🏡 MeisterTask for Real Estate: Samuel Schlaepfer [Use Case Q&A]

Hello and welcome to the March edition of our Use Case Q&A series!

In this series, we'll share real-life examples of how people use Meister products in a variety of industries - You'll find inspiration, tips and creative new ways to use our tools.

Today, we’re speaking with Samuel Schlaepfer (@Rooster McNugget) about how MeisterTask can be used by those working in real estate to bring organization and efficiency to the field of property management.

Ready to find out how MeisterTask can be used in real estate? Read on!

Got your own use case you'd love to share? Reach out to @Andrew Lapidus or @Miša!

MeisterTask for Real Estate: Samuel Schlaepfer [Use Case]

💡Samuel uses the Dark Reader extension to view MeisterTask in dark mode. Find out more here.💡

Hi Samuel, thanks for joining us today! Could you tell us a bit about yourself please?

Of course! I am a property manager and have been working in my family's small business for 16 years.

After finishing school, I completed an apprenticeship as an insurance salesman and then joined the Swiss Army for 14 months. I rose to the rank of sergeant and learned a lot about leadership - a skill central to my role today. When I left the army, I moved into the family business of real estate. I completed further training to become a property management clerk and later took a course in real estate management, receiving a federal certificate.

Today, I am responsible for the management (contracts, construction, repairs, rentals, marketing, etc.) of all our properties and three employees.

As head of contracting, leasing and property management, I can imagine you face many organizational challenges. Could you share some of these with us?

My daily goal is to work as efficiently as possible; I want to use little effort for maximum results. This goal itself creates many challenges, because it's difficult to track and maintain efficiency in all the diverse tasks and deadlines that make up my areas of responsibility.

In contract management, it is particularly important to meet every deadline, which adds further organizational pressures. Similarly, in construction/conversion, it is essential that every step is well-planned and constantly monitored, and that schedules are adhered to.

On top of all this, I have the mail, meetings, appointments and management of my team. In summary, my challenges center on planning, planning and planning so that I can keep on top of all of the above.

Before you came across MeisterTask, which solutions were you relying on to solve the challenge of perfect planning?

Before I found MeisterTask, I tried similar productivity programs like Trello, Evernote, Todoist, etc..., primarily working with Evernote and Todoist. I also wrote notes by hand (something I still do today, especially during meetings). I find I can remember things better when I write them by hand, so I use GoodNotes on my iPad.

When and how did you find MeisterTask?

With my love of efficiency, I enjoy searching the internet for ways to make the way I work better and more productive. About 2 years ago, I came across Lars Bobach who is very well-known in German-speaking Europe for his "focus in life" and "work-life balance". Around that time, he made a YouTube video about apps he liked to work with; these included Evernote, Todoist and MeisterTask. He was so enthusiastic about MeisterTask that I decided to download it and try it out. Since then, I have become a very enthusiastic user of the Meister Suite myself 😃!

What about MeisterTask appealed to you most in your search for a task/project management tool?

While trialing MeisterTask, I loved the tidy layout and the simple and intuitive operation of the software - I found my way around the interface very quickly. Additionally, I loved that I could create and manage projects not only for myself, but for my team. The fact that MeisterTask is available as an app on the iPhone/iPad also made my decision easier: The app is clearer than other similar apps and just as easy to use as the web version (for example, the layout of the app, size of the buttons and so on, is superior to other project management apps).

You mentioned in the Community that you use MindMeister for annual planning in your company. Is mind mapping a popular solution in the world of real estate?

I'm not sure whether mind mapping is popular in real estate, but I don't see why it shouldn't be! I first created a mind map for work 6 months ago when I saw other users’ MindMeister examples in the Community. That's when I first created a mind map guide for remodeling properties. I wrote down all the key points for remodeling so that I could use the mind map as a mental aid for all future construction projects.

My annual planner is the second mind map I created for work. This one serves as a guide for the projects I have planned in 2023.

I'd love to hear more about how you use MeisterTask for dealing with customer concerns. Could you expand?

As I have said, I try to work as efficiently as possible — which also means keeping things simple! Therefore, I keep tasks about customer concerns in my own projects: All information, files, etc. are stored within these until the task is completed, then I archive it.

In my left sidebar, I have 3 active projects for customer concerns:

1. A to-do list for smaller and more general concerns.
2. A project for rental requests. In this project, I have one column for each uninhabited rental property in which I process all related customer requests. Each customer request is its own task.
3. A project for small repairs. Here, I create one task per necessary repair. However, this only works if it is a small and simple repair with a maximum of 2-3 contractors. If the repair/renovation/new construction is larger, I create a separate project to ensure I have a better overview.

Which feature/ automation is most useful when planning new build projects in MeisterTask?

I have several favorites:

• I love the "due date" automation: with this, I don't have to remember all appointments because I get reminded of them automatically 😉.
• Pinning tasks helps me to keep track of various deadlines and important points which still need clarifying.
• The "recurring task" and "update status" automations make my workflow smoother. (By the way, I'd love a "remove pins" automation!)
• The watcher function: I often use this when individual team members need to be informed about specific work steps but don't need to see the rest of the board.

You've mentioned that you recently started using MeisterNote, could you share an example of how you use MeisterNote at work?

MeisterNote is my digital notebook: I make notes during phone calls, prepare for meetings, write important information, and store links to interesting online articles. At the moment, I only use MeisterNote for myself (and for this interview! 😉)

Unfortunately, I can only use MeisterNote on a PC. I would love to use it on the iPad - It would be even cooler if I could then take notes with the Apple Pencil! 😄

Finally, how do you see your team using the Meister Suite in the future?

For now, I believe we will use the Meister Suite exactly as we are doing right now: Flexibly, whether on the app or in the web version, in the office, on the road, at a construction site, in a meeting or at home!

We are very satisfied with Meister, and we're happy with the great community that has emerged here with so many good tips and tricks.

Thanks so much Samuel, it's been wonderful hearing how Meister tools can be used in real estate. Are you happy for users to reach out to you with any questions?

Of course!