All Forum Posts by: Petar Stojanovski

We had a site built last year for a pretty similar setup. I sat down with the developer before we got started and walked through everything I needed the site to do - rental applications, property rules, availability, contact forms, all of it. Even if some of it felt obvious, it helped a lot to have it all laid out clearly from the start. We kept things simple at first, then added extras like a payment option later.

He mentioned that real estate sites can have trouble showing up in search results because search engines don’t always render the content properly. That’s why new listings sometimes don’t get indexed right away. To avoid that, he set up something called Prerender. It makes a copy of each page in plain HTML so search engines can read it easily. He said it's kind of like giving Google a clean, static version of your site instead of making it wait for all the JavaScript to load. That way, the pages load faster and get indexed properly. I wouldn’t have known about that myself, obviously, but it’s working well, especially when we post new properties.

If you’re not sure where to start, just write out what you want people to be able to do on the site. Think from the renter’s perspective, what info do they need, and what actions should be easy? That’s what guided most of our choices. Once it works, you can always go back and polish the look. And definitely work with someone who can help with long-term maintenance, not just the build.

I’ve tried a few CRMs over the years, but I’ve stuck with Pipeline CRM. It’s built for small teams and keeps things simple without sacrificing the features that actually matter day-to-day. I really like how visual the pipeline view is, it gives a clear picture of where every deal stands without having to dig through menus.

It’s also easy to onboard new people, which is huge if you’re working with assistants or coordinators like we do. Everything from contact tracking to task reminders feels pretty intuitive. You can set up custom stages based on your own process.

Another thing that’s been useful - we can track communication history. Email sync helps keep everyone in the loop and we don't need to constantly forward stuff or CC the whole team.

It might not have all the bells and whistles of some of the more complex CRMs, but that’s actually what makes it work for me. I spend more time moving deals forward and less time managing software. I'd say this CRM would be a good choice if your process is relationship-based and involves lots of follow-up.

I can only agree - it really is a very good way to learn about real estate. Gives you a great practice in solving all the issues you had no idea were possible to happen. 

I've seen some amazing recommendations and advice here. I also tried Avail. I'm always looking for some automation tools (I would be happy with basics like email management), but I definitely needed some resources to better understand it all. I was experimenting with workspace AI and came across this article that breaks it down quite understandably. We'll see how it goes. 

Maybe try their community forum, then?

For me, it's the "One size fits most" part that made me spill my coffee.

I had a similar nightmare when my account got hacked, and it took forever to get it back. I reached out to Meta Support directly through their Help Center. I explained everything in my appeal, including some details to show them I really wasn't into any shady posting. They took a closer look at my case and eventually helped me get back in. (I can't remember just how fast they were, to be honest).

If you haven’t tried that yet, definitely give it a shot. Just be clear about your situation, and hopefully, they’ll sort it out for you.

 Great sources, thank you for sharing! 

I found a free monthly timesheet template that eventually worked great for me. I see lots of us struggle with time tracking, so I shared it here; hope it helps. (It's also printable.)

Thank you, that's very nice of you! We found some really good options here; after marking out budget and guest count, there are quite a few options. We are looking into wineries (Longshadow and Thornton) and a couple of beautiful country clubs at the moment. Since we are not looking for something too fancy, I am optimistic that we'll manage to find a place we like that doesn't break the bank.