pm-propertymeld-platform

name	pm-propertymeld-platform
effort	low
description	Property Meld platform deep reference for Blue. Full feature coverage: Projects, make-ready/turnover lifecycle, workflow automation, three-way chat, vendor portal, integrations, KPIs, MAX On-Call, resident portal, scheduling.
triggers	["property meld","meld status","how does meld work","vendor portal","three-way chat","meld workflow","what does pending mean","meld lifecycle","projects","make ready","turnover","workflow automation"]

Property Meld Platform Reference — Full Feature Coverage

Operational deep reference for Blue. Sources: Property Meld help center + product documentation.

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Complete Status Reference

Open Statuses (someone needs to act)

Status	Blocked on	Unblocked by
Pending Assignment	PM/coordinator	Assign to vendor or internal tech
Pending Vendor Acceptance	Vendor	Vendor accepts or declines
Pending Vendor Availability	Vendor	Vendor proposes scheduling times
Pending Resident Availability	Resident	Resident selects from vendor's windows
More Availability Requested	Vendor (no auto-notify)	Vendor proactively updates; coordinator may need to prompt
Pending Management Availability	Internal tech	Tech selects schedule
Pending Estimates	Vendor (submit) or PM (approve)	Estimate submitted and approved
In Progress / Pending Completion	Vendor/tech	Work done, marked complete

Terminal Statuses (permanently read-only — cannot be reopened)

Status	Meaning
Complete	Work finished successfully
Canceled / Manager Cancelled	PM cancelled (includes resident-requested cancellations processed by PM)
Resident Cancelled / Tenant Canceled	Resident cancelled via portal
Vendor Could Not Complete	Vendor unable to finish
Maintenance Could Not Complete	Internal tech unable to finish

Critical: Terminal melds are permanently read-only. Closed in error = create a new meld.

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1. PROJECTS

What a Project Is

A container that groups multiple Melds under one umbrella with a shared timeline, progress tracker, and coordinator assignment. Used when a single outcome requires multiple trades — most commonly turnovers and make-readies. A Project gives the coordinator one view instead of hunting across individual Melds.

• Standalone Meld = one work order, one problem
• Project = many Melds, one outcome

Where to Find Projects

Left nav → Projects tab. Templates tab within Projects holds reusable structures.

How to Create a Project

From template (recommended):

1. Projects → Templates tab
2. Find template (e.g., "Standard Move Out" — Property Meld provides this out of the box)
3. Click "Create Project from this Template"
4. Fill in: property, start date, target due date, coordinator

From scratch:

1. Projects → Create Project
2. Add Melds two ways:
   • "Add Meld" — creates a new Meld inside the project
   • "Add Existing Meld" — attaches an already-created Meld

Project Fields

• Progress bar — completed Melds / total Melds
• Start Date / Due Date — due date = target rent-ready date
• Coordinators — user(s) responsible

Project Detail Page

Opens to the Summary tab:

• Overall progress
• Activity timeline
• Recommended actions if behind pace to hit target date
• Spotlight section — shows Melds requiring action with current status and tags; coordinator can act on them directly from Spotlight without navigating to each Meld

What Belongs in a Project vs. a Standalone Meld

Use a Project	Use a Standalone Meld
Turnover/make-ready (3+ trades)	Single repair (leaky faucet)
Work coordinated around a vacancy	Routine maintenance, one vendor
Multi-phase work with a target completion date	Emergency dispatch
Anything with sequenced trades across multiple days	Resident-submitted requests

Multi-Trade Sequencing

No formal dependency logic (Meld B cannot start until Meld A completes), but Spotlight and the progress bar give the coordinator visibility to manually sequence. Best practice: create Melds in trade execution order (clean → paint → flooring → lockset) and assign each as the prior trade completes.

Turnover as a Project

Use the Standard Move Out template. Each trade = its own Meld with its own vendor, scheduling thread, and invoice. Coordinator monitors Spotlight daily. Project is complete when all Melds reach a closed status.

What Good Project Management Looks Like

• Project created the day the move-out notice is received (not after keys are returned)
• Target date set at creation; Spotlight flags if pace is behind
• Each trade is its own Meld — not all crammed into one work order
• Vendors queued and pre-assigned so they start same day as move-out
• Coordinator checks Spotlight daily
• Invoices approved per Meld as each trade completes

Common Project Mistakes

• Creating the project after keys are returned (vacancy time already burning)
• One work order for all make-ready trades (no per-trade visibility or accountability)
• No target date set (no Spotlight alerts, vacancy extends indefinitely)
• Coordinator only checks in when a vendor calls with a problem

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2. MAKE-READY / TURNOVER WORKFLOW — FULL LIFECYCLE

Industry Benchmarks

• Target: 7–10 days from move-out to rent-ready
• 45% of PM companies complete in 9 days or less; 33% take 13+ days
• Average cost per turnover: $1,750–$2,500 (excluding vacancy loss)
• A 14-day turnover on a $1,600/month unit costs ~$3,009 with vacancy loss factored in
• 80% of turnovers occur May–September — plan vendor capacity accordingly

The 11-Step Lifecycle

Step 1: Move-Out Notice Received

• Create a Project from the Standard Move Out template immediately
• Set target rent-ready date; assign coordinator
• Do not wait until after keys are returned

Step 2: Pre-Move-Out Inspection

• Create an inspection Meld inside the project
• Assign to internal tech or inspection vendor (zInspector integrates directly)
• Goal: identify scope of work before move-out so vendors can be lined up in advance

Step 3: Property Marketing

• Handled in PMS/leasing system, not Property Meld
• Best practice: list with existing photos while still occupied; new photos come after make-ready

Step 4: Scope Build-Out (after inspection) Create individual Melds inside the project:

• Deep cleaning → cleaning vendor
• Paint / wall repairs → painter
• Flooring replacement or cleaning → flooring vendor
• Appliance repairs → appliance tech
• HVAC filter/tune-up → HVAC vendor
• Plumbing check → plumber
• Lockset change → locksmith or internal tech (always last)

Step 5: Key and Final Payment Collection

• Handled in PMS
• In Property Meld: update any Melds requiring resident presence to "no presence required" — unit is now vacant

Step 6: Move-Out Inspection (Final)

• Confirm no personal items remain, document condition with photos/video
• This Meld's documentation = basis for security deposit accounting

Step 7: Vendor Coordination and Execution

• Each vendor receives their Meld; accepts; schedules
• No resident presence required = faster scheduling (vendor picks their window)
• Coordinator monitors Spotlight for bottlenecks; approves invoices as each trade completes

Step 8: Lock Change

• Final Meld before showing — must be confirmed complete before property is shown
• Create as the last Meld in the project sequence

Step 9: Showings

• Handled in leasing system
• Rent-ready flag: Project at 100% or coordinator manually signals completion

Step 10: Tenant Screening → Lease Execution

• Handled in PMS

Step 11: Move-In Inspection

• New standalone Meld or second project phase
• Document with photos; establishes baseline for new tenancy

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3. WORKFLOW AUTOMATION

What Workflows Are

Rule-based automations: trigger + optional conditions + actions. Coordinator intervention not required. Access: left nav → Workflows. Admin and Agent roles only.

Trigger Types

Time Events — fire based on elapsed time relative to a Meld state (e.g., "X days after Meld created with no assignment")

Change Events — fire when a user or system generates an activity record:

• Meld created
• Meld status changes (any status transition)
• Meld assigned to vendor
• Vendor accepts / declines
• Work marked complete
• Invoice submitted / approved
• Estimate submitted / approved / rejected
• Comment created (any chat message)

Conditions (filter when the workflow fires)

• Property, unit, or property group
• Issue category / trade type
• Assigned vendor or technician
• Meld tags
• Date thresholds (before/after date)

Combine multiple conditions with AND / OR logic.

Actions

• Send a chat message using a saved Chat Template (recipient visibility set on the template)
• Delay — pauses execution before next action (enables multi-step sequences)
• Additional action types exist in-app (Property Meld's UI offers more than public docs enumerate)

Recommended Automations (Property Meld best practices)

Automation	Trigger	Action
Resident acknowledgment	Meld created	Send receipt confirmation; set expectations for business hours
HVAC troubleshooting	Meld created with "HVAC" in description	Send resident troubleshooting template (check filter, thermostat, breaker)
Garbage disposal / drain self-fix	Same pattern	Send self-service resolution steps
Vendor introduction	Meld assigned to vendor	Message resident with vendor name so they recognize the unknown number
Invoice request	Meld marked complete → 24h delay	Send vendor chat message requesting invoice
Completion confirmation	Meld marked complete	Ask resident to confirm work done before billing is processed
Post-repair survey	Meld closes	Send satisfaction rating request
Stale meld nudge	Pending Assignment for X days	Alert coordinator to take action
Estimate request	Meld created in specific category	Send vendor a message requesting estimate before scheduling

Chat Templates and Workflows

Workflows that send messages use saved Chat Templates. Templates must have visibility set correctly — wrong visibility sends the message to the wrong party. Templates support placeholders in __double_underscore__ format for quick personalization. Manage templates: Company Settings → Chat Templates.

Configuration

Workflows → Create Workflow (from scratch) or Create With Template (from preset Templates tab).

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4. THREE-WAY CHAT

Architecture

Every Meld has a Chat tab — a threaded communication log that persists for the life of the Meld and becomes part of its permanent record. All communication should happen inside the Meld. Off-platform communication (phone/text) creates undocumented history and prevents other coordinators from seeing what happened.

Recipient Groups

Select recipient before typing. "Will be seen by" label confirms who receives the message.

Recipient Group	Who sees it	When to use
Managers, Vendors, and Residents	All parties	General updates, scheduling confirmations, completion notices
Managers and Vendors	Staff and vendor only	Vendor coordination, cost discussions, internal notes that residents don't need
Managers and Owners	Staff and owner	Approval requests, cost discussions
Managers only	Internal staff	Internal notes — residents and vendors cannot see

Vendor behavior: Vendors can send to Managers + Residents + Vendors, or Managers + Vendors only. Vendors cannot message residents alone (all comms go through the manager channel).

Owner behavior: Owners access chat via Owner Hub; they see Manager/Owner channel messages.

Delivery Status

Below each sent message, click to see: Read, Not Read, No Delivery Failures, or Delivery Failed (check contact info).

AI Tools

AI Translate (8 languages): Click translate below any message. Residents and vendors can reply in their native language. Enables bilingual coordination without bilingual staff. Available to all standard plan customers.

AI Message Assist: In the compose area. Type rough intent; AI generates a polished professional message. Useful for difficult situations where tone matters (damage charges, non-renewals, vendor performance issues).

AI Summary: Condenses a full thread to bullet points. Use when an owner or supervisor asks "what's going on?" without reading 40 messages.

Common Mistakes

• Sending vendor cost discussions to residents (use Managers and Vendors only)
• Communicating off-platform via phone or text (creates undocumented history)
• Not verifying "Will be seen by" before sending
• Letting chat threads grow without using AI Summary for stakeholder updates

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5. VENDOR PORTAL — FULL VENDOR EXPERIENCE

How Vendors Get Access

Invitation from the PM company (no self-serve signup). PM adds vendor → invitation generated. Alternatively, vendors apply through Vendor Nexus (5-stage vetting: application, reputation check, compliance, platform training, interview). Nexus covers 81% of the U.S.

What Vendors See

Four navigation sections:

• Incoming Requests — new Melds awaiting acceptance
• Melds — all active and historical Melds
• Invoices — all invoices in progress or submitted
• Estimates — estimate requests from PMs

Accepting a Meld

1. Incoming Requests → click Accept → confirmation → Accept again
2. If resident presence required: vendor sees resident's 5+ availability windows; selects one — OR sends their own windows for resident to choose from
3. If no resident presence required: vendor selects their own window
4. Status moves to In Progress / Pending Completion

Reassignment rules:

• Reassigned from one vendor to another: appointment is canceled; new vendor schedules from scratch
• Reassigned from one internal tech to another: appointment transfers intact

Estimate Flow

Meld title shows "(Estimate)" prefix. Vendor accepts → if no site visit needed, clicks "NOT NOW" on scheduling page → submits estimate with cost breakdown → PM approves or rejects → if approved, work proceeds.

Invoice Submission

After marking Meld complete, vendor submits invoice:

Option A — Line items: Description, Quantity, Price per line. Optional Notes. Submit → confirm.

Option B — File upload: Upload invoice file + enter total amount. Submit.

Vendor can edit invoice until PM approves. Once approved, it locks. Payment handled outside Property Meld (PM processes payment externally).

Invoice statuses: Draft → Submitted → Approved → Paid

Integration sync:

• AppFolio: Approved invoices → AppFolio Bills (vendor must be manually linked)
• Buildium: Approved invoices → Buildium Bills (same manual linking required; $0 line items do not sync)
• Yardi: Approved invoices → Yardi payables

What Vendors Can Do

Accept/decline Melds | Schedule appointments | Communicate via Meld chat | Submit invoices and estimates | View their full Meld and invoice history

What Vendors Cannot Do

Modify Meld details | Create accounts without invitation or Nexus approval | Message residents independently (all comms through manager channel) | Close or cancel a Meld (can only mark "could not complete") | Access other vendors' Melds

Setting Expectations with Vendors

• All scheduling through Property Meld — not via coordinator phone/text
• Submit invoices within 24–48 hours of completion (automate a prompt via Workflow)
• Use Meld chat for all communication
• Upload completion photos to the Meld
• If unable to complete: mark "Vendor Could Not Complete" — do not abandon the Meld

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6. ACCOUNTING INTEGRATIONS

AppFolio ↔ Property Meld

AppFolio → Property Meld (every ~2 hours): Properties, units, residents/homeowners, owners, maintenance notes

Property Meld → AppFolio (real-time on trigger): Meld info → AppFolio Work Orders; Approved invoices → AppFolio Bills (requires manual vendor linking); Billable Items → AppFolio work order

What does NOT sync: Updating a property in Property Meld does not update AppFolio. Updating a work order in AppFolio does not update the Meld. Vendor matching is always manual.

Setup: AppFolio Stack marketplace.

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Buildium ↔ Property Meld

Buildium → Property Meld (every ~4 hours): Properties, units, tenants, owners

Property Meld → Buildium (on invoice approval): Approved invoices → Buildium Bills (manual vendor linking required)

What does NOT sync: Melds/work orders do not sync to Buildium (only invoices). HOAs do not sync. $0 line items do not sync. Owners not auto-invited on import.

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Yardi ↔ Property Meld

Yardi → Property Meld: Portfolio data, contacts, residents (auto-invited after move-in)

Property Meld → Yardi: Approved invoices → Yardi payables. Supported: Voyager 7, 7S, 8 only.

Setup: Requires API URL, Server Name, and Interface User credentials from Yardi System Administration.

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Other Partners

Rent Manager | Propertyware | Rentvine | zInspector (inspection integration — feeds into make-ready projects)

All integrations included at no extra charge.

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7. REPORTING AND KPIs

Platform Tools

Insights (Core plan): Real-time dashboard — communication, scheduling, staffing, profitability metrics.

Insights Pro (Ops plan, $2/door): Adds competitive benchmarking, technician/vendor/coordinator performance analysis, financial tracking.

Monthly Benchmark Report: Property Meld publishes monthly using 10M+ work orders. Covers repair speed, resident satisfaction, costs, seasonal patterns by category.

Key KPIs and Benchmarks

KPI	Benchmark / Target
Speed of Repair (submission → completion)	World-class: 2.7 days; Good: 3.4–3.5 days
HVAC cycle time	≤ 3.5 days
Plumbing cycle time	≤ 4.5 days
Electrical cycle time	≤ 5 days
Critical threshold	> 5.5 days = near-zero chance of positive review
Speed to assign	Same day (0 days with automation)
Speed to schedule	Hours, not days; target < 4 minutes with automation
Technician utilization	≥ 75% (service hours / payroll hours)
Jobs per day	Track balance vs. quality
Photo attachment rate	Target 80–90% of submissions
Resident satisfaction	Target 4.2–4.6 / 5; 3/5 is damaging
Resident retention	46% of move-outs cite maintenance; 31% say it was primary reason
Cost per work order	Track by category; use for owner reporting

Blue's Age-Based Escalation Rules (derived from KPI benchmarks)

Meld age	Flag	Action
≥ 4 days	Approaching critical	Include in morning scan report; message Dane if no vendor assigned
≥ 5.5 days	Critical threshold	Message Dane immediately, any time of day

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8. MAX ON-CALL

What It Is

AI-powered phone answering for after-hours maintenance intake. Resident calls a designated number; MAX handles the call via conversational AI, creates the Meld, and routes based on urgency — no live dispatcher needed.

How It Works

1. Resident calls after-hours number
2. MAX engages immediately (no hold, no voicemail)
3. MAX asks follow-up questions in natural language
4. MAX prompts for photos/video via SMS follow-up
5. MAX assesses severity against the PM's custom emergency definition
6. Emergency: activates after-hours call tree; contacts on-call staff sequentially until claimed
7. Non-emergency: documents issue, creates Meld, routes to next-business-day queue

What MAX Handles

New request submission | Status check on existing Meld | Rescheduling | Cancellation | After-hours emergencies (heating, flooding, lockouts, HVAC)

Key Stat

40% of issues self-reported as emergencies by residents are triaged down to non-emergency by MAX. Reduces unnecessary after-hours dispatches 30–50%.

Configuration

• Define emergency threshold (what counts as an emergency for your portfolio)
• Set after-hours call tree (who, in what order, what happens if no answer)
• Configure per-property applicability
• Set SMS follow-up preferences

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9. RESIDENT PORTAL

Access

Web-based; no app download. 90% reported adoption rate. Credentials persist after initial setup.

Submitting a Request

1. Resident clicks New Meld
2. Describes issue; uploads photos/videos
3. If MAX Intelligence enabled: conversational diagnostic; may resolve without dispatch
4. Prompted to select 5 or more availability windows (if presence required)
5. Confirmation message sent immediately upon submission

Scheduling Interaction

• Resident selects from vendor's proposed windows
• If no overlap: clicks "Request More Availability" — vendor does NOT receive a notification; coordinator must prompt the vendor manually
• Resident can update their own availability windows

Post-Completion

• Notification to provide star rating and feedback when Meld closes
• Feeds directly into PM's Resident Satisfaction metric in Insights

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10. MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING

The Model

Resident and vendor availability are given equal weight. The system facilitates a self-service availability negotiation. Coordinator intervenes only when parties cannot agree.

Full Scheduling Flow

1. Pending Assignment → PM assigns to vendor or tech
2. Pending Vendor Acceptance → vendor accepts
3. Availability exchange:
   • If resident presence required: vendor selects from resident's windows (or sends their own windows back)
   • If no presence required: vendor selects their own window without resident involvement
4. In Progress / Pending Completion → appointment confirmed
5. Complete → vendor marks done → invoice opens → resident feedback triggered

Scheduler IQ (Ops Plan)

Smart assignment feature. Recommends vendor/tech based on proximity, past reviews, cost efficiency, and availability. Automates the assignment decision coordinators otherwise make manually.

Reassignment

• New vendor: appointment canceled; new vendor schedules from scratch
• New internal tech: appointment transfers intact

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USER ROLES

Role	Key access
Admin	Full; configures Workflows, Chat Templates, integrations
Agent	Full operational; can manage Workflows
Maintenance Coordinator	Assign, schedule, communicate, manage Melds and Projects
Vendor	Accept/decline, schedule, chat, invoices, estimates
Resident	Submit, availability, chat, feedback
Owner	Owner Hub: view Melds, approve spend, chat, set notifications

Owner Approval Dollar Amount: PM sets a threshold; invoices above it require owner approval before payment. Approval requests go through the platform.

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PRICING

Plan	Price	Adds
Core	$1.60/door/month	Work order tracking, chat, MAX Intelligence, integrations
Ops	$2.00/door/month	Scheduler IQ, Insights Pro, Vendor Nexus, financial tracking
Enterprise	Custom	50,000+ units

Minimum: $160/month. No extra charge for integrations.

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Sources: Property Meld help center (support.propertymeld.com), propertymeld.com/blog, and product documentation. Distilled 2026-04-14.