Some people like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. But property managers prefer things that will save them time and money. For Orange County-based Coreland Cos’ Sherri Saldana, it’s file-sharing service Box.com. “Whether we’re in the office or out on the field, we have access to whatever files we need, from tenant files to property documents,” she says. (The entire company has adopted the service.) Sherri manages up to 1M SF of office, retail, and industrial properties at a time, and she says Box.com has saved her time and energy. (Don't be discouraged, paper files... we can still use you as a drink coaster.) Emailing documents means you can only send one or two at a time, she says, while Box.com allows you to upload and share everything in bulk, whether by PC, tablet, or phone. (It’s even accessible on the beach, where Sherri’s planning to celebrate the Fourth.)

NJ-based Levin Management Corp’s property managers are also big proponents of file-sharing systems, says EVP Bob Carson. This year, it had a fire at one of the shopping centers it manages, and they used Dropbox to easily share photos of the damage and related files with the insurance company. Overall, most of its property managers are now using iPads and cloud services in the field, he says, which has replaced taking notes, going back to the office, and filling out reports. Another popular technology: the Numbers spreadsheet app, which Bob says is similar to Excel and works with various data. Furthering the paperless trend is the firm’s use of AvidXchange, an electronic invoicing system that processes invoices and orders through web-based software, allowing property managers to review and approve payments online wherever they are. “Now things don’t get lost,” he says.