Selecting the right real estate investment management software can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your operations. Two leading contenders in this space are AppFolio Investment Manager and SyndicationPro.
Let’s look at both platforms and understand their strengths, weaknesses, and distinct features to help you determine which software could be the better solution for your investment firm.
AppFolio Investment Manager overview
AppFolio Investment Manager is an offering in AppFolio’s suite which includes AppFolio Property Manager. For investment management, the solution offers these main features:
- CRM
- Investor portal
- Fundraising
- Asset and pipeline tracking
- Document management
SyndicationPro overview
SyndicationPro is another real estate investment management platform, specifically focused on the needs of real estate syndication companies. Part of the SponsorCloud software suite, it is offered alongside other specialized tools for commercial real estate investment firms and offers these main features:
- CRM, for nurturing and managing leads
- Fundraising
- Investor reporting
AppFolio vs SyndicationPro: Key differences and comparative analysis
| AppFolio Investment Manager | SyndicationPro | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Integrations/familiar design for AppFolio Property Manager users | Higher price point (Starts at $650/month) | Lower price point (Starts at $95/month) | Fewer reviews and reviews cite missing desired features |
| Offers a mobile app | Doesn’t offer an HTML integrated email system, meaning users have to use a separate email software | Part of an investment management-focused software suite | Less established |
| Helpful support team | Custom CRM fields require a higher subscription tier | Designed to help you stay SEC-compliant | Integrations require Zapier to use |
AppFolio vs SyndicationPro: Key differences
In this section, we’ll dive deeper into a variety of specific points of distinction between these two platforms.
Top features
AppFolio Investment Manager offers comprehensive investment management tools, including a CRM, a portal for communicating with investors, fundraising functionalities, and payment distribution – including through waterfall structures.
Moreover, AppFolio Alpha is a specific asset management product that uses AI to aggregate and normalize data, offering actionable insights, a feature that is specific to AppFolio and not matched by SyndicationPro.
SyndicationPro also offers a CRM, investor portal, fundraising functionalities such as eSigning documents, and payment distribution (including ACH payments). They focus heavily on the fundraising process, highlighting how investors can fund investments directly from their self-directed IRA account with Equity Trust Company.
Pricing
AppFolio Investment Manager offers two product tiers. Core includes the mainline features for handling real estate investments, and starts at $650/month. Premier offers additional features for advanced users, such as custom fields, API access, and additional integrations, and is
SyndicationPro also offers two plans. The Pro Plan is suited to new Sponsors with less than $25M Equity Under Management. The Enterprise Plan is for established sponsors with over $25M Equity Under Management. They do not provide concrete numbers on their website meaning potential users should contact the companies directly for customized quotes based on their specific business needs.
Best for
SyndicationPro is geared more for small to medium sized real estate syndication businesses who need to optimize their fundraising process with a plug and play tool.
AppFolio Investment Manager is optimal for medium to large firms looking for a more comprehensive solution to streamlining operations – their customers include established firms with decades of experience and dozens of active syndications and investments.
Customer support
Out of SyndicationPro’s 17 reviews across G2 and Capterra, 9 customers specifically mentioned customer support as one of the best features.
Out of Appfolio Investment Manager’s 206 reviews across G2 and Capterra, 10 customers specifically mentioned customer support as one of the best features.
Integrations
‘Appfolio Stack’ is a marketplace of partners that can be integrated into the Appfolio platform – from proptech applications to accounting partners.
SyndicationPro offers integrations with numerous specialized and general software tools from Google suite to HubSpot, but these integrations rely on Zapier and are not entirely native.
Ease of use
Out of SyndicationPro’s 17 reviews across G2 and Capterra, 10 customers specifically mentioned ease of use as one of the best features.
Out of AppFolio Investment Manager’s 206 reviews across G2 and Capterra, 21 customers mentioned ease of use for investors and/or team members as a stand-out feature.
Value for money
Out of SyndicationPro’s 17 reviews across G2 and Capterra, 8 customers specifically mentioned value for money and/or competitive pricing as one of the best features.
Out of AppFolio Investment Manager’s 206 reviews across G2 and Capterra, just 6 customers specifically mentioned value for money and/or competitive pricing as one of the best features.
Platforms supported
AppFolio Investment Manager can be used via their website and via a mobile app, whereas SyndicationPro’s platform is web-based only.
Ratings & reviews
| Review site | AppFolio Investment Manager rating | SyndicationPro rating |
| G2 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Capterra | 4.8 | 5.0 |
Both AppFolio Investment Manager and SyndicationPro have generally positive reviews. However, it’s important to note that SyndicationPro has far fewer and less recent reviews, with 15 on Capterra and two on G2, all from 2021 or before.
In contrast, Appfolio Investment Manager has 106 reviews on G2 and 100 on Capterra, the most recent being from 2023.
It’s also worth noting that Appfolio has more in-depth and informative case studies on its website than SyndicationPro.
Alternatives
Alongside AppFolio Investment Manager and SyndicationPro, several other real estate syndication platforms are also worth considering. In separate articles, we also compared Juniper Square with SyndicationPro, and AppFolio Investment Manager vs InvestNext.
However, we believe our own investment management platform is the most sophisticated and user friendly in the market.
Agora is another investment management platform to consider. We deliver real results for our customers with our comprehensive suite of tools, from increasing investor engagement to streamlining operations and boosting equity raises.
Our accolades suggest the industry agrees, with 10 badges in both the G2 Winter 2024 and Spring 2024 Reports. Our platform receives an outstanding 4.8/5 average rating, with customers highlighting the ease of use and onboarding. These success stories highlight our effectiveness as a next-generation investment management solution for forward-thinking commercial real estate investment firms.
AppFolio vs SyndicationPro: Which is the right platform for you?
For commercial real estate investors deliberating between software vendors like AppFolio Investment Manager and SyndicationPro, the choice hinges on your specific needs and scale of operations.
AppFolio provides a comprehensive solution and asset management tools, ideal for larger firms that require detailed financial and operational management. SyndicationPro, on the other hand, zooms in on streamlining fundraising capabilities and offers unique features like IRA integration and co-sponsor management. This, combined with its lower starting price, makes it suitable for growing small-medium sized firms looking to enhance investor engagement and simplify funding processes. Choose based on the scale of your investment activities, desired ease of integration, and the specific functionalities you value most for your business operations.
Conclusion
When choosing your real estate investment management software, it’s important to not only consider your immediate needs but also to plan ahead for future scale. To that end, make sure whatever solution you choose has a robust feature set designed for scalability. Top class customer support plays a huge role here, so make sure to factor this into any decision.
As part of your due diligence, try to identify the companies with a track record for innovation, an array of recent rewards and recognitions, and a wide selection of case studies.
