Property management software can make or break your operations. For years, Yardi has been the industry standard for large portfolios and institutional landlords. But more and more property managers — especially small to mid-sized firms — are switching to Buildium for its simplicity, cost savings, and faster onboarding.
However, moving from Yardi to Buildium isn’t just a matter of exporting some spreadsheets and starting fresh. These platforms are built for very different workflows, data models, and company types. If you’re considering making the move, this article breaks down what you should know before switching from data pitfalls to operational surprises to long-term strategy.
Our Canadian management consulting firm has a dedicated IT team that support property management companies with proptech. Our clients range in size from small to thousands of properties under management. This has provided us with the opportunity to see customers adopting and migrating from several major platforms. We also provide training, comprising a comprehensive solution that will often onboard a property management firm in weeks.
Why Property Managers Leave Yardi
While Yardi is powerful, many firms outgrow its complexity, or never fully adopt it. Even though the company offers Yardi Breeze for those not ready for the complexity of Yardi Voyager, its not a perfect fit for all scenarios. Here are the most common reasons companies migrate off Yardi:
1. Cost Overhead
Yardi can cost thousands per month once you factor in user licenses, training, modules, and support. For firms managing under 1,000 doors, it often feels excessive.
2. High Learning Curve
Yardi was built for asset managers, not day-to-day property teams. Training staff to use it well can take months.
3. Rigid Customization
Want to tweak a workflow or form? Be ready to pay for custom development. Many Yardi clients find themselves stuck with one-size-fits-all solutions.
4. Slow Support and Development
Even with premium support, updates and issue resolution can be slow. Smaller firms often feel overlooked.
5. Buildium Now Supports Franchise-Scale Rollouts
Buildium has matured. Franchises like RE/MAX are standardizing on it for rental operations, meaning it’s now equipped to handle portfolios once reserved for more complex systems.
What to Expect During a Yardi to Buildium Migration
Migrating isn’t just a data transfer — it’s an operational reset. Here’s what to plan for:
1. Data Structure Differences
- Yardi uses a highly structured, relational database designed for asset and property-level accounting.
- Buildium is more streamlined — great for day-to-day property operations, but it doesn’t support as many financial hierarchies.
What it means: Some data won’t translate 1:1. Be prepared to remap or simplify.
2. Lease and Tenant Records
Migrating current leases is usually straightforward. However:
- Historical tenant data may need to be archived or imported manually.
- Incomplete or custom fields in Yardi must be mapped carefully to Buildium equivalents.
3. Chart of Accounts + Accounting Data
This is often the most complex part:
- Yardi accounting allows detailed custom GL coding.
- Buildium uses a standard COA and may require merging or flattening codes.
Pro tip: Many firms start fresh in Buildium and retain Yardi as an archive for 7+ years of tax/audit compliance.
4. Recurring Transactions + Owner Statements
These must be reconfigured from scratch in Buildium. Automations will likely need a complete overhaul.
5. Bank Account Reconciliation
Start from a clean break. Many firms set a firm transition date (e.g. start of a fiscal month) to make bank reconciliation and trust accounting cleaner.
6. Document Migration
Buildium supports document storage, but files need to be re-uploaded and associated with tenants, units, or owners manually unless scripted by an integrator.
7. Training + Workflow Changes
Your team will likely welcome the switch, but they’ll still need to:
- Learn Buildium’s workflow philosophy
- Re-establish task automation and communication processes
- Understand how reporting differs
Key Advantages of Buildium (Post-Migration)
Once you’re through the transition, here’s what clients typically report:
✅ Faster Training
Most staff can be onboarded in a week — not months.
✅ Streamlined Daily Workflows
Fewer clicks. Fewer tabs. No proprietary codes to memorize.
✅ Lower Ongoing Costs
Fewer licenses, fewer modules, and included support mean lower TCO.
✅ Modern UI + Mobile Features
Buildium’s mobile capabilities for inspections, rent collection, and maintenance make fieldwork easier.
✅ Simpler Owner Comms
Owner dashboards, statements, and updates are easier to generate and send.
When You Shouldn’t Leave Yardi
Some companies still belong on Yardi. If any of these apply to you, consider staying:
- You manage multiple entities or complex ownership structures
- You need investment-level reporting or fund accounting
- You already have a custom Yardi implementation that works well
- You’re using Yardi Voyager with deep ERP integrations
Buildium is excellent for property-level operators, but it’s not meant to replace enterprise-class ERP.
Tips for a Smooth Transition
- Pick a firm cut-off date (e.g. Jan 1, July 1) to simplify reconciliation.
- Clean your Yardi data before exporting — garbage in, garbage out.
- Retain read-only access to Yardi or export everything to archive.
- Test the new workflows with a small portfolio before full migration.
- Train staff in phases, ideally using real data and live transactions.
- Work with a migration partner who understands both platforms.
Should You DIY the Migration?
Smaller firms may attempt to handle it internally, especially if they’re only tracking rent, maintenance, and basic accounting.
But if you have:
- Custom GL setups
- Complex leases or recurring billing
- Multiple portfolios or owners
- Regulatory constraints (e.g. trust accounting)
…then hiring an integration specialist will save time, reduce risk, and ensure compliance. PM firms sometimes believe that the cost of a full time employee is fixed so no loss if they try to figure it out. However, what typically occurs is lost time and under utilization of features you are paying for.
Conclusion
Yardi is a powerful tool — but not always the right fit. If you’re looking for faster onboarding, simpler workflows, and a more approachable cost structure, Buildium is a strong alternative.
Just remember: migrations are never as easy as “export/import.” They’re full business transformations. Take the time to plan, clean your data, retrain your staff, and rebuild your processes — and you’ll be rewarded with a leaner, more focused property management system that actually fits your day-to-day needs.
Need help switching from Yardi to Buildium? Schedule a discovery call to plan your migration the right way.
