The verdict in three sentences
For a shopping centre with 95 units and 6 million visitors a year, custom management software costs 80,000 to 200,000 SGD in Singapore and 40,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT in Toulouse, against 15,000 to 40,000 EUR per year for packaged commercial property software. Custom makes most sense when management wants a single screen combining leases and rent reviews, service charge recovery, tenant-reported sales and footfall data. The key benefit is a monthly occupancy cost ratio per tenant, which flags a struggling tenant before the first missed payment.
What the software must centralise
In most centres this data sits with different parties: the property manager for leases, accountants for service charges, the footfall vendor for visitor counts, and spreadsheets sent by tenants for sales. The centre manager spends days reconciling it all.
| Module | Function | 2026 budget Singapore (SGD) | Toulouse reference (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease register | Key dates, renewal options, clauses, expiry alerts | 14,000 to 30,000 | 7,000 to 14,000 |
| Rent reviews and indexation | Automatic calculation, index history (ILC in France), notices | 8,000 to 18,000 | 4,000 to 9,000 |
| Service charges and recovery | Budget, apportionment keys, annual reconciliation | 16,000 to 40,000 | 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Tenant sales reporting | Monthly declarations, turnover rent, occupancy cost ratio | 12,000 to 28,000 | 6,000 to 13,000 |
| Footfall counting | Sensor connector, entries per door, weather and event correlation | 10,000 to 28,000 | 5,000 to 13,000 |
| Tenant portal | Sales upload, documents, maintenance requests, communication | 12,000 to 36,000 | 6,000 to 14,000 |
| Owner dashboards | Vacancy, rents, arrears, performance by trade category | 8,000 to 20,000 | 4,000 to 9,000 |
An 80,000 SGD base covers leases, rent reviews, tenant sales and dashboards. 200,000 SGD adds full service charge recovery, a tenant portal and connectors to footfall sensors and accounting. These are 2026 estimates.
Custom or packaged software: the five-year comparison
| Criterion | Commercial property software | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 10,000 to 35,000 SGD configuration | 80,000 to 200,000 SGD |
| Annual cost | 25,000 to 65,000 SGD | 12,000 to 25,000 SGD maintenance |
| 5-year cost | 135,000 to 360,000 SGD | 130,000 to 325,000 SGD |
| Trust accounting and property management | Very complete | Connected to existing tool |
| Footfall and occupancy cost ratio | Optional or missing | Built into the core |
| Tenant portal | Often basic | Designed for the centre |
| Roadmap | Vendor's | Yours |
If a large property manager imposes its accounting package, custom software sits on top as a management layer, which brings the budget down to 80,000 to 110,000 SGD.
Indicators management gets every month
| Indicator | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy cost ratio per tenant | Once a year | Monthly, automatically |
| Service charge reconciliation delay | 5 to 6 months after year end | 2 to 3 months |
| On-time tenant sales reports | 60 % | 90 % with portal and reminders |
| Monthly owner report | 3 days of preparation | Generated in minutes |
| Sales per visitor by category | Not tracked | Weekly |
An occupancy cost ratio (rent and charges over sales) above 12 to 15 % in fashion retail often signals a risk of departure or a renegotiation request.
Mini case study
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Rajesh manages a 95-unit suburban mall in Singapore. Each year, two tenants leave without warning, causing 8 months of average vacancy at 7,000 SGD monthly rent: 112,000 SGD lost. Late service charge reconciliation also ties up about 280,000 SGD of owner cash for 3 extra months. With software at 130,000 SGD plus 18,000 SGD of annual maintenance, preventing one departure out of two through monthly occupancy cost tracking brings in 56,000 SGD a year. Adding 3 days of reporting saved each month, payback falls around 20 to 26 months. A comparable Toulouse centre would invest around 70,000 EUR for the same gains.
FAQ
Does the software calculate rent reviews automatically?
Yes, it pulls the relevant published indices and applies each lease's clauses, including caps and floors. This avoids frequent 1 to 3 % errors on indexed rents.
Does it handle service charge compliance rules?
Yes, charge categories, apportionment and annual statements follow local rules, such as the Pinel law in France. The charges module costs 16,000 to 40,000 SGD.
Can it connect to our existing footfall counters?
In most cases, through API or file export. The connector costs 5,000 to 12,000 SGD depending on the sensor vendor.
Will national retailers use the portal?
Retailers are used to reporting sales online. A simple portal with file import and automatic reminders lifts on-time reporting from 60 to 90 %.
How long does the project take?
Plan 4 to 6 months, with a first release (leases, rent reviews, sales) in 10 weeks and data migration for all 95 leases included.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of units, current tools and footfall sensors, and we will price software between 80,000 and 200,000 SGD with a first release in 10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
