You're standing in a doorway. Keys in one hand, phone in the other. The landlord just texted asking about their property's EPC status. You need to check quickly, but you've got a viewing in 10 minutes and no time to get back to the office.
This is the reality of modern letting. You're not at a desk. You're in cars, at viewings, in properties, meeting contractors. Your software needs to work where you work—which increasingly means on a phone, often with one hand free.
This week, we completely redesigned LetAdmin's mobile experience. Not just "it works on mobile" but genuinely designed for one-thumb navigation, quick glances, and real work done on the move.
The Problem: Desktop Software Squeezed Onto Small Screens
Most property management software was designed for desktop computers. Tables with multiple columns, tiny buttons, forms that require precise clicking, pagination that makes you tap "Next" twelve times to find what you need.
Then they "made it responsive"—which usually means shrinking the same desktop interface until it technically fits on a phone screen. The result:
- Tiny tap targets: Buttons so small you hit the wrong one
- Horizontal scrolling: Tables that go off-screen, requiring awkward side-scrolling
- Information overload: Too much data crammed into too little space
- Frustrating navigation: Deep menus that take forever to reach what you need
- Slow loading: Pages that try to load everything at once
The honest truth? Most agents stop using their property software on mobile because it's too frustrating. They resort to notes apps, WhatsApp messages to themselves, or just waiting until they're back at a desk.
What "Mobile-First" Actually Means
Mobile-first design doesn't mean "desktop design that also works on mobile." It means:
Designing for the phone first, then expanding for larger screens.
Every decision starts with: "How does this work with one thumb, on a 6-inch screen, when you're standing in a car park?"
The Principles Behind Our Redesign
1. Vertical, Not Horizontal Tables don't work on mobile. Rows become individual cards that stack vertically. Each property, certificate, enquiry, or inspection gets its own card with the most important information visible at a glance.
2. Infinite Scroll, Not Pagination No more "Page 1 of 47, Next →". You scroll down, more content loads automatically. Looking for something specific? Keep scrolling. It's how you use Instagram, Twitter, email. It's how property software should work too.
3. Touch Targets That Work Buttons, filters, and menu items are sized for fingers, not mouse pointers. You won't accidentally tap the wrong thing because everything is too close together.
4. Information Hierarchy The most important information is visible immediately. Details are one tap away, but you can scan a list quickly without opening every item.
5. Sticky Controls Search bars and filters stay at the top of the screen as you scroll. You don't have to scroll back up to search or filter—the controls are always there.
What Changed: A Tour of the New Mobile Experience
Properties View
Before: A grid of property cards that looked cramped on mobile, with text too small to read easily.
After: Cards redesigned with larger text, clearer status badges, and a floating design that gives each property breathing room. Filter buttons stay fixed at the top—tap "On Market" to instantly see just available properties.
Certificates & Compliance
Before: A table with columns for property, type, expiry date, status—requiring horizontal scroll on phones.
After: Stacked cards showing one certificate per row. Property address prominent at top, expiry date clearly visible (in bold if expiring soon), status badge color-coded. Infinite scroll means you can browse your entire certificate list without pagination.
Keys Management
Before: Table view with small text, hard to see who had which key checked out.
After: Each key gets a card with:
- Large key number badge (colour-coded to your agency's preference)
- Property address clearly visible
- If checked out: yellow highlighted box showing who has it and when
- Check in/out buttons sized for easy tapping
Checked-out keys appear first by default. The information you need most urgently is at the top.
Enquiries
Before: Table showing enquiry date, property, tenant name in cramped columns.
After: Cards showing:
- Source (Rightmove logo clearly visible)
- Property address
- Enquirer name and contact details
- Status badge
- Quick action menu for responding
Real-time updates mean new enquiries appear instantly—no refreshing required.
Inspections
Before: List view that required multiple taps to understand inspection status.
After: Cards with:
- Property address and inspection type
- Scheduled date and time
- Status badge (Ready to send, Sent, Draft)
- One-tap access to the report
"Ready to send" inspections appear first by default—the things you need to action are at the top.
Floating Action Buttons: One-Tap Creation
Every list view now has a floating action button (FAB) in the bottom-right corner. One tap to create a new:
- Property
- Certificate
- Key
- Inspection
- Enquiry
No hunting through menus. See a list of properties? Tap the button to add a new one. That simple.
The Infinite Scroll Difference
Pagination is a desktop concept. It made sense when screens were big and connections were slow. Click "Next", wait for the page to load, repeat.
Mobile users scroll. You don't click "Next Page" on Instagram or your email app. You just keep scrolling and content appears.
LetAdmin now works the same way:
- Open your properties list
- Scroll down
- More properties load automatically
- Keep scrolling until you find what you need
Performance optimized: We don't load everything at once. The first 50 items load instantly, then more are fetched as you scroll. This means fast initial load times even if you have thousands of records.
Back-to-top button: Scrolled far down a long list? A "back to top" button appears so you can jump back to the search and filters without scrolling all the way up.
Your Agency Logo, Front and Center
Small detail, but it matters: your agency logo now appears in the sidebar menu and mobile header (if you've uploaded one).
Why does this matter?
- Professionalism: If a tenant or landlord glances at your screen during a viewing, they see your brand
- Multi-agency staff: If you manage multiple agencies, the logo reminds you which portfolio you're in
- White-label feel: LetAdmin fades into the background; your agency brand comes forward
Light and dark mode variants are supported. Your logo looks right regardless of theme.
Real-World Scenario: The In-Between Moments
9:15am - In the car between viewings. Open LetAdmin on your phone. Scroll through enquiries. See a new Rightmove enquiry from 8:47am. Tap to see details. Tap the phone number to call the enquirer directly. Viewing booked by 9:18am. Resume driving.
11:30am - At a property inspection. Landlord asks about their gas certificate. Open LetAdmin. Type property address in search. Certificate status appears: "Valid until March 2026". Answer landlord in 15 seconds.
2:45pm - At the office briefly. Contractor hands back keys for 14 Park Lane. Open Keys on your phone. Find the property. Tap "Check In". Keys logged. Took 8 seconds.
4:30pm - Commuting home. Scroll through properties list, filtering by "On Market". Review which three properties are still available. Make mental note to follow up with marketing on one that's been online for 6 weeks.
None of these scenarios required sitting at a desk. That's the point.
What Makes This Different From "Responsive Design"
Lots of software claims to be "mobile-friendly" or "responsive." Here's the difference:
Responsive design: Take the desktop layout, add CSS to shrink it on small screens. Everything technically fits, but it's awkward to use.
Mobile-first design: Design the mobile experience first. Make it genuinely good on a phone. Then expand it for tablets and desktops.
The stacked card pattern we use isn't a compromise—it actually works better than tables on tablets too. One column of cards is scannable. A table with eight columns is a spreadsheet.
Technical Details (For the Curious)
Under the hood, we've optimized for mobile performance:
- Progressive loading: First 50 items load instantly, more load as you scroll
- Lazy rendering: Items outside the viewport don't render until needed
- Touch gestures: Swipe and scroll feel native, not laggy
- Offline resilience: The app handles spotty mobile connections gracefully
- Real-time updates: New data appears via WebSocket, no manual refreshing
Coming Next: Native-Like Features
The mobile redesign is the foundation. Coming soon:
Push notifications: "New enquiry for 23 Oak Street" appears on your phone's lock screen.
Offline mode: Start an inspection even without signal. Data syncs when you're back online.
Camera integration: Take photos directly into inspection reports, property records, or certificate uploads.
Quick actions from notifications: Respond to enquiries without opening the full app.
The Bottom Line: Real Work, On Real Phones
Before the redesign:
- "I'll check that when I'm back at the office"
- "Let me make a note and look it up later"
- "The mobile site is too fiddly"
After the redesign:
- "Let me check that now"
- "I can answer that right here"
- "I actually use this on my phone"
How much of your day is spent away from a desk? If it's more than 20%, mobile usability isn't a nice-to-have. It's essential.
We'd Love Your Feedback
Do you currently use property software on your phone? Or do you avoid it because it's frustrating?
What tasks do you wish you could do on mobile? Quick lookups? Creating records? Responding to enquiries?
What's the most frustrating mobile experience you've had with property software? We want to make sure LetAdmin doesn't repeat those mistakes.
Your feedback directly shapes what we build next.
Get in touch: paul@letadmin.com
LetAdmin is in active development, built by letting agents for letting agents. This mobile redesign has been tested during actual property viewings and inspections at Phillip James (370+ properties). If you're tired of property software that only works at a desk, we'd love to show you what's possible.