company that was simply known for being a texting company. However, as Taylor began to articulate his renewed vision, and the work the team had begun to do during COVID (not to mention the WHY), I realized that the company had already entered into the neutral zone prior to my arrival. And so I began to envision transformation. And that is my main objective as CEO, to see the company transform, from top to bottom, into something altogether different.

These two words, transition and transformation, are not thrown out lightly. After a certain amount of living and taking all the lumps life has to offer, I know these two ideas are not easily accomplished. However, I am setting out to lead the company through a transition, both internally and externally in order to bring the company, along with our customers, into a new beginning. We are attempting to change the story of IRIO and create a new platform to better serve our customers.

And when I say transform, I mean it. How we think (and how we are thought of), how we operate (hello EOS), how we serve our customers, and ultimately, IRIO’s identity.

And that is the main thrust of IRIO’s transition. Yes, we were innovators in the industry and we brought this to the market before texting in Multifamily was a thing. However, Taylor’s foresight and the team’s work over the last two years is about to be revealed. Early in 2023, IRIO will be changing its name and its mission and unveiling a vision to empower property managers by simplifying their tech stack to build a community at each location.

Let’s go.

Authored by JS Bower, CEO

The Future of Email in Apartment Marketing | Bonfire CRM

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:24 GMT

Yes, everyone still uses email to communicate. The other mediums have not taken over, nor have future mediums like OTT messaging (Whatsapp, WeChat, etc) replaced this form of communication. You’d think with enough time, email technology would wither away, yet it persists.

Why? Why does email marketing still hold value in the marketing stack for property management?

I would argue that email marketing has become an illustrative medium that enables direct, personalized communication with prospective and current residents.

By "illustrative," I mean engaging, which is crucial to any marketing strategy. People are driven by their emotions, and illustrative content resonates with them. Email is the most cost-effective, long-form digital medium for reaching a target audience in this manner. While SEO and digital marketing can also achieve this, they are significantly more expensive and lack the direct targeting that email offers. Email allows you to deliver your message directly to specific individuals, making it an unparalleled tool in digital marketing.

If you’re not convinced of email marketing’s effectiveness in property management, I’ll give you the facts that show you why it’s a solution that’s sticking around:

High ROI: Email marketing generates an average return on investment of $42 for every $1 spent.
Wide Reach: There are over 4 billion email users worldwide, providing a vast potential audience.
Engagement Rates: The average open rate for real estate emails is around 26.03%, and the click-through rate is approximately 2.78%.
Engagement Rates: Email is 40 times more effective at acquiring customers than social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Customer Retention: Email marketing is highly effective for customer retention, with 80% of business professionals believing it helps retain customers.
Personalization: Personalized email campaigns can boost transaction rates six times higher than non-personalized emails.

Since email marketing is not going anywhere, an excellent question is how it will improve over the next couple of years. Specifically, how will it improve apartment marketing?

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The future of email is how you use it.

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All the major email marketing platforms, including Bonfire, have gone to extensive lengths to provide email marketing solutions that create value. While the small feature releases and minor improvements might excite some of our customers, the focus has always been outward, toward the horizon, where the next big thing is approaching us.

Marketing Automation and Generative AI

Although marketing automation has existed for several years, it remains relatively new in the property management industry. Among all the industries, its adoption surged during the COVID era, addressing critical needs in B2C sectors facing staffing shortages, high employee turnover, and poor conversion rates. Designed to tackle these issues, the solution has proven effective based on the data. However, the property management industry was one of the few that prioritized cost efficiency over innovation, cutting spending to minimize risk. Considering the market conditions, this approach was understandable, but it did come with its own set of consequences.

Marketing automation, the very solution that could have addressed headline issues in the property management industry, such as staffing shortages, lack of training, and outsourcing core services, was often ignored or deferred with a "let’s discuss next year" response. This reluctance stemmed from the additional technology costs typically allocated to property management software providers. As a result, the potential of marketing automation was overlooked and has become an afterthought amid the rise of AI. While marketing automation represents the future of email marketing, it remains uncertain when the property management industry will widely embrace this level of automation.

If you’re wondering what exactly marketing automation is or why it would be such a valuable solution, here is some data for you:

Increased Efficiency: 80% of marketing automation users saw their number of leads increase, and 77% saw an increase in conversions.
Improve Lead Management: Research by Forrester found that companies using marketing automation saw a 10% or greater increase in revenue within 6-9 months.
Personalization at Scale: 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences.
Better Analytics: A study by Lenskold Group and Pedowitz Group found that 78% of successful marketers attribute revenue growth to marketing automation.
Time and Cost Savings: According to Nucleus Research, companies that automate their marketing processes experience a 14.5% increase in sales productivity and a 12.2% reduction in marketing overhead.
Consistency and Brand Compliance: Aberdeen Group reported that best-in-class companies using marketing automation were 67% more likely to use a marketing calendar to organize and align their marketing efforts.

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A few property management companies are beginning to adopt marketing automation tools, but it has yet to become a staple in their marketing strategies. At Bonfire, we are collaborating with several customers to launch marketing automation initiatives, and we’ve already seen increases in time savings, productivity, and follow-up metrics.

Time savings, cost savings, productivity, and efficiency are the main drivers behind the adoption of marketing automation. Because this need still largely exists, we expect to see increased usage among property management companies. For that to happen, the industry must embrace changing the playbook in apartment marketing, and innovators like Bonfire must ensure seamless integration with property management software to make this solution accessible to the industry.

Now that we’ve discussed Marketing Automation, we shift our attention to Generative AI (such as ChatGPT) - how exactly will it shape email marketing for the property management industry?

One thing we’re already seeing is content generation. Ask AI to write an email for you, and it will. While, in theory, this invention seems great, there is still a missing human element. There is a level of personalization AI cannot match, a matter of relating that is still unachievable by machines.

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Humans are still required to achieve authenticity.

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Based on our preliminary research, we believe Generative AI is not yet ready to communicate directly with residents or prospects. However, it is highly effective in creating efficiencies for corporate marketing teams, particularly in idea generation, proofreading, editing, and revisionary work. It enhances the team's ability to excel in their core tasks and produce high-quality content for property communication.

It seems more viable for property management companies to focus on centralization, particularly in marketing, because ChatGPT is not yet capable of replacing the creative talents of the marketing team or grasping the human connection essential for crafting effective campaigns.

This is why you don’t see Bonfire making any announcements about Generative AI and adding it to our marketing platform. It cannot replace the marketers who we trust to deliver exceptional marketing experiences for apartment communities.

In conclusion, while Generative AI presents a landscape full of possibilities, the future of email marketing in the apartment industry lies in centralization and marketing automation. Significant progress is still to be made in these areas, which will enable property management companies to maximize their ROI and achieve critical efficiencies across their portfolios.

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Effective Outreach Strategies in Property Management

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:23 GMT

Why Outreach in Property Management Matters

Social Media, PPC, and Third Party Listing sites are just a few avenues multifamily marketers take to gain leads and raise awareness for their apartment communities. However, the dominating mindset is as simple as a billboard on the interstate – meet people where they are at.

How do we do this?

This question is why social media receives so much attention from multifamily marketers – it works! Instagram and Facebook have been a booming market for millennials; however, now that Gen Z is in demand for apartments – is it harder to capture them with the same tools?

The New Wave of Marketing Diversity

Data shows us that while 50% of Generation Z looks at social media daily, which is higher than any other generation, the portfolio of social media apps they use is very diverse. So you’ll reach some, but you won’t reach all unless you produce content on every platform – it’s no easy task. Especially one that can’t easily be managed by onsite property teams while handling the day-to-day demands of their property.

Multifamily marketers have been grappling with this predicament. This movement is due to a wide variety of social media and messaging apps entering the market, leaving Google “search” and ILS as the catch-all for almost everyone looking for a place to rent. However, Gen Z is revolutionizing even this approach, causing the future of “search” to get drawn into question…

“Data shared by a Google executive suggests that around 40% of Gen Z prefers to discover information on visual platforms other than Google, like TikTok or Instagram.”

Can you reach everyone?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking – well, I should increase my spend on TikTok or Instagram because that’s where this generation wants to receive information… there is some truth to that; however, unless you are producing content on EVERY platform – and more will come – have you heard of BeReal? I did about a week ago, and now I, as a millennial, have been forced to accept that I am OLD. Time to get off that topic before I get depressed…

Because social media platforms will endlessly expand into siloed, personalized content zones – there produces an expensive marketing strategy with diminishing ROI. So how do we get ahead of the trend and create our own “content zones?” Our own spaces (not Myspace ) where we share information and reach our target audience?

From talking with multifamily marketers, we’ve learned that social media platforms, ILS, and PPC are still effective at filling vacancies; however, failings enable competitors to swoop in and capture the leases.

For example, suppose your properties are in highly competitive markets, like off-campus housing. In that case, a student may glance for a second at your ad on Instagram or browse through dozens of options on an ILS, and one picture will cause them to disregard your page. Even driving around campus, you shouldn’t necessarily rely on your building or building location drawing eyes – because more communities and competitors enter the market every year.

So, where do property management companies gain an edge in these competitive markets? What makes them stand out among the competition and turn a vacancy problem into a waitlist problem? And for the future, how do we reach the new generation of renters that go platform hopping every other year?

Our answer – Direct Marketing. More specifically – outreach.

We asked a thought leader in the industry, Lindsay Brown, her thoughts on outreach,

“Just as with most businesses, the sales process must continue with multiple touch points to help ensure your product or brand stays at the front of the buyers’ mind. We want to stay in touch in the easiest way possible, so when they are ready to commit and make a purchase, we are just a text away.” – Lindsay Brown, SVP of Leasing & Marketing

Utilizing A Centralized Marketing Platform

A centralized marketing platform delivers outreach via SMS and Email. This ability to launch campaigns directly to a target audience not only fills gaps, it increases conversion. If you’re wondering why, it’s because these channels are not subject to the disillusionment that plagues the downloadable app industry. They are constants in the smartphone universe. For this reason, outreach plays a vital part in marketing and sales. You cannot expect every lead to have access to every platform, meaning you can’t reach 100% of leads with the “digital” approach. Social media trends and algorithms limit visibility, ILS features your competition and might fade in the coming years, and ads require too much spending to be effective.

We are NOT saying social media, ILS, and ad spend shouldn’t be considered – these avenues still provide exceptional success. However, we ARE saying that outreach needs to be part of property management’s marketing, sales, and operational plans.

Hopefully, you’re still with me and are ready for that “how do I do this?” part of the message – well, here we go…

How can you do this?

The key to effective outreach is property management software integrations. With certified integrations, each message is personal and relevant, whether it’s a follow-up to a guest card submission, an application confirmation, or a tour completion. For example, suppose you’re utilizing a centralized marketing platform like Bonfire. In that case, you can enable automation to send a personalized email pointing to relevant information, like a specific floorplan, after a guest card gets submitted – without involvement from your onsite team.

Using a centralized marketing platform + integrations with PMS like Yardi, Realpage, or Entrata – property management companies have seen lead-to-lease conversion rates climb as high as 35%! In addition, the average time saved can be up to 30%! The integrations alone won’t achieve this, what’s important is to have a robust automation solution built with property management in mind.

When we asked Lindsay Brown how she sees automation playing a part in prospect outreach in 2023, she had this to say,

“I see it becoming increasingly easier to tie automated texting directly into their leasing process. This will ensure communication is being sent out to the prospect to finalize the lease or app. No action is needed by the employee to contact the prospect.” – Lindsay Brown, SVP of Leasing & Marketing

Bottom Line

You NEED a centralized marketing platform to handle outreach for property management if you’re experiencing:

Loss of leads due to poor follow up
Low Lead-to-Lease conversion
Poor Resident Communication
Poor Renewal Rates

Most multifamily marketers we talk to utilize property management software to accomplish all of their goals – or at least the communication part. They do this to reduce logins and have one platform that does EVERYTHING; however, the successful management companies we work with aim for centralization with segmentation. That means they reduce their tech stack to a few critical platforms with differentiating core competencies that together, through integrations, form a holistic approach to managing each property.

Centralize but segment.

How you decide to segment depends on your business’s needs, but if outreach is a part of your strategy, make sure you utilize a centralized marketing platform capable of the task – this will lead to higher conversion, more time for property managers, and a step toward simplicity.

Authored by Taylor Davis, Chief Product Officer

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SMS Marketing for Property Management | Bonfire CRM

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:22 GMT

SMS (text messaging) should be a commonly used tool for property managers. It’s not just for resident communication or the occasional lease agreement follow-up. SMS is a simple yet powerful form of communication that has stood the test of time, remaining a dominant channel from Gen Z all the way to the Baby Boomers.

If you’d like to understand how SMS first integrated into the property management industry, it started in 2006, when a start-up, IRIO, entered the market with a promise to connect students and build community within each apartment complex. That idea grew and evolved into a variety of different solutions leveraging SMS technology to enhance connectivity. After this boom, the larger players in the industry - the common property management software providers - took notice and added the technology to their platforms, thus making SMS communication a “must-have” in any tech stack.

And now that the property management industry has had decades to adopt and enhance the technology, has there been any real change? Is the industry using SMS the right way? Are they maximizing the potential of SMS marketing?

The simple answer… no.

Property management companies have rapidly integrated SMS into their strategies, focusing primarily on essential needs such as resident communications. However, many executives fail to distinguish between SMS communications and SMS marketing. This oversight exposes untapped potential and offers more innovative property management firms opportunities. These forward-thinking companies go beyond basic communication, harnessing the full power of SMS marketing to enhance their strategies and positively impact the bottom line.

You might be asking, “How is “SMS Marketing” different from SMS communications?”

The answer lies in the desired outcome. Are you trying to communicate with your audience, or are you trying to engage them? If it’s the latter, then you need to implement SMS Marketing tools not only because it requires a different playbook than SMS communications, but because it’s more effective than most other forms of engagement.

To expand on this notion, a text message providing an update about a power outage is different from a text message that requires action—either by clicking a link, responding to a message, taking a survey, or even viewing an image. If you need a CTA, you need SMS marketing.

Below, we’ve listed some of the most common ways property management companies are using the Bonfire platform to effectively use SMS Marketing.

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10 Ways to Use SMS Marketing for Property Management:

Leasing Campaigns

If SMS Marketing is not part of your leasing strategy and you’re relying on ILS, Email Marketing, and Digital Advertising to connect with renters, you’re missing out. When leveraging marketing tools, SMS has a 98% read rate and 45% CTR. Let’s say you have a list of hundreds or even thousands of prospective renters who either toured or filled out a guest card—send them a text message and see how direct marketing yields better results.

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Post-Tour Surveys

Yes, surveys are necessary. But are they effective when sent via email or simply a form in your resident portal? A place, let’s be honest, no renter is going to visit unless they have a maintenance request or need to handle payments. SMS marketing for property management integrates survey technology into a follow-up text message to instantly get the data you need.

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Lead Generation

Most people have little patience for the hoops and hurdles that digital marketing imposes. These tactics, purportedly designed to capture our information and "ensure the best experience," often just funnel our data into a database, priming us for a barrage of unwanted phone calls. This awareness prompts extreme caution when filling out forms, often necessitating further research which can cause potential opportunities to slip away. However, imagine a scenario where a lead could simply "text in" to receive the information they need. At their request, this could evolve into a dynamic conversation that directs them toward their next steps, whether that involves taking a tour or completing an application.

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Resident Surveys

Using the same logic from item #2, the fastest and most effective way to increase completed surveys…not half-filled-out ones that don’t process—is to send an SMS Marketing survey, which is handled from start to finish inside the text message conversation.

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Resident Renewals

This happens to be a more common use case, and it’s because it is so effective! Bonfire customers have experienced renewal increases up to 30% when activating SMS for renewal campaigns. Why is it so effective? Well, you will always stay top of mind with a text. Residents don’t miss these messages via SMS Marketing.

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Payment Reminders

If you had a simple way to capture 100% of delinquent rent, would you? Through PMS integrations, variable field mapping, and SMS Marketing technology, we were able to capture all delinquent rent on the property. People don’t pick up the phone and can easily miss emails, but they do read their text messages.

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Live Chat

Most marketing strategies encompass some form of live chat on their websites. It’s considered an “easy way” to engage with the business and gather information as quickly as possible. SMS Marketing for property management is growing as a tool of convenience, and it’s even found a way to improve website conversions. Instead of requiring website visitors to remain on the website, you can simply move to a text message conversation and allow the lead to step away from their computer - creating a higher chance of conversion.

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Package and Maintenance Alerts

A simple notification, triggered by the front desk or onsite staff, is the fastest and most reliable way to communicate alerts. SMS is the preferred method because it’s immediate and conversational—having immediate alerts and the ability to text back can improve the experience exponentially.

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Concierge Services

Speaking of customer experience, what is better than offering a concierge service onsite? Instead of forcing residents to make requests or communicate with staff by going through portals and two-factor authentications, allow them to simply text a request to the staff. Obviously, more advanced technology goes into making this happen, but making the medium SMS is a surefire way to improve resident satisfaction.

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Reviews

Manage community reputation with frequent review requests for residents. Instead of relying on that one angry resident to find your review page, direct promoters within your community to complete reviews via SMS marketing. Depending on the system you use, segment your audience and send review requests to residents you know love your property!

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If you’re still deciding whether to add SMS marketing to your strategy, see what Dinerstein said about SMS Marketing and the data they gathered from their residents. And if you’re convinced that you need to up your SMS marketing game, upgrade with Bonfire today!

Solving Property Challenges with Centralized Automation

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:22 GMT

Hello Dear Readers,

I recently returned from the NAA Apartmentalize conference in Atlanta. While last year’s conference in San Diego was my first NAA conference since returning to multifamily world, this year's conference was different. I walked away thinking I’d been “rebaptized” into multifamily, immersed in the reality of our customers' day to day lives.

In what seems like 7 lifetimes ago, my wife and I were foster parents to 10 children. One of the things we learned during that time was to “enter into each child’s world.” It was the primary way to actually pay attention and actually create a mutual sense of connection and attachment. And during Apartmentalize I think I actually got a sense of the reality the majority of those in the industry are experiencing. And I wanted to take a moment to sum up some of what I learned, resource you to what was shared and, maybe, even if for a moment, try to sell you on how Bonfire can help.

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Reality at All Costs

My shrink told me (several times), that mental health “is the unwavering commitment to reality at all costs.” And I learned a great deal of the reality that property management groups are experiencing: expenses are going up, staffing turnover is high and the end users, the renters, want both hi-tech and hi-touch.

Expenses are rising and, it would seem, that is in large part due to the difficulty of hiring and retaining staff as the demands of workers have changed. In the session hosted by Tyler Christiansen, one stat I heard that blew me away was that property management companies were experiencing 70% turnover year over year. 70%! Now I don’t remember if it was Scott, Michael or John who shared that, but it gave me a level of understanding regarding the “world” of our customers. It is hard to find good people and then retain them (let alone give them some semblance of a career path!).

I believe it was Taylor Blades, Jaymz Yates and Kim Young’s session that really highlighted the necessity to “retain and acquire human capital.” And here, automation must play a role as Frederick Smith of FedEx fame said, “Automate the routine, humanize the expectation.” With so much turnover and with rising costs, the reality is those from the corporate office down to the site level must work to figure out.

And that goes along with the idea that the renters are much more “hi-tech and hi-touch” than ever before. In essence, they don’t want to talk to someone until they want to talk to someone. And once automation has gotten the basic answers to say a leasing preference (two-bedroom preference, pet-friendly, etc.), the human element must pick up without missing a beat. No pressure!

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The Way Forward

While each session I attended did a great job in defining reality (at all costs!), each one had a slightly different picture of how to move forward. Each group did an admirable job of defining automation and took a stab at the buzzword of the year, “centralization,” it would seem that the industry has a deep felt need for both automation and centralization and is still working to figure that out.

A massive bit of understanding was that automation comes first. It will help with the turnover and the end users' need for hi-tech. Then centralization can happen, but it must come with technology partners that a) integrate with your PMS and CRM and b) be done in a way that fits the mold of your company’s business philosophy.

In property management, automation cannot be done without integration. To put it simply, the industry relies too much on property management software to try and build automation around it. When assessing an automation partner, integrations and the LEVEL of integrations will determine the success. With this connection established, you now have to determine what it is that you want to automate….tours, maintenance calls, onboarding? There is a large list of problems to tackle, so when choosing, assess which problems have the biggest impact on the bottom line.

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I feel a (brief) sales pitch coming on…

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When we built Bonfire, we focused on 2 BIG problem areas:

Leasing - prospect outreach, follow up, and guest card management
Operations - resident communication, surveys, and renewals

With the automation for these problems built, we then focused on centralization. How can these areas be centralized to not only reduce costs, but save time?

We discovered that centralizing the CRM components was the solution. By allowing property teams to operate in their own space while enabling corporate teams to operate among ALL the spaces, we achieved simplicity. We offered support for onsite teams with centralized tasks, guest cards, and reporting.

The result was improved lease velocity, increased agent productivity, heightened sales team efficiency, and enhanced messaging. Our platform is proof that if you automate and centralize, you will see change. You will address the issues caused by high turnover and lacking resources.

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El Fin

So there you have it… my understanding of the current reality in both multifamily and student housing with a (brief) sales pitch. Let us know if we can aid you in the process of automation and centralization.

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JS Bower

Evolving Automation in Property Management | Bonfire CRM

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:21 GMT

How Will Automation Evolve in Property Management?

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In the age of smart home technology and contactless tours, a new dawn of innovation has befallen the property management industry. This industry, once behind in technological progress, now trends upward with new proptech startups and solutions every year. Ranging from Big Data to AI, these advancements seek to elevate one thing…NOI.

Exactly how investors and management companies pursue this increase, varies incredibly. There are key factors that determine which technological stack is appropriate for each location. Factors such as demographics, location, utility costs, local regulations, property income, and resource access are just a few examples of the many reasons why to adopt or not adopt new technology.

Often, among people we talk to, we find that time is a major concern. With staffing shortages and high employee turnover, training is exhaustive and can be quite futile. You would think that with this major pain in the industry, widespread adoption of fully autonomous systems would happen but the reality is funds and time to implement such measures are just not available.

While this may seem a fault of the property management industry for the slow adoption of automation, it is majorly a fault of vendors for lacking the provision of plug-and-play solutions. Too much required customization or build-outs means considerable time to market, which equates to poor NOI and unhappy investors.

When polling our property management customers, they shed light on their pursuit of automation…

“When considering new initiatives, we look for opportunities to ‘set it and forget it.’ Through automation, we can mitigate repetitive tasks, reduce human error, and achieve better results. We want to meet our prospects where they are in their journey at a time that best suits their lifecycle. Automation allows us to personally engage with our audience at scale regardless of manpower or business hours.” – Misty Williams, Digital Marketing Manager

How do you solve this?

The solution may seem simple, but it is a daunting feat for any vendor hoping to deliver an automated solution without massive amounts of customization. No property management company is the same. For a vendor to deliver plug-and-play, this means precision. All data points covered. All outcomes considered. As you can see, it’s an undertaking for both the vendor and the property management company that has led to slow adoption in the industry.

Fortunately, in recent years, Big Data and AI have provided a solution. Both technologies are allowing vendors (like Bonfire CRM) to build plug-and-play automation in such a way that NOI can be improved while reducing hours and even training for onsite teams.

These tools contribute to automation advancement through the analysis of consumer behavior. This analysis enables companies to build predictive indexes for decision-making that lead to sales, marketing, and operational strategies leading to an increase in the word…“yes.” How you get to “yes” comes from the data – whether it be the channel used to send a message, the placement of an ad, the content in the ad, the product (i.e. floorplan) suggested, etc. But the contribution to automation is we now not only know the methods to “yes”, we know how to achieve “yes” with a massive reduction in time spent by staff.

This is where AI comes in.

Automation is Key

In combination with Big Data, AI can gather consumer insights and analyze consumer behavior during a conversation to steer that conversation toward “yes” – through a new solution called “Customer Journeys,” automation can position your audience into positive dialogue that would queue up onsite teams for higher conversion rates and less time spent closing any deal.

This means hands-free campaigns, check-ins, and handling of prospects and residents. Such an improvement to the day-to-day operations of staff would lead to more time for the resident experience and property improvement. Such an allocation, while already experiencing a bump in NOI, would also indirectly improve the NOI through positive experiences on the property. In a way, it’s a perfect combination of human connection and automation that would create a true sense of community at each “community”.

Bottom Line

Overall, the property management industry has been pushed with “automated” solutions that would replace staff when what they are looking for is automation that would support staff. If there is any major lesson tech learned from COVID-19, it is that people need people. Face-to-face interactions are imperative for the overall emotional well-being of a human, and in a business sense, the positive outcome of an opportunity.

Our theory is that if automation can come in and assist teams, sort of like a biomechanical suit of armor, it will contribute to a massive output of production and success for property management. This will be realized through queued positive conversations, logged issues for follow-up, positive survey insights which trigger review requests, task creation, and content personalization. All automated. All contributing to time savings and an increase in lease conversion and renewals.

When we asked our property management clients how they leverage automation, they said…

“At this time, we use automation to complete marketing tasks, nurture leads, and execute predetermined campaigns across several different channels at scheduled intervals. In doing so, we are able to give time back to our teams to focus on everything else that impacts their day-to-day operations.” – Misty Williams, Digital Marketing Manager

The future is to strengthen teams. Not replace them.

Feel free to leave your comments below and contribute to the conversation. How do you think automation will evolve in property management in 2023?

Authored by Taylor Davis, Chief Product Officer

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Introducing Bonfire CRM: Empowering Property Managers

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:21 GMT

After months of behind the scenes work, we are ready to announce that IRIO is now Bonfire CRM! As you can well imagine, the transition from IRIO to Bonfire was a grind. The planning… the meetings… and the details (and if you know me I am not a fan of details) are all coming to fruition. And today we hope to perk your attention as we knock on the door of the CRM market, funneling a new path forward as Bonfire CRM.

‍Where We’ve Been

As I’ve written previously, I came on to help IRIO transition to Bonfire CRM. Like all of us, the company had to figure out how to operate in this new world COVID created. At the time, the leadership began to think through how to evolve and change while communicating with customers, striving to remain agile and responsive to their needs.

And it was about that time, I came back into the picture. Working with the Board, I asked probing questions and together we strategized a new path forward. As we processed, it became evident what was next as the internal vision driving our CPO, Taylor Davis and the external needs of our customers aligned. It was time to burn the ships and embrace this new vision by becoming Bonfire CRM.

‍Bonfire CRM‍

During this time, with a little help from EOS, it became clear who our primary customers are: property managers. At the same time, a new name and identity emerged, a new “why” crystalized. Our heartbeat is to empower property managers, by giving them a platform that simplifies work and enables them to build a home and community for their residents. Therein lies a reason for the new name, Bonfire. Much like when friends and neighbors gather around a fire, we believe technology is best when it helps facilitate community and connection, which is exactly what our property managers are trying to do. We know the suits sign our checks and approve budgets, yet the property managers are the ones we serve daily and the ones we hope to make the hero at their work. They are charged with cutting costs, raising rents, all the while creating homes for people to live in (not to mention creating a whole vibe that is on brand). And we want to champion our customers.

‍Our Bread & Butter

I’ve just about wrapped up what we’ve affectionately named internally as the CEO Roadshow. Whether on Zoom or in person, our team has worked to keep our current customers abreast of the changes. And one of the questions has been, “what do these changes mean for us?” I am happy to report, our bread and butter, in outbound SMS and email messaging is the foundation of this change. And being a glass-half-full kinda guy, I wanted to know if what IRIO brought to the market years ago was as solid and strong as it was when I first worked here. After hearing from our customers (and future customers), and hearing about the other CRM’s and messaging platforms, I’m convinced IR… er… Bonfire’s messaging is the best in the industry.

One of our highest performers, 848 Mitchell

‍Where We’re Going

We’ve recently launched our Task Manager and Deal’s Page (think Guest Card) which will allow that full transformation into a CRM. And while there is more in the pipeline that I will not disclose here (I don’t want our competitors or PMS getting any ideas), we continue to work on our integrations as we work to simplify the tech stack in our industry. While we are turning a huge page, we have more work to do and are hopeful for the future.

‍Our Current Customers

As I mentioned, our primary customers are found in the multifamily industry. However, we do have customers ranging from non-profit organizations, to retail, universities and restaurants. Our primary marketing focus will drive us to the multifamily industry and our heart to empower and simplify the work life of these customers will still drive us forward. Our team will keep you updated on the changes as each one is released.

Finally, to each customer, I simply want to say “thank you.” Thank you for trusting us, sharing your insights (even when it is tough to hear), and giving me an opportunity to lead this transition to Bonfire CRM.

See you around,

JS Bower

Leadership Lessons with Lt. Col. Dan | Bonfire Podcast

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:20 GMT

I had the privilege of doing a podcast with Lt. Col. (and SVP of Marketing & Community Services at Irvine Company) on leadership. In our conversations over the years, I noticed how present and forthright he was. Having spent over a decade in the Marines and then transitioning to Irvine, leadership seems to be part of his DNA.

Having started our Around the Bonfire podcast, we wanted to bring relevant, industry specific content. However, with Dan, I wanted to do something a bit different and hoped his story would give both an example and encouragement for aspiring leaders.

One of my favorite parts was when Dan spoke about the anxiety of any work system and how leaders can either contribute to it or help bring calm and clarity. Hope you find some examples in your own journey towards leadership.

Be sure to listen to the podcast and join the conversation by commenting below!

Watch on Youtube

Listen on Spotify

John Bower, CEO of Bonfire

Embracing Simplicity and Connection at Bonfire CRM

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:20 GMT

“Did you have a good day looking at screens at work?” Paul Musgrave

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I confess. I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when I saw this meme and it has bothered me since. There is nothing like some dry wit to point out the absurdity of our modern lives and wake us up to reality a bit.

(Author’s Note: Is this a meme, technically speaking? It is a screenshot of a tweet and I found it on Twitter, but perhaps that is a question for another day. I digress)

So yeah, most people I know look at screens a ton. Like Gollum, I can hear my precious calling to me throughout the day, begging me to embrace it and check out the latest. Now technology has given us many things and for that I am grateful. The wealth of information, the ability to gain what you need at the swipe of a button is helpful, technology almost gives us god-like powers. At the same time, when there is an app, a platform, and a website for everything you do at work, it can lead to double work and, worse yet, a sense of aimlessness.

Simplicity

In theory, technology should aid us towards simplicity. But with all the notifications from all the platforms (heck, my new fridge wanted me to connect to Wi-Fi so it could notify me if one of my lovely children left the door open), it seems that it can overcomplicate what is really simple. And can lead to technostress, loneliness, and digitally obese. To overcome this, I read recently that Gen Z is making moves to “dumb phones.” For Christmas, I bought a Light Phone, but have yet to put it into use.

Here at Bonfire, the company has its share of technostress. SalesForce (vomit), Outreach, Click-Up (love it), Slack, Outlook, DocuSign, Intacct, Loom, SlideBean, Box, Nexonia, Canva, Adobe, and on and on it goes. And can you believe it, I actually forgot a few assignments over the past few weeks.

Now, dear reader, lest you fear I’ve led to a point of mutual despair without a solution, fear not! As I speak with our customers, I know that many in Multifamily actually crave a way out of the malaise of technology. And that is where Bonfire CRM comes to play. Now I know it is not for all those in need of simplicity, yet the properties that have a PMS that meets their needs and then a CRM that works like a glove, can reduce the tech stack, cut costs, and eliminate double work.

We are currently using our platform to aid in our own tech stack reduction. Just this week we are launching a few campaigns through our automated Journeys in hopes of growing our business. Journeys will have automated follow up and task generation so that we can track our deals without losing them in the morass of notifications.

At this point, I do not have all the answers, but I do know the desire to simplify, work, and connect well helped drive our decision to move into the CRM space. The company grew tired of the perceived shackles technology placed upon the team and desired to simplify internally and then help others in that as well.

It is my hope that each of you will spot a meme that sparks an idea that helps you simplify and connect.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

JS Bower

Identity & Leadership in Property Marketing | Bonfire CRM

Admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:44:19 GMT

A few weeks back I had the joy of speaking with Sheri Killingsworth on Around the Bonfire about Leadership and Brand Identity. Sheri has lived in this world and strongly believes that leadership plays an important role in guarding a property (or property management company) brand identity. A property’s brand identity, in turn, must then be experienced by the residents who live there. What’s more, is that if the identity of the property isn’t lived out and experienced by the employees working there, then, despite the best intentions of the social media team, the brand’s identity begins to… leak.

When the brand’s identity begins to leak, employees begin to leave. After too much turnover (while saying nothing of factors like interest rates and oversaturated markets), the brand's reputation can be damaged, leading to lower occupancy on site.

Sheri’s thoughts provoked and seemingly coincided with some ideas I’ve been wrestling with about identity. One of my friends who’s been in the business for a while told me, “In multifamily, we tend to overcomplicate things because, at the end of the day, it is all about getting heads in beds.” All of this got me thinking, why is identity so important? What is it? Who comes up with it? Why does it matter?

According to dictionary.com, identity is the character, qualities, and beliefs that distinguish or identify a person or a thing.

Vendors, such as yours truly, also spend a lot of time on brand identity, persona, and values, all in hopes of convincing management companies to work with us (such as the one Sheri worked for previously).

Here is where Sheri’s thoughts really got me thinking. Identity matters. Who we are as people matters. And if you’ve not noticed, today’s America is fascinated by defining itself by political parties, the clothes we wear, which era we are in, etc., etc. And the noise! As I type I am currently subjecting myself to three screens (not counting my precious, iPhone). Whether it is apartments flooding your feed because you googled “apartments for rent” or some influencer trying to sell you some bio-hack to change your life, the entire world is trying to shape you, and your team and influence your identity.

Attachment Theory:

I learned this a long time ago from some smart shrinks. Attachment theory is a psychological framework that explains how humans form bonds (think glue) with other people. These attachments (in)form our identity. It goes like this:

Interaction ⇨ Attachment ⇨ Love ⇨ Identity

What we interact with forms our attachments (think of a mom with her newborn baby). What we attach to shapes what we love, and in turn, shapes our identity.

At an apartment level or a vendor level, we are all trying to get the right customer or client to interact with us, so they form a deep emotional bond that endures and makes them feel good about our product, service, or apartment community. Eventually, people will identify as loyal customers! Think about Coke vs. Pepsi. Or Nike vs. Rebook. Or Greystar vs. Asset Living. Or Bonfire vs. ABC Vendor.

Don’t believe me?

Check out this quick video on the Neuroscience of Branding.

So, think about the company you work for or the apartment you live in. Do you have a deep attachment to it? Are you proud to say where you live or work? This is where I agree with Sheri 100% on the importance of leadership having a clear, authentic brand identity and company values. For the residents living on-site or customers using your service, do they know who we are? Is it authentic, or are they just another head in a bed? Or is your customer just another number that adds to the bottom line?

Now think about your leadership.

What about the employees? Is the leadership shaping the brand identity in such a way that it is authentic, and that the leaders care about their employees and their experience? I mean, work is work. That is why we get paid because, in most jobs, there is at least one aspect that people would not simply show up and do for free. But at your community or company, are the employees living into the identity set up by the leaders, or are they just doing a job?

If leaders do not have a clear sense of identity, both personal and corporate, then how can they maintain the integrity of the brand? I am not the kinda dude who wants to spend week after week going on vision retreats with peyote in a sweat lodge, nor do offsite team-building exercises. However, like most humans, I want to be a part of a company identity that brings clarity and purpose. It seems one of the primary jobs of a leader is to clarify the identity of the company and gather people around. Strong brands with a clear identity tend to have loyal customers who enjoy being a part of that brand.

Every time I think I have this figured out, every so often something pops out and makes me question who I am, and just what am I doing. But take heart - identity - both of a company and as individuals, is a lifelong discovery process.

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