RealPage Vendor Portal Setup and Maintenance Communication Guide

Set up RealPage vendor access by turning on the vendor portal (or vendor access), creating vendor records with the right permissions, routing work orders to vendors, and standardizing how updates flow back to residents and staff (email/SMS/in-app). Then test with one vendor end-to-end: submit request, assign, vendor accepts, schedules, completes, invoice/charge posts, resident gets closure message.

 

Prereqs (if already done, skip)

 

• Vendor has a unique email and primary contact.
• Property has correct business hours, emergency rules, and notification emails.
• Maintenance categories, priorities, and locations are defined (unit, building, common area).

 

Enable vendor portal and permissions

 

• Go to Admin/Setup (or Property Setup) and find Maintenance and Vendor settings.
• Turn on Vendor Portal/Vendor Access and Work Order collaboration (names vary by RealPage product).
• Choose what vendors can do: view assigned work orders, update status, add notes/photos, propose schedule, submit invoice.
• Set approval rules: require staff approval for schedule changes, cost over a threshold, and invoice submission.

 

Create vendors and route work correctly

 

• In Vendors, add vendor details, insurance fields, and service categories (plumbing, HVAC).
• Set default GL/expense mapping if accounting is connected (prevents miscoding).
• In Maintenance Setup, map each category to a default vendor or vendor group and set priority-to-response time.
• Define communication templates for: received, scheduled, vendor en route, completed, and follow-up.

 

Maintenance communication flow (resident, staff, vendor)

 

• Resident submits request via portal/email/phone; staff logs it with location, permission to enter, and preferred times.
• Assign to vendor; system sends vendor an invite/link. Vendor updates status to Accepted and proposes schedule.
• Staff approves schedule; resident gets an automatic message with date window and entry instructions.
• Vendor posts completion notes and photos; staff reviews, closes work order, triggers resident closure message.

 

Common mistakes and quick fixes

 

• Vendor not receiving invites: wrong email, email blocked, or vendor portal disabled at property level.
• Work orders not routing: category not mapped to vendor, or property not included in vendor scope.
• Residents get no updates: notification templates off, wrong contact preferences, or portal messaging disabled.
• Costs messy: missing GL mapping or no approval threshold, causing miscoded invoices.

 

Test and when to contact support

 

• Run a test work order with a real vendor email and confirm every notification step.
• Contact RealPage support if vendor portal options are missing, SSO/invite links fail, or accounting sync is not posting vendor charges correctly.