How Keogh Estates scaled 250% with PayProp, and kept control

Andy runs Keogh Estates, a fast-growing independent agency covering Birmingham, Leicester, and the wider Midlands. With a compact team and a portfolio approaching 300 properties, he credits PayProp as the technology that made this lean, high-growth model possible.

“There’s no way I could’ve taken on the volume we did without PayProp. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to run the business without it.”
Andy Keogh, Director, Keogh Estates

A one-man band with 250% growth

After stepping away from his original agency to work with Purplebricks for a few years, Andy relaunched Keogh Estates in 2020. Growth was steady, but took off after he spotted a nearby build-to-rent (BTR) opportunity.

In early 2023, the agency added a build-to-rent block of 197 units to its portfolio when the landlord’s previous agent bowed out. That took Andy’s portfolio from under 100 to nearly 300 overnight.

“I was still running the business solo when that happened. It was crazy, but PayProp made onboarding a large number of tenancies easy. Without it, I couldn’t have coped.”

He credits a close working relationship with PayProp’s onboarding team, who imported the property data and tenancies directly into the platform.  

Scalable, stress-free rent reconciliation

For Andy, PayProp’s value is in its automated rent processing. Before switching to PayProp, he was reconciling payments manually via Excel and CSV files from his bank, a time-consuming process that had to be done without interruption to make sure there weren’t any errors.

“Even on a quiet day, it took ages. Phone ringing, distractions, you could lose your place and that risks introducing mistakes. It just wasn’t sustainable.”

Thanks to PayProp’s bank integration, rent can be collected, reconciled and paid out to landlords and contractors on the same day. The platform can automatically match rent to the correct tenant and property. Landlords can receive their share and a professionally branded statement on the same day, and Andy knows instantly what’s been paid and what hasn’t, from anywhere in the world.

“I’ve done reconciliations in Cuba, in the Midlands, on the beach. It takes five to ten minutes tops across my portfolio. The time savings are unbelievable.”

Arrears management that saves hours and catches errors

Late rent is a fact of life in lettings, but Andy no longer wastes time chasing tenants manually.

“It used to mean checking bank accounts line by line. Now with PayProp, we can see arrears instantly.” Andy Keogh, Director, Keogh Estates

Andy’s team uses PayProp’s arrears tools to track overdue payments and manage follow-ups, with the system also able to provide additional automated rent-chasing emails and text messages.

“In PayProp, an accurate list of arrears is there, clear as day. And if an empty property’s still showing rent due, we know something’s off. That’s how we catch admin slips too, like forgetting to mark a tenant as moved out.”

The feature has even helped shape team roles. Andy’s colleague Charlie now manages arrears, but thanks to PayProp’s flexible user controls she can review all the arrears data needed without needing to access the agency client bank account.

A powerful selling point for landlords and investors

Andy knows that many landlords are in the dark about how their money flows through the average letting agency, and that’s exactly where PayProp gives Keogh Estates an edge.

“We explain to landlords that a lot of agencies only pay on fixed days, like the 1st, 15th and 30th. So your money might sit in someone else’s account for two weeks. With us, rent comes in and we pay you that same day.”

This promise of fast, transparent payments resonates with landlords, especially those with mortgages due mid-month. And because PayProp pays out multiple times a day, including at 10pm, Andy can confidently deliver on this promise.

“After a couple of months with us, our landlords couldn’t go back to slower payments. They start checking if rent’s in by 1pm. If not, they know it’s coming by 3pm. That level of service is addictive.” Andy Keogh, Director, Keogh Estates

PayProp also helps Andy win over portfolio investors, especially in the built-to-rent space. The ability to demonstrate modern, compliant payment infrastructure, backed by an FCA-regulated client account, robust reporting and client money safeguards, reassures institutional clients and gives Keogh Estates extra credibility in a competitive industry.

Repairs, maintenance and happy contractors

Beyond accounting, PayProp has become the hub of Keogh Estates’ property management. The maintenance ticketing system plays a major role in keeping repairs timely and contractors happy.

“We use it every day. When the rent comes in, the invoice gets paid automatically. Contractors love that, they know exactly when they’re getting paid.” Andy Keogh, Director, Keogh Estates

Andy even uses templated text messages with maintenance request links for out-of-hours issues. Everything gets logged in PayProp, ready for his team to pick up the next working day.

His maintenance contractor works across Keogh Estates’ five key build-to-rent properties, tackling issues logged in PayProp and scheduled via a shared spreadsheet. It’s a system that works for tenants, landlords and staff alike.

The platform’s unlimited document storage also helps Andy with the regular checks that need to be undertaken in each of the rental properties. Gas safety, EICRs and EPCs can all be stored within a property’s record, making it easy to share them if needed or replace them when they expire  

Supported from day one

Along with the tech, Andy praises PayProp’s customer support, from onboarding to day-to-day help and training.

“There’s always someone on the phone when you need them. With some other suppliers, you’re stuck in tech support limbo. Not with PayProp.”

His staff find the system intuitive, but it’s reassuring to know support is just a call away if needed, especially with more hires joining the team.

Looking ahead, Andy sees PayProp not just as an operational tool, but as a core part of how he sells his business.

“Whether I decide to grow or shrink the agency, PayProp will stay. It’s made scaling possible, and I genuinely think no letting business should start without it.”

His advice to other agents?

“Start from day one. You’ll save time, stay compliant, and have a system that grows with you. The cost is irrelevant compared to what you get back, in time, efficiency and peace of mind.”

“PayProp isn’t just tech, it’s the infrastructure that makes growth possible. I couldn’t do this without it.”
Andy Keogh, Director, Keogh Estates