How I Use ClickUp + Stessa + QuickBooks to Keep My Portfolio Organized
- Nelisa Lee
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Managing a portfolio of over 50 single-family rentals means I have a lot of moving parts—from day-to-day operations to high-level financial tracking. To keep everything organized, I use a streamlined system built on three tools: ClickUp, Stessa, and QuickBooks.
Each tool has a specific purpose in my workflow:
ClickUp is for managing operations and processes.
Stessa is for tracking fixed assets and storing documents.
QuickBooks is for full-fledged accounting and financial reporting.
Here’s how I use all three together to keep my business running smoothly without dropping the ball.
✅ ClickUp: The Operations Hub
ClickUp is the heartbeat of my operations—it’s where I keep track of everything that needs to get done across my portfolio.
Here’s how I use it:
Recurring Tasks: Things like monthly rent reviews, annual insurance renewals, lease expirations, and 1099 prep are all scheduled as recurring tasks.
SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures): I’ve built templates for processes like onboarding a new property and prepping for tax season. If I ever bring in help, they can follow these without missing a beat.
Team Coordination: I assign tasks to my bookkeeper, VA, or contractors inside ClickUp so I can track status and avoid bottlenecks.
ClickUp helps me stay proactive instead of reactive. It gives me visibility into the what, when, and who of my real estate business.
🗂 Stessa: My Fixed Asset & Document Tracker
While Stessa has robust cash flow tracking features, I use it more narrowly—as my fixed asset tracker and document vault.
Here’s how I use it:
Statement of Real Estate Owned (SREO): I keep all my properties listed in Stessa, with purchase dates, financing details, and asset info. It’s a clean, quick reference when I need to send an updated SREO to a lender.
Fixed Asset Management: I record property-level acquisition data and major CapEx improvements to support depreciation schedules.
Document Storage: I upload leases, closing statements, insurance policies, and other key documents here. It keeps everything organized and easily accessible.
I don’t rely on Stessa for monthly bookkeeping—that happens in QuickBooks. But as a high-level, static overview of my portfolio, it’s a perfect fit.
💼 QuickBooks: The Source of Truth for Accounting
QuickBooks is my accounting system of record. It’s where I keep clean books for tax prep, financial decision-making, and compliance.
Here’s what I do in QuickBooks:
Entity-Level Bookkeeping: With multiple entities and properties, QuickBooks allows me to track income and expenses accurately across the board.
Chart of Accounts: I’ve built a custom chart that mirrors how real estate investors should track expenses, broken out by property and account type.
Monthly Reconciliations: I make sure everything’s clean and reconciled monthly—bank accounts, credit cards, and loans.
Reporting: I can pull P&Ls, balance sheets, or property performance reports anytime. This is the data I trust when talking to lenders, partners, or my tax advisor.
QuickBooks gives me the detail, flexibility, and accuracy I need to make strategic financial decisions.
How They Work Together
Each of these tools does one thing really well:
ClickUp keeps me on track with what needs to happen.
Stessa keeps a clean snapshot of what I own and organizes key docs.
QuickBooks tells the financial story in numbers—accurately and in compliance.
Because I’ve separated these functions, each tool stays simple and focused. I’m not trying to force Stessa to do bookkeeping or use QuickBooks as a task manager. That’s what makes this system work.
Final Thoughts + Book a Call
As a real estate investor and CPA, I’ve tested a lot of tools over the years. This combination—ClickUp for operations, Stessa for fixed asset tracking, and QuickBooks for accounting—is what’s helped me scale without losing control.
If you're overwhelmed trying to organize your portfolio or unsure how to structure your systems, you're not alone—and you don't have to figure it out from scratch.
👉 Book a free discovery call with me, and let’s talk through where your systems are falling short and how to streamline them for growth.
