Legacy management company
RealManage alternatives for HOA boards.
RealManage is a national HOA management company with operations across the Sun Belt and a reputation for technology-forward service among legacy managers. Boards considering alternatives often want even more direct control — same-day bylaw answers without going through a portfolio manager — and that is what Communities provides.
Why boards search for RealManage alternatives
These are the search-intent patterns we hear from boards reaching out — what they say they want from the next platform, not accusations against the incumbent.
Direct AI access to the association's governing documents — not gated behind a portfolio manager.
Predictable pricing without bundled communication or document-fee surcharges.
Resident-facing portal that does not require a separate vendor or upcharge.
A board-controlled record of every violation, response, and document version.
How Communities is built differently
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Free for boards under 250 homes; no contract, no setup fee.
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Bylaw concierge cites the exact section and page on every answer — residents and the board see the same source.
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Resident portal, violation reporter, dues scaffold, and Instant Board Packet built in.
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Manager Breakup Kit handles the notice letter, records-retention demand, and transition checklist.
Free tools for the switch
Each tool is free to run, no credit card required. Use them before signing the new workspace contract or sending the notice letter.
Manager Comparison Calculator
Side-by-side cost estimate based on your current monthly fee and home count.
Open toolManager Breakup Kit
Notice letter, records-retention demand, document-transfer request, and 90-day transition checklist.
Open toolCC&R Health Check
Spot ADA gaps, unenforceable breed bans, and vague fine authority before the next amendment cycle.
Open tool
Common questions
Is Communities a full management-company replacement?
Communities is software, not a service company. It replaces the bylaw-lookup and communication workload — vendor coordination and full-service property management remain a separate hire if needed. Most boards under 150 homes find they no longer need a portfolio manager once the software is in place.
Can a board cancel a national management contract early?
Most contracts have a notice window (30, 60, or 90 days) and some include an early-termination fee. The Manager Breakup Kit asks for the contract terms and generates the notice letter on the right timeline.
How do we keep using RealManage's accounting if we adopt Communities?
Communities does not lock the board into a finance stack. Boards can keep an external accounting service or run dues and a la carte through Communities once Stripe wiring is enabled (currently waitlisted). The bylaw concierge, resident portal, and violation tracking work independently of where the books live.
How long does the switch take?
Most boards are operational within a day on the software side. The contractual side depends on the notice period — typically 30 to 90 days from the date the board sends the termination letter generated by the Breakup Kit.
What happens to our documents and resident data?
State statutes require the management company to return all association records on termination. The Manager Breakup Kit generates a records-retention demand citing the relevant state statute and a document-transfer request listing the specific files the board is owed.
This guide is general orientation, not legal advice. Review your specific contract and state statute with counsel before sending termination notices.
On the board?
See the role-by-role guide
Each board role has a different stake in a management switch. The president signs the notice letter; the treasurer reviews the cost delta; the secretary handles records transfer.
Most boards run both in parallel for a month
Stand up Communities first. Send the notice letter when you're ready.
Free for boards under 250 homes — no credit card required. Upload your governing documents once and the bylaw concierge is ready immediately.
Run an HOA? Free for boards under 250 homes.
Ask unlimited bylaw questions, manage violations, and share cited answers with your residents — no credit card required.