For community association management (CAM) companies, staying updated on industry trends is important for maintaining efficient operations, meeting evolving resident needs, and adopting new technologies.
In August 2024, AvidXchange surveyed 500 accounting and finance leaders to learn their top priorities and concerns for 2025. Our “2025 Finance Focus” guide shares details on the top seven trends that emerged from their responses.
Read on to learn more about the themes we uncovered and how they may impact CAM accounting pros in the year ahead.
Identifying Returns on AI
While artificial intelligence (AI) adoption was at the forefront last year, moving into 2025, many businesses will focus on defining the financial impact of this tech tool. Our survey found that of the 65% of accounting and finance leaders who work in departments currently using AI, 71% expressed concern about measuring its return on investment (ROI).
This reflects sentiments that earnings gains from AI may require some patience. For now, community managers can focus on saving time and creating efficiencies by leveraging AI for use cases like chatbots for resident support.
Preventing Financial Fraud
For the second consecutive year, our survey found that security is the top concern of accounting and finance leaders. This is no surprise, as more than three-quarters reported that their department had fallen victim to or been the target of attempted phishing, deep fake, and check fraud attacks.
Sixty-five percent of survey respondents said their organization strengthened security measures in 2024, a trend that’s likely to continue into the new year.
Shifting Responsibilities
Accounting and finance teams are increasingly taking on new responsibilities, including strategic advisory roles, providing insights that drive growth and guide decision-making within their organization. According to our survey, 87% of accounting and finance leaders assumed new job duties in 2024, including data analytics (49%), financial technology integration (47%), and business process optimization (35%).
Centralizing Technology
Our survey findings align with a recent Deloitte report highlighting that businesses are increasingly adopting cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) and spend management solutions to monitor critical metrics like profitability.
Traditional isolated systems are no longer able to support the complexity of modern workflows and remote teams. Ninety-six percent of finance leaders shared that at least some of their work is currently conducted in cloud-based tools.
Embracing ePayments
The growing adoption of ePayments is another top fintech trend. Our survey found that most businesses (61%) either exclusively or mostly use ePayments to pay suppliers. The adoption of mobile payment platforms (like Venmo and Apple Pay) nearly doubled from 8% in 2023 to 15% in 2024.
CAM businesses will likely continue to embrace the speed and security advantages of ePayments in 2025, both for receiving dues and issuing payments to suppliers.
Automating Manual Tasks
According to our 2025 Trends Survey, 64% of accounting teams are already utilizing automation technology, and another 17% intend to adopt such tools in 2025. These technologies are aimed at providing benefits like improved efficiency and cost reduction.
Fifty-five percent of respondents indicated that automating workflows within the accounting team is a top priority for the coming year. Given the ongoing talent shortage in the industry, automation can help understaffed CAM businesses get more done.
Collaborating with Vendors
Businesses are increasingly recognizing the benefits of collaborating with vendors, such as accessing discounts and forming strategic alliances that positively impact profits. Fifty-two percent of survey respondents said that vendor collaboration is part of their accounting business strategy.
Payment automation tools with a vendor hub can strengthen these relationships by providing self-service access to invoice and payment status, simplifying reconciliation, and supporting better cash flow management.
Final Thoughts
By keeping on top of industry trends and accepting the latest technologies, CAM accounting leaders can position their team as a strategic asset, helping drive business growth and meet residents’ needs in the new year.
For a more detailed look at our 2025 Trends Survey, download it now.