Product Updates: Week 2

This week we're adding support for deposit alternatives, customizable owner report email templates, AI troubleshooting for self-guided showings, and the ability to cancel confirmed showings.

Let’s dive into the updates!

Support for Security Deposit Alternatives

You can now offer deposit alternatives as an option to traditional security deposits and communicate this clearly to leads through your listings and AI conversations.

Deposit alternative programs like Rhino, Jetty, and others are becoming increasingly common, giving renters more flexibility in how they secure a lease. RentEngine now supports these programs at both the portfolio and unit level.

How it works:

Set up deposit alternatives in your deposit requirements settings. You can specify:

• Which company provides the deposit alternative

• Any associated fees

• What the approval process looks like

Configure this at the portfolio level to apply across all properties, or override at the individual unit level for properties where you want different options.

Where to find it: Settings > Portfolio > Deposit Requirements, or at the unit level in property settings.

RentEngine AI automatically incorporates deposit alternative information when leads ask about deposits during conversations. Your public listing pages also display the alternative option alongside the traditional security deposit amount.

Customizable Owner Report Email Templates

You can now customize the email template used when sending reports to property owners.

How it works:

Edit the template directly in your company settings. Use variables to auto-populate property-specific information like property name, reporting period, or performance metrics. Save your customized template, and it will automatically apply to all future owner report emails.

This ensures consistent, professional communication with property owners while saving time on individual report customization.

Where to find it: Settings > Company > Owner Report Timing.

Intelligence Report Updates

We've refreshed the Intelligence reports interface with several usability improvements that make analyzing your leasing data easier.

What's new:

Multiple filters: Apply multiple filters simultaneously to drill down into your data. For example, filter by price range AND days on market at the same time to identify specific property segments.

Repositioned download button: The download button now sits at the top of the report for easier access when you need to export data.

Column controls: Show, hide, and rearrange columns to customize your view. Focus on the metrics that matter most to your analysis.

Full-screen mode: Expand reports to full screen for easier analysis, especially when working with large datasets.

Density options: Adjust row spacing to fit your preferred viewing experience, tighter for more data on screen, or more spacious for easier reading.

Where to find it: Intelligence tab

These updates make it faster to analyze your leasing performance and identify trends across your portfolio.

AI Support for Showings & Lockboxes

RentEngine AI can now help prospects troubleshoot lockbox issues during self-guided showings.

One of the most common points of friction during self-guided showings is lockbox access. Prospects enter codes incorrectly, don't follow the proper sequence, or encounter connectivity issues. Previously, these situations often resulted in abandoned showings and support calls.

Now, the AI walks prospects through common issues like incorrect code entry, lock boxes not opening, or connectivity problems in real-time.

How it works:

The AI delivers specific troubleshooting instructions based on the lockbox type:

SentriLock: Guides prospects to press Enter, type the code, then press Enter again. If the key doesn't release, it provides additional troubleshooting steps.

Codebox: Instructions for entering the code, pressing Enter, and using thumb pressure to open the front of the lock box.

Other locks: General troubleshooting steps for code entry and access via the instructions on the lead’s phone.

The AI only provides troubleshooting help during appropriate time windows, within 45 minutes before the scheduled showing or 30 minutes after the start time. Outside those windows, it prompts leads to reschedule rather than attempting to guide them through access at inappropriate times.

Cancel Confirmed Showings

You can now cancel showings even after they've reached "confirmed" status, giving you more flexibility when circumstances change.

Previously, once a showing reached "confirmed" status, cancellation options were limited. Now you can cancel confirmed showings directly from the Showing Calendar.

Where to find it: Showing Calendar > Select confirmed showing > Cancel.

Remember to reach out to the Support team via the website Chat if you have any questions about these updates. See you next week!