Our 2025 Property Management Takeaways — And Tips for 2026

As 2025 comes to an end, we’ve been looking closely at what property managers achieved — and what their data tells us about the road ahead.

To date, our customers have captured and nurtured more than 73 million leads through ShowMojo alone. They’ve scheduled over 23 million showings and reduced their no-shows by up to 80%. That’s incredible.

2025 was a big year for ShowMojo, and we know it was a busy year for property managers too. We saw more and more innovation hit the industry, but we also saw the market tightening.

Here are our two biggest takeaways from 2025 and some tips to consider as we head into 2026.

ShowMojo Takeaway: More Resources Lead to More Solutions

One of our most exciting changes was our new CEO. Vanessa Anderson brought additional resources and leadership that helped us double down on our commitment to serving our customers.

For property managers, that meant we could fast-track the features you’ve been asking for — the ones that remove day-to-day friction and open up new efficiency gains. Here are a few.

Device Installment Plans

The up-front expense has prevented some property managers from adopting smart locks. Our new Monthly Payment Lock Option removes that barrier, so property managers can benefit from the hardware’s security and convenience while paying in smaller installments.

More property managers have been able to add smart locks, boxes, and knobs to their rental units without a large, up-front cost.

More Integrations

We’ve expanded our integrations with leading PMS partners and listing sites to increase the automation available to property managers:

• Expanded two-way sync integration capabilities with AppFolio Stack, Rent Manager, and Entrata.
• Launched integrations with Rentler and College Pads.
• Extended multifamily feed syndication from Zillow to Apartments.com.
• Upgraded lead transmission with Zillow and Zumper for faster response times and more direct communication with prospects.
• Launched Zapier integration in Beta, allowing automated workflows between ShowMojo, CRMs, calendars, and other software.
• Launched syndication with AffordableHousing.com.

These integrations reduce repetitive tasks and help improve accuracy across platforms.

Tech Upgrades

We’ve been working on upgrades to the ShowMojo platform — such as improved navigation that requires fewer clicks — to speed up workflows and improve usability.

Results from the initial pilot have been promising, so we’ll be rolling out more updates in 2026, including an updated dashboard with a new user interface.

We’ve added a Special Announcements feature to highlight property-level offers. From the property page, you can quickly create or edit a special, and ShowMojo emails prospects who have shown interest in the property.

Other enhancements include:

• Updated listing description fields to support HTML.
• Updated Apartments.com feed to support studio listings.
• Enhanced document scanner in the fraud detection workflow.
• Enabled PMs to notify residents when access is granted to residents’ smart locks.

Behind the scenes, our development team has rebuilt core parts of the platform to make ShowMojo faster, steadier, and ready for the next wave of automation.

Our expanded resources have allowed ShowMojo to evolve from a tool that tracks leasing activity into a true tech partner that helps grow your business through efficiency and insight.

 

Industry Takeaway: 2025’s Challenging Market Isn’t Over Yet

Our quarterly Data Talks continue to provide actionable insights for property managers.

Tune into our Q4 Data Talk in January to hear what we’ve learned this year. In the meantime, here are two major takeaways.

The Market Slowed in 2025

Lead volume declined in 2025, reflecting softer renter demand across markets.

Despite this, ShowMojo customers maintained a 54% lead-to-scheduled-showing conversion rate — compared to 43% for property managers using competitor software.

This confirms that ShowMojo’s leasing automation works by keeping prospects engaged and moving through the leasing process.

We also saw days on market climb, signaling more cautious renter behavior.

Challenges Are Likely to Continue

While we’re seeing early signs that the downturn is plateauing, we expect 2026 to continue to be a tight market.

We’re coming off of three straight years of strong construction deliveries, so there are a lot of new units to fill. Interest rates have decreased slightly, making purchasing a home more appealing in some markets.

While property managers will certainly face challenges as 2026 kicks off, there are steps you can take to improve your chances of success in the new year.

Property Management Tips for 2026: How to Succeed in a Tight Market

In today’s environment, property managers must do more with less. Here’s how.

1. Make the Most of Your Leads

When leads are down, you need to make the most of what activity you do have. That means never missing the chance to follow up with a lead.

Our data shows that 70% of prospects are searching online for rental units outside of normal business hours. The right tools keep them engaged even when your team is off the clock.

Automated responses to inquiries, self-scheduling, and self-showings keep prospects moving through the leasing journey with as little friction as possible. Prospects get the service they need, whenever they need it.

2. Prioritize Efficiency

Look for tools that help your team perform more work with less effort. 

For example, our ecosystem of integration, which includes data syncing with leading PMS systems and multifamily feed syndication, makes work less tedious. Instead of manually transferring leads between platforms, you have more time to spend on meaningful work, like growing your portfolio or engaging with current tenants.

Expect more time-saving tools in 2026, including AI-powered listing enhancements and chatbots.

3. Use Data to Your Advantage

In a tight market, more owners consider taking management back in-house to cut costs — unless their property managers can show clear, data-backed value.

Educate your owners on the state of the industry. That’s where our data talks come in handy. You can share concrete evidence of challenges the whole industry is facing. 

You can also use this data to improve your listing strategies, like pricing. Eight days after posting a new listing, check its activity. If leads are lagging, adjust your price accordingly.

Report back to owners regularly to share your progress. This is about to get even easier, as one of ShowMojo’s 2026 initiatives is to improve reporting with more dynamic data.

Here’s to a Successful New Year

The story of 2025 wasn’t just a tougher market — it was how property managers adapted faster than the conditions around them. That same adaptability will be the competitive edge in 2026. 

The property managers who make the most of every lead, leverage automation, and show owners exactly where they deliver value will stay ahead of the curve.

We’re building the tools to help you get there. Let’s make 2026 your most efficient year yet.