Kenyan startup Kodisher has developed a proprietary property management platform that enables clients such as landlords and agents to manage processes, transactions and data associated with rental properties.
Launched in September of last year, Kodisher has developed an end-to-end platform that provides clients with all the information on their rentals at their fingertips, helping them manage money, units and tenants.
The platform automates standard procedures, generating invoices and receipts online sending them via email, and notifying landlords and agents on overdue rent and upcoming payments.
“We have built our software to be easy to use and offer our paying clients ongoing tutorials on how to exploit the full potential of the system. We have also automated most tasks because it makes stuff easier for ourselves and our clients,” co-founder Solomon Mwangi told Disrupt Africa.
Kodisher was formed after the founders noticed the property management market, unlike other sectors, had not yet really embraced technology.
“The property market has been left behind, with manual record keeping and payment processing. We formed Kodisher to provide the digital tools necessary to manage data, processes and transactions in the leasing market,” said Mwangi.
The self-funded startup has grown organically since launch through referrals from current customers. It integrated with M-Pesa last month, a move Mwangi said had been well received by clients.
“Update has been positive. We have grown almost exclusively by word of mouth and referrals from friends. We are soon launching a series of seminars around the country to train current and potential landlords and property managers how to make best use of Kodisher,” he said.
Most of Kodisher’s clients manage properties in urban areas of Kenya, but the startup is launching a drive later this year to pursue property managers from other East African countries. Mwangi said it also plans to launch a West African office in early 2019.
Kodisher makes money through a SaaS licensing plan that is based on the number of units a user wishes to manage through the platform. The cheapest plan costs KES1,000 (US$10) per month, and allows a user to manage up to 20 units.
“Users have the option to pay monthly or annually. We also charge a commission on collections we make through our mobile money integration,” said Mwangi.
Unsurprisingly, persuading landlords and agents of the benefits of digital systems has not been easy, but Mwangi feels Kodisher is making it work.
“Our main difficulty has been getting older generation property managers to change their way of operating and embrace digital management methods,” he said. “We have exploited the digital literacy brought in by social media to bring more people on board. When anyone asks how hard it is, we tell them it is just as easy as Facebook.”
