Optimizing the Rental Process: How controllable is yours really? (And why most people overestimate themselves)

Most real estate organizations believe their leasing process is well-structured. The average level of digitalization in the industry is 4.2 out of 10 (ZIA 2023). The gap between self-assessment and reality is large.

Self-assessment is based on feeling. Without benchmarks, there is no foundation for optimization. Organizations optimize for symptoms instead of causes, and invest without prioritization.

Controllability is not a feeling. It is a level of maturity.

Those who know their maturity level know exactly where optimization has the greatest leverage.

To optimize the leasing process, an honest assessment is first required. In this article, we present a maturity model, and show how you can categorize your organization today.

What is a maturity level in the leasing process?

The maturity level describes the degree of controllability, transparency, measurability, and substitutability of a leasing process. It shows how far an organization is from actively managing its process instead of just reacting.

A maturity model does not replace individual measures, but it gives them a direction. Instead of working on random symptoms, the maturity level shows which dimension offers the greatest leverage.

The maturity level answers four questions:

• Transparency: Is the overall process visible, to everyone, at any time?

• Measurability: Are process KPIs systematically recorded?

• Substitutability: Does the process function in the event of staff absences?

• Predictability: Are throughput times predictable?

Why does self-optimization fail in practice?

No basis for comparison

The average level of digitalization is 4.2 out of 10 (ZIA 2023), but hardly anyone knows where they stand. Without comparison, there is no categorization and no prioritization.

Optimizing symptoms instead of causes

Those who do not know which dimension has the greatest leverage will optimize where the fire burns loudest, not where it brings the most value. The result: high effort, low impact.

Investments without prioritization

From practice, we know that less than 20% use structured process KPIs. Without data, there is no foundation for targeted investments. Budgets are distributed instead of deployed.

The Maturity Model: Four Stages

Stage 1: Reactive

The organization reacts to problems instead of preventing them.

• Process states are not visible; everything depends on individual people

• No process KPIs, Time-to-Keys exceeds 10 weeks

• From practice, we know: 60% to 70% of knowledge is undocumented

• In the event of absence: standstill and escalation

Typical scenario: "We know things are stuck, but not exactly where." Read more in the article Why chaos arises despite established procedures.

Stage 2: Structured

Processes are defined but not systematically mapped.

• Handovers are manual: via email, phone call, or note

• Knowledge is partially in the system, but not fully accessible

• Coordination is predominantly via email

• There is a concept of the target process, but no control over the actual process

Typical scenario: "We have procedures, but no overview." The biggest time-wasters in leasing remain invisible.

Stage 3: Managed

States are visible in the system; process KPIs are recorded.

• Time-to-Keys is measurable, bottlenecks are identifiable

• Step duration, handover time, and query rate are recorded

• Substitution is possible in less than one day

• Early warnings for delays

Typical scenario: "We see where things are stuck, and can intervene." Our in-depth article explains how KPIs in leasing make this possible.

Stage 4: Optimized

The process is predictable, scalable, and substitutable.

• Time-to-Keys is under 6 weeks, KPIs are calibrated quarterly

• Forecasts based on historical throughput times are possible

• Vacancy costs are controllable, capacity planning is data-driven

• The organization grows without the process breaking under the load

Typical scenario: "We can predict, plan, and scale." Our article shows how leasing becomes predictable.

What it costs: effects and ROI per maturity stage

Every step up has measurable economic benefits. Experience values from the practice of typical property management companies:

Stage 1 → 2: Creating Structure

• Around 30% fewer queries

• Handovers become visible

• First comprehensive overview of active processes

Stage 2 → 3: Introducing Control

• Around 20% fewer escalations

• KPIs become measurable, bottlenecks identifiable

• Substitution during staff absence is possible. More on this topic: Dependencies on individuals in leasing

Stage 3 → 4: Optimization and Predictability

• Around 15% lower vacancy costs

• Forecasts possible, capacity planning is data-driven

• Substitution in under one day, scaling without loss of quality

Economic outlook: With 500 units and vacancy costs of 950 to 1,700 euros per month and unit (EverReal practical estimate), every stage is directly measurable in euros. The leverage is in the six-figure range.

Self-check based on the four dimensions

Answer three questions for each dimension:

Transparency: Can everyone on the team see where each process stands at any time? Are process states defined in the system? Is there a central overview of all active processes? → In-depth: Why chaos arises despite established procedures

Controllability: Are there defined completion criteria for each process step? Are handovers assigned deadlines and responsibilities? Is there an escalation logic for delays? → In-depth: Why classic KPIs are not enough and How to shorten leasing duration

Substitutability: Is process knowledge documented and accessible in the system? Are there coverage rules for each process step? Can a new employee take over within a day? → In-depth: Dependencies on individuals in leasing

Predictability: Are throughput times measured for each process step? Are there historical benchmarks for forecasts? Can you predict the estimated completion of ongoing processes? → In-depth: Why leasing is rarely predictable

Categorize maturity level and compare with industry scoring

Based on your answers, assign your organization to a stage. Compare this with the industry average: most organizations stand at Stage 1 or 2. The average level of digitalization is 4.2 out of 10 (ZIA 2023).

Deriving priorities: which dimension offers the greatest leverage?

Identify the dimension with the greatest potential for improvement. Start there, not everywhere at once.

• Dimension with the most "No" answers = greatest leverage

• Define one concrete first step

• Measure the impact after one quarter

The average level of digitalization in the industry is 4.2 out of 10 (ZIA 2023). Most are at Stage 1 or 2. Those who do not know their maturity level optimize blindly.

Every maturity stage means measurably less effort, less dependency, more predictability, and direct cost reduction. The complete framework is provided in our Guide to optimizing the leasing process.

How do I measure the efficiency of my leasing processes?

By introducing three process KPIs: step duration, handover time, and query rate. Supplemented by Time-to-Keys as an overall KPI. These four metrics make the operational reality visible and enable targeted optimization.

What is a maturity model in property management?

A structured assessment framework that categorizes the degree of controllability into four stages: Reactive, Structured, Managed, Optimized. It is based on four dimensions: transparency, measurability, substitutability, and predictability.

How do I improve my leasing processes in a targeted manner?

Through a maturity analysis: first categorize your own status, then identify the dimension with the greatest leverage and start there. Not everything at once, but the single step that makes the biggest difference.