Technology Implementation Now a Top Challenge for Real Estate Leaders, NAA Research in Partnership with AppFolio Finds
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Dec. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AppFolio (NASDAQ:APPF), the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry, in partnership with the National Apartment Association (NAA), today released the 2025 Performance Ecosystem Report, revealing critical insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping property management performance. Surveying nearly 2,000 real estate industry professionals, the report is a wake-up call for operators, highlighting the risks of not adapting to change.
While operational efficiency and maximizing financial performance consistently remain top challenges reported, for the first time, real estate professionals stated that implementing new technology and innovation has risen into the top three challenges (surpassing HR/Recruitment/Staffing). This suggests that operators are struggling with their current tools, signaling that a fundamental shift to a new, platform--driven approach is essential for success.
This shift comes as property management professionals spend most of their time on task-based operations that keep the business running but prevent them from focusing on growth.
The report reveals a significant time allocation imbalance among leaders, heavily favoring immediate demands.
The Problem: Leaders spend the majority of their time on:
- Routine Operational and Reactive Work: 66%
The Opportunity: Only a third of their time is dedicated to high-value activities:
- Stakeholder Engagement: 17%
- Strategic, Performance-Driven Work: 16%
Yet, when asked how they would ideally like to spend their time, respondents revealed a clear aspiration to focus on strategic, performance-driven work (26%) and stakeholder engagement (23%).
This gap highlights that the industry remains largely reactive, confirming the "efficiency trap" AppFolio has consistently identified. The findings validate the need for a new discipline to help the property management industry drive real performance for all stakeholders, which AppFolio refers to as Real Estate Performance Management.
"This report reinforces our belief that the industry needs a better way to drive performance in the new real estate era," said Stacy Holden, Vice President, Industry Principal at AppFolio. "When your platform can reliably do the work with you, with AI as a core building block, your teams can move into the foreground to manage relationships and create value that helps your entire ecosystem thrive."
Falling Short of AI's Full Potential
AI adoption is widespread, however, its full potential to generate strategic value for property managers remains largely untapped. There is a clear opportunity for property managers to embrace AI-native technology that creates a unified experience and drives true performance:
- The majority of respondents use general-purpose AI tools (53%) like ChatGPT and Gemini, and 43% use AI features embedded in their property management software.
- With 77% of companies already reporting overall performance improvements – largely driven by generative AI – the industry is seeing the beginning of what is possible. Widespread adoption of agentic AI capable of executing complex workflows is poised to take these gains even further.
"This new report from the National Apartment Association (NAA), in partnership with AppFolio, confirms that the largest threat to property performance today isn't demand, it's operational strain," said NAA President and CEO Bob Pinnegar. "At such a crucial time for our industry – where property teams are being asked to operate more strategically than ever – this timely analysis sheds light on constraints like staffing challenges, fragmented systems and reactive workflows. Long-term performance will depend on how well the industry aligns teams, technology and the customer experience, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with AppFolio to analyze and leverage these insights to address challenges moving forward."
The report's findings underscore the real estate industry's need for more integrated systems that eliminate internal hurdles and empower teams to shift their focus from low-value tasks to high-impact growth. With 67% of leaders agreeing that consolidating data into a single platform is key to improving performance, the path forward is clear. By automating entire workflows with agentic operations like Realm-X Performers and transforming key moments like the move-in process with Resident Onboarding, AppFolio's Performance Platform helps property managers close the gap between managing tasks and driving real performance. This empowers operators to unlock new levels of success for residents, owners, and their business – all through a unified experience.
Explore the top trends defining today's rental landscape and download the 2025 Performance Ecosystem Report.
Survey Methodology
The National Apartment Association (NAA), sponsored by AppFolio, surveyed 1,984 industry professionals between July 16 and August 4, 2025.
About AppFolio
AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative performance platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.
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AppFolio
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