Overcoming Challenges in Real Estate Accounting Outsourcing

Real estate accounting outsourcing is the practice of engaging external accounting firms or professionals. They handle the financial and accounting functions of real estate companies, property management firms, and real estate investors.

Let’s consider the benefits of real estate accounting outsourcing, its common challenges, and strategies to overcome these challenges:

Benefits of Real Estate Accounting Outsourcing

Outsourcing of real estate accounting brings several benefits to real estate companies and property management firms. Here are some of its advantages:

• Savings in infrastructure costs and overhead expenses

Outsource real estate accounting to save expenses related to salaries, benefits, and office space.

• Get specialized and expert guidance

  Most real estate accounting firms are domain specialists with deep understanding of specific financial and tax implications, and regulatory matters.

• Get access to new-age tech and tools

  Most outsourcing accounting firms invest in advanced accounting software and technology for their clients that help the latter in transitioning from legacy systems, digitizing their work processes, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of their company’s financial processes.

• Make timely and accurate reporting

  Outsourcing of real estate accounting services bring the benefits of expert financial reporting and of ensuring that financial statements are accurate, compliant, and provided on time. This helps real-estate companies to make informed business decisions and maintain transparency with banks and investors.

• Reduce the risk of errors, fraud, and financial discrepancies

  Real estate accounting outsourcing firms have built-in internal controls and procedures that maintain the integrity of financial data, and ensure client’s compliance at all times.

• Stay compliant on regulatory affairs

  Real estate accounting services also involve complex tax and regulatory requirements that vary by location and property type. Accounting outsourcing firms help their clients stay up-to-date with these changes ensuring operations are in compliance with local and national regulations.

• Focus on core activities

  Outsource real estate accounting tasks to focus on core activities like property management, acquisitions, and client relationships, and drive improved efficiency and growth.

• Improve your decision-making

  Many real estate accounting outsourcing firms also provide data analytics across sales, costs, investments, and financial parameters that help real estate companies make better-informed decisions about property investments, financing, and long-term strategies.

• Better your investor relations

  The transparency and accuracy of financial reporting because of improved accounting help improve relationships with investors, partners, and stakeholders for real estate companies. This in turn drives goodwill and growth.

Common Challenges in Real Estate Accounting Outsourcing

• Data security concerns: The protection of sensitive financial data forms the biggest challenge of real estate accounting outsourcing.
• Communication barriers: In an outsourcing relationship, differences in time zones, language barriers, and cultural nuances can hinder clear communication.
• Integration with internal processes: The syncing of outsourced accounting processes with the company’s internal workflow and systems can be challenging and time-consuming.
• Quality control and monitoring: Poor delivery quality results in failed relationships, and can also gravely damage the company’s accounting systems.
• Regulatory compliance: Real estate accounting is subject to various regulatory and tax compliance requirements that vary by jurisdiction.
• Cultural differences: These can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations thereby hampering productivity and efficiency of the teams.
• Inadequate governance mechanisms: This leads to lags in delivery, and reporting, hindering business operations.
• Service provider reliability: The reliability and stability of the outsourcing partner can be a concern. In not properly checked, there can be adverse effects on the smooth functioning of the processes, costs, and compliance requirements.
• Haphazard transition and onboarding: The initial transition to outsourcing and onboarding processes can be complex, and can lead to process disruptions if not handled well.
• Scalability: As real estate businesses grow or change, outsourced accounting services may need to scale accordingly. Managing this scalability effectively without compromising quality can be a challenge.

Strategies to Overcome Challenges

Data security concerns:

1. Encryption and secure data transfer: Implement strong encryption methods to secure data during transfer, storage, and processing.
2. Clear data handling protocols: Develop and document clear data handling protocols that outline how sensitive information is managed, accessed, and shared with compliance by every stakeholder.

Communication barriers:

1. Effective communication plans: Create comprehensive communication plans that define communication channels, expectations, and response times, and communicate the same with all stakeholders.
2. Regular updates and feedback loops: Schedule regular updates and feedback sessions to address any issues or concerns promptly. Encourage open and transparent communication between the real estate company and the outsourcing partner.

Integration with internal processes:

1. Streamlining workflows: Work with the real estate accounting outsourcing provider to align your internal workflow with their improved operating model. This might involve customizing procedures, tools, and reporting structures for seamless integration.
2. Training and onboarding: Ensure the outsourcing partner invests in proper training and onboarding of their resources to familiarize the team with your company’s specific operations, software, and accounting practices.

Quality control and monitoring:

1. Establishing quality metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and quality benchmarks that the accounting outsourcing firm must meet.
2. Periodic audits and reviews: Conduct periodic audits and reviews of the outsourced work to ensure quality and accuracy.

Regulatory compliance:

• In-depth understanding of regulations: Ensure that the outsourcing provider has a comprehensive understanding of the relevant regulations and tax codes specific to your real estate operations.
• Compliance checklists and reporting: Develop compliance checklists and reporting mechanisms to track and confirm adherence to regulatory requirements. Regularly review and update these checklists to reflect changes in regulations.

Cultural Differences:

1. Cross-cultural training: Provide cross-cultural training to staff on both sides to promote mutual understanding and respect.
2. Emphasizing cultural sensitivity: Encourage cultural sensitivity and inclusivity within the working environment. Recognize and appreciate cultural differences, and foster an environment that values diversity.

Enable cost efficiency and growth by outsourcing your real estate accounting requirements

The above-mentioned strategies can bring about significant cost savings to the real-estate company. Improved data security, streamlined processes with regulatory compliance at all levels, increasing productivity and efficiency. It also fosters growth by leading to improved decision-making, stronger investor relations, and a scalable framework.

In conclusion, quality real estate accounting services outsourcing offers a range of benefits, and they far outweigh the challenges. The best approach to mitigate the risks and concerns is to chart out a complete outsourcing path. It is feasible by clearly defining roles and responsibilities of the parties involved. Assign a governance structure that has the necessary powers to ensure the success of the relationship. Outsourcing real estate accounting will be successful only when you collaborate as partners for continued success.