PropertyBridge Announces Winners of Contest Held to Promote Online Rental Payments

Oakland, Calif.--PropertyBridge Inc., provider of electronic payment services to the residential real estate management industry, has announced the results of its 2009 Community Contest, a marketing promotion for community managers that was held from February to April 30, 2009. As part of the promotion, each PropertyBridge client’s (management company) respective apartment communities competed with each other.

Nearly 1,000 properties across the nation were part of the contest.

The contest aimed to increase PropertyBridge transactions by awarding cash prizes to managers of communities with the largest increase in transactions over the previous month. Participating clients saw electronic transactions at their properties increase by an average of 31 percent. The winning properties, those with the largest increase in electronic payments over the entire contest period, saw their transaction increase by an average of 97 percent.

“We are extremely pleased with the boost in electronic payment adoption rates as a result of the Community Contest,” says Trevor Bert, controller for 155 properties managed by Dallas-based Westdale Asset Management. “A 47 percent increase in transactions at top performing properties is evidence that our communities were very motivated by the contest and worked hard to promote paying rent with PropertyBridge,” he adds.

Jessie Sordahl, business manager at Broadstone Ancala Apartments in Scottsdale, Ariz., says that the contest provided an additional incentive to promote the convenience of paying rent with PropertyBridge. “We reminded everyone who brought a rent check to our office that they could save time by paying with a credit or debit card online. Fewer checks in the leasing office gives us more time to focus on other important tasks,” he says. Broadstone Ancala won the top prize for Alliance Residential Co., boasting a 61 percent increase in electronic transactions during the promotion period.

Three monthly cash prizes and one $500 top prize were awarded to each participating management company.