Multifamily Buyer’s Checklist for Portfolio Operations: KPIs, Space, & Operational Standards That Package Management Vendors Should Meet

High resident package volumes are creating significant challenges for property teams, from repeated interruptions at the leasing desk to inconsistent pickup experiences for residents. These operational issues could be creating complaints for your properties and ultimately hurting your portfolio or brand reputation. Selecting the right package management solution can make all the difference for your property teams and residents. Without evaluating space fit, key performance indicators (KPIs), and the target operating model for handling packages, you run the risk of inheriting hidden liabilities, labor spikes, and inconsistent resident experiences that quietly erode your investment.

Below are important considerations to help you decide on the package management solution that’s best for your portfolio, including a checklist for evaluating any vendors, before those costs land on your team.

The Shifting Package Management Landscape

With the rise of online shopping and more than 90% of apartment residents receiving at least one package weekly, package management has transformed from an occasional delivery into a daily deluge requiring an operational system.¹ This means manual package management is no longer operationally sound for many properties and portfolios. Manual processes rely on leasing staff, taking personnel away from other critical duties and often resulting in inconsistent procedures and a poor resident experience. Furthermore, if residents must retrieve packages from staff at leasing offices, this goes against recent research which has revealed that 70% of residents specifically prefer a self-service package locker option.²

Before You Compare Solutions, Lock In Your Operating Standard

Before diving into checklists and vendor comparisons, get your team aligned on outcomes. Most teams that struggle with package management don’t lack solutions; they lack agreement on expectations. Three things worth locking in before any vendor conversation:

1. Self-Service As the Baseline – On-site teams shouldn’t be the default for package management. The right solution protects headcount at both the property and portfolio levels, not just at launch, but as volumes grow and staff turnover occurs.
2. Agreed-Upon KPIs and a Review Cadence – Wins should be repeatable, not anecdotal. Define your key metrics and how often you’ll review them before you sign anything. The right solution delivers insights at both the property and portfolio level.
3. Space As a First Conversation, Not A Last-Minute Constraint – Loop in on-site leadership and facilities teams early. Space and site fit issues that surface late in the process can stall or derail an otherwise solid vendor selection.

The Operating Model You Need from Day One

Before investing your time and money, it’s important to understand the operating model that any vendor can provide, from workflows and responsibilities to adoption support and reporting. Here are the most important criteria you should ask vendors about.

Know How Deliveries Work – Including Exceptions

It’s important to understand the complete workflow for the solutions you’re evaluating, including exceptions in package handling. Key questions to ask include:

• What is the default delivery place for packages from carriers?
• How are residents notified of package deliveries?
• If residents aren’t home, where are packages left?
• What happens with an oversized delivery, such as a mattress or furniture?
• Is there a special area for refrigerated items, like groceries or meal kits?
• If oversized packages are left at the leasing office, is there a system or chain of custody?
• What system is in place for “stale” packages?
• How are liability issues handled?
• What are the hours and the process for retrieving packages? Is identification required?

In asking these questions, you should also envision an ideal scenario in which you build a system that serves your residents, management, and staff.

Clarify Ownership So the Leasing Office Isn’t the Default

Since leasing staff spend an average of 30 hours per week managing packages, the leasing office shouldn’t be the default package delivery option.³ Instead, investigate the self-service options available to residents. In addition:

• Verify that an onboarding system exists for carriers so that staff aren’t unnecessarily training new delivery drivers and troubleshooting deliveries.
• Clarify the process for resident support so everyone understands when a higher level of support is needed.
• Ensure your vendor has a convenient, built-in support system for residents.

Protect Your Headcount: Ask About the Resident Adoption Plan

As you vet potential partners for your package management system, insist on understanding the resident experience during the first 30 days. For example, does your vendor provide both physical and digital literature for inclusion in the move-in package? Is there signage to assist in enrollment in their system? Are QR codes readily accessible? Are the systems self-serve so that leasing agents don’t have to spend time explaining them to residents? A vendor that doesn’t invest in resident adoption is quietly straining your existing headcount – or even increasing headcount – instead.

Portfolio Standardization (Baked In, Not a Separate Chapter)

Managing a multifamily portfolio means no two properties are identical. That’s why package management must be standardized and intentional, not accidental. Lock in the elements that must apply across all assets: your key performance indicators, exception rules, training basics, and review cadence. These are the guardrails that prevent one property’s workaround from becoming every property’s problem.

Since there are variations at every property, allow for adjustments that take into consideration the space and physical assets. Quarterly monitoring of KPIs is key, including trends, exception hotspots, and property-level action plans. This type of planning ensures that standardization endures after implementation, not just at launch. The right package management partner will provide portfolio-wide visibility.

Set KPIs That Actually Drive Behavior

A seller is always looking to craft the best narrative to close the property quickly. KPIs separate fact from fiction, shedding light on the asset’s true financial health.

Establish Your Current Baseline

To demonstrate improvement, you must start with a baseline. Critical data to capture include:

• Average number of packages per week
• Peak periods and the resulting spike in packages per week
• Number of oversized packages per week
• Average wait time per resident for retrieving packages
• Estimated staff time spent on package management per week
• Number of lost packages per month
• Number of package-related complaints
• Number of requests for refrigerated storage

The KPIs That Belong in Every Vendor Negotiation

As you negotiate with vendors, ensure they can deliver quantifiable improvements in your key performance indicators/metrics. You want a package management system that works for both your residents and staff, resulting in fewer complaints, faster package retrieval, fewer package exceptions, less required staff time, and fewer staff interruptions.

Questions to Ask Vendors to Confirm KPI Maturity

Beyond knowing which KPIs a vendor tracks, it’s worth digging into how the data is actually presented. Ask to see the dashboard and the available customizations, both at the property level and across your full portfolio. Find out which metrics are captured by default. Your vendor should also be able to offer guidance on a review cadence that fits your operation as well as if there are any additional KPIs you might want to monitor that they can provide. And before signing anything, confirm that custom reporting is included in the cost and won’t require extra headcount on your end.

Space & Site Fit to Confirm Before You Commit

Reviewing the physical space is critical in crafting a package management plan. Here are the criteria to ask vendors about to ensure you get a right-size solution for your properties.

Property Placement Recommendations

An experienced vendor will optimize available space to ensure the solution is easily accessible, convenient, and efficient for carriers and that it also won’t increase dwell time or require backtracking. Of course, the system must also work for residents, with a logical access path that doesn’t create bottlenecks in the lobby or leasing office.

Configuration Design & Overflow Plan

Using the baseline data mentioned above, your vendor should recommend an optimized use of the space. Vendors should be able to provide a recommended space needed (e.g., ratio of locker boxes to units) based on typical property package needs. For instance, properties that receive more small Amazon packages may have different needs than properties that receive more medium-to-large deliveries – and the properties’ solutions should be designed to support those needs accordingly. Further, an overflow and oversized package workflow must also be defined so that the process becomes part of consistent operations.

Site Readiness Basics

Before installation, confirm that your site is ready so that you can avoid unnecessary fees or wait time. Make sure you know about any power considerations or if internet access is required. Keep in mind that outdoor installations often represent a balancing act: on the one hand, they allow 24/7/365 access, but residents and carriers must also contend with weather conditions. Confirm contingency plans if the forecast calls for inclement weather. Don’t forget to review ADA requirements and plan accordingly.

Multifamily Buyer’s Checklist

You’ve reviewed the criteria, now it’s time to evaluate. Below we’ve provided a checklist for you to complete as you connect with package management vendors to make sure you get the information you need to make a decision for your portfolio.

A System That Solves Problems, Not One That Relocates Them

The right package management solution reduces the need to solve for one-off issues and frees up your team. The wrong one just moves the work around. Complete this checklist and share your findings with on-site leadership and facilities teams before starting vendor evaluation and selection. That way, everyone comes to the table knowing exactly what each property needs and how the solution benefits the larger portfolio.

Want to know how Parcel Pending by Quadient stacks up against this checklist? Speak to one of our package management experts today for more information.

Sources:

1. Parcel Pending by Quadient. 2025 Resident Preferences Report. www.parcelpending.com. October 31, 2025. https://www.parcelpending.com/en-us/resources/2025-resident-preferences-report/
2. National Multifamily Housing Council. 2023 Customer Experience (CX) Technology Report. www.nmhc.org. n.d.https://www.nmhc.org/research-insight/research-report/2023-customer-experience-cx-tech-survey-report/
3. Parcel Pending by Quadient. A Guide to Apartment Mailroom Management Best Practices. www.parcelpending.com. January 6, 2026. https://www.parcelpending.com/en-us/blog/mailroom-management-best-practices/