Discover how family-run lettings agency The Accommodation Bureau grew its portfolio by 40%, reclaimed days of admin each month and used Alto Analytics to make faster, better decisions.
Founded in 1989 and family-managed since 2004, The Accommodation Bureau built their reputation exclusively in lettings. But by 2019, their outdated CRM was holding them back.
Frequent system downtime, lack of remote working capabilities, and days spent manually processing landlord payments meant the agency was at risk of becoming overwhelmed.
Operations Director Sam Whitehead says: “Our IT guy was constantly being called out. Remote working was virtually impossible, and landlord payments were taking days every month. It wasn’t sustainable.”
Sam spent up to six months researching CRMs, receiving demos from the entire market, before finally settling on Alto.
Changing CRM software can be intimidating, but with Alto onboarding was swift and smooth, and the new cloud-based system provided almost instant improvements.
Scaling doesn’t have to be a struggle
Sam says: “We can’t say enough good things about the service and experience received. The team at Alto even brought our go-live date forward.
“Within weeks, we knew Alto was lightyears ahead of our previous CRM. It immediately transformed the way we worked – remote access, reliability, and ease of use were game changers.”
By cutting manual workflows and automating processes, the Cornwall-based Accommodation Bureau team quickly felt the difference in their day-to-day roles.
Jobs that once took days, like landlord payments, now take just a couple of hours each month.
That extra time has helped the team comfortably manage a 40% increase in properties, jumping from a portfolio of 500 to 700, without the added pressure and stress that often comes with that kind of rapid growth.
Sam says: “The time we save on landlord payments alone is transformative. “We handle far more properties now without the stress – we’re more productive and our clients are happier.
“Five years later and we haven’t looked back. The team lives in Alto, especially the property management dashboard, allowing us to tackle compliance, rent payments, and everything else.”
Fast insights for better decisions
As The Accommodation Bureau continued to grow, Sam and the leadership team wanted to make key operational decisions based on real data rather than instinct.
A potential integration with the maintenance platform Tapi was a key moment.
To decide whether to make the investment, the leadership team had specific questions they needed answered, such as how many maintenance jobs had been raised in the past 12 months, which categories of work were most common, and whether particular landlords were generating a disproportionate number of jobs.
That meant looking more closely at the agency’s operational activity, from maintenance jobs and inspections to wider portfolio trends, to understand how the business was really performing.
Answering those kinds of questions before Alto required exporting reports and manually analysing the data in spreadsheets, which would take at least two hours. With a busy team managing a large portfolio, that level of deeper analysis rarely happened unless it was absolutely necessary.
But with access to Alto Analytics, the team can quickly turn raw operational data into instantly visualised insights, updated in real time.
Turning analysis into action
Using the maintenance dashboard in Alto Analytics, Sam was able to analyse maintenance activity across the portfolio in minutes, including total jobs over the previous 12 months, categories of work and activity linked to specific landlords.
He applied filters for time period, job category and landlord and generated four clear visual graphs.
In under 15 minutes, Sam delivered the exact insights needed to decide on Tapi, saving more than 105 minutes compared with manual analysis.
“I feel like we’re now in control of the data we hold rather than making assumptions like we had to previously,” Sam says.
“Alto doesn’t just give us data, it gives us insights, it analyses the data. For a small business like us, looking to gain some leverage in the market, this is vital to make the right decisions.”
The visibility from Alto Analytics has also changed how the team manages the business day to day. Sam now keeps reporting dashboards open during directors’ meetings so he can answer questions immediately, using real time data, from how many lets were completed last quarter to how many inspections are overdue.
That same visibility has helped the team identify operational opportunities too. By analysing the visualised data more closely, Sam spotted an unexpected rise in cancelled viewings and was able to take action.
He can also review performance at user level within Alto Analytics to see where team members are excelling and where additional support might be needed.
Sam says: “Alto Analytics has turned guesswork into confident, strategic decision-making. We understand our business better now than ever.”
Integrations that feel like extra teammates
Alto’s integrations, particularly Bridge AI, brought significant operational efficiencies.
Lettings enquiries from Zoopla are handled automatically, directly engaging prospects via WhatsApp and scheduling viewings. One-click reference reports have replaced even more hours of manual admin.
Sam says: “Bridge AI acts like an additional team member, especially during busy periods. It handles initial enquiries seamlessly, giving our team more time to focus on service and growth.
“As a small business, looking to grow, to provide the best possible service in the area, it is a feat for us to adopt AI so early and so successfully. I’m anticipating what other integrations will be released this year, to see if any of these will be worth adopting.”
Boosting team satisfaction and productivity
Alto also boosted morale and productivity. The intuitive property management dashboard became central to daily operations, improving staff satisfaction through increased flexibility and reduced admin burden.
Sam adds: “Our team would absolutely hate to go back to the old CRM. Alto has made their daily tasks easier and more efficient, significantly improving morale.
“It’s allowed us to become better at our jobs. We work on things that are important, automate admin, and make better decisions because of good data.”
Now fully supported by Alto, The Accommodation Bureau confidently looks towards further growth. Alto’s regular updates and responsiveness to customer feedback ensure the system continues to evolve alongside their business needs.
“I wish we’d switched sooner”
Sam’s advice to other letting agencies is straightforward: “Don’t hesitate.
“Alto saves time, delivers clarity, and gives you confidence to grow your business. Switching was genuinely one of our best-ever decisions. In the last year or so, they seem to be really trying on being customer-led too. I’m excited to see how they innovate and continue to compete over the next year.”
Wondering if Alto should be your next move? Book your free, no-obligation demo now.
