SKYLINE Property Management Reviews

“Top notch training support!”

Pros

Getting started with this software has been very eays and the system is simple to use. The training team has been excellent, they really take the time to work with you and having 10 hours per month available is a valuable bonus!

Cons

At the beginning I don't think the system was being used the way it was intended so a lot of things were left incomplete. And without historical data in place running certain reports can be difficult at times.

“tenant reports are easy”

Pros

Tenant reports were fairly easy to work with although pulling certain reports wasn't always the simplest process.

Cons

Bank reconciliations and closing out the month were challenging parts of using the software.

“Quite average performance”

Pros

Tenant reports were fairly easy to work with for us although getting access to certain reports was not always a very simple process.

Cons

Bank reconciliations and month-end closing were difficult to manage.

“accurate financial reporting”

Pros

The financial data is very reliable and accurate.

Cons

Support from them has really fallen off and the software is no longer being improved to match current industry demands. A few years back an update completely broke our CAM reconciliations which made it clear the release had not been properly tested. The problem was never fixed and we ended up spending countless hours trying to work around it.

“Provides accurate data”

Pros

The financial data this tool provides is very accurate for us.

Cons

It doesn't seem to have strong support anymore and it hasn't been improved enough to match current industry demands. A few years back, an update made our CAM reconciliations unusable which clearly showed it hadn't been tested properly. The issue was never fixed and we ended up spending many hours trying to work through it.

“multiyear ledger visibility”

Pros

Having permanent access to the general ledger history is really valuable. The multiyear general ledger lets me track expense trends across different years which makes long term financial review much more useful.

Cons

The major platform overhaul in 2019 came with a pretty steep adjustment period. Navigation still feels more complicated than it used to and even with favorites added it doesn't fully fix the issue. There are just too many menu layers to click through before getting to what you need.

“Simple posting”

Pros

After about a year using this software the daily posting tasks have been pretty easy to handle. Since I'm still fairly new to this line of work I've made some pretty major mistakes along the way. The best part is that my customer rep has been incredible whenever that happens. She stays calm, wel informed, kind and reassuring so I don't panic anymore when I run into a big error. Knowing that she can help me work through it has made a huge difference. She's truly the best!

Cons

One thing missing is some kind of app that my CPM could use while out in the field.

“user friendly but too many steps”

Pros

The software is user friendly and simple to work with and I also appreciate that it isn't cloud based.

Cons

Setting up a new property takes quite a few steps which makes the process feel longer than it should.

“reliable support and usability”

Pros

Two things really make this software work well for us. First it's very user friendly and second the support team is excellent. Any time we've had what seemed like an issue we've always gotten a fast response and most of the time it turns out to be something we just needed better understanding of on our end.

Cons

There are a few small things that could be improved. For example it would be helpful to change the GL date in AP while entering an invoice instead of having to go to a separate screen. That said it's not something we need to do very often so it's not a major concern.

“helpful customer service”

Pros

The best part of this product has been the customer service.

Cons

I do wish it were a bit simpler to figure out on my own.

“All in one property management win”

Pros

It lets us keep all of our properties organized in one place, enter property, tenant and vendor details, handle bill payments and send invoices to tenants without trouble.

Cons

At times certain fields have character limits and can't be adjusted. For example some email addresses don't fit in the space allowed.

“report drill down is great!”

Pros

Being able to click straight into a transaction from a report and instantly see the GL coding and description is really useful.

Cons

Voiding checks could be better. It would help a lot to have a bulk option for voiding multiple checks instead of handling them one by one.

“flexible modules”

Pros

Using this software has been simple and it adapts well to the specific needs of our business. There are plenty of optional modules available and it also works well with a variety of other software platforms which gives us a lot of flexibility.

Cons

It does occasionally time out and I'd really like to see a more advanced budgeting tool included.

“Simple navigation”

Pros

Getting around the system is very simple whether I'm moving between different occupant information sections, attaching documents or searching for data. It's user friendly and doesn't take much effort to find what I need.

Cons

Each update tends to come with some kind of glitch which can be frustrating. That said I realize most software has that issue and the IT team is always accessible and extremely helpful when something comes up.

“Dependable reports”

Pros

Back when I started using this four years ago the database was completely new to me and I had no prior experience with the software. My representative pointed me toward the training classes and also recommended using the Help line. During those first few months I was calling support at least twice a week and they consistently got back to me within a day. The team was responsive, friendly and really knew the system well. The assistance I got was excellent and honestly felt like having a personal tutor. I even started requesting the same person because she understood what I needed and would always call me back. Within a year I was comfortable running the database on my own. Even now I still reach out occasionally when I have a question or need help. I'm currently using the 2020 version and it's actually enjoyable to work in. The multiple screen option has really helped me become more efficient with my time. There are a lot of features available which makes it a very capable system. The reports are another strong point. I can use them and then convert them into Excel files or PDFs which helps me combine that information with other reports I create.

Cons

Even after taking the classes I still needed extra explanation once I started working in the database by myself. In the beginning it felt complicated and a little overwhelming. Having bookkeeping experience definitely helped me understand and piece together some of the processes.

“solid value for basic property management”

Pros

It is an easy property management platform that handles the core parts of the job well. Compared with similar products the pricing is fairly low which makes it a strong option for companies with simpler requirements. It works especially well if you do not need anything too advanced and it is nice to see that the product continues to improve over time.

Cons

At the same time the software can feel rigid and a bit buggy to work with. When customization is needed you have to rely on Crystal Reports or Cumulus to get it done which adds extra effort. Another limitation is that the file structure is not SQL based.

“Efficient expense tracking”

Pros

Having access to the full general ledger history has been really valuable. With the multi-year general ledger, I'm able to track how expenses change and trend over time which helps a lot.

Cons

The platform redesign in 2019 came with a pretty complicated adjustment. Browsing isn't as easy as it used to be and while the favorites feature helps a bit, it doesn't really fix the issue. There are still too many menu layers to click through just to reach what you need.

“Accessible platform with quick onboarding”

Pros

Getting new team members up to speed on Skyline has never been much of a challenge because the system is very accessible and simple to use. I've trained several new users on it and they were able to learn it and start working in it fairly quickly.

Cons

After using this for 20 years (going all the way back to the DOS version) I still really miss the old keyboard shortcuts. Having to switch constantly between the keyboard and the mouse slows me down quite a bit. The keyboard shortcuts included in the 2020 version feel buggy, take a few seconds to register and execute and at times they do not work at all.

“powerful reporting”

Pros

Has been a really well rounded solution for both accounting and property management. It's especially strong when it comes to producing highly useful financial reports for our investors and lenders. Other than that the technical support has been excellent and they even referred us to an expert we still work with today. We've been very happy with the software overall.

Cons

I don't have any negative feedback to share about it.

“solid value!”

Pros

It offers strong value for the price and covers the basic accounting features well. The option to build custom reports with the Cumulus Excel add on and Crystal Reporting is also a big plus.

Cons

The interface isn't very flexible which can make it frustrating for users at times.