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Real Estate Website RFP

Project Summary​

Build a lean, high-quality MVP for a landlord-focused real estate web app that supports tenant management, maintenance workflows, and online rent collection. The MVP should avoid scope creep into MLS/IDX integration in phase 1 while maintaining a premium UX standard.

MVP Core Features​

Authentication And Access​

  • Admin login with secure email/password, password reset, and optional 2FA.
  • Tenant login with secure email/password and password reset.
  • Role-based access control between admin and tenant experiences.

Property And Tenant Management​

  • Admin tools to add, edit, and review properties and units.
  • Property detail fields: address, unit number, type, bedroom/bathroom count, square footage, media.
  • Tenant profile management with unit association and payment history context.

Maintenance Requests​

  • Tenant portal request submission with title, detailed description, urgency, and media uploads.
  • Admin queue for triage and status tracking: New, Assigned, In Progress, Completed, On Hold.
  • Automated notifications for request creation and status updates.

Rent Payments And Financial Tracking​

  • Payment gateway integration with ACH-first support and optional cards.
  • Tenant flow for viewing rent due, paying online, and receiving receipts.
  • Automated rent due and late reminders.
  • Admin-level overview of amounts due vs. collected.

Communication​

  • Basic in-app messaging between landlord/admin and tenants.
  • Admin announcements to all tenants or selected tenant groups.

Quality And Brand Requirements (2025 Baseline)​

  • Mobile-first responsive UI with clean, modern navigation.
  • Strong security posture: HTTPS, secure credential handling, encrypted data paths, and payment compliance via gateway.
  • Fast performance and reliable uptime profile suitable for daily operations.
  • Accessibility baseline support (semantic structure, keyboard navigation, alt text where needed).
  • Basic brand customization: logo, color accents, and custom domain readiness.

Payment Gateway Criteria​

  • Proven security and compliance profile.
  • Transparent, predictable fee model with ACH support.
  • Integration simplicity and quality API/documentation.
  • Candidate options: Stripe, PayPal Business, and rental-focused processors where needed.

Discovery Questions For Client Intake​

  • What are the top three business outcomes for this website in the first 6-12 months?
  • What tenant and property workflows are currently manual or error-prone?
  • How many properties/units are in scope at launch, and what growth is expected?
  • Which tenant actions must be self-service on day one?
  • Which external tools must integrate (accounting, screening, messaging, CRM)?
  • What timeline and budget boundaries define MVP scope?

Delivery Scope For Phase 1​

Included​

  • Tenant portal foundation.
  • Online payments.
  • Maintenance workflow.
  • Admin dashboard and communication basics.
  • Core property/tenant records.

Excluded​

  • MLS/IDX integration.
  • Advanced analytics beyond basic operational reporting.
  • Enterprise multi-org tenancy or advanced role matrix.

Feature Shortlist For Build Planning​

  • Tenant portal.
  • Online rent payment.
  • Maintenance request lifecycle.
  • Lease/document access.
  • Communication hub.
  • Tenant screening integration.
  • Public property listings.
  • Financial reporting baseline.
  • Automated reminders.
  • User roles and permissions.

Visual Sitemap Reference​

The following diagram captures a representative IA flow for a premium landlord + tenant portal setup:

@startuml Real_Estate_Sitemap

title
<u><b>buildthenmarket.com</b></u>
endtitle

package "Public Access Pages" {
    [Public Landing Page] as PublicLanding
    [Login/Signup] as LoginSignup
}

EmailServer -[#gray,dashed]-> [CommunicationAdmin]
MainDB -[#gray,dashed]-> [PropertiesManage]

package "Public Access Pages" {
    [Public Landing Page\n- Call to Action\n- App Overview\n- Featured Properties] as PublicLanding
    [Login/Signup\n- Email/Password\n- Social Login\n- Forgot Password] as LoginSignup
    [Admin Login\n- Email/Password\n- 2FA] as AdminLogin
    [Tenant Login\n- Email/Password\n- Biometric Login] as TenantLogin
    [Forgot Password\n- Email Entry\n- Reset Link\n- Security Qs] as ForgotPassword
}

package "Admin Portal" {
    package "Property Management" {
        [Properties List\n- All Properties\n- Map View\n- Filter/Search] as PropertiesManage
        [Add Property\n- Address & Units\n- Photos & Floor Plans] as AddProperty
        [Edit Property\n- Unit Info\n- Availability\n- Media] as EditProperty
        [View Property\n- Tenants\n- Maintenance\n- Valuation] as ViewProperty
    }
    package "Tenant Management" {
        [Tenants List\n- All Tenants\n- Export CSV] as TenantsManage
        [Add Tenant\n- Contact Info\n- Lease Terms\n- Background Check] as AddTenant
        [Edit Tenant\n- Lease Renewal\n- Payment History] as EditTenant
        [View Tenant\n- Profile & Credit\n- Lease & Payments] as ViewTenant
    }
    package "Maintenance" {
        [All Requests\n- Filter by Status\n- Priority Levels] as MaintenanceAdmin
        [Request Details\n- Status Update\n- Cost Estimate\n- Notes] as ViewMaintenanceAdmin
    }
    package "Financials" {
        [Overview\n- Rent Stats\n- Profit Analysis] as FinanceAdmin
        [Payment History\n- Filters & Export\n- Tax Report] as PaymentHistoryAdmin
    }
    package "Communication" {
        [Messages/Announcements\n- Email Integration\n- Logs] as CommunicationAdmin
        [Send Message\n- To Tenant(s)\n- Schedule Send] as SendMessage
        [Post Announcement\n- Title & Body\n- Expiry Date] as PostAnnouncement
    }
    [Admin Settings\n- Notifications\n- Theme & Password] as AdminSettings
    [Dashboard\n- Stats, Alerts, Activity Log] as AdminDashboard
}

package "Tenant Portal" {
    [Dashboard\n- Rent Due\n- Alerts\n- Announcements] as TenantDashboard
    [My Property\n- Lease Access\n- Rules\n- Maintenance Schedule] as PropertyTenant
    [My Rent\n- Rent Due\n- Pay Now\n- Reminders] as RentPaymentTenant
    [Make Payment\n- ACH/Card\n- Receipt Download] as MakePayment
    [Rent History\n- Filter, Receipts\n- Dispute Option] as PaymentHistoryTenant
    [Submit Request\n- Photos\n- Urgency & Location] as SubmitMaintenance
    [My Requests\n- Status\n- Admin Chat\n- Feedback Form] as ViewMaintenanceTenant
    [Messages\n- Inbox, Compose\n- Read Receipts] as MessagesTenant
    [Announcements\n- Archive\n- Date Filter] as ViewAnnouncements
    [Send Message\n- To Admin\n- Priority Flag] as SendMessageTenant
    [Profile Settings\n- Language\n- Notifications] as TenantSettings
}

PublicLanding --> LoginSignup
LoginSignup --> AdminLogin
LoginSignup --> TenantLogin
LoginSignup --> ForgotPassword
ForgotPassword --> LoginSignup

AdminLogin --> AdminDashboard
AdminDashboard --> PropertiesManage
PropertiesManage --> AddProperty
PropertiesManage --> EditProperty
EditProperty --> ViewProperty

AdminDashboard --> TenantsManage
TenantsManage --> AddTenant
TenantsManage --> EditTenant
EditTenant --> ViewTenant

AdminDashboard --> MaintenanceAdmin
MaintenanceAdmin --> ViewMaintenanceAdmin

AdminDashboard --> FinanceAdmin
FinanceAdmin --> PaymentHistoryAdmin

AdminDashboard --> CommunicationAdmin
CommunicationAdmin --> SendMessage
CommunicationAdmin --> PostAnnouncement

AdminDashboard --> AdminSettings
AdminSettings --> AdminLogin

TenantLogin --> TenantDashboard
TenantDashboard --> PropertyTenant
TenantDashboard --> RentPaymentTenant
RentPaymentTenant --> MakePayment
RentPaymentTenant --> PaymentHistoryTenant
TenantDashboard --> SubmitMaintenance
SubmitMaintenance --> ViewMaintenanceTenant
TenantDashboard --> MessagesTenant
MessagesTenant --> ViewAnnouncements
MessagesTenant --> SendMessageTenant
TenantDashboard --> TenantSettings
TenantSettings --> TenantLogin

SubmitMaintenance --> MaintenanceAdmin
MakePayment --> PaymentHistoryTenant
SendMessageTenant --> CommunicationAdmin
PostAnnouncement --> ViewAnnouncements
@enduml