Paperless offices are becoming more common thanks to cable modems and faster computers. Now, property managers and owners can enjoy the benefits of a clutter-free workspace through the Rentals.com on-line property management system.

Through Rentals.com, rental property owners and managers can create a personalized web site. From the site, you can:

Show pictures/floorplans of all properties - Through a program called Kodak Picture Ready, you can edit your photos to look the way you want them to and add a caption.

Access a private office - This office is invisible to visitors. You can come here to read the latest news, look over rental applications, view maintenance requests, etc.

Track site traffic - Your web site will let you know how many people have viewed a certain property or how many visitors you had that week.

Schedule viewing appointments - Visitors can schedule an appointment to view a unit on the site. This way you don’t have to worry about missing potential tenants.

View rental applications - Visitors can submit their applications via email.

Receive maintenance/repair requests - Don’t drive yourself crazy with requests on little slips of paper. Now you can organize your repair requests on-line.

Obtain rental news and advice from experts in the Real Estate industry - This is one of the features available in your private office. Keep up to date on the latest in Real Estate.

Soon, Rentals.com hopes to offer an electronic billing system using EFT or credit cards.

"This innovative online rental management solution was developed by experienced property owners and managers who have used it to more efficiently market and manage their large portfolios of residential properties,'' said Vince Giovannotto, co-founder and CEO of Rentals.com. Sounds great... but is it easy to use?

In order to make sure this offer is as good as it sounded, I signed up for a 30 day free trial membership. It's Monday morning and I'm brain dead, so I decided if I could get it to work... anyone could. Much to my delight, it was incredibly easy to understand. Everything is fill in the blank format. You don't have to worry about getting fancy with HTML codes. Someone already did that for you. I had my virtual office up and running in less than a minute (and it looked really good!). Once I logged in to my web page, I was able to add properties, set appointments and more. You can even upload pictures and floorplans of the property directly online.

Once you’ve set everything up the way you want it, you’re only 48 hours away from having your web site up and running. My vote? Two clicks up. Check it out at: www.rentals.com.

Published: August 30, 2000

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