Entramos enters the Property Management market thanks to Breek.gr

In this interview we speak with Isidora Golemi, founder of Entramos . With 25 years of experience in ERP and CRM software, she discovered Breek.gr in January via ChatGPT and, within just a few months, decided to enter the Greek property management market with confidence.

Ms. Golemi, how did you discover us?

Through ChatGPT. I asked for recommendations on property management software in Greece. Out of the five tools it suggested, only Breek.gr was truly relevant to what I was looking for, as I didn’t want anything focused on short-term rentals or hotel or vacation-rentals management.

What exactly were you looking for?

I wanted to see if there is any piece of software that brings everything together in one place. Something that gives me a complete overview of all the details for a property, without having to dig through folders and files on my hard drive or in email attachments.

And did you find it?

I think so, otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about Entramos today! Breek is designed specifically for the “Greek reality”, without unnecessary complications. This appealed to me from the start. There are property management programs from abroad, but neither their features nor their subscription models fit Greece well. Plus, I know exactly what a “hard-to-use” software feels like to operate, and also can tell immediately whether something is truly user-friendly. Breek stood out immediately because it’s beautiful and extremely user-friendly.

Do you usually access Breek.gr from a laptop, tablet, or your phone?

I signed up from my laptop. When I’m entering new data, I prefer the laptop or tablet. Most of the time, though, I log in from my phone’s mobile browser, and I’ve also noticed that you’re constantly improving the interface for smaller screens.

That’s true. As we add more features, we’re also polishing the experience with every release. What sparked your interest in property management, though?

Over my 25 years of professional experience across various companies, I’ve worked with many software systems for management, mainly for commercial operations and logistics. Programs like SAP, Prisma, TechDoc, systems from Entersoft, Megasoft, OnlineData, Epsilon, Singular, the web-based SugarCRM, and even the ancient Anita that ran in a DOS environment.

But I’d never seen software in Greece, for Greece, that lets you manage multiple properties and know at any moment exactly what’s happening with their leases, which documents need updating, which tasks are pending and how much they cost, etc.

And which specific aspect of Breek.gr caught your attention the most?

The first thing that impressed me was the digital property folder and the document management features. For years I’ve been keeping all the documents related to my own property on my laptop; bills, payment receipts, appliance manuals and warranties, common charges, and much more. I’ve learned to organize them consistently into folders and subfolders, no matter where they come from. Even so, diligent organization doesn’t solve the problem of tracking the documents’ status.

What really interested me is that in Breek I can not only categorize the documents I attach to properties, tasks, and financial transaction, but I can also add start and expiry dates.

What motivated you to get active in the property management market?

You don’t need to already be managing hundreds of properties to realize that property management is both important and still a practically unknown term in the Greek market. Even if you’re handling just a handful of properties, it quickly becomes clear that you need to be able to find and update anything you need, at any time. You’re wasting valuable time on something that software should make possible.

That’s exactly how Breek.gr begun. From the same realization.

I can imagine! Management gets much harder as the number of properties grows. Dramatically harder. For example, in my personal network there are quite a few apartment owners who rent them out as a source of what they thought would be passive income. And yet, they’ve discovered that this income is anything but passive! Documents, records of outstanding payments, documentation of repairs, and so much more. Papers and notes, dates, appointments, reminders, and scribbles on the phone… Sure, you can do all this without a dedicated piece of software, and so many owners spend hours every month on filing, payments, and records. Even so, they don’t create any proper track record of what happened, when, with what result, and at what cost.

So I thought it was time to apply my experience to property management. I offer services to property owners so their lives become easier, their income truly passive, and so that they can have a documented history that preserves and even increases the value of their properties.

Interesting! This means that the existence of Breek.gr was a decisive factor in your decision to enter property management.

Definitely. Computerization of records has been standard fare in other industries and occupations for decades. Managing data without a computer is a lost cause from the start, and digitization with a purpose-built software is absolutely essential for efficiency and effectiveness.

And what services do you offer?

The first and most basic service is digitizing a property’s documentation. The owner gives us all the documents they have stuffed in drawers, folders, shelves, and boxes, such as floor plans, title deeds, certificates, etc. We create the digital property folder on Breek, digitize all that data, and enrich the folder with it. If the owner wants to monitor everything from their computer or phone, we add them to the owners of the property so they gain access to the property folder in Breek and all its related records.

So your core service is primarily making use of the Capture subscription tier?

Yes, to begin with, or for properties that aren’t yet actively used but still need basic digitization. In practice, however, our services do require the Monitor subscription…

Tell us more about that. What makes the Monitor subscription essential?

The real value of our services shows when we begin active management of the property. That means offering services such as lease management according to the owner’s specifications, monitoring financial obligations, reminders to owners and tenants, verifying payment status to update the financial picture, managing “tickets” from tenants and owners for repairs and maintenance of the property and its equipment—in short, a 360-degree overview of everything related to the property.

So you also manage tasks through Breek.gr…

Yes, whenever there’s an issue that needs resolution or even just checking. We emphasize preventive maintenance so we can resolve technical issues before they turn into problems, thereby keeping the owner’s asset in perfect condition. Our goal is to give owners complete peace of mind and the security that their investment is in experienced professional hands—consistency that’s only possible with digital tools.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for property management in Greece today?

The fact that it’s not yet an established concept—at least not like in other countries! So most owners, especially those who self-manage their properties, don’t even realize they don’t have to deal with entries, records, and updates every month. But that’s already changing.

The other challenge is that there isn’t trained personnel ready to take on the effective management of a significant number of properties. Demand for professional property managers is dramatically higher than supply in the job market.

That’s definitely true—we see it at Breek.gr in our conversations with interested clients, companies that want to add property management to their service range but struggle to get started.

I believe it! Think, for example, of a company already involved with real estate in general. It could be a real estate agency or even a construction company. They’re used to a certain way of operating, with specific response times for their clients, and with staff having particular skills. It’s not impossible for them to start managing properties, but it’s also not something that happens overnight. It requires preparation, digital skills, experience in the digitization of records, and the readiness to respond and communicate with owners and tenants at a different rhythm.

That’s interesting—how does this relate to the role of the property manager? What is a “good” property manager for you?

First and most important: they need to be detail-oriented and meticulous. They must pay attention to the little things, be able to prioritize by looking at the big picture across the property portfolio, and know how to handle many sources of information with the proper care for each one.

They also need to be skilled at communicating with owners, tenants, and service providers, from electricians to notaries.

So, a capable property manager isn’t just a “paper-pusher”…

Far from it! Yes, document and information management, filing, consistent recording of payments… all these make up a large part of a property manager’s daily work, but they’re the absolute minimum. They’re a kind of “necessary evil” of the job, but they’re not sufficient for someone to play the role of a true “property manager.”

…so what actually makes a property manager “capable”?

The same person who is meticulous etc. must at the same time be able to convey the meaning of all that information to contractors, tenants, and especially owners. Not everything is important, and certainly not everything is urgent or even interesting to everyone. A truly good property manager keeps their data up to date. However, far more important is acting as an “information filter.” With experience, they can discern what needs to be communicated and how, to all the other parties “dancing” around the property’s lifecycle.

With Breek.gr, do we focus on the first part?

Yes, but not only, because the ability to answer, for example, an owner’s or tenant’s question with one or two clicks in Breek is important for the quality of the service provided.

Can you give an example?

For example: not all owners want the same level of involvement in managing their properties. There are those who simply leave it to us. They don’t even sign up for Breek. If they need something, they’ll contact us by phone if they’re in Greece, or by email if they’re abroad. In that case, being able to respond quickly based on the information and user interface on Breek is what differentiates me from someone who would have to search through papers, folders, email attachments, or Dropbox…

Surely other owners want to know more, though!

Yes! Other owners are “hawks.” They want to stay independently informed about their property’s status and be able to see for themselves, whenever and wherever they want, what’s happening with rent payments, tenancies, and tasks. And that’s totally fine, too! Once they sign up on Breek, I add them to the property folder so they gain access to everything related to the property, whenever they like.

You probably prefer the second type?

Well, yes… It reduces the workload for communication and coordination, and at the same time it highlights the value of the manager’s work when the owner knows they can be fully informed at any moment! After all, it’s the manager’s job to keep the information up to date.

But in the end, not everyone is the same. Whether owners are “hands-off” or have a greater need for control, they end up satisfied. The former by the speed of response, the latter by the meticulousness of the data management. And if any clarification is needed, we’re available whenever required.

Could you satisfy both categories of owners if you insisted on working with spreadsheets or paper?

Honestly, without a tool like Breek, the whole activity simply makes no sense, in my opinion at least. Still, I’m sure there are still “managers” out there who firmly believe that management only has value if they have to struggle to figure out a property’s financial performance or which rent payments are overdue…

Yes, there’s this sense that work only has value when it’s somewhat painful. And the opposite: that if work becomes easier, it suddenly has less value. And not just in property management…

Imagine if that mentality were still widespread in warehouse management or accounting… Obviously it would make no sense.

For me, after years of experience with ERP and CRM systems, there’s simply no, and I really mean no reason to manage such a volume of data in a primitive way. The speed of management, the volume of information, and how interconnected everything is simply don’t allow it. Or, at least, they don’t allow the provision of services that are commercially interesting for Entramos and operationally interesting for our clients.

How do you predict the role of the property manager in Greece will evolve in the coming years?

Only upwards!

You mean in numbers?

Yes, demand for property managers will be satisfied more easily than today. That’s to be expected. It’s not just Greek owners who will increasingly learn the importance of the role–in fact, its very existence. It’s also foreign property investors, who already know the role and what it offers them, and they demand someone in Greece to keep them informed. This, regardless of whether they’re monetizing the investment through rentals or living in the property occasionally. They certainly don’t want to and often can’t deal with anything from repairs and maintenance to communal expenses, electrician declarations, fiber installation, and so on.

But how will it change in terms of required skills?

The new generation is “digital.” We hear that all the time, and it’s obvious. But note this: just using a mobile phone doesn’t automatically mean you have the know-how for managing properties.

Just because someone can handle dozens of social media platforms with their fingertips doesn’t mean they’re ready to manage 50 properties right away. But it probably does mean they can learn to use Breek faster. Even so, they’ll still need to gain specific experience in property management, information handling, data management, customer communication and service, work organization and task management, how to coordinate contractors, and much more.

That’s why I expect that Entramos can also play a role there, for certain skills, or to provide support where skills are temporarily or even permanently missing.

In what way?

Think about the earlier example: a company wants to add property management to its service range. It has two options. It can assign the task to an existing employee, who will now handle property management as well. Or it can look for a new employee who will focus exclusively on managing properties.

“Dumping” extra work on someone is a well-known phenomenon in Greece…

Yes, but: in the first case, property management—a new service for the company—risks becoming a “slapdash” add-on. Lack of time and attention to detail, stretching the employee into skills they may not have or may never acquire, simply because “we have this person, let’s have them do a bit more!” And what if that person isn’t interested in expanding their skills? Or what if they are interested but will never have the required time, not just to do the work, but to learn it properly so they can deliver services in a way that the market will appreciate?

Yes, essentially the company ties the success of the whole new venture to a team member who may not want to do it, may want to but never have time for it, or may want to and have time but not be suited for the job due to mindset, personality, or both.

Exactly. In the worst case the whole venture will be a failure; in the best case, it will remain a lukewarm activity that may not only fail to deliver commercially, but could also damage the company’s image.

And in the other case? If they search the job market for a property manager?

Good luck! Look at the job postings on LinkedIn, for example. Search for “property manager” in Greece. Read the role descriptions. There’s real confusion about what the role actually involves. Some companies think it’s an extension of real estate brokerage. Others believe it’s limited to what you called a “paper-pusher” earlier: data management, i.e., entering data somewhere—in an Excel sheet, Word, or even Breek. No way. As I said, that’s not enough.

Perhaps it’s just a matter of time until the Greek market starts to understand what property management really is and what a manager’s job entails.

That’s logical and expected. In a market where the role is literally still emerging, it’s natural for the market to be confused about what the role is. But there’s also the supply issue: as long as the role is new, the very people interested in it aren’t trained for it, however each company defines it.

And okay, let’s assume the company found someone who is interested and has the right mindset and “potential” to eventually become a property manager. From day one until they can independently manage 50+ properties competently, months can pass if left alone to “figure things out”. Months, incidentally, during which mistakes can be made that damage the new venture. Trial-and-error does not result in high-quality service or customer retention.

Are then companies interested in property management then stuck between a rock and a hard place?

If the company limits itself to one of those two options, yes. But as I said, this is where Entramos can act as a third option.

How exactly?

Look, in my view, when a company is already active in something related to real estate, in the long term it makes sense for property management to become part of the company. The company has contact with owners and service providers, technicians, etc., and the information about the properties–especially if it’s a construction company. The source of the information is internal.

How does this affect where property management sits inside a company that already does something else?

It affects whether and to what extent it is done internally. Depending on how much information the company already has, incorporating a team of property managers into its workforce may be more or less long-term. For example, in my opinion, a real estate agency may practically never do management internally. Owners come and go, and the operational information related to a property isn’t in the agent’s hands. Nor does contact with an owner usually extend much beyond the sale.

Our team’s experience is that real estate agencies do show interest in property management, but their pace of work leaves them unprepared.

Yes. The opposite of a real estate agency would be, for example, a company that engages in the construction, development, or renovation of properties. Things are different there. The company already has all the details of the property at its disposal: floor plans, repair tasks, photos of installations and utilities, etc. There it can make more sense for the company to have its own internal property managers, even in the medium term.

Yes, that makes sense.

It does. And in both cases, “every beginning is difficult”. Someone has to take care of organizing the digitization of information and how property management will be carried out daily by the current or future team of managers… You can let it emerge organically, or you can lay solid foundations from the start. Either way, the first step—digitizing and organizing the information—is important. Using Breek competently is also important for getting answers fast.

And what role do you see Entramos playing here?

Very simply: companies like the ones I mentioned can contact us so we can support them at the beginning, in the short term, or even in the medium term with their property-management venture. We go to their premises, help them with the “kick-off” of the project, with the foundations of digitization with Breek, so they can make a strong start in property management.

You mean as a consultant?

No, no! As practical hands-on support with Breek specifically, even including training their staff through working side-by-side with them. As a daily user of Breek since January, I’ve explored practically every corner and feature. With the frequent communication I have with your team about all the recent updates and the upcoming features, I can guide aspiring and fresh property managers in using it, as well as help them handle the initial digitization, so a company’s entry into property management becomes smoother.

Very interesting! We wish you every success!

Thank you! With Breek’s continued expansion, I believe this support can be just as important for Entramos as direct property management for owners.

Since you mentioned Breek’s expansion, and as one of our last questions: what’s your favorite feature?

Document management.

…for which you actually gave feedback that we recently incorporated in version 2.10!

Yes—it’s better now that I can apply categories and subcategories to all the documents I upload at the same time. But you know, I’m really looking forward to two more things.

Which ones?

The first is automatic document categorization with artificial intelligence (AI). And the second is the double-entry system for recording financial transactions.

We have good news for both improvements. The first is in the final stages of testing, with our own AI infrastructure and better results than what we showed in last year’s prototype. And the second is the central feature of the upcoming version 2.11.

Great, I’m looking forward to it with great interest. This is one of Breek’s biggest advantages. Your team really listens to what the market needs, and it shows. As an expert user, I hugely appreciate that my observations aren’t just taken seriously and discussed, but actually turn into quick updates to the software.

That’s true. We place special emphasis on fast improvements, fixes, and regular updates. Penultimate question, I promise: what advice would you give to anyone still relying on the “traditional” way of managing properties without Breek.gr?

They should make the move to digitization yesterday! Excel is a wonderful tool, but it can’t support the growth of a modern, profitable, and effective property management business. And while Breek isn’t free—what software is?—the benefits of digitization with Breek far outweigh the monthly cost per property.

Put simply: comparing Breek to the “traditional” way you mentioned is like comparing gov.gr to an old, “pleasant” visit to the tax office.

Hahaha, well put! Where can people get in touch with you?

On our website www.entramos.gr , by phone at 6946 409 100 (also WhatsApp and Viber), by email at info@entramos.gr , and on LinkedIn.

I’ll also be at the Premium Real Estate Expo in May, and I’ll definitely spend some time at the Breek booth, where I’ll be happy to show interested owners examples of how it’s used.

Thank you very much for this interesting conversation, and we wish you all the best with your work!

Thank you, and I wish Breek continued growth!