Vendor fatigue. It's a thing. It's hard to pick the right vendor when you're surrounded by a sea of them. Worse, the bad ones push all the wrong reasons to try them. Let's talk about the worst: "we have an API integration".
Every vendor and their mother wants to "integrate" with your Property Management System (PMS). From Yardi to RealPage, every PMS now dons an "API integration" badge like a sheriff in an old western.
This badge is often flaunted as a symbol of value, a vendor "integrating" with your PMS' API is seen as the ultimate seal of approval. But let's take a closer look, shall we?
"Integration" is a catchphrase that's lost its charm. What really counts is whether your vendors can read the right info from your PMS and feed it back to you in a digestible format without disrupting your process. An "integrated" vendor shoveling resident conversations into a back-alley page of your PMS that sees about as much traffic as a desert highway? Not helpful.
A simple email notification? Now that's more like it. Many PMSs are peddling "API integrations" to cash in on vendors, but this does squat to solve your problems. They've been crafting solid, reliable reports for a decade, and now these temperamental APIs are paraded around as the next big thing.
And it gets worse. These "integrated" vendors attain "preferred partner" status and drown out the voices of those who are actually addressing real issues.
So, the next time a vendor boasts about their integration, ask them exactly how they integrate. If they can't articulate clearly how they work with your PMS, they probably can't do much for your business either. And if they claim to integrate via reports instead of an API, don't rush to show them the door. Inquire whether they can connect to your PMS without causing a technological apocalypse.
If a vendor's spiel revolves around integrations rather than how they can boost your business, it's a sign they've lost sight of what's important.
And here's a ResiDesk footnote: we connect with every system seamlessly, ensuring your IT team isn't left wrestling with a misbehaving integration. We'd rather chat about how we can help you 5x your reviews, drive 10x the resident conversations, and provide insights into resident behavior, instead of discussing the ins and outs of PMS integration.
Ready to try it for your business? Get in touch with us for a free demo.