Tourism is one of the leading industries and drivers of the economy of the Republic of Croatia, which generates as much as 20% of the national GDP. In 2023, according to the State Bureau of Statistics data, almost 11 million overnight stays by tourists were realized in the non-commercial accommodation segment in Croatia alone. Considering over 300,000 registered non-commercial accommodation units in Croatia, it is clear how much potential lies in the property management industry.
The management of apartments, villas, and holiday homes is undergoing rapid changes, with owners increasingly entrusting their properties to professional property management companies (PMCs). These PMCs, with their expertise and digital operations, are not just changing the way facilities are managed, but also directly enhancing the guest experience.
Although most Croatian PMC companies focus exclusively on Croatian territory, there is an agency that has expanded its operations beyond the national borders. It is the Irundo agency, headed by Igor Kordić and Tomislav Zovko, who we can safely say are the pioneers of property management in Croatia.
Our conversation with Igor provided us with valuable insights into the day-to-day operations of the agency and the pivotal role of Rentlio in these processes.
How did the Irundo story begin?
Back in 2011, when there was no short-term rental scene in Zagreb, Igor and Tomislav recognized the potential in property management. Considering that they traveled a lot, both privately and on business, to European cities that offered apartment accommodation, Igor and Tomislav decided to start a pilot property management project in Zagreb. Like any property management company, Igor and Tomislav started with one apartment that they advertised on Booking. Only a few hours later, the first reservation arrived. The instant wow effect that Igor and Tomislav experienced was enough proof and reason to start their own property management story.
Thus began the journey of Irundo, the leading property management agency in Croatia, which today manages over 300 accommodation units in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Vienna, Belgrade, while the onboarding process is currently active in Budapest as well. The agency provides a wide range of services – from marketing and sales, self-check-in & contactless services via digital tools, communication with guests, and cleaning and maintenance of accommodation units.
In addition to running their own property management agency, Igor and Tomislav also provide industry consulting services, sharing their know-how with others.
Challenges when starting a business
The problems that the Irundo agency encountered at the beginning of its operations most often involved difficult guest communication and coordination and the need for sufficiently high-quality software solutions to manage many facilities.
Considering that before the COVID pandemic, Irundo employed 27 employees, around 40 seasonal workers, and external cleaning and maintenance teams that performed work in several cities, the organization of work and the management of such a large team became unsustainable in the long term.
The problems above and changes in the preferences and habits of guests who increasingly turned to technology led Igor and Tomislav to change their approach – digitization became the inevitable next step in business scaling.
How Rentlio became the central tool of the Irundo agency
Rentlio was not the first software solution that Igor and Tomislav used. Initially, they used another service provider’s Channel Manager and PMS system, whose features could not keep up with the rapid growth of the agency’s portfolio and the team. The lack of features resulted in Igor, Tomislav, and their employees still having to do some of the tasks manually, which took too much time. After researching software solutions, the decision fell on integrating Rentlio PMS, Channel Manager, and Booking Engine. According to Igor, what was crucial was the rapid development of new features as well as the possibility of integrating other tech solutions.
Rentlio has become a hub open to integrating other tech solutions from specific areas needed to manage accommodation units & daily operations efficiently. This was extremely important to us.
Igor Kordić, Co-founder of Irundo agency
How Rentlio helps in optimizing work
Rentlio immediately became an integral part of the Irundo agency’s daily operations, and as Igor says, they use all the features that Rentlio provides.
The intuitive calendar of the PMS system is the central place for managing all reservations and the features that agency employees use daily. It provides them with a clear view of incoming reservations, availability, and critical information about guests. Also of great importance is the Rentlio mobile app, which they use in parallel, primarily to prepare and send automated messages to guests. This way, the employees save time and use it throughout the entire guest journey.
Although a large share of direct reservations do not come through Booking Engine, the tool itself is extremely useful for them because the possibility of simply sending the Booking Engine link to guests with offers speeds up communication and the decision-making process.
Rentlio saves us an average of 2-3 hours a day thanks to its automation – from communication with guests, eVisitor registration, and self-check-in. If we were to look at the annual level, it would be a considerable number of hours our employees can use for other tasks.
Igor Kordić, Co-founder of Irundo agency
Igor and Tomislav no longer perform daily operational tasks as they focus on optimizing workflows, improving their services, and developing and expanding the business to regional markets. However, what they have open on their computer screens every day is the statistics and reports feature, which provides them with a clear insight into the success of their clients’ businesses and their own company.
Like many of our users, Igor emphasized the transparency and intuitiveness of Rentlio’s user interface, which facilitates the education and onboarding of new employees who use the Rentlio PMS system independently in a very short time.
He also told us that Rentlio helped them scale their business and grow their client portfolio. Irundo grows by an average of 30% per year, which enables them to optimize operations and processes in a scalable way. As Igor says, quality technologies play a key role here.
In addition to Rentlio, the agency’s sales team also uses dynamic price management software daily, which helps them monitor market conditions, adjust prices, and achieve maximum occupancy of their clients’ facilities.
Conclusion
The Irundo agency is a perfect example of how understanding and applying technology affect the efficiency and quality of work and business results.
Although the Croatian market still fears technology and has insufficient knowledge of it, agencies like Irundo and companies like Rentlio are the main drivers of the digitization of the property management industry and tourism in general.
You can find more information about the Irundo agency and the services it provides on its official website. If you’re looking for a reliable, all-in-one cloud solution for managing your accommodation units, feel free to contact our team and arrange a meeting. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have!
