FAQs
Have questions about CRESS software? We’ve got answers! Learn more about how CRESSblue can help your commercial property management business. And remember, you can always contact us directly.
What does CRESSblue cost?
What if I change my mind after I join CRESSblue?
What am I buying?
You are purchasing subscription licences to use CRESSblue on a Software-as-a-Service basis (SaaS), accessed through a web browser. All updates are included for free during your subscription. We provide online hosting as part of the service (some database size or storage limitations or extra charges may apply).
Is there a setup fee?
No, there are no setup fees unless you request extra training or programming in addition to the amounts already in your contract. There is a setup process and we help you through it. With this personal support, you will immediately get the most out of CRESSblue as you get started. Learn more about how a setup process dramatically improves your efficiency here.
Does CRESSblue support customizable roles and permissions?
Absolutely! Every process is role-based and has separate permissions. Where verification is normally required, there are separate permissions for data entry and approvals. For ease of role management, there is a role hierarchy so that roles can be stacked. It greatly simplifies the granting of permissions to new software features or the moving of responsibilities to different departments. The user experience is designed around who is responsible and who has access to the information for each and any role. There are separate permissions for viewing and editing the data as well. Examples of user types include:
- Standard users for general use of the software
- Tenant users with portal access for administration
- Tenant users with portal access for accounting
- Owner users with portal access to their property reports
- Professional users with specialized access (i.e. super admin, tech support)
- Limited users with limited access (i.e. non-active user, reports only)
Are there modules I need to add to get the full use of CRESSblue?
No. Commercial net leasing doesn’t get simpler just because you have only one property or just a handful of leases. There is less work but no less complexity. All aspects of the operations are still there and required, so we consciously decided to make the full range of CRESSblue capability available to every client, regardless of the size of their licensing agreement.
Is the CRESSblue support team located in Canada?
Yes, CRESSblue is based in Canada and supported by friendly, responsive, Canadian experts.
What about backups and security?
CRESSblue cloud hosting is on Microsoft Azure servers which provide enterprise-level security and backup protection for all hosted software and data.
Is CRESSblue really going to make my company more efficient?
If you have more than one person in your company doing real estate accounting tasks at least part-time on a daily basis, you have reached the size where CRESSblue efficiency will pay for itself. For one building and three leases, it doesn’t really matter that much if your daily routine is reduced from 20 to 10 minutes. However, if you have 15 leases and it takes half a day to run your business, CRESSblue will make a significant difference to you. Portfolios with commercial properties (i.e. office, retail, warehouse and industrial) that use net leases can have substantial returns on investment. CRESSblue also works for anything that is simpler, but you won’t need its full capabilities just for work on residential leasing. Try the “Is CRESSblue Right for Me?” Questionnaire to see if CRESSblue is a fit for your company and portfolio.
There are so many software systems available. What makes CRESSblue different?
Quite simply, the CRESSblue design philosophy is a ruthless quest for workflow efficiency in real-world commercial net leasing operations and accounting. Capability alone is not enough. The right software for you is the one that not only does everything that you need, but also does it easily, intuitively, effectively and efficiently. Download this checklist to help you assess software for your needs.
CRESSblue is tested vigorously for intuitive flow. For example, we gave a non-real-estate person information for 10 buildings, 35 leases and a year of financial data, along with 20 minutes of basic instruction. We then set that person to work in CRESSblue. We did not provide any manuals or access to CRESSblue help systems. Even with no prior experience, this one person entered all of the data in two days. That’s fast! Imagine how that intuitive efficiency will change your business.
How hard is it to get started?
There are two parts to getting onboarded into any new system: configuring the software for first use and entering your initial data sets.
Our commercial real estate experts help with the software configuration by preconfiguring your initial database, including location-specific setup.
The second part is where our CRE expertise really shines. We use your files to show you how to set up your most complex leases and properties. The hardest part for you is finding critical missing data and resolving data discrepancies in historical records. The good news is that you can start checking your data files now, even before onboarding to the new system. Here’s how.
I’m still undecided. How can I be sure CRESSblue is right for me?
Download the “How Do I Decide?” Worksheet to get clarity on your needs and use it during research and demos to speed up your qualifying process.
Complete the “Is CRESSblue Right for Me?” Questionnaire to see how it fits your needs, and the “What Will CRESSblue Cost Me?” Estimator to get an idea of the cost.
If you have questions before you book a demo, schedule a call. We will contact you to get clarity on whether CRESSblue can improve the efficiency of your business significantly. If it can, we will book a demo with you to prove it.
Our clients can expect a $1 return in value for every 25¢ spent on CRESSblue (ask for details).
