Property Management Growth with DoorGrow

How does an aggressively-minded property management company grow quickly? Leads. But it's impossible for property managers to pursue the blue ocean of 70% self-managed landlords. There's no way to contact them. Until now. Today, I am talking to Ben Atkin of DoorsUp, a lead generation service for property management entrepreneurs. You'll Learn... [02:30] Ben's Background: Grew up surrounded by real estate, property management, and software. [03:09] 50-unit Student Housing Apartment Complex: Managing students is difficult; Ben moved on to something less stressful and more lucrative. [03:40] Bootstrap to the Core: Partnered with Coldwell Banker Premier and started property management company from scratch. [04:10] Daily Pre-occupation: How do you grow doors? How do you increase the number of units under management? [04:41] Database: How do you identify people who own rental property? Where do they hangout? How do you contact them? [05:03] DoorsUp Prototype: Every person in market who owns rental properties and their contact information to track interactions and engagement. [06:20] Secret Sauce: DoorsUp gets information and people ready to sign-up. [07:37] Grow Doors: Use DoorsUp to pick an area to pursue to contact owners and acquire more properties to manage. [14:20] Future for DoorsUp: Going to NARPM to add service areas. [16:27] FAQ: Does this have all the data that I can find myself? Data is concise, filtered, and updated regularly to make your marketing more efficient and cost-effective. [21:14] Bogged Down and Overwhelmed: Grew too fast and doesn't want to be a property manager! [22:15] My Thesis: Property management has a serious marketing problem. People cannot find a sustainable way to grow doors. Tweetables Bootstrap to the Core: Zero clients, zero connections, zero revenue, and zero Website. We have a lot of data. Mining and handling data is our expertise. We're marketing strategy agnostic. Property management has a serious marketing problem. Resources Ben Atkin's Personal Email DoorsUp Ben Atkin on LinkedIn Google Street View Grant Cardone National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) Business Network International (BNI) Cole Realty Resource SmartZip REDX DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today, I'm hanging out with Ben Atkin from a new startup, it sounds like, called DoorsUp. Ben, welcome. Ben: Thanks, Jason. It's a pleasure to be on the show. I'm just going to go ahead and say this and geek out out of the way. I've watched literally every single one of your podcast and I can jive so much with that intro. It seems like it's changed a little bit in the last. Did I notice that? You changed that intro to include a couple more things recently? Jason: I have made some subtle changes, yes. Ben: Subtle changes, okay. I love that. I'm really excited to be on this show. I'm just stoked to be here. Jason: Let's get into your background. You've got this startup called DoorsUp, which in my understanding is a lead gen service for property management entrepreneurs, so they can get more owners which sounds very in alignment with what we do to optimize companies so they can handle those leads, so they can effectively, organically, create that business. Tell us how did you get into this space? Give us some background on Ben. Who the heck are you? Ben: Yeah. It's a long long road. I'm a second generation real estate person as well as second generation software developer and software person. My dad has a real estate company, was a real estate developer. The most inopportune time to be a real estate developer in 2006-2007. I grew up surrounded by real estates, surrounded by property management, and also surrounded by software. Anyway, I got my start in actually having experiences in property management in college. I was managing a 50-unit student housing apartment complex. If anybody is familiar w

Have no fear, when it comes to social media. Share your opinions and what you know. Not everyone will like what you post, but that's ok. Personal and professional Social media opportunities let you connect with others, build relationships, and post content to attract new business. Today, I am talking to Katie Lance, CEO and co-founder of Katie Lance Consulting. She helps real estate agents and brokers use social media to grow their businesses. Also, Katie is the author of #GetSocialSmart and founder of #GetSocialSmart Academy. She was named one of the most 100 influential people in real estate by Inman News and is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post. You'll Learn... [02:40] Marketing Nerd: Katie didn't go to school for social media because there was no Facebook when she was in college. [06:40] Social Media Challenge: Audience doesn't care about property management. [07:32] Don't be Vanilla: Be engaging, interesting, unique, and authentic voice for what's happening in your industry and market. [10:08] Love vs. Hate: Share your opinions, and attract your tribe through polarity. [12:20] People don't buy what you do (property management), but why you do it. [13:18] Warning: Don't outsource all your social media, or you'll lose your voice. [15:59] Avoid anxiety and conquer fear of social media by creating a system or strategy. [17:27] Day-in-the-Life of You: Done is better than perfect. [22:05] Consistency and Batch Creating Content: The more you do it, the more comfortable you get. [26:21] Repurposing Content: One piece can be posted on multiple platforms. [27:15] Platform of Choice: Depends on your target audience. [28:40] Future of Social Media: Instagram TV and video is where it's at. [31:54] Personal and Professional Social Media Opportunities: Connect with others, build relationships, and post content to attract new business. Tweetables Be you, instead of your business on social media. Done is better than perfect. Comment, Connect, and Create Content Don't suffer from analysis paralysis. Resources Katie Lance Consulting Katie Lance on Instagram Katie Lance on Facebook #GetSocialSmart #GetSocialSmart Academy Inman News The Huffington Post Simon Sinek National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) Instagram TV TikTok DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show, and today's guest, I'm hanging out with Katie Lance from Katie Lance Consulting. Hi, Katie. Katie: Hi, Jason. Thanks for having me here today. Jason: I am glad to have you. Katie, we're going to be so social today. Katie: That would be a lot of fun. Jason: [...] social media and we're on social media right now. We're doing it. Katie, help everybody understand your background. Can I read some of your bio? Katie: Sure, go ahead. Jason: It's really well written. Katie is the CEO and co-founder of Katie Lance Consulting. Katie is a nationally known keynote speaker at conferences and events. For the past 10 years, Katie has been working with real estate agents and brokers to help them get smarter about how to use social media to grow their business. Her specialty is in helping real estate agents and brokers achieve big results using social media without spending a ton of time. She is also the author of the best-selling book, #GetSocialSmart and the founder of #GetSocialSmart Academy. Katie has been named one of the most 100 influential people in real estate by Inman News and is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two beautiful boys. Katie, welcome to the show. Tell us how did you get into social media? How did this come about for you? Katie: I've always loved social media. I've always been a marketing nerd. I've always been one of those people to just really love marketing and didn't necessarily go to school for social media, and probably dating myself, but there was

Are you tired of dorm food and want to avoid the mad rush of finding a place to live off campus before next semester? There's got to be an easier way for students to rent houses and apartments. It's a problem that many entrepreneurs have tried to solve. Today, I am talking to Dave Spooner of Innago. There are few incentives for landlords to digitize their rentals. Landlord demand for a listing platform is low, but there definitely is high demand for better tools to effectively manage and communicate with tenants. You'll Learn... [02:50] Tenant Management Software: Making landlords lives easier with online rental payments, tracking payments, basic accounting, lease signing, and tenant screening. [04:14] Understanding Innago: Flexible, effective, simple, and intuitive software for landlords and property managers. [06:05] Learning Curve: Competitors' software requires expertise and certification. [07:32] Who wants to waste time adopting ugly software? [08:58 #1 Priority: Intuitiveness in software; speed is love language. [10:20] Different portals for different people to be more productive. [12:16] Find balance, and avoid too fast feature creep. [13:14] Possible future integration with Zapier and other third-party tools? [14:22] FAQs: Access permissions and pricing for landlords and tenants. [17:25] Innago offers unique and unmatched level of support. Tweetables Innago software is flexible, effective, simple, and intuitive. You shouldn't need a certification to use property management software. Choose features that matter, and get the biggest bang for your buck. Big believers in early success begets future success. Resources Innago Buildium AppFolio Propertyware Rent Manager. Jason Fried of Basecamp Zapier 1099 Form Freshdesk HubSpot Intercom DGS 62: Property Management Accounting with Taylor Hou DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome DoorGrow Hackers to another DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you're open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow Hacker. DoorGrow Hackers love the unique challenges, daily variety, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses, and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change the perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's guest, I'm hanging out here with Dave Spooner of Innago's. Dave, welcome to the DoorGrow Show. Dave: Hi Jason, thanks so much for having me. Jason: It's great to have you. Dave, we always like to get into our guest first, help us understand who Dave is, and how you kind of got into the space that you're in, and give us a little background. Dave: Yeah, absolutely, I'd be happy to, and thanks for the intro. I graduated from university in 2013. I kind of already had that entrepreneur spirit. Me and a couple other folks got together and we wanted to solve the problem of finding a place to live. We're not the first people to try to solve it, and I'm sure we won't be the last to try to solve it, but we want to make it easier for students to rent houses and apartments off campus. A lot of those markets are still mostly or fully offline, and there's usually a mad rush to try and find a place to live. We recognize those issues and we tried to solve them. As we were going about doing that, we kind of quickly realized that there's not a lot of incentives for landlords to digitize their portfolio. There's not a lot of incentives for landlords in student housing to really do a whole heck of a lot, but helps the students out because they're already going to fill other properties, which is really high occupancy in student housing. We kind of pivoted, and listened to the market, and realized that there wasn't a huge demand on the landlord side for this listing platform, but there was a lot of demand for better tools to manage tenants, and better tools to manage and communicate with those tenants, and to manage their businesses. That's kind of how I got my foundation. I worked on that listing platform for a few years, learned a lot about the market, and then myself and the CTO of that company started and founded Innago in 2017, and we've been hard at work trying to make lives easier for landlords ever since. Jason: How do you make lives easier for landlords? Dave: Innago is tenant management softw

If you enjoy unique challenges, daily variety, learning new things, finding opportunities, and experiencing freedom, then you would probably be successful in property management. Entrepreneurs would rather work 80 hours a week for themselves, than for someone else. You don't have to do it all on your own. Be willing to take some risks, and connect with like-minded people. Let your entrepreneurial spirit fly! Today, I am talking to Bryan Jenkins and Jonathan Cook of AHI Properties. They share strategies that consistently grow their business and add doors in multiple markets. You'll Learn... [02:00] Keep on Growing: Corporate housing to single-family homes to property management. [05:25] Real Estate Market Crash: Created shift in income and dealing with investors, despite technology. [07:20] Love it, or Hate it: Learn something new every day in property management. [08:05] When's the right time to grow and expand? Adding doors in multiple markets. [09:42] Sand Traps: Think outside the box to grow property management business. [11:15] Educate Clients with Market Knowledge: Direct investors into markets where they can make money and purchase more doors for AHI to manage. [12:03] Game Changer: Diversifying existing portfolio and dealing with accidental landlords who leave when it's a good time to sell. [13:40] Recipe for Success: Gain momentum and referrals by building partnerships and relationships with sister companies, third-party providers, and contractors. [19:57] Four Ds to Revenue: Deals, Doors per deal, Duration, and Dollars. [24:30] Focus on Funnel: Multiple sources serve as supply line for incoming clients. [26:07] Strategies and Approaches: How to expand and operate in multiple markets. [27:13] False Scarcity: There's plenty of opportunity to create business and follow up because 70% self-manage single-family residential properties. [29:10] Remember Me? Make sure to have a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy to keep track of clients and properties. [36:07] Bryan's Biggest Piece of Advice: Keep an open mind, don't be afraid, but focus on multiple funnels and opportunities to develop client relations. [38:03] Generational Change in Property Management Profession: Think about technology, bring awareness, and open people's minds. Tweetables Let your entrepreneurial spirit fly. Recipe for Success: Gain momentum and referrals by building partnerships. Four Ds to Revenue: Deals, Doors per deal, Duration, and Dollars. Resources AHI Properties AHI Properties Email National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) MLS U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) IMN Five Star Conference Roofstock Deb Newell of Real-Time Leasing Matthew Whitaker of GKHouses DGS 75: Bridging the Gap Between Inside and Outside Sales with Jennifer Stoops of Park Avenue Properties DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Gentlemen, welcome. I've got here hanging out with me Bryan Jenkins and Jonathan Cooks. Which ones which? Jonathan: I'm Jonathan. Bryan: And I'm Bryan. Jason: Hi Jonathan. Hi Bryan. Jonathan, Bryan both of you have some experience in growing your property management business and I'd love to get into your background. Whoever wants to go first, share a little bit about your background, how you got into property management, into the space, and maybe a little bit about why somebody should listen to you today. Jonathan: Bryan is much more impressive. You go ahead, buddy. Jason: All right. Let's go, Bryan. He threw you in. Bryan: I've been a property manager now for 19 years and we started this firm ground-up but tied into a corporate housing company, where we do fully-furnished corporate housing for guests that are relocating. We operate that model in 12 different physical locations in 6 states, servicing 14 markets. With that, we had brick and mortar locations. I came online in 2000. We s

Today, I am talking to Gwenn Aspen of Anequim, which offers remote assistant, Rent Manager call center, and Rent Manager software consulting services. Also, Gwenn and her husband, Jeremy, own the Wistar Group, a property management company. You'll Learn... [04:40] How helping a friend, helped property management companies hire employees. [05:20] Currently, 150 employees in Mexico work remotely for property management companies in the United States and Canada. [06:25] Connections and Relationships: Life is all about taking care of and looking out for those you know and love. [06:50] Internal References and Cultural Differences: Holding each other accountable results in low turnover/high retention. [08:20] Managers Managing Remotely: If you manage someone who works remotely, get to know them as a human being. [10:51] Webcam: Teams founded on trust and transparency should be seen and heard. [14:50] For better or worse, Anequim and Wistar Group are unique and original company names that could be patented to prevent being sued. [16:45] Finding a Good Fit: Anequim helps potential clients identify things that they don't like to do and give them to someone who does. [20:51] Time vs. Energy: Avoid burnout by identifying what fills or drains your energy. [22:20] Onboarding Training: Includes four ways to not die in property management. [26:12] Vetting Team Members: Extensive process of selecting candidates for clients. [29:47] Working in Mexico: No background checks possible or databases available. [34:09] Progress, not Perfection: Help property managers move forward and feel confident in making a commitment. [38:21] Anequim Structure: Assistants, solution agents, and others handle 1,200 units. [42:36] Every business needs systems: Planning, process, documentation, and communication. Tweetables Power of the Webcam with Virtual Teams: Just be there, and be seen. Time and Attention: A manager's most important resources; use them wisely. Word to the Wise: Keep your clothes on when training employees. Our job is to make sure people are happy with their candidates. Resources Anequim Gwenn Aspen on Facebook Gwenn Aspen's Email Wistar Group DGS 76: Outsourcing Rules for Small, Medium and Large Companies with Todd Breen of VirtuallyinCredible First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently Zoom Myers–Briggs Type Indicator Fair Housing Act Americans with Disabilities Act Culture Index Traction by Gino Wickman SweetProcess Process Street Basecamp Help Scout Intercom Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's guest, I'm hanging out with the fabulous Gwenn Aspen of Anequim. Gwenn, welcome to the show. Gwenn: Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Jason: I'm excited to have you. It's really fun hanging out with you in the green room and you were showing me your nerd glasses. Gwenn: That I carry around with me everywhere I go because there's always a need. They're literally nerd glasses, you guys. They're from Hobby Lobby, I got them for an event I had to go to because we were revenge of the nerds and I bring them everywhere because that's how nerdy I really am. But we can have fun too, we can be fun nerds. Right, Jason? Jason: Yes. Maybe. It's probably possible. A lot of people think I wear all these weird, different glasses especially the orange ones. People notice I wear this orange glasses and they always come up to me and they think I'm trying to be so cool. Their like, "Why are you wearing this glasses? Are you trying to be Bono?" Which is funny because Bono wears them to block blue light, right? He's not wearing them just to be cool but he is cool. Way cooler than me. Then I go into this diatribe of why I wear them and how they block blue light and how it helps set my biorhythm patterns, helps me get good sleep, and then

In the United States, millions of residential properties are owned and rented out by individual landlords, not professional property managers. Why not protect yourself from painful experiences with tenants, have peace of mind, and leave it to the professionals? Today, I am talking to Dave Holt of SureVestor, which provides Scheer Landlord Protection. This insurance plan financially protects landlords and property managers from tenant-related risks. SureVestor is at the forefront of leading a trend that can significantly help grow the industry. You'll Learn... [01:45] Passion for Property Management: Dave joined NARPM nearly 30 years ago and has gone through its entire chain of command. [02:51] Reasons why Scheer Landlord Protection was brought to America: Significant growth impact on property management industry in Australia Way to make, but not lose money Opportunity to turn self-managed landlords into professional property managers [05:22] Is the United States ready for similar level of growth? Whether companies grow exponentially, or at their own pace, insurance can help them get there. [07:06] Can't control what happens in people's lives; when bad things happen to good tenants, property managers experience frustration and stress. [08:05] Who's to blame? Things happen that create a financial burden; Scheer Landlord Protection covers income loss for landlords and property managers. [09:32] Malicious Damage by Tenants: Insurance covers holes in walls, cabinets ripped off walls, sand poured down drains, etc. [09:47] Blanket of Coverage: Indirect and direct benefits create safety for all parties. [13:45] Property manager requirement helps insurance company mitigate risk. [16:33] Competition: Focusing on criteria of quantity over quality. Most property managers don't have an insurance license; be compliant and legal to protect industry. [22:40] Tiered Pricing: Clients know the cost to be protected. [24:58] FAQs: How do I market this to my owners? How can I implement it? Follow SureVestor's steps to success. Tweetables Scheer Landlord Protection: Grow exponentially, or at your own pace. When bad things happen to good tenants, property managers get stressed out. For most landlords, rental property is their most expensive investment. Scheer Landlord Protection: Covers malicious damage, eviction costs, and loss of rent. Resources SureVestor Dave Holt's Email Dave Holt's Phone Number: 612-465-0421 SureVestor's Blog National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) California NARPM Terri Scheer Lloyd's of London The Iceberg Report U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. I have a guest today named Dave Holt. Dave is here talking with me about landlord protection insurance from SureVestor. Dave, welcome to the show. Dave: Thanks, Jason. I appreciate it. Jason: I just got to see you at CALNARPM in your British soldier outfit that you had there. I want to connect with you a little bit here. Give us a little bit about background on how you got into this industry and into this space. Dave: Yeah, you bet. I've been in property management, that's really my industry. I've been in the business for over 30 years. I started managing for HUD back in the mid-80s, got introduced to property management in single-family homes, and started my fee management company in the late '80s. That's where I ran into a fledgling organization that was just starting out called NARPM. I got involved with NARPM early on. I actually started in 1990. I've been a member ever since and gone through the whole chain of command there. Property management is my passion. Throughout that whole process, I've met with thousands of property managers throughout the years. Like you, Jason, always looking to see how we can improve the industry and came across an opportunity. We're actually teaching

Love 'em or hate 'em, most of us have lived with roommates at some point. You probably split expenses and chores, including rent and taking out the trash. Today, I am talking to Tyler Hayes and Joáo Ritter of Roof, which helps roommates resolve problems to live peacefully together and landlords easily collect rent and connect with tenants. You'll Learn... [01:48] How a college hobby project created a company: A group of friends who love to design and build things, like apps, got together to foster productive communities. [02:21] It's good to have friends with different skill sets to make a product even better. [03:17] Roof: A company all about people who share and make a place feel like home and landlords who make space available to those tenants. [03:55] Property vs. Tenant Management: Does your landlord treat you like a human being or asset? Problem-solving by landlords improves relationships with their tenants. [04:45] Pairing up to build an app: Eager to work on meaningful, real-world projects and continue to invest in them. [06:00] What is Roof, and what does it do? Landlord: Gets paid, makes sure home operates as expected, and creates positive renting experience for tenants. Roommates: Share reminders, shopping items, expenses, and anything else they want to exchange while living together. [07:28] Target Audience: Landlords handling a small portfolio of college housing; who know all their tenants by name and care about communicating with them. [08:13] Landlords recognize that renting experiences and services they provide for tenants reflect back on them and their reputation. [08:39] Societal trend toward people moving in together for the sake of economic efficiency; people try to live together, share spaces, and live more cheaply. [09:26] Recipe for Disaster: Relying on one to communicate to entire household. [10:00] Roof app revolves around sharing space between people who all share responsibility for that space. [10:54] Common Challenges: Roof helps solve communication issues and responsibilities masked as reminders for people sharing space. [18:09] People love interacting and inspiring one another to take risks, make the move, offer encouragement and support - Roof's team is part of conversation/common goal. [22:57] Plans to integrate with property management software that lacks Roof's roommate functionality/communication platform? Too cost prohibitive for small investors. [27:53] Future Feature: How Roof decides which features to focus on or throw away. Tweetables Does your landlord treat you like a human being or asset? Roof revolves around sharing space between people who share responsibility for that space. There's always going to be bugs, tweaks, changes—that's just the nature of software. Resources Roof ($20 of transaction fees for free, use code: 3875 DoorGrow) Roof on Twitter Roof on Instagram Roof on Facebook Contact Roof AppFolio Buildium Propertyware Rent Manager Rentec Direct Property Meld Happy Inspector Latchel Myers & Briggs Personality Types Slack BiggerPockets PayLease DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think, you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today, I've got two guests hanging out here with me. My guests are—see if I got the name right—Tyler Hayes and Joáo Ritter. How did I do? They are here from the company Roof, and one of you is the CEO. That's you, Joáo, right? Joáo: That's me, yup. Jason: You're both software engineers. How did you guys get into this? How did you decide, "Hey, property management might be a space that we might want to connect with in some way, shape, or form." Then let's lead in how Roof came to be and what it is? Joáo: Sure. So, we started the company in college actually as a hobby project. I wanted to know how to build an app. I lived with a ton of roommates at the time, and we had a few things that we routinely split amongst ourselves: a few reminders of shopping, other expenses, rent, paymen

Do you own single-family properties, but rent them out? Are you tired of dealing with tenants? Incompetent contractors? Why do-it-yourself (DIY)? Why waste your time? About 70% of owners self-manage their properties. You can't and shouldn't do it all. Help is available. Today, I am talking to Dana Dunford of Hemlane, an all-in-one rental property management solution. After being encouraged by family and friends, Dana decided to do real estate investing on the side while working at Apple. She tried self-managing her properties, only to discover how difficult that can be - even tougher than calf dressing! You'll Learn... [02:50] Moving from self-management to hybrid solution involving experts in real estate/property management to streamline and mitigate risks. [04:15] Property Management and Technology: Taking a different approach to build communities of agents, owners, and managers to work together. [07:50] Potential for property management industry: Buying real estate is easy; property management is much more difficult, but determines the success of your investment. [10:27] Property managers have to do everything and need to be Jack-or-Jill of all trades (maintenance, lawyer, therapist, sales, marketing, etc.). [10:56] Dana's driven toward challenge; something new happens every day in property management and risk needs to be mitigated. [11:27] Subject matter experts should provide best practice, place, and process; there's only so much technology and robots can do. [13:05] Entrepreneurs/Gluttons for Punishment: Highly adaptable and enjoy challenges. [14:56] Turnkey: When something goes wrong, property manager gets blamed. [15:47] Hemlane: Flexible and transparent property management platform that helps property managers solve problems. [19:55] Hemlane's Ideal Prospect: Under 200 units and wants to grow portfolio/clientele. [22:36] Hemlane offers automation of administrative tasks and competitive advantage by building relationships and services over time. [27:10] Real estate investors find out about Hemlane on social media and blogs. [31:57] Are you trained and qualified, or just pretending to be a property manager? [35:15] FAQs from Property Managers: How can I communicate with owners? Will Hemlane take my clients? How do I know if I need help? [41:07] People aren't buying property management; but safety, certainty, and trust. [48:40] What is a hemlane? House Differentiation: Hem is house in Swedish; lane is a path that divides you from others. Tweetables Property management is challenging; something new happens every day. Whether you love or hate them, industry isn't ready for robots to show properties. Turnkey is a terrible word; if something goes wrong, the property manager is blamed. People aren't buying property management. They want safety, certainty, and trust. Resources Hemlane Dana Dunford's Email Dana Dunford on LinkedIn Hemlane on Software Advice Hemlane on Capterra Hemlane on GetApp Apple Nest The Iceberg Report Industrial Calf Dressing - California Rodeo Salinas Tim Ferriss Buildium AppFolio Zillow Russell Brunson's Value Ladder DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's guest, I'm hanging out here with Dana Dunford of Hemlane. Dana, welcome to the show. Dana: Great. Thanks so much, Jason, for having me. Jason: I'm really excited to have you here. You have such a bright personality. I was really, I guess, curious with people. I was really biting my tongue, resisting just getting into figuring you out, and asking you questions. It was always a challenge for me. Now, I can do it. Let's get into this. Dana, why don't you share with everybody a little bit of background on you and who you are. Then, let's transition into getting into how Hemlane came to be. Dana: My background, by accident, I actually ended up at Silicon Valley. I'm just through studying here for university. My background was ac

Do you use AppFolio? Word on the street is that it's one of the most intuitive and easiest platforms to use, especially in the property management business. Today, I am talking to Nat Kunes. He's the senior vice president of AppFolio, which is an all-in-one solution for property managers to grow their business and be more successful. You'll Learn... [03:05] Shifts in technology solutions: AppFolio started as software as a service (SaaS), Web-based product and then added mobile ability to access anywhere. [04:29] Fourth Industrial Revolution: Applying artificial intelligence (AI) to property management problems. [05:18] AppFolio acquired Dynasty, which provides AI options for the real estate market. Digital employees lease properties, schedule maintenance, and perform other tasks. [08:16] Decision-making behind-the-scenes at AppFolio: Customer Input: Constant communication to identify core problems. Market Trends: Leasing, occupancy, and construction rates to fill units. Technology Shifts: Leverage leading-edge game changers to solve problems. [10:56] Integrations: Growing awareness of APIs to choose different vendors and tools to create custom connections. [12:51] AppFolio Property Manager PLUS Product: Geared toward larger property management firms. [13:30] Future Feature Request: Integration with Zapier to connect to more tools, save time, and increase productivity. [14:05] Employee Experiences: Meeting customer expectations and talent management by hiring and retaining great people is a challenge. [16:08] Recent survey conducted with John Burns Consulting found that factors inhibiting growth include retention and talent shortage. [17:57] Broader Benchmarking: What makes a good leasing agent? What makes a great maintenance technician? What is expected? [18:42] Switching software to grow business and move forward: Partner with progressive company focused on future. [20:43] Internally, AppFolio uses external tracking, HR, sales, and other software that offers insights and feedback to make better decisions. Tweetables Fourth Industrial Revolution: Applying AI to property management problems. Future AppFolio Features: Decisions based on input from customers, market trends, and technology shifts. The growing awareness of APIs integrations to choose tools to create custom connections. Resources AppFolio AppFolio Acquires Advanced Artificial Intelligence Technology Provider AppFolio Property Manager PLUS John Burns Real Estate Consulting Zapier DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrow Website Score Quiz Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. My guest today, finally, we've got AppFolio here on the DoorGrow Show. I'm hanging out with Nat Kunes. I said your name correctly, I think. Nat: Yup. Jason: Awesome. Nat, welcome to the show. Really excited to have you here. Nat: Thank you. So very excited to be here as well. Jason: Cool. Nat, you are the senior vice president of AppFolio. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Give us a little background on you and then let's get into the topic at hand. Nat: Thanks for the introduction. I've been at AppFolio now for about 10 years, so pretty early on, in our company history, gotten to grow with the company as well. Our products are really geared around being that all-in-one solution for property managers. From everything that we wake up in the morning to do, it's really to accomplish that one vision which is helping our property managers grow their businesses, be more successful, pretty much everything that sounds like you guys stand for as well. That's why I'm really excited to be on the show with you. Jason: Great. Glad to have you here. I was telling you right before the show, most of our clients use AppFolio. Word on the street is that it's one of the most intuitive platforms to use, easiest, that says a lot about software. I mean, the number one challenge with software is adoption; getting people to just use the thing. Let's be honest, that's the n

Building your property management business and team can be challenging. As a business owner and entrepreneur, you are wired to fix problems. So, get out of the way, and hire people who have different skill sets to solve them. Today, I am talking Melissa Prandi of PRANDI Property Management. Everybody in the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) knows her name. She helped establish it and has been in the property management business for 37 years. You'll Learn... [03:13] Brand new baby, brand new company, but no bank loan. [04:23] Beginning of NARPM and best practices for property management software. [05:25] Solopreneur Sandtrap: Can only handle 50-60 doors before getting stuck. [05:48] Team Sandtrap: Bottleneck of 200-400 doors when building a team, creating a culture, and systemizing processes become painful. [06:33] How to build a team: Different personalities and skill sets. [09:15] Success comes with your willingness to change. [12:15] Good at growing the company and letting people grow or go. [14:50] End-of-the-day (EOD) Report: Rate your day, workload, challenges. [15:50] Working from home: Nobody can touch you; a physical disconnect. [16:44] Modes of Communication: Basecamp, Voxer, and email. Analyze styles to know what tools to use. [21:10] Entrepreneur's Ego: Nobody can do it as good as me. [24:57] It's not always about business. Something's going on. What can I do to help? [28:42] Face-time and morning connections to catch awesomeness and say thanks. [31:30] Making mistakes and 'aha' moments; what did you do/should have done? [34:15] Be a student and fan of what works, and be willing to fail. Never stop learning; speak and teach. Share your knowledge because people soak it up. [38:20] Keep yourself well to be a good leader. Health is #1 thing to impact productivity. [44:40] Reach out and lean on others who have been through the same things. Tweetables Success comes with your willingness to change. Be a student and fan of what works and be willing to fail. To grow your business, you have to build a community. You can't do everything. Listening to chipmunks all day long telling you what needs to happen. Resources Melissa Prandi PRANDI Property Management NARPM Tony Robbins: DiSC Personality Test Basecamp Voxer Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen by Steve Sims EMDR Therapy DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive DoorGrow on YouTube Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. And today, I have a very special guest, Melissa Prandi. Melissa, welcome to the DoorGrow Show. Melissa: Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Jason: Melissa, you are practically synonymous with NARPM, you helped found NARPM, you have everybody in NARPM knows you, and you have been involved in property management for how many years now? Melissa: Thirty-seven years. March 27. Jason: Thirty-seven years which is almost my entire life, right? Melissa: You have to say that, yup. Jason: Which is amazing. You have tons of experience, you are this phenomenal character and charismatic person. Everybody's been telling me I have to get Melissa on the show. I'm really excited for you to be here. Maybe the place to start would be to why don't you share with everybody your story? How did you get started in property management all that time ago? What crazy idea popped in your head to make you decide that [...] Melissa: There's a lot of crazy [...]. I have to say I started in my company March 27, 1982 as a receptionist. I came in, all of my friends have gone off to college, I said, "I'm not going to afford to go to college. I'm going to work three jobs." So, I came in, that was one of my three jobs, I was a receptionist at a property management company. I worked there 5½ years. This is great because women love this part of the story. When I went out on maternity leave on a Wednesday at five o'clock, I went grocery shopping Thursday and Friday morning I went into labor. If you know where I live, I'm in Marin County just north of

Delegating work, tracking progress, and managing issues often leads to frustration. So, businesses buy workflow software with all the bells and whistles; only to realize that it's too cumbersome and confusing. Today, I am talking with Vinay Patankar of Process Street. After experiencing similar pain with software, he decided to create his own simple way to manage recurring workflows for teams. You'll Learn... [02:40] Why isn't there software that can do these tasks while I sleep? [04:57] Philosophy behind process development and problem with most products - the people who built and designed them. [05:45] First-generation Software: The experience on paper is not necessarily the best experience on a computer. [06:15] Can my grandmother figure this out? Create easy and intuitive software that anyone can use without any kind of context or previous knowledge. [08:05] Process Street is not just a process documentation platform, but a superpower checklist for accountability. [11:17] Rules around Tasks: Customize checklist based on variables or conditions. [12:27] Create automations to do fast integrations with other systems. [15:50] Document processes to do it right, the first time; but not slow you down. [17:23] Process breaks down and people start doing it their way, but don't document or update their processes. [19:50] Track Changes: Capturing every change made to a process on the backend. [21:22] Process Street gets processes done faster and more accurately. [24:20] Everything becomes better; creates momentum, saves time, improves efficiency. [25:35] Process Street's Support Channels: General, sales, and engineering. [26:47] Catch-22: Struggling to manage team, keep things organized, maintain culture, document processes, and systemize business to grow and move forward. [28:24] Pre-made Process Templates: Tenant move in and move out, tenant screening, property inspection, and landlords. [29:09] What's your process? Share, copy, paste, and optimize processes. [30:25] Process Street down the road: Future features to include role-based assignments, task permissions, and mobile app. Tweetables User experience and ease should always be at the top of the list with software. Once you've got that checklist, you can superpower it. What's your process? Share, copy, paste, and optimize processes. Resources Process Street Microsoft SharePoint SAP Workflow Oracle Fusion Zapier Basecamp AppFolio Salesforce Typeform Gravity Forms Podio DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason: Welcome DoorGrow Hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's very special guest, super excited about, head of a really cool software platform, Vinay Patankar. Welcome to the show. He is here representing Process Street. Vinay: Thank you, Jason. I'm excited to be here. Hey, everyone. Jason: Vinay, give everybody a little bit of background. How did Process Street come about? Let's start with you. What's your background in all of these? Vinay: Sure. My background is I've done a few things. I'm from Australia originally. I kind of worked in tech, worked in finance, work as a recruiter, started a couple of companies, and ended up on running a company that was a marketing agency. We're doing lead generation for consumer finance. Basically, driving leads for credit cards for Citigroup, and insurance for Geico and things like that. We basically had a very repetitive process where we were launching new campaigns on different ad networks. I'm running a lot of different tests, so maybe we're watching 20 or 30 different tests every day. At this point in time, we're working a lot with the new ad networks where maybe they hadn't released their API yet or essentially there wasn't much automation possible. A lot of that was being done manually. I had a team in India that was helping managing one of those campaigns. I basically had a lot of issues tracking all of that–delegating work, tracking that it was done, making sure that it was done correctly, getting visibility over

Searching here, searching there...How do investors find rental properties that align with their financial goals? Is there a way to provide them access to these assets? Today, I am talking with Dan Ganguly, president of HomeUnion and founder of INVESTimate. As an entrepreneur, he's always looking for a new solution to an existing problem. So, if a realtor needs a feed for homeowners, a property manager needs a feed of investment properties to present to potential buyers. You'll Learn... [04:05] Questions for Investors: What's your budget? Risk preference? Age and stage in life? Do you need cash? [05:13] Two Brands Connected: HomeUnion's where investors search for properties; INVESTimate's where property managers and realtors work with investors. [06:30] Business Model Change: Internet-only to tool that increases engagement between property managers dealing with investors. [07:43] Where to Start: Build a relationship sooner than later in the sales cycle process. [09:00] Help property managers build better Websites as a front door for people. [13:53] What does the local property manager do? Signs up with service, pays monthly fee, and puts on private/white labels. [14:58] Realtor gets MLS feed for home buying; property manager gets MLS feed with intelligent filters and big data for investment buying. [15:15] Everybody knows their #1 prospect is their existing customer because they already know, like, and trust you. [16:12] Other Options: MLS, Zillow, and similar Websites focus on finding stuff (schools, pools, etc.) that get people into a neighborhood. [16:35] INVESTimate: Offers big data platform with 110 million properties, 20 years of transactions, 200,000 neighborhoods, and more than 9 million rentals. [19:30] Is everything 100% accurate? No. Property is highly individual. [20:15] INVESTimate: Investors get best of both worlds when making a transaction. [21:45] Different risk-reward gradients/categories help people make the right decision. [26:45] Feedback from Property Managers: How has this changed their business? [32:05] Bottom Line: Business owners make money, get a door, and much more. Tweetables It's a fish net to grab fish, and then we nurture the fish until they buy. Your #1 prospect is an existing customer because they already know, like, and trust you. We can't force them to buy, but give them a reason and product to buy. Bottom Line: Business owners make money and get a door. Resources HomeUnion INVESTimate MLS Zillow Realtor.com DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. And today, I have a very special guest. I'm hanging out here with Don Ganguly. Don is the CEO of Homeunion, is that correct? Don: Yeah. I'm the president of Homeunion and founder of Investimate. Jason: President and the founder of Investimate. Don, I want to welcome you to being here on the Door Grow Show. Don: I'm glad to be here. Jason: Don, you have an interesting background. You have a lot of experience in entrepreneurism, I think people would be really interested here some tidbits from you today, and some insights. I'm excited to get it into your business and service. But let's start with you. Can you give us a little background on you and just some of your experience and what lead you to where you are now in business? Don: Sure. I'm sort of a vocationally reformed engineer. This is my third company. The last one we did was actually an outsourcing service company for mortgage banks and services. We were actually helping originators doing the big boom and people [...] were getting a loan. When everything fell apart we were helping the services service those loans and try to keep people in their houses. We touched I think over $75 billion of service. That company ended up getting sold to Oracle, to a banking software company. But it was the progenitor to this whole Homeunion and Investimate thing that we founded because we were able to see all these properties all over the cou

Are you sure your kitchen table or big-screen TV will fit? If you're interested in renting or buying a specific property, there's a few steps to take before actually visiting it. Watch a virtual tour video and get pre-qualified. Today, I am talking with Michael Sanz of Neesh Property, which started in 2009 and has more than 650 doors. We discuss the benefits of automating property showings, including the opportunity to spend more time with people and to travel. Who wouldn't want to operate a property management business from beaches around the world? You'll Learn... [02:25] Purpose of Neesh Property: Holistic real estate that helps people buy, sell, rent, and arrange financing. [03:20] Same Startup Suffering: Michael struggled to start a business, grow new doors, and retain customers. [03:37] Identify and Prevent Problems: Michael controls and protects his business and simplifies his life through systemization and automation. [05:45] Workforce Reduction: Michael went from 18 to 1½ staff members and replaced them with property management software to save money. [07:58] Eliminate Office Space: Doesn't affect how you do business. [09:43] Competitive Advantage: Neesh Property closes deals and acquires new business by leasing properties quickly. [10:30] Retain Relationships: Be client-focused, not location-focused when managing properties. [12:40] Learn from Mistakes: Try and implement new things, which may or may not work completely; pivot when necessary. [14:29] What's the problem? Any problem, big or small, should be documented and automated to disappear. [16:10] Build Knowledge Base: Take time to make "how-to, what to do..." videos, recordings, and other visuals to help people understand processes/procedures. [21:05] Leverage People as Process: Create core team of people who are thinkers and decision-makers. [27:38] Virtual Tour Stats: Neesh Property gets over 85% of its real estate booked based on the virtual platform and averages 1.8 showings per property. [31:05] Good Tenants Gone Bad: Rather than giving best to the bad, give it to the best of everyone; mesh type of tenant to property. [50:55] Common Beginner Pitfall: You don't need to be cheaper than everybody else to get started and compete; change your value proposition. Tweetables Save Money: Replace staff members with property management software. Be client-focused, not location-focused. Meaningful Connections/Conversations: The rest just falls into place; it's all systems. Automation offers the opportunity to simplify your life and spend more time with people. Resources Neesh Property Michael Sanz on Facebook Ricoh 360 Camera Matterport: 3D Camera and Virtual Tour Platform Vieweet Skype Zoom Housecraft GatherKudos Oculus Rift DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. I am welcoming all the way from across the pond or even further maybe, Michael Sanz of Neesh Property Management. Michael, welcome to the show. Michael: Thank you very much for having me. Jason: I'm excited to have you. You're a really cool guy. I got to connect with you in the past in person, which was great to meet you in person, and you've done some really cool things. But before we get into some of that, and today's topic for those listening, is automating property showings. We're going to be talking about that. But before we get into that, why don't you give people a little bit of background on you and let everyone know why I think you're so awesome. Michael: Thanks for the introduction and thanks for having me at the conference in Missouri last year. It was amazing. Perfect. As Jason said, I'm Michael Sanz. I am from Australia, from Melbourne, and I have a company called Neesh Property Residential that has been going since 2009, has over 650 doors. I started how everybody else started out in real estate and started from zero, or how much people started, started from zero doors. I had a new relationship started at the time. Add the

The American dream no longer represents home ownership. Whether you're looking to rent or buy, everyone wants the same thing: A place they call, "home." Not a house, but a home. There is a difference. Today, I am talking with Chris Litster, CEO of Buildium, which helps property managers handle properties, leases, tenants, and units. Chris shares how property management firms should focus on customer service, relationships, and reputation. You'll Learn... [06:53] Service Oriented, Relationship Focused: Avoid treating residents, owners, or vendors adversarially, if you want to be a successful property management firm. [07:43] Millennial and Baby Boomer generations view home ownership as a burden. When things change, personally or professionally, they want to be able to move. [09:25] One reason to rent is to avoid dealing with and doing maintenance. Time is better spent focusing on other priorities. [11:19] Multiple generations want technology from property management companies to automate payments, submit maintenance request, and perform other tasks. [12:04] People demand a strong relationship with their property management "firm." Their moving away from using the term, "Landlord," because of the baggage it brings. [12:25] Property managers should make their language more friendly and appealing. [15:50] Property management firms should shift their mindset to be service-oriented and understanding to have stronger relationships and less resident turnover. [17:40] Property managers have a massive network and influence with owners, tenants, potential residents, and others. They can cause a ripple effect and change the world. [19:50] Every property manager says they're the only good ones. All others are terrible. A mindset of scarcity has been falsely created in the industry. [20:50] Low levels of awareness and perception impact a business's ability to grow. The industry needs collaboration over competition. [22:41] Buildium believes, knows, and has evidence that service orientation and relationships matter. [25:38] Core principle and goal of technology is to take care of customers and solve their problems efficiently. [28:53] Strategic vs. Tactical Timing: Expanding and growing a business takes time and effort. Automating processes gives you time to think strategically. [30:57] SEO Lottery Addiction: Spending revenue on SEO won't generate ROI. [37:21] Ladder of Autonomy: Companies that understand their business, customers, message, and differentiator are at the top level and benefit everyone involved. [38:43] Fundamental Funnel Basics: Brand, pricing, reputation, Website, sales process. Tweetables American dream no longer represents home ownership. Landlord Stereotype: Evil person who collects your rent, but doesn't take care of things. Low levels of awareness and perception impact a business's ability to grow. The industry needs collaboration over competition. Resources Chris Litster's Email Address Buildium All Property Management - a Buildium Company Constant Contact MailChimp DGS 3: Buildium's 2015 State of Property Management Report – Part 1 DGS 3: Buildium's 2015 State of Property Management Report – Part 2 National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) The Iceberg Report Google Ads DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason: All right, we are live. Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. DoorGrow hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges, and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it, you think they're crazy for not, because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, property management growth expert Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today, I have a special guest. I am here hanging out with Chris Litster, the CEO of Buildium. Chris, welcome to the DoorGrow Show. Chris: Hey, Jason. How are you? Thanks for being here. Thanks for having me. I'm just flabbergasted by that opening. The energy, I could already feel it. It's going to be a great hour. Jason: Yeah. I put quite a bit of thought into that little intro. Chris: It's great. It's fantastic. Jason: Yeah. We're pretty passionate about this and we want to champion a cause here. Chris, I'm really excited to have you on. I love to get a little bit of background on you and how you go

Managing people when you are not a people manager keeps most property management businesses within 0-200 doors. They can't scale beyond that without hiring a significant number of people. How can you shift to outsourcing to scale, save money, and improve business operations? Today, I am talking with Todd Breen of VirtuallyinCredible, which helps answer property management leasing calls every day through its experienced call center. Also, VirtuallyinCredible can hire virtual assistants (VAs) and customer service representatives (CSRs) with or without phone skills for you and your property management business. You'll Learn... [03:15] Outsourcing: Follow rules to get it right, and select best solution to avoid failure. [04:03] Outsource companies often find and hire virtual assistants (VAs) and other team members from foreign countries causing frustration instead of support . [06:00] Small businesses need an entrepreneur, people manager, and task-oriented employees. [07:43] People Manager Traits: They care for their staff and have strong coaching, communication, and development skills. [08:50] Avoid pitfall of a property management entrepreneur who manages a team, but shouldn't; they're nice people, but they're not making money or sales for the business. [12:30] Grow your management company by adding more doors and a people manager. [13:35] Entrepreneurs are sales-oriented, driven, and willing to do things others aren't; they start controlling everyone and everything, so they need "inspired staff." [16:25] Systems can make or break businesses; is your business systemized; and has it established and documented processes, policies, and systems? [20:14] HR should find, hire, and train employees; supervision is quality assurance. [21:38] Three Outsource Options: Hire your own VA directly; hire a VA reseller/recruiter; or select turnkey solution to hire VA for you. [27:54] Ask for and get good reviews by offering good service. [38:30] Don't underestimate or overestimate software; technology is another tool. besides outsourcing that creates leverage, and lowers operational and staffing costs. Tweetables Property management businesses can't scale, stay stale without hiring lots of people. Shift to outsourcing to scale, save money, and improve business operations. Outsourcing: Get it right by following rules and avoid failure by selecting a solution Lifeblood of Real Estate Business: Answer phone, get listing, rent/sell new listing Resources Todd Breen's Email VirtuallyinCredible HireSmartVAs GatherKudos SuperTenders Property Meld EZ Repair Hotline DGS 39: Property Management Outsourcing with Todd Breen DGS 43: How Virtually Incredible Can Help a Property Management Business Grow with Todd Breen DoorGrow Website Score Quiz DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive The online Windows XP simulator runs in a web browser and its operation imitates the operating system. You can use it to prank someone. Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow hackers to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, and expand your rent roll, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow hacker. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, expand the market, and help the best property managers win. If you enjoy this episode, do me a favor, open up iTunes, find the DoorGrowShow, subscribe, and then give us a real review. Thank you for helping us with that vision. I'm your host, property management growth hacker Jason Hull, the founder of OpenPotion, GatherKudos, ThunderLocal, and of course, DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's guest, I have with me, the wise, experienced, property management guru, Todd Breen. Todd, welcome to the show. Todd: Thanks, Jason. It's awesome to be here. Jason: Todd, you are talking to us live right now from Manila, right? Todd: That's correct. I spend a few months a year here working with our team and been enjoying my time here, and getting a lot of work done. It's an honor to be on your show all the away from around the world. Jason: It's a tropical island though, right? Todd: It is. It's actually the cooler season right now, so it's similar to where I live in Florida. It's just a nice weather. Jason: Maybe there's a little bit of fun in it while you're there too. Todd: Yeah. I played golf today while you guys were sleeping. Jason: Yes, nice. Cool. Todd, today, we are going to be talking about outsourcing roles for small, medium, and large companies—perhaps there's some differences there—and connected to Virtually inCredible. Tell everybody, what is your thinking behind outsourcing in general. This is a topic that used to be taboo. It used to be a bad word. "Uh-oh, they're outsourcing. You're not using people in the US, you're like some sort of evil entrepreneu

How often do you get complaints from the inside sales team about the outside sales team, and vice versa? "I can't…I didn't know..." Every business experiences the challenge of what a salesperson says and actually happens. It's a constant struggle to make sure the sales team correctly relays what's going to be done and the team accurately fulfills what the salesperson sells. How can you bridge the gap between inside and outside sales teams? Today, I am talking with Jennifer Stoops, senior vice president at Park Avenue Properties. She shares how external and internal sales teams can work together effectively. After all, they're on the same team working toward the same goal. Work together, instead of separately! You'll Learn... [04:55] Definition and difference between inside and outside sales. [06:22] Three Cs: Collaboration, contribution, and communication. [08:49] Find a good personality fit for property management. [14:09] Red flags to watch out for during hiring process. [16:50] Align goals to facilitate and mitigate hatred, animosity, and frustration. [22:06] Involve property manager for transparency and transition with sales process. [24:45] Metrics to Measure: New doors and retention. [27:40] Client and Customer Retention: Change how you sell to them to build a long-term relationship. [28:20] Park Avenue Properties plans to move to one system, but now uses Knack, an internally produced business development tool. [31:00] Gamify sources of motivation (recognition or money); make a grueling job fun. [35:30] Seek buy in and feedback from clients; what problem can you solve for them? Tweetables Three Cs: Collaboration, contribution, and communication. Metrics to Measure: New doors and retention. A property manager is conflict resolution all the time. Involve property manager for transparency and transition with sales process. Resources Park Avenue Properties Jennifer Stoops' Email Address Jennifer Stoops' Phone Number: 704-334-2626 NARPM Zoom Zoho Klipfolio GatherKudos DoorGrow Website Score Quiz DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jennifer: There is an integration of the property manager pretty early on because otherwise, business development has established this great relationship in the beginning, promised the world, and in comes the property manager who's like, "I'm sorry, your property has been on the market now for 30 days, but we're going to have to lower the rate." Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow Hackers, to The DoorGrowShow. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors and expand your rent roll, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow Hacker. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to grow property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, expand the market, and help the best property managers win. If you enjoy this episode, do me a favor. Open up iTunes, find The DoorGrowShow, subscribe, and then give us a real review. Thank you for helping us with that vision. I'm your host, property management growth hacker Jason Hull, the founder of OpenPotion, GatherKudos, ThunderLocal and of course DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's episode, I am hanging out with a bubbly, fantastic, wonderful lady named Jennifer Stoops. Jennifer, welcome to the show. Jennifer: Hi Jason. Thank you for having me. I appreciate the invite. Jason: It's great to have you here. I'm sure we're going to go off on some tangents here because that's just how you and I talk. We're going to be talking about bridging the gap between inside and outside sales. Jennifer is part of a company called Park Avenue Properties and those watching this instead of listening, can see this big sign behind her. Jennifer, tell everybody a bit about who Jennifer is and give us a little bit of back story on you. Jennifer: Interestingly enough, when I moved to North Carolina in early 2007, I interviewed with John Bradford. I just got my real estate license here in North Carolina and interviewed with John in March of 2007. It is the only job I have had since I lived in North Carolina. I actually graduated with a four-year degree. I'm from Buffalo, New York. I graduated with a four-year degree and I went to work at a dental practice of all things. I had no idea that I even remotely wanted to get into the dental field but she was looking for a business manager. My degree was in business and communications. I put myself through school so I couldn't go for my MBA right away. It was just too costly at the time. After working in this pediatric dental office for about six months, the dentist sat me down and she said, "Would you consider going back to school?" and I was like, "Well sure, for what?" and she said, "We'd like for you to be a hygienist with us," and she said, "Your personality is better with the patients than doing your insurance stuff," and I said, "Sure."

Do you overcomplicate things? Try to automate and systemize everything? Focus too much on drip emails, SEO, or pay-per-click (PPC)? Then, you're missing the most important element in property management: Taking care of people and property. People don't buy property management. They buy into a relationship with a property manager. Today, I am talking with Patty Young of Pearson Smith Realty. She describes how technology has its benefits, but building relationships and being there when someone needs you is the key to success and growth in the property management business. You'll Learn... [03:40] Grow a property management business by talking to people and being available on the phone; avoid complicated conversations by being confident and authentic. [05:38] Pain and pleasures of solving their problems; property managers close deals by asking more than talking. [09:07] Understand and categorize personality types; don't stereotype, but figure out where they are to know how to make them feel better. [11:05] Why are you reaching out to get property management now? Determine what's driving their decision making to reach out for help. [13:18] Create opportunities to start relationships by giving away a value and your free time to help people; find events to attend and places to volunteer. [15:52] Actively create business by being dedicated and disciplined; schedule time every day for prospecting. [17:53] Growing too fast isn't always good; only take on what you can effectively manage and avoid sales lumps by creating consistency. [21:53] Ratio between level of connection and intimacy in sales situation and close rate is not about how many people show up, but how well you connect with them. [23:10] "Why don't you like me? What made you decide to go with them and not me?"; ask for feedback to make your business better and leave the door open for the future. [32:33] Showcase your expertise and stay on top of what's happening in the industry; don't listen to people telling you things that aren't from a real source. [39:08] Shift yourself with any prospect or referral partner into being an advice-giver; you're in a position of authority and trust, which is what creates sales. [44:34] Be aware of applications that come in where person froze their account due to bad credit history and to bypass your system. Tweetables Solicit and close deals by asking more than talking. Be yourself, be a person, and listen. You can't sit back and relax. There's no relax. You've got to keep it going. Needy in sales is creepy. Resources Patty Young's Email Address Patty Young on Facebook Crowdcast NARPM DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason: Welcome, DoorGrow Hackers, to the DoorGrow Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors, make a difference, increase revenue, help others, impact lives and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow Hacker. DoorGrow Hackers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it. You think they're crazy for not because you realize that property management is the ultimate high-trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. I'm your host, Property Management Growth Expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. I have a special guest. We're hanging out with Patty Young. Patty, welcome to the DoorGrow Show. Patty: Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Jason: Patty, you are with a company called Pearson Smith Realty. Maybe you could give everyone a little bit of background on your experience in property management. How'd you get into this? Patty: Oh, good lord. Many, many years ago, I won't give out my age, I've always liked real estate and just renting property and I was living in Montana at the time. I thought, "You know what? This can't be that bad. Let's try this out," and so I met this fellow who owned a complex and that's where it all started. Jason: Were those famous last words? Patty: No, I guess I'm one of the old people that started this long before we had cell phones and technology, Crowdcast and all those kinds of stuff so it's really been interesting watching it grow. Jason: I want people to realize that you have single handedly helped out a lot of doors to some property management businesses. Tell everybody a little bit about your BDM sort of experience. Patty: I've done the franchise route. That's where I met you many years ago. I did that and grew it and worked with a lot of people in the franchise, which is great, and I was able to do a lot of trainin

How should property managers deal with mold that affects air quality? How can they create a healthier indoor environment for their tenants? The key is to have a "green" professional perform tests and offer solutions. Today, I am talking with James Armendariz of Green Home Solutions TrueEnviro. He shares a new perspective on how to handle molds and odors, as well as add healthy bacteria into the environment. You'll Learn... [03:23] Property managers usually try to get rid of mold by spraying a porous surface with bleach, which is 99% water that continues to feed the mold. [04:30] Property managers often have to deal with odors left behind by tenants, including cannabis, cigarette, cat urine, and other smells. [05:55] Painting cigarette-stained walls or using bleach only masks or covers up smells temporarily; TrueEnviro eliminates odor molecules from the environment for good. [06:42] TrueEnviro removes allergens, pathogens, mold, odor, and bacteria to maintain and establish a healthy, indoor environment that smells like fresh air. [07:33] Eat Dirt: Shift balance toward beneficial bacteria vs. bad bacteria. [08:37] Good or bad, bacteria seeks a food source; TrueEnviro's probiotic service eliminates food source that bacteria thrives on. [10:09] Tenant may not pay rent due to illness and environmental factors that impact their ability to work and generate revenue; take action to decrease sickness, turnover. [11:22] People travel from all over to India to drink water from a river that's viewed as magical because of its strong flora of healthy bacteria fed by waste and sewage. [12:48] TrueEnviro's mold remediation product is Oceanic, which kills every pathogen and fungi; it has earned approval for use in hospitals. [15:02] TrueEnviro can remove less building material, if it's not structurally compromised; instead of cutting mold out, the company cleans it to reduce client's costs. [15:46] Pre- and post-tests are conducted to obtain results and protocol for treatment. Tweetables Create a better way of life with a healthier indoor environment. Bleach is not the best strategy for dealing with molds. Property managers deal with odors left behind, especially the smell of cannabis, cigarette, and cat urine. Resources TrueEnviro Green Home Solutions NARPM Eat Dirt: Why Leaky Gut May Be the Root Cause of Your Health Problems and 5 Surprising Steps to Cure It by Dr. Josh Axe DoorGrow Website Score Quiz DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason: Welcome DoorGrow hackers to The DoorGrowShow. If you are a property management entrepreneur that wants to add doors and expand your rent roll, and you are interested in growing your business and life, and you are open to doing things a bit differently, then you are DoorGrow hacker. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to grow property management businesses and their owners. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, expand the market, and help the best property managers win. If you enjoy this episode, do me a favor. Open up iTunes, find the DoorGrowShow, one word, subscribe, and then give us a real review. Thank you for helping us with that vision. I'm your host, property management growth hacker, Jason Hull, the founder of OpenPotion, GatherKudos, ThunderLocal, and of course, DoorGrow. Now, let's get into the show. Today's guest we have James Armendariz from Green Home Solutions TrueEnviro. Did I say all of that correctly? James: Yes sir, you did. Jason: Welcome to the show James. James: Outstanding. I appreciate it Jason. How are you? Jason: I'm doing great. You and I connected briefly at the Los Angeles NARPM Chapter. I was there presenting and speaking. They brought me in to speak, you were a new member there or something, and you got to do your little presentation. I think I handed your card and said, "Hey, let's get you on the on The DoorGrowShow and showcase what you guys do." I would love to get a little bit of background just on you. Tell us a little bit about who James is and how you got into this. James: Yeah. Our company's called Green Home Solution TrueEnviro. My name is James Armendariz, I'm one of the owners, franchise here. I just got into the opportunity to own a franchise, really control our own path, help people managing, and create a better way of life, a healthier indoor environment. Jason: We're going to be talking today about mold remediation and air quality. What challenges have you seen that property managers are dealing with related to this that your company help solve? James: Well, that indoor environment. You turn up mold, you have some sort of water intrusion come in that may not get dried out in time. We had a client report it, threw some towels over it, and thought it was good, but mold grew. Somebody was reporting [...] or something like that. It's really a pesky situation that tenant, property manager, landlord situation and if you can have somebody who can come in and provide testing and solution for that mold,

If you own a company, then you probably have insurance to help protect you when something goes wrong. However, have you ever experienced shock and dismay when you submit a claim and have it denied because your insurance doesn't cover it? You thought you were covered, but didn't truly understand your insurance policy. Today, I am talking with Vicky Methven about understanding your options when buying insurance. She helps clients understand risk on all levels: What they bought, why they are buying it, and what they actually need. You'll Learn... [03:04] Insurance has changed because business has changed; traditional go-to commercial general liability policy is mostly for brick-and-mortar businesses. [03:57] Different types of insurance policies and how they are structured; beginning gives you a lot, middle takes most of it away, and end gives you back something. [04:25] People don't read their insurance policy; decide to tell agent what they need. [04:50] Delivery of Insurance Policy: Agent's obligation to explain it to you effectively because no policy covers everything. [06:03] What you need vs. what you think you need vs. what an agent tries to sell you. [07:26] Personal insurance policies are built on the law of large numbers; commercial insurance is based on many more variables. [08:45] Licensed realtors must carry errors and omissions (E&O) insurance to pay a claim when they make a mistake or neglect to tell client about their policy. [09:55] Vicky views cyber risk as biggest challenge for property owners; property owners don't buy or believe it - they're dealing with other problems. [16:57] Crooks gone phishing for plethora of data by hacking companies of all sizes. [22:23] Don't let professional actions negatively impact personal life; make sure you're doing everything legally necessary to keep protections in place. [23:42] Property managers need to put basics in place; may include general liability, lawsuit protection, E&O insurance, cyber policy, and a good lawyer. [27:50] Every entity should be separate; avoid one business assuming risk of other one. [30:39] Potential pitfalls in property management industry include master policies. Tweetables Talk about risk on all levels. Policy: Beginning gives you a lot, middle takes most of it, and end gives you back something. Delivery of Insurance Policy: Agent's obligation to not only give you the policy, but explain it to you. Insurance policies are built on the law of large numbers. Resources Methven Agency Vicky Methven's Email Vicky Methven on Facebook Equifax Data Breach Yesterday's mass-login attack on Basecamp is another reminder to protect yourself Have I Been Prwned? INSUREtrust Hiscox DoorGrow Website Score Quiz DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive

How do you sort the good from the bad when selecting tenants? Do you check previous landlord references? Run a credit report? Verify employment? There's a way you can save about 47% of the time you spend faxing, emailing, and calling to verify tenants. Today, I am talking with Vitaliy Merkulov of Renter, Inc. about how to automate giving landlord references and rental verifications. You'll Learn... [02:10] Vitaliy's move from the tech industry to property management. [02:57] First Tenant Fail: Fake landlords and fake information. [04:10] What did I do wrong? How can I prevent people from doing this?. [05:50] Solution: Create SaaS way of requesting or sharing rental verifications online. [06:41] Property manager's biggest problem without automation? Compliance. [10:20] How fake companies fool tenant screening companies. [14:00] Reference requests require identifying owner of property. [15:12] Registering an account to post online rental verification request form. [17:51] Plans to partner with property management software companies. [23:41] Problem with Property Managers: Trying to do everything and not being effective. [27:20] Apple's client-centric focus with its products to solve problems and be profitable. [29:18] Simple design, so users don't get stuck; automation sounds difficult, but you don't have to be hi-tech savvy. [34:15] Ask: What's the biggest challenge or problem you're dealing with in your property management business?. [38:37] Storing information in a database to give to other landlords, is that legal?. [39:22] I trust myself, not a system, to do rental verifications. [40:20] API purchase not required; "robot" analyzes information and converts it into data. Tweetables Solution: Create SaaS way of requesting or sharing rental verifications online. Save almost 50% of time spent faxing, emailing, and calling to verify tenants. Problem with Property Managers: Trying to do everything and not being effective Resources Renter, Inc. HUD Fair Housing Act Brad Larsen's Podcast BiggerPockets' Forums Propertyware AppFolio Buildium Rent Manager The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Ask by Ryan Levesque GatherKudos Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive

What should you do when starting a property management business and trying to grow your number of doors? Today, I am talking with Benton Cotter of RentVest. There's no question that he knows how to grow a property management business. You'll Learn... [01:33] Benton's background and how he got into property management. [03:55] Going nationwide and growing from 79 to 4,000 doors in a few years. [04:33] Steps to take when starting from scratch: Identify kind of company to create to determine clientele and marketing strategy Set fee structure: Do organic marketing, PPC, and SEO. [05:13] Rework Philosophy: Start small, work hard, and start/pay marketing. [06:14] Constant interruptions and constraints; it doesn't have to be crazy at work. [08:37] Benton built big growth and expanded his network; opportunities are available. [12:16] Being an owner and involved in all of it - from computers to marketing. [13:46] Define your avatar, and narrow your niche. [20:57] Don't get distracted; focus equals power. [24:20] Identify strengths and weaknesses, but don't give up ownership too soon. [28:18] Everyone makes mistakes; businesses are built on thousands of failures. [31:07] Put profits back into the business, it will pay off later. [37:35] How to get unstuck in sand trap of 50 units as a solopreneur. [40:07] Entrepreneurs are resilient and adapt easily, but should self-reflect on skill set. [42:30] RentVest's future goals regarding growth and getting great talent. [44:20] #1 Growth Limiter: People's ability to offload and bring on new team members. [47:50] Hiring Process: How to filter and find the right fit; ownership is a critical quality. Tweetables Start small, work hard, and start/pay marketing. It doesn't have to be crazy at work; create a calm culture. Simple secret for growth: Focus equals power. Put profits back into the business, it will pay off later. Resources RentVest Benton Cotter on LinkedIn Benton Cotter on Facebook Rework Book It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work Slack NARPM Google Trends Grant Cardone Profit First by Mike Michalowicz DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

You finally find time for your first vacation in seven years, so you leave your property management company in good hands with a long-term employee. Just as you're feeling relaxed, having fun, and enjoying time in the sun, you get a text message from your worker, "I quit." There goes your vacation. It's time to head back to the office! After experiencing the same situation, Mark and Anne Lackey decided to start HireSmart Virtual Assistants, which helps property managers and companies find, train, certify, and outsource full-time dedicated virtual assistants. You'll Learn... [04:22] Definition of a virtual assistant (VA) via 3 segments. [07:55] Why get a VA and how to prepare for one. [12:03] HireSmart's 10-step hiring process to source the perfect person. [13:05] Criteria and Assessments: Why HireSmart has a 97% success rate. [17:47] Changing the Landscape and Lives: VAs are in top 1% of remote workers. [21:05] Difference between a dedicated staff and productivity. [23:14] How to start the VA search process with HireSmart. [27:03] Local vs. international hires; don't treat them any differently. [30:25] Benefits: Save time, energy, money, and become better business people. [32:45] Basic things to consider (i.e., language, education, availability) Tweetables What isn't getting done because you're too busy, don't want to do it, or not good at it? Criteria and Assessments: Why HireSmart has a 97% success rate. Changing the Landscape: HireSmart's VAs are in the top 1% of remote workers. Resources HireSmart Anne Lackey's Email Alex Charfen (Business Coach) DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowLive

Do you work for or regularly spend your money at Subway, McDonald's, or Starbucks? Did you know that if you combine all their locations in the United States, there's still more self-storage facilities? Today, I am talking with Paul Moore, a real estate entrepreneur, author, and podcast co-host. He's made a lot of fun moves and money over the years, but a lot of mistakes, too. He shares how self-storage management offers a lot of opportunities. You'll Learn... [01:44] Paul's semi-retirement pain from not having a plan in place. [04:09] Entrepreneurs know things that work, that don't, and how to lose money. [04:21] What makes self-storage appealing and useful to property management. [06:10] Passive real estate investment with a lack of optimization and systemization. [06:54] Ways to juice returns, increase income and value. [08:00] Where and how to find self-storage opportunities. [10:25] Biggest financial leaks to generate revenue; know renters' motivations and income levels, add U-Haul and ancillary services/fees, and restructure units. [14:00] 7 ways to get into self-storage when you don't want to do self-storage. [15:42] All about Wellings Capital and branching out from multifamily investments. [17:46] Paul's property management tips (Apartment Life, ACH, and staging)./p Tweetables Retirement feels like death to most entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs know things that work, that don't, and how to lose money. If you build self-storage facilities, customers will come. Resources Paul Moore on Twitter Paul Moore on LinkedIn The Perfect Investment – Create Enduring Wealth from the Historic Shift to Multifamily Housing How to Lose Money Podcast BiggerPockets Wellings Capital Apartment Life Scott Meyers DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Even if you are doing sales, closing business, and adding doors, your life and business can still be a disaster - if you don't know what it means and how to optimize for profit. Today, I am talking with Jordan Muela of LeadSimple and ProfitCoach, which provides third-party fractional CFO advising. They help you take the guesswork out of property management business growth. You'll Learn... [05:10] NARPM Accounting Standard: ProfitCoach provided first set of financial benchmarks for the industry. [06:59] Numbers are not everything, and it's not just about doors; there's a lot that numbers can tell you that we don't know because people don't track their data. [08:36] Lifestyle is a factor when growing companies; make sure you have a business that serves your needs and meets your goals in life. [10:00] Unique ability involves networking and research to develop opportunities and build new businesses around needs; cost and penalty you pay for being a visionary. [12:12] Nobody can validate that your heart's desire is for your business or life; start making decisions and seek clarity. [16:25] Separate work from playtime and sense of isolation/lack of connection; create a life that supports you and gives you what you need - it's not just about making money. [19:09] Growth - a good idea or distraction; greatest determiner of your ability to grow is not the quality of your service offering, but your ability to execute. [25:25] Business and sales happen at the speed of trust; people don't buy what you do, they want to find someone they can trust. [27:45] Businesses establish themselves as leaders and capture more business by expressing and expanding their vision, values, mission, and purpose. [30:48] Content Marketing: Find the most efficient mediums/processes to spread value to target market; people consume content in different ways (i.e videos, conversations). [33:50] Difference between content for the sake of building authority and helping people vs. content for the sake of SEO and SEO-driven context. [41:57] Biggest growth opportunity for business owners who focus on everything outward is to change themselves; business is just a means to an end. [54:00] Growth doesn't have to be painful; a healthier way of growing and scaling a business is by giving employees meaningful work. Tweetables Future of Business: Giving employees meaningful work. Numbers are not everything. It's not just about doors or money. Lifestyle is a factor when growing companies. Business and sales happen at the speed of trust. Resources Profitable Property Management Podcast ProfitCoach NARPM Accounting Standards LeadSimple PM Grow RealManage Manage My Property DGS 65: The NARPM Standard of Accounting with Brad Larsen Dan Sullivan Myers & Briggs Toastmasters Simon Sinek's TED Talk Alex Charfen (Business Coach) Richard Branson DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Are you tired of chasing doors? Do you need help to define the areas you're managing? Do you know how much bandwidth is required for those areas? How do you establish rents? How do you predict rental profits? Today, I am talking with Scott Abbey of RentFax, which is a tool that helps you figure out the answers to all these questions. It helps you, as a property manager or investor, grow your business. You'll Learn... [03:25] Each door doesn't require the same bandwidth, which is a critical metric for determining whether you want a door or not, and how to charge for it. [04:37] RISC Index: Features 15 sub-indices of census data that identify demographics about properties to indicate probability of an income stream and interruptions with it. [08:45] RISC Index weighs comps based on proximity and likeness of the demographic; it considers square footage, number of bathrooms, and other factors to predict rent. [10:05] Cycle of Suck: If you take on bad owners and bad properties, you're going to get bad tenants and a bad reputation in the market; operational cost is much higher. [12:05] Shift from being a service provider to a consultant to give advice with supportive data that improves customer satisfaction and wins you more deals. [14:09] Areas can change over time; something can happen in the area that materially reduces the demographic forces and causes a decline or absence of improvement. [14:55] RISC Index enhances range of rents that are probable for the address by taking additional algorithms to the data; if the range is too wide, it's not helpful to you. [15:20] RISC Index is only product that quantifies relative risks of an address for every U.S. neighborhood; when looking at rents, it's helpful to know the risks. [16:00] Rent affordability is #1 factor for disrupting rents; be sensitive to demographics of the people who are going to be attracted to the property to adjust rents. [17:30] Rent Package includes a risk report, rent analysis, and historic vacancy number. [21:10] RISC Index can be used as an indicator that helps make buying decisions; property manager turns into a deal maker to help existing clients grow their portfolio. Tweetables Each door doesn't require the same bandwidth. Provide consulting with data as support to win more deals. Cycle of Suck: Loop of high operational cost, not able to scale and grow. Resources RentFax RISC Index Census Bureau - Year 2000 Results Shane Sauer RentRange DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Want to make your life easier when it comes to property management? Once it's adopted, try the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) Standard of Accounting. It's going to positively change the industry! Today, I am talking with Brad Larsen, who played a major role in the development of the Standard of Accounting. Also, he's the founder of RentWerx (formerly Larsen Properties) and host of the Property Management Mastermind podcast. You'll Learn... [04:28] Why: Standardize language and charter accounts for industry. [05:15] How: NARPM participation and vendor selection of ProfitCoach. [08:33] Going from General to NARPM Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP to NAAP). [09:31] System/process to get it adopted; won't be a perfect solution immediately. [10:38] NARPM's value add and thank you to industry; training provided at conferences. [12:45] Embezzlement: It's going to happen to you as your business grows and scales. [14:05] Examples of how to use NARPM Standard of Accounting. [17:56] Goals: Create common language, adopt industry standards,compare metrics. [18:02] Acquisitions: To acquire or be acquired, NARPM standard makes you look better. [18:17] Comparing numbers, data, and metrics; and knowing what to do with them. [20:20] Transition to follow Standard of Accounting is simple. [22:16] 87% of statistics are made up - people believe almost anything; businesses need to be comfortable with numbers. [23:41] Need designation/certification for stamp of approval on Standard of Accounting. [26:51] Concerns about who controls what and how much of standard. [29:10] NARPM standard helps improve property management industry's reputation. [31:12] Audits are available to build a level of confidence, safety, and certainty. [32:13] Examples of metrics that help your business make the right decisions and compare against competitors. Tweetables Going from General to NARPM Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP to NAAP) Goals: Create common language, adopt industry standards, compare metrics To acquire or be acquired, NARPM standard makes you look better. Resources Property Management Mastermind Show Property Management Mastermind on Facebook RentWerx NARPM ProfitCoach Intuit QuickBooks DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Are you a renter struggling to find a place? Feeling frustrated? Or are you a property manager/owner who would like to be able to manage, monitor, and show your properties without having to manage, monitor, and show your properties? No problem, you just need self-showing technology. Today, I am talking with Pini Lackner and Edward Gonzales of Rently, which allows prospects to visit rentals themselves when it's a convenient time for them by using self-showing technology. Rently's technology helps optimize and systemize the showing process to lower operational costs. You'll Learn... [05:18] Statistics show that 70-80% of people looking online for places to rent tend to be window shoppers; can be frustrating and time consuming for managers to reach them. [06:08] Property management involves building/keeping relationships with prospects. [06:48] After self-showings, Rently performs an application follow up to get feedback on a property without having to rely on an agent. [07:23] Some are concerned that there's too much risk involved; fear factor fades because of Rently's reputation and self-policing system based on info from prospects. [10:22] Those interested in Rently's technology have a growth mentality; there's no better way to grow your business geographically. [11:17] Benefits include lower operational/staffing costs and shorter lease cycle. [12:05] Considering Rently as best way to optimize business operations while lowering expenses and not losing touch with properties. [12:42] Self-showings are its backbone, but Rently is a fully encompassing platform - not just a bunch of lockboxes. [13:50] Rently Keyless addresses the increased prevalent use of smart homes. [18:02] Regaining control restricting access is instant via Rently after a tenant leaves. [18:55] Rently provides homeowner reporting, metrics, and analytics to know what's going on with properties. [21:07] Initial reluctance to self-showings has eased, so managers who don't use it now will lose their competitive edge. Tweetables About 70-80% of people looking online for places to rent are window shoppers. Self-showings create positive pressure to report things. Self-showings are its backbone, but Rently is a platform - not just a lockbox. Resources Rently Rently Keyless Pini Lackner's Phone Number: 323-375-5773 Pini Lackner's Email How Technology Is Changing The Real Estate Market NARPM DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Are you a business owner whose background is focused more on sales than marketing? Do you only have a minimal understanding of property management? You're not alone, and that's why Kasey McDonald founded a property management training academy that educates business owners. Today, I am talking to Kasey about business development manager (BDM) growth and marketing strategies. She has 20 years of real estate experience, predominantly in property management. Kasey shows business owners how to set up and structure their property management businesses, as well as what is needed to in terms of BDM to focus on growth and profitability. She's passionate about property management and wants to do what she can to improve the industry and other people's businesses. You'll Learn... [03:30] Four Doors to Revenue: 1) Deals; 2) Doors; 3) Duration; 4) Dollars. [04:23] BDM is not just about the landlord/investor, but retention with tenants; know importance of a service to consumers. [07:10] Kasey's education and coaching process focuses on a business's vision around goals and targets for growth; need to have realistic KPIs for team members. [09:30] Who is a BDM? Prospecting force in property management who has a mindset/skill set to grow rapidly and adapt to strategies. [13:07] BDM Job Description: Prospecting to increase number of doors, and research quality and type of property; building different relationships with vendors. [18:35] Other BDM responsibilities include marketing and understanding their market to be the local expert; you should know everything to pull in your target audience. [20:00] BDMs should make and bank at least 10 connections per day to achieve 20 to 30 new doors a month - 50% conversion of becoming clients. [21:36] Sales Pipeline Stages: Connections, follow ups, appraisal evaluation, research vs. decision, and conversion. [26:12] Lead generation is challenging for salespeople; if they don't have leads, they have to prospect and focus on generating leads by understanding their demographic. [29:05] Batch tasks and use technology to make things easier; different technologies impact and reach different people in different ways. [33:36] ABCs of being a BDM: Personality, attitude, and work ethic; need to be passionate and driven, have conversations, and overcome/negotiate objections. [38:55] Focus on marketing and communication strategies that use video because email is becoming obsolete; text messaging, walking door-to-door, and flyers are still effective. [46:25] Tenants tend to have a negative perception of landlords/managers because they don't do maintenance or fix things; discuss your procedures/processes with tenants. Tweetables It's not just about how many doors you manage, but the level of income from each. BDM is not just about the landlord/investor, but retention with tenants. I'm a big believer that not all business is good business. Marketing Strategies: Do more guerrilla marketing tactics or go old school. Resources Kasey McDonald's Email Property Management Training Academy Close.io LeadSimple DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Are you an entrepreneur trying to figure out what you're going to do with your life? Going from company to company to make money and find something you enjoy? During your career journey, you can learn a lot and build a network of people who come to you one day and ask for your help. You may end up with too much demand and work 80 hours nonstop every week. Today, I am talking with Taylor Hou, who faced some of the same struggles. Clients kept coming back to him. Why? He discovered that there is great demand for people to clean up businesses' financial and accounting books. The majority of property managers aren't bookkeepers or don't have accounting backgrounds. So, Taylor realized that if clients were willing to pay him to do their bookkeeping as a service, he could start a scalable company. APM Help now offers several services to more than 25,000 units. You'll Learn... [05:15] Property management industry's accounting duties are regulated via bank reconciliation (bank recs) where every bank account transaction is in some software. [06:36] 3-way tie out accounts for uncleared deposits and checks, which are liabilities. [08:42] Instead of one bank account per property, property based accounting keeps track of property balances. [10:05] Financial diagnostics report lets you troubleshoot to identify where money should be; transfer money to your account - if you don't, it's in the wrong place. [11:12] APM Help is currently only available for AppFolio, but offers a level of expertise needed to understand how to do everything compliance related. [13:40] Software makes bookkeeping easier, but bank recs need to be approved by a broker; software companies can't take on such liability, but APM Help can. [14:19] Humans make mistakes; audit your checks and balances by using Google's Eating Your Own Dog Food methodology or an audit program you create. [15:32] APM Help's tool goes into your software, grabs necessary data, and crunches numbers related to state compliance requirements. [16:00] Top issues and red flags include security deposits in the wrong bank account, unaccounted for tenant liabilities, prepayments, and commingling of owner funds. [18:50] Don't do or control everything - prevents growth and ability to scale; outsource bookkeeping, accounting, and compliance audits. [21:42] Accounting and Product Software Expertise: APM Help knows what works and doesn't to be able to make decisions that move clients forward. [31:45] APM Help provides three main services: On-demand consulting, daily bank recs, and full charge bookkeeping. [35:17] APM Help is a resource for those needing to buy or sell a company; performs an audit to determine the financial health of the business - what it's worth. Tweetables If you're not doing bank recs, you need to do them. Pivotal 3-way tie out is the Holy Grail of where you want to start. Humans make mistakes, but most don't have a gazillion checks and balances. We eat our own dog food. We're always hiring great people. Resources Taylor Hou on LinkedIn APM Help Tripletiedout AppFolio QuickBooks Propertyware Buildium ResMan Yardi AppFolio on Glassdoor Google's Eating Your Own Dog Food Pilot NARPM Rent Manager DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Today, I am talking with Mark Smukler of Bixby about property management and technology. Bixby is a building amenity platform/tenant portal app that helps management be more efficient by streamlining communication, work order management, payments, document storage, and any other component of tenant-related activities. Also, it's a virtual/mobile concierge for tenants to find services, such as housekeeping, dry cleaning, moving, storage, and public transportation. It's a win-win for everybody! You'll Learn... [06:40] Bixby's end-user interface aggregates different tools into a single platform that costs less and is specific to the real estate business. [08:35] Bixby is modular and flexible with features that you can turn on or off. [10:08] Bixby's development principle is that it doesn't build anything that it's not asked to build; every single thing in its product was a direct request from a customer. [11:10] Bixby integrates with smart home devices and creates a world where property managers and tenants have one central hub, instead of multiple apps for a property [12:25] Bixby enhances the property management business, it doesn't disrupt it. [13:08] New generations are comfortable with new technology, but older ones still use old technology; Bixby works with your current system - if it's not broken, don't fix it. [14:20] Manage more with less; it's difficult to gain economies of scale in property management because it is a high-touch, maintenance-oriented business. [15:25] Bixby cuts down the number of phone calls and time spent communicating with tenants, collecting rent payments, and locating documents. [16:08] Real estate assets can be monetized beyond rental income; providing housekeeping, dry cleaning, and other services to tenants generates revenue. [18:52] Set Up a Bixby Account: Go to livebixby.co/signup; Bixby costs $1 per apartment per month, or, if you have fewer than 20 units, it's free to use. [20:44] Bixby Branded Application: White-labeled with a client's logo, color palette, subdomain, hosting, and name. [22:35] Bixby partners with other businesses, including Coord to let tenants find, reserve, and pay for parking, and TransitScreen for information on public transportation. Tweetables Manage more with less Integration is key; Bixby integrates different features into one platform Bixby is much more of an enhancement than a disruption Resources Bixby Buildium Rent Manager RealPage's ActiveBuilding Zendesk Property Meld Tenant Turner QuickPay PayLease Coord TransitScreen DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Nobody knows the rental market better than a property manager, and nobody better than a property manager who does real estate knows how to help real estate investors. Today, I am talking with Sam Kwak about real estate investing as a property manager. Sam's philosophy is: I don't manage anything that I don't own. He prefers to buy properties and manage them or at least understand how the business works. You'll Learn... [03:35] People who don't necessarily have anything in terms of wealth can become real estate investors, buy properties, and rent them to create income. [05:25] As a partner, Sam is part of the everyday operation of property management; he's in the office, sees what's going on, and does consulting and advising. [05:58] Property managers need to understand their numbers, cash flow aspects, possible expenses, macroeconomics, microeconomics, and the market. [06:35] Property managers have a better understanding of where to invest; if they understand the market, they know what to buy to have a healthy cash flowing asset. [08:09] Education is key; Sam helps new or beginner investors learn a skill set focused on acquisition, negotiation, and understanding business expenses. [08:45] Acquire properties without using your own capital and credit; learn to acquire properties using the concept of owner financing and raising capital for owner financing. [11:35] Different states and municipalities have different rules; find an attorney who understands the creative side of investing and how to work with an installment contract. [14:15] If you understand how to legally, ethically, and morally put together deals, capital finds its way to you; money will come, if you provide value and want to help people. [15:10] Not all partners are made equally; work with a partner who is of sound mind, values what you do, and has the character to backup their integrity and honesty. [18:55] Once successful, don't be blinded by confidence and think you're invincible; adapt a coachability mindset and become a student again. [24:10] Some say real estate investing is quick, easy, turnkey money - that pipe dream is oversold and over promised Tweetables Anyone can be an investor, buy properties, and rent them to create income. I'm in property management because I know what goes in it, what goes out. Money will come, as long as you're providing value. Resources Sam Kwak Sam Kwak Podcasts Sam Kwak on YouTube Sam Kwak on Facebook Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Mike Michalowicz on the DoorGrowShow DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Are you a property manager? Is maintenance your biggest cost or time suck? Does it keep you from growing your business? You can't expect to grow a company when you're stuck in the operations piece of it every day. Today, I am talking with Ethan Lieber of Latchel, which helps property managers with maintenance and growth. You can get stuck where you have to hire and hurt your margin or you're growing and just can't keep up. You're behind on work orders and that's not good for anybody. It's not good for your business, tenants, and property owners. Latchel builds solutions and services to try and fix that problem. You'll Learn... [07:10] When thinking about the growth of your business, that comes from the way you acquire your customer scalable and how you get scalable lead generation. [08:00] Frontend/Backend Scalability: If you're only bringing in new customers and increasing units, there's going to be a problem if your operation can't handle that growth. [08:25] Latchel focuses on making maintenance scalable; grow without worrying about creating your margin or being able to fulfill any promise you're giving to customers. [08:45] Latchel realized that technology is support for a process, but it can't be the process; so it offers maintenance software backed by an actual human-based service. [14:00] 3-step process for a call: 1) Determine if it's an emergency or not; 2) Send possible emergencies to in-house team member; 3) Send out a vendor/contractor. [15:35] Companies should create a preferred vendor list/network to send out vendors that they partner with when bandwidth is not available. [16:35] Human Side vs. Automation: Beautiful thing when you can combine expertise and the human mind with technology; use technology to reduce inaccuracies. [18:55] Types of transformations of early adopters that implemented Latchel to offload maintenance with phone calls and coordination. [22:35] Property managers are careful about giving something up; if they want to grow, they have to delegate, give up control, and use a vendor network. [26:10] When Latchel works with any customer on taking over maintenance, Latchel builds boundaries to work under and sets clear expectations. [41:00] Latchel makes life easier for maintenance coordinators by earning trust; transparency becomes important, especially through documentation. [44:50] Latchel works with property management software through an add-on service, but is looking into API connections to integrate with existing systems. Tweetables Latchel builds technology to make its human process more efficient Latchel frees you up to grow but keep your margins healthy It's a beautiful thing to combine expertise and the human mind with technology Resources Latchel Homey Keep Property Meld SuperTenders EZ Repair AppFolio Propertyware Buildium Rent Manager Rentec DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

As an entrepreneur, how can you build a sizable, significant business? Is there a problem you can solve for customers? Save them time and money? If you can offer a good, quality product and there's good margin in it, then you may have a great idea for a new business! Today, I am talking with Thad Tarkington of FilterEasy. He describes how his company started due to personal experience with filter issues. He had no background in air filters, but saw an opportunity and jumped at it. After all, entrepreneurship is like skydiving without a parachute, and sometimes you have to make the parachute on the way down. You'll Learn... [05:08] How Thad went from being a solo-preneur to having a team; started his company in 2012 with one partner and now has almost 120 employees. [06:25] You don't know everything when you start a business, so find good mentors; the dollar amount you pay them is miniscule compared to your company's ROI and growth. [07:06] As an entrepreneur, you start by doing everything; you slowly hand off responsibilities/tasks to allow your company to grow and flourish. [07:25] FilterEasy focuses on who it hires; must have an aptitude and skill for the role, fit in culturally, and be a self-starter. [11:38] Trust the process and that things are going to work out in the long term; be resilient and adaptive to keep moving forward, even if there's roadblocks. [15:37] Trust other people when you hire them for a job; they may not do things the exact way you would, but they could come up with things that are better and unique. [17:15] Interruptions are costly; eliminating interruptions is critical for you, your team, and your company to progress. [19:38] Done is Better than Perfect: To accomplish something, you have to get it done; nothing's ever perfect in business, and businesses are not perfect. [24:08] Culture: When employees are excited, energized, and passionate because the company is growing fast, it's hitting sales numbers, and new projects are successful. [31:05] If you're complaining about your team not being motivated and you don't have the business that you want right now, you're not the person to lead it yet. [37:30] Lead-gen and getting a business going can be challenging; there needs to be constant innovation and improvement. Tweetables No background in air filters, just saw an opportunity and jumped at it. Entrepreneurship is like skydiving without a parachute. Slowly hand off responsibilities to allow your company to grow and flourish. Entrepreneurs see opportunities everywhere. Resources Thad Tarkington's Email FilterEasy Provide Value to Your Clients with FilterEasy Gary Keller's One Thing Book Basecamp Slack DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Property management is like a Rubik's Cube - you solve one side, which makes you feel great. Then, you go onto the next side. When you fix it, you mess up the first side. How do you get all sides to work together? Today, I am talking with David Kerner of TouchPoint Property Management. David sold real estate for about 15 years before investing in his own doors and handling rentals. He shares some tips on how he developed systems and processes to grow his number of doors. You'll Learn... [03:48] Difference between doing real estate and property management; going from cold calls to find new business to rental properties that offered residual income. [04:55] Vertical income streams: Managing properties could feed David's sales business, and the sales business could feed his property management business. [05:20] Property managers fear realtors getting into and doing damage to the property management industry; David was successful because he had a mindset from both sides. [08:15] David successfully transitioned from being a realtor to a property manager by knowing that if he did them both, he would not be great at one of them. [10:10] Once you make a decision, be 100% in to ensure success and execute it. [11:21] David learned everything he could to know the right and wrong ways to do things, and made himself available to customers. [12:40] He systemized and automated processes; many software programs are available to help make property managers more efficient and accountable. [14:36] David used DoorGrow's Seed Package to improve his Website and leads; landlords go on the Internet to find property managers. [18:20] People perceive property management as a commodity/service; the challenge is to shift that perception to being about relationships and taking care of clients. [19:49] David was able to break his first 100 doors in just a year; does it get easier after that milestone? Depends on you because there's new challenges every day. [22:45] David is now at the point where the number of doors is not the main factor - profit and smoothness of his business are key. [23:25] David attributes much of his success to the Seed Package to help him develop a company name, brand, Website, and sales process; he started creating revenue quickly. [27:20] Getting help vs. doing it on your own; if you're not paying for something/someone or have a plan to follow, it takes much longer to get things done. [32:40] David's biggest challenge is the entrepreneurial side; he wants to improve collaboration and customer service for his business to be profitable and run well. [33:45] David recommends making your business more efficient and systemized; focus on entrepreneurial and sales tasks, rather than day-to-day tasks. [36:50] David started implementing automation, checklists, and other systems right away; be consistent and focus on getting things done. Tweetables Once you make a decision, be 100% in to ensure success and execute it. Shift the perception to being about relationships and taking care of clients. Does it get easier? Depends - there's new challenges every day. Resources TouchPoint Property Management NARPM National Association of Realtors DoorGrow Seed Package DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

What are four pillars that successfully build and grow a business? Transparency, value propositions, stellar customer service, and aggressive pricing. Today, I am talking with Scott Brady. Despite being told by everyone to not become involved with the "Toilets, Tenants, and Troubles" of property management, Scott started Progressive Property Management in 2012. In a short period of time, he has grown his business phenomenally by rebuilding his website, marketing, and company to target self-managing investment property owners. You'll Learn... [05:38] Seekers are just starting out in property management; they get stuck by doing everything on their own instead of using marketing dollars effectively to hire others. [07:23] Scott built his company of the four pillars to make the floodgates open for generating leads; set up virtual offices and branches to help handle workload. [09:05] Real estate used to be a structured business, so the challenge was knowing how to get doors; SEO and ads are used to get doors for realtors to buy. [11:11] Scott is willing to pivot quickly when things are not working; focusing on resolving problems by adding doors, agents, and investors has helped him deal with changes. [14:35] Conducting product research and talking to clients is important to know what they want and need; serve as resource with connections to help them with pain points. [17:55] Embrace mutual affection marketing; clients need to know, like, and trust you before they will hire you - build and maintain those relationships. [19:20] Legislation is a constraint that drives innovation and need for property management; turns you into being more relevant to property owners and landlords. [20:37] Property management is a complicated business, position yourself as an expert. [21:56] Spend money on what works for you - whether it's seminars, direct mail, etc. [25:13] To get your first 100 doors, test different marketing channels to find out which gives you the best return and connect with experts, such as Scott, for pearls of wisdom. [28:50] Property management offers multiple streams of revenue: Management, real estate, maintenance, etc. [29:25] Create market share to help people recognize problems and how to handle them. [36:08] Growth is not the problem - it's covering marketing area geographically, and finding the right agents and training them properly. [36:45] In-and-Out Model: Hire the ding-and-dented to sell them on a path of opportunity - going from front desk to branch manager; no fear of losing employees. [40:30] Create marketing messages and lead magnets that pivot to: Do you.... [46:13] Constantly try to improve your marketing, sales, processes, and operations; embrace the suck by trying something new and different. Tweetables How hard is property management, right?! I've made every mistake in the book. My definition of Hell is 100 doors. Businesses only exist to solve a problem. We get paid to solve and fix problems. Resources Progressive Property Management Seminar in a Box Scott Brady Email NARPM Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Is it possible to integrate real estate and property management? Today, I am talking with Jay Berube of the Encompass Group about property management being a great lead generation machine for realtors. You'll Learn... [02:45] Jay realized that asking questions and listening to answers is the most important part of sales. [03:10] Jay helps people figure out what's the best situation for them; sell a property, rent it out, or get a reverse mortgage. [04:00] Sharing and giving value; give people value first to build trust and for them to know what you have to offer. [04:30] Difficult to have both real estate and property management and produce at a high level. [05:55] People usually don't know what they need, but think they know what they want. [07:40] Being in alignment with your clients/lead is key to sales; create a win-win. [08:50] Velvet Hammer: Be transparent by delivering the brutal truth in a good way. [10:30] People's initial reaction is to avoid realtors; many view them as annoying and pushy - just hungry people who want to get the next deal. [11:28] Property management could be the ultimate gateway drug because of its perception of being high trust, service, and relationship. [12:30] Only takes 60 hours to get a license to sell someone's most valuable asset. [14:30] All realtors are the same; have a unique selling proposition. [15:35] Easy to get into real estate and property management; but the liabilities, risks, and challenges can be large. [16:27] Buyers start their home search online; use Zillow, Trulia, and other sites. [21:40] Know and have a good property management referral source and know how to sell its products; be prepared and nurture relationships. [29:00] Some people take hours to make a sale/close a deal; only takes Jay 20 minutes. [30:25] Sales can be taught (asking questions, tonality, and alignment). [36:55] Jay's 90-day course results in more income and saving time. Tweetables Asking questions and listening to answers is the most important part of sales. Being in alignment with your clients/lead is key to sales. It only takes 60 hours to get a license to sell someone's most valuable asset. Resources The Encompass Group DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Are you into technology? Do people always ask you to help them set up their tech devices? Do you take on roles and jobs where technology helps industries? That's how Sean Miller from PointCentral describes himself. He was able to take home automation and build it into an enterprise platform for residential property managers to run their businesses better and provide an amenity that residents want. You'll Learn... [02:48] PointCentral focuses on residential property management; its software is designed for short- and long-term single- and multi-family property managers. [03:21] Some vendors target both property management entrepreneurs and consumers, winding up undercutting and competing with the property managers. [04:47] Convenience and operational benefits to home automation technology. [05:05] PointCentral built an operational benefit with its system for property managers and owners; that's the base of the ROI, and the rest just adds to cash flow. [05:15] Operational benefits and savings through locks and history of who is on the property; addresses vacant property risks. [06:45] Thermostats and energy settings for when tenants are home, property is vacant. [08:45] Keyless-entry offers greater security because floating keys risk is eliminated. [09:05] PointCentral home automation integrates with various systems and sites. [10:18] PointCentral uses cellular lines ( AT&T and Verizon) for 99% uptime reliability. [12:49] PointCentral is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alarm.com; gets access to robust architecture and policies. [14:08] Home automation is popular right now, but most startups fail; PointCentral will be in business down the road. [14:33] Leveraging and access to data; handling security and data privacy issues. [17:25] Data is analyzed to determine how property managers can do their job better and what information can be useful for problems. [19:56] PointCentral integrates with Property Meld to coordinate maintenance. [20:35] Onboarding process to get a property set up; cost is around $125-150. [23:12] Basic hardware package, which includes a cellular hub, thermostat, and lock, costs about $550. [24:08] Property manager could charge a fee to have a connected home (turn into profit center) and have language in the lease to prevent changes to the equipment. [24:22] Cost, operational, and other benefits of home automation with PointCentral. Tweetables Home automation offers convenience and operational benefits. The rest is just gravy and creates a positive cash flow. PointCentral connects and integrates its home automation. Resources PointCentral Alarm.com Property Meld Generac Belkin DoorGrow Live DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Years ago, James Alderson of OnSight PROS witnessed challenges in property management. So, he decided to step in and step up to help property managers get better at what they do. James wanted to develop a user-friendly and easier way for tenants to do walkthroughs. The missing piece is a new app called MyWalkThru. You'll Learn... [06:10] MyWalkThru app nags tenant to do walkthrough. [06:40] 3 options on MyWalkThru: Doors are 1) not applicable, 2) observed with no problems, or 3) picture and comment of problem. [08:15] App solves various problems by making sure tenant does what they need to do. [08:39] MyWalkThru is contribution focused and fills a need. [08:56] How does it compare to other software? MyWalkThru is tenant-driven. [09:50] Add a charge to cover cost of MyWalkThru for property managers. [10:16] When a tenant is set up in MyWalkThru, tenant info (as well as property info) stays in app account. [12:15] If you want to be a MyWalkThru member, you have to be given permission. [12:36] DoorGrow listeners, try MyWalkThru for free to test it and offer feedback. [13:28] MyWalkThru uses the OnSight PROS logo; separate but related. [15:00] MyWalkThru can be used for both move-ins and move-outs. [15:35] All reports are identical to assist objectivity and offer summary of issues. [19:20] MyWalkThru is for the tenant; that's the difference between OnSight PROS. [19:40] MyWalkThru was just released; only are few are using it; there may be glitches. [21:35] Benefits of signing up for new software; shape it with your input. [23:30] Future Possibility: Ways to connect with tenant and automatically send them info. Tweetables We're changing the property management industry and its reputation. Security deposits should just to go away because disputes are a real issue. Don't have time or interest in doing inspections? Time is better spent elsewhere. Resources James Alderson Email OnSight PROS Offloading Property Management Inspections with OnSight PROS MyWalkThru MyWalkThru on Google Play Store NARPM DoorGrow Live DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Do you feel misunderstood? Not like others? Crazy confused? Alex Charfen knows how you feel. He knows what you need to hear. Begin your journey of personal development. Get a business coach to help you out. They can help you increase your revenue, and make your life easier. Alex is my business coach, and in today's episode, we talk about the entrepreneurial personality type (EPT). Successful people are stubborn and obsessive. They don't give up. The most successful people in history are different and unique. You'll Learn... [10:20] Everyone around you are aliens; or are you the alien? [11:08] Garage sale game changer; act of generosity. [12:41] All an entrepreneur needs is someone to encourage them a little bit. [13:40] Use social media to encourage people; feel return of momentum. [15:10] If you feel broken as a business person, learn how to have relationships and build each other up. [17:50] EPTs are asynchronous learners and developers. [18:50] Most available coaching is disappointing and abusive. [19:58] 4 Types of Personalities. [20:30] Caretaker: A need to serve; do you enjoy changing bedpans? [22:10] Communicator: Carries on oral tradition; do you enjoy small talk? [24:05] Coordinator: Love organization, memorization, and rules; do you enjoy being on committees? [26:00] Entrepreneur: Evolutionary hunter who changes things and makes others uncomfortable; can you turn it off? [28:20] Go out, be who you are, and make the change in the world you've always known you could. [29:24] "All great truths begin as blasphemies." - George Bernard Shaw. [30:05] Every great visionary was crazy until they sold something. [30:15] If the world is fully supporting you, telling you that you are right, and saying everything is going to be ok, then you are probably not doing anything very important. [30:40] Challenge beliefs in yourself; hook onto contribution and momentum. Tweetables The most successful people in history are different and unique. All an entrepreneur needs is someone to encourage them a little bit. Entrepreneurial personality types are asynchronous learners and developers. Resources Entrepreneurial Personality Type book Tony Robbins Dr. Wayne Dyer Momentum Podcast DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrow Live

Today, I am talking to Andy Propst, who runs a national single and multi-family property management company called HomeRiver Group. The company is on a mission to become the first nationally branded property management firm in the country. For Andy, he can't grow his company fast enough and big enough. Learn more about what Andy did to grow so many doors, so quickly. You'll Learn... [10:00] HomeRiver Group shifted to multi-family properties for rent investor products. [11:20] Biggest opportunity for property managers is to build their own products. [11:55] Rental demand is high, but supply is shrinking, which is bad for property managers, investors, and renters. [12:30] HomeRiver Group is a matchmaker; it bring investors and builders together for build-to-rent projects. [14:38] Builders want to build, so it is not difficult to get a builder to pay attention to you; find stats and information that tell a story and generate interest. [16:50] If you want to grow your business and be successful, you can't be passive. [18:15] HomeRiver Group follows a specific workflow to make things happen; then people come to them. [19:45] Property managers control the revenue, top line, expenses, and net operating income; you're there to make a sale and be there after the sale. [21:25] If you are never failing, that's because you are never trying new things; don't be afraid to fail. [22:30] As a property manager, you know what tenants want and what should be done to produce the most revenue and income. [24:00] Marketing is identifying a need and then supplying whatever it is to fit that need. [24:40] Timing and difficulty of expanding to new markets; need the right people to execute tasks. [27:40] Don't consider expanding unless you are looking for a lot more work to do and get a lot less more money up front; eventually it will pay back, if you do it right. [32:00] Identify companies to merge with; those with a similar culture, and forward thinkers who are adaptive and open-minded. [37:20] Big companies vs. mom-and-pop shops: There's room for both. [39:25] Big differences exist between franchises and HomeRiver Group; franchises struggle with growth. [53:20] Stop running your property management company as a paycheck model business; figure out how to build your business to sell it. Tweetables Some days I hate it; most days I love it! Biggest opportunity for property managers is to build their products. HomeRiver Group is a matchmaker; it bring investors and builders together. Resources HomeRiver Group Integra Realty Resources Tapestry Site To Do Business NeighborhoodScout The Art of Buying and Selling Property Management Companies DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Property management business owners sometimes have to deal with hoarding problems. They may have tenants who pack the property full of stuff and then have to deal with the costly cleanup afterward. Today, I am talking to Marnie Matthews, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in hoarding and clutter. She is intrigued by the mental health piece of hoarding, which has many factors tied into it. To Marnie, success is when everybody wanting help has easy access to affordable and professional help. You'll Learn... [04:36] Types of Hoarding: Hoarding disorder, hoarding behavior, and excessive clutter. [05:10] Hoarding Disorder: Somebody who has extreme difficulty/inability to let things go. [05:33] Hoarding Behavior: People who can address their hoarding after handling mental health issues, such as depression. [06:01] Excessive Clutter: Depending of the level of clutter, someone may have hoarding disorder or just be chronically disorganized. [06:28] Clutter you can clean up quickly and easily; does not impact daily living. [06:48] Those with hoarding disorder believe they can clean up their home, but they are actually unable to do so. [07:05] Brains of people with hoarding disorder work differently; making decisions is difficult, and then frustration and anxiety builds - nothing is accomplished. [07:57] During crisis case management with property managers, Marnie focuses on safety issues. [08:16] Uniform inspection checklist is a tool used to help people pass inspections. [09:28] Remember: Hoarding is a mental health issue; be compassionate, but continue to handle liabilities and responsibilities. [10:04] Harm Reduction Approach: Have a conversation about safety and reducing risk rather than the clutter. [11:26] Anyone with hoarding issues needs to get mental health treatment and support, but resources are limited. [11:56] Typical Response: Property managers don't know what to say because hoarding situations are overwhelming, but don't threat tenants or tell them to get rid of everything. [14:30] Tenant may not achieve 100% of what's required, ask them what happened to identify their habits - don't try to control them, but inspire them. [15:38] The Clutter Movement provides consultations and trainings for property managers, as well as services and support for tenants and their family members. [18:30] Hoarder's Mindset: What does it feel like when someone goes through your personal belongings to determine what is and isn't important? [21:00] Things people are holding onto are about their identity; it may look like trash to the rest of us, but those things mean something to the hoarder. [23:45] Marnie asks two questions: If you woke up tomorrow and your home was as you wanted it to be, what would your life be like? What is something you want to do that you are not doing or can't do now because of the clutter? [26:09] People are reward-motivated; don't focus on the problem, but something that will move them forward. [27:58] Addiction aspect of hoarding could be due to a lack of connection; hoarding is not an addiction, but associated thoughts/behaviors need to be treated like an addiction. [31:00] Difference between hoarding and squalor; hoarding regards possessions, while squalor focuses on unsanitary environmental conditions. Tweetables Hoarding is a chronic, progressive disorder. It only gets worse when triggered. During crisis case management with property managers, focus on safety issues. Property managers don't know what to do; hoarding situations are overwhelming. Resources The Clutter Movement Marnie Matthews' Email The Clutter Movement Individual Support Facebook Group The Clutter Movement Family Support Facebook Group Hoarding Task Force Network Uniform Inspection Checklist Minimalism on Netflix TED Talk: Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Do you ever change your home's air filter? Do you know when or how often you need to change it? Do you just forget about it, or are you just lazy? Do you know what size filter you need? Thanks to FilterEasy, there's no excuse to not change it. Today, I am talking with Mark Brandt from FilterEasy, which was created to meet a simple need - help homeowners remember to change their home's air filter and what size of filter to use. Mark helps initiate and grow the property management side of the business. You'll Learn... [04:10] Property management side of FilterEasy is based on a simple concept in service: Starts with a need. [04:50] Tenants are even more less likely to change the air filters because they do not have a vested interest in the property; FilterEasy makes it easier for them. [05:33] This service helps property managers and their team during inspections and walkthroughs to hold the tenant accountable and provides a burden of proof. [06:28] FilterEasy listens to property managers about the need and awareness to motivate tenants. [07:55] Many companies do not understand the industry and create a product before conducting research. [09:30] After implementing FilterEasy, the property managers, owners, and tenants appreciate the convenience, saving money, and other benefits. [11:45] Not changing the air filter can cause serious and costly damage to repair. [13:30] Can you guarantee that 100% of tenants will change the air filter? No, but FilterEasy sets you up for success by increasing the number of tenants who will. [18:00] Such programs and companies are becoming necessary to provide more operating capital to grow and competitive advantages. [18:35] When owners compare companies, what is the differentiator? What sets you apart from others? Why should they choose your company? [19:15] Property managers can use reminders to let tenants know they are giving them a gift and taking care of them; generates a positive perception and produces results. [25:00] Grow with the times and culture to provide awesome service to people; compete on value. Tweetables Grow with the times and culture to provide awesome service to people. These programs provide operating capital and competitive advantages. What is the differentiator? Why should they choose your company? Resources Mark Brandt Mark Brandt's phone number: 864-770-3909 Mark Brandt's email FilterEasy Cutco NARPM DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Make your own decisions rather than dealing with unnecessary pain and doing what the world dictates. Find a way to hit the inspiration point, rather than the desperation point by focusing on four cores! Today, I am talking with Preston Brown, who started in real estate as a home flipper. Now, he has seven divisions of property management: Roofing, real estate, brokerage, home flipping, hard money lending, title company, and home warranty insurance. He invests in business, but also in his body and mind. You'll Learn... [03:28] Preston found DoorGrow online when looking for franchise property management opportunities. [04:20] Cycles, models, and understanding the dynamics of various industries. [04:50] Impact of embezzlement on Preston's businesses. [06:00] Low cost of DoorGrow services that offered so much value and showed how to avoid the Cycle of Suck. [07:55] Preston did a study to show clients their options and costs with his companies vs. other companies; shows differences between price and value. [10:11] Preston increased pricing, got rid of bad doors, and lowered operational and staffing costs. [11:30] Launch a business at the right size; bigger is not better, profitable is better. [13:30] Psychology is linked to success; you don't buy a product, but you buy a feeling of certainty and comfort that you could achieve success with the product. [14:50] Four cores people think about to create a natural alignment: Spirituality, physical fitness, family and love, and money and wealth. [16:30] Happiness: Life condition equals blueprint; progress makes you happy. [19:55] Preston systematized all of his businesses using DoorGrow processes. [23:45] Don't focus on getting rich quick; to have the best business in the world, deliver more value than any competitor. [27:20] Your body is a direct reflection of your business. [30:00] What's your identity in each of the four cores? Notice, appreciate, and believe. [32:10] Try this tactic: Use one hour each morning to program your body and mind to attract everything you want. [34:45] Positive vs. negative emotions in business. [36:37] Secret to Success: You cannot revolutionize, you have to evolutionize. [38:35] Do 80% psychology and 20% strategy for all parts of your life and business. [40:05] Be proactive, rather than reacting and putting out fires. [42:45] Life hits everyone; you will face problems and challenges in life and business. [46:45] State value and build rapport; out pace strategy problems using psychology. [52:25] Focus on the four primary needs and two divine needs. Tweetables Launch a business at the right size; bigger is not better, profitable is better. Lose your ego to gain a profit. You buy a feeling of certainty and comfort that you could achieve success. Resources Preston Brown email Mike Michalowicz Tony Robbins DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

Providing proof of funds is a problem that most property management companies face with tenants. Every property manager and landlord can benefit from better data faster. Technology can change the game of verifying tenants. Today, I am talking with Robert Hsu, of FinRET, about how you can use the latest technology to digitally verify your applicants' income, account balances, and cash flow. He is someone who has combined his two passions and areas of expertise, real estate and technology, into an entrepreneurial business. You'll Learn... [06:20] Issues property managers deal with regularly. [06:45] How FinRET works with banks to prevent fraud. [07:10] FinRET instantly provides better and more data. [07:35] How FinRET gathers financial data from smaller or international banks. [09:04] FinRET is able to get expense and cash flow data that was previously inaccessible or difficult to obtain. [10:07] It allows you to make informed decisions about whether to accept an applicant. [10:14] FinRET will eventually let you score applicants to make decision-making quick. [10:58] Benefits for renters: A seamless process. [11:35] FinRET saves property managers time because financial verification was the slowest part of the process; went from being a 5-day process to only 15 minutes. [12:33] FinRET plans to create integration partnerships in the future. [13:34] Property management software leaders in the residential space. [14:34] How to contact FinRET. [15:00] FinRET's pricing structure is per use/application basis. Tweetables Every property manager and landlord can benefit from better data faster. Technology can change the game of verifying tenants. FinRET instantly provides better and more data. Resources FinRET Robert Hsu's email Zillow Yardi AppFolio Propertyware Buildium Rent Manager DoorGrowClub Facebook Group DoorGrowClub Mastermind Group

Do you come from humble beginnings? Only have a high school diploma? Want to own and operate your own apartment buildings and real estate firm? Anything is possible. Just ask Bryan Chavis! Today, I am talking to Bryan, who is a best-selling author and founder of The Landlord Property Management Academy. He is the author and creator of one of the top online property management designation certifications. Also, Bryan has a blog for real estate professionals and is a property management coach for Keller Williams. He coaches real estate professionals and consults for large housing authorities. You'll Learn... [02:35] Bryan's background in multifamily real estate leading to a school and speaking. [05:40] From being a poor student to transitioning to be an entrepreneur. [07:37] Writing a manual while working on a job to figure out how things work in property management. [09:53] Building a brand, partnerships, and relationships to manage and own properties. [10:34] Absorbing, learning, and teaching property management. [12:08] Turning the manual into a book and more books. [16:13] Fundamentals was the focus of the first book: Buy It, Rent It, Profit! [17:04] Second Book: The Landlord Entrepreneur is a follow-up with additional details. [17:38] What Bryan is working on these days; buying, renting, profiting - practicing what he preaches. [18:18] 5 phases to become an owner and make money: acquisition, implementation, stabilization, growth, and exit strategy. [22:42] Acquisition: Understanding how to evaluate a property from an income approach, cash basis, and how to evaluate from an income approach. [22:57] Implementation: Hard and soft systems needed to operate properties; What systems am I using? How am I going to operate? [23:38] Stabilization: Maximizing income and minimizing expenses. [24:00] Growth: Growing the asset's value. [24:06] Exit Strategy: Determine what you will do with a property. [24:47] Be an owner, not a steward. [25:94] Where to start to learn more - DoorGrow. [26:54] Advice for struggling entrepreneurs: restart and reboot. [27:19] How Bryan restarted and rebooted after medical issues; opportunities that help you grow as an entrepreneur. [28:58] Being passionate and making a difference. [32:50] Resilience, spirituality, and faith. [34:34] Is your business blessed to go where it needs to go? [35:55] Spending too much time on your business and becoming ineffective. [37:00] Client-centric vs. self-centric business; a life of purpose and meaning. Tweetables When you're an entrepreneur...it's something that's in your DNA. I always wanted to own the apartment building, what did it take? The key to any business is the franchise mindset. Resources The Landlord Property Management Academy The Landlord Property Management Academy on YouTube The Landlord Property Management Academy on Facebook Landlord Academy Blog Buy It, Rent It, Profit! Make Money as a Landlord in ANY Real Estate Market The Landlord Entrepreneur: Double Your Profits with Real Estate Property Management Keller Williams Realty National Apartment Association Mark Willis Inside Power by Gary Sheffield

Many elements of the leasing process are very painful for property managers. Today, I am talking to James Barrett and Calvin Davis of Tenant Turner, a property management tool and resource that helps property managers manage their tenant leads, schedule showings, and put the leasing process on auto-pilot. Tenant Turner removes burdens for property managers in a way that's elegant and simple. This allows them to focus on higher value-added activities, such as growing their business and adding doors. You'll Learn... [02:44] Tenant Turner was created out of necessity to put properties on the market. [03:12] Simplify and improve leasing process to get feedback, reliable tenants. [04:43] Tenant Turner focuses on people and simplicity backed up by support. [06:02] Client-centric vision puts you in alignment with what customers want and need. [06:53] Success was difficult initially, but became easier - it was a big, but good challenge. [07:55] Look to experts and customers in the industry for advice and guidance. [08:29] Determining if someone is a fit with Tenant Turner. [11:00] There are no shortcuts to success, including bringing on the right clients. [12:21] Biggest questions and concerns regarding Tenant Turner. [12:43] Property managers are hesitant to give up control of tenant leads. [13:35] Software, such as Tenant Turner, is becoming a necessity; it's not if, but when to plug it in to focus on growing doors and giving owners the attention they need. [14:00] Tenant Turner size is based on a company's growth goals. [15:42] Building technology into processes for improvement. [16:25] Old school vs. new thinking and possible solutions; change is challenging. [18:47] Time, savings, and other benefits of being onboard with Tenant Turner. [20:00] Unaccompanied showings trend in various markets. [23:05] Future of Tenant Turner: New technology and integration partnerships. Tweetables Many elements of the leasing process are very painful for property managers. Tenant Turner focuses on people and simplicity backed up by support. There are no shortcuts to success, including bringing on the right clients. Resources Tenant Turner Calvin's Email Brad Larsen Rentwerx DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

There's a lot of stress that comes with moving. Push tenants toward the finish line by getting utilities turned on quickly. Today, I am talking to Wes Owens of Citizen Home Solutions, a free concierge service that facilitates utility services for new residents moving into a property. Property management companies experience pain points and challenges with tenants setting up utilities. They struggle with getting utilities quickly set up in a tenant's name and placing necessary equipment. So, Citizen Home Solutions engages directly with tenants and takes the stress out of the process. You'll Learn... [03:48] Before and after results of using Wes' company to save time and money. [04:52] Tenants' appreciate the company's facilitation help and process. [06:22] Growth Goals: Reach nationwide - outreach everybody. [06:49] Citizen works with major cable, satellite, Internet, phone, and security providers. [07:10] Property managers' biggest questions and concerns about Citizen's services. [08:15] Onboarding process for property managers. [09:00] Citizen only needs W-9 and logo to create a portal for property managers. [09:20] Property management company provides Citizen with tenant information. [09:35] Citizen contacts tenant about setting up utilities. [09:45] Working with Citizen is a value-add piece that sets companies apart. [10:07] Citizen pays a percentage of what it earns to property management company. [10:30] How Citizen makes money from the utility companies. [11:30] No agreements or contracts, only outstanding work required. [12:13] Percentage of payout for clients. [12:44] Citizen's focus on growth. [13:00] Property management mentors. [13:24] Citizen doesn't offer some services, but offers tools and does what it can to help. [15:15] Citizen follows up with and educates clients on services. [15:55] Updates and check-ups provided by Citizen. Tweetables Moving and making sure everything is set up is stressful. Growth Goals: Reach nationwide - outreach everybody. Zero cost to implement, zero cost to the tenant. Resources Wes Owens phone is 214-493-2010 or [email protected] Citizen Home Solutions Citizen Home Solutions' Dashboard and Onboarding (password:letmein) Brad Larsen Podcast with Wes Owens Tenant Liability Insurance for Property Management with Brad Larsen Steve Rozenberg and Pete Neubig of Empire IndustriesKevin Knight of Liberty Management DoorGrowClub Facebook Group

In this episode, I am talking to Todd Breen of Virtually Incredible about how to spend less time leasing to make more money and grow your business. Todd manages a property management company and opened an outsourcing solution called Virtually Incredible. It was designed to help property managers spend less time leasing and spend money on a good marketing campaign, business development manager (BDM), and call center to begin the customer journey on the right foot. You'll Learn... [02:27] Business owners devote too much time and resources to leasing properties. [02:47] Putting less effort into leasing and more into listing can free up energy to grow your company. [03:54] Analyze and monetize your leasing process. [04:33] What would a customer's experience be with your company and what do you need to do to improve? [05:00] Using the traditional model, business owners tend to charge an owner a tenant placement fee and share some of that with a commissioned leasing agent. [05:51] The traditional model is inefficient and expensive. [06:41] If answering a call isn't your top priority, and booking/showing isn't something you enjoy doing, then learn how to efficiently monetize leasing calls or inquiries. [07:17] Utilize mystery shopping to gain data about your customer's journey. [09:05] Companies do not grow because they're not answering their phones, or they're preoccupied when they do. [09:19] Specialize your outsourcings and upgrade your technology for your showing process to devote more energy to answering new owner calls. [10:33] Employees who answer your leasing lines should be Fair Housing trained and certified to properly respond to questions. [11:45] The most significant benefits to offloading leasing calls include a quiet office. [13:26] Be good at hiring, training, supervising, managing, and motivating staff. [14:33] Look at how much it costs you to lease a house. Add up commissions, staff hours to answer phones, mileage expenses, and hours spent showing houses. [15:05] Do the same analysis on your customer acquisition cost in getting a new customer to manage their house. [15:38] Are you doing your best job leasing? Can you improve that to free up time and resources to grow your business? [17:42] Cut the number of days to market to rent faster, do a great job renting, and have higher client retention. [18:35] Staff that complies with Fair Housing lowers legal liability and provides a greater peace of mind as a business owner. [19:23] Don't be afraid to outsource tasks to an outside team. [20:32] Answer after-hours calls to increase your efficiency and reduce days on the market. [22:10] Whatever you're spending in money on leasing, spent that on marketing for new owners and hiring a BDM. Reallocate funds toward growing your business. [22:52] You should have software to facilitate calls and showings, such as Tenant Turner, Rently, ShowMojo, or Mock Rentals. [23:55] Make sure the call center you select is as good as you hoped. Get a dedicated leasing hotline. [25:22] Publish your rental standards in each rental listing. Describe what is needed to rent from you. [27:24] Have leasing agents who have the listings, but also a leasing director that serves as the leader. [29:00] People who are 35 and younger don't call. They book their showing online. If you don't have an online showing option, get one. [29:45] There's got to be a way to reach out to the people who want customer service and a way to reach out to people who want technology. [30:21] Shift your focus, time, energy, resources, and staff toward growing your business. [30:58] Utilize videos to accelerate your marketing process, reduce your days on market, reduce phone calls, and reduce your showings. Tweetables Don't be afraid to outsource tasks to an outside team. That's the real benefit, spend less time leasing and more time listing. Reach out to people who want customer service and who want technology. Resources Virtually Incredible Website Virtually Incredible email Virtually Incredible phone number: (561) 693-2648 Tenant Turner Rently ShowMojo Buildium DoorGrow Club

Do you know your credit score? What about your pet? Does it have a score? Today, I am talking to John Bradford, the "Pet Guy." John came up with the idea for PetScreening.com by combining his skillsets of being a property manager and pet lover. There's two "Ps" that cause property damage - people and pets. Property managers need to know how to handle pet diligence and the increasing population of "assistance" animals - sometimes involving pet owners who try to circumvent policies of property management firms. You'll Learn... [05:00] Service animals is a topic that sparks property managers' interest. [07:00] Experience Share: Tell your experiences and don't hold back any punches. It makes for authentic and real conversations. [07:16] John started PetScreening to develop a service that reduced the liability for property managers and clients. [08:12] John did not want the service to cost any money. [08:21] John loves money, so he wanted a product that generated substantial revenue around pets. [09:05] John worked with software developers, lawyers, veterinarian consultants, lawmakers, and others to develop the PetScreening product. [10:09] Hundreds of firms have registered with PetScreening. [10:55] PetScreening generates revenue through an application fee paid by the pet owner. The cost is $20 for the first pet, and $15 for each additional pet. However, there is no application fee for service animals. [11:40] PetScreening does a revenue share with the property management firm. The tool is free, and they get a rebate besides. [12:17] The property management firm is given a unique link to share with customers who have a pet or service animal for PetScreening to track applications. [13:09] The customer is taken to PetScreening to complete the application, which includes questions about the pet: Name, breed, type, photos, vaccination records,etc. [13:47] The application includes an Affidavit section, which features questions that protect the property manager and owners. Applicants attest and certify their answers are accurate. [15:12] PetScreening developed an algorithm that takes data points from the application to create a "Pet Score" that goes to the housing provider. [15:33] The score can indicate risk factors for that pet. Use that score to create a pricing matrix that correlates to the score and identify how much revenue you will generate. [16:17] Applicants basically know their answers will impact whether a property manager will allow their pet, but they don't know the pet is being scored. [17:00] Property managers are building better relationships with pet owners because they tell them what they need for the pet owner to pay less. [17:52] The best rating - a 5-paw score - is difficult to achieve. Only about 11% of applicants reach this status. [18:09] It's up to the property manager how they treat the scoring. If you have an animal with a 1-paw score, you may not allow them or charge more. [18:59] About 10% of PetScreening's applications are for assistance animals, either as a service or companion animal. [19:53] PetScreening collects data and asks HUD questions, then its legal team reviews each assistance animal application, but no score is given. They are either recommended or not. [20:39] About 32% of applicants who say they have an assistance animal have a status of "waiting for animal owner." When asked for clarifying information, they disappear. [21:40] PetScreening is disrupting the industry because it is weeding out people who do not truly have an assistance animal. [21:57] Test of Reasonableness: Is the documentation reasonable? When was the document issued? Who is the provider? [22:38] If applicants lie, there is no real legal recourse. There are not a lot of statues on fair housing, so people are taking advantage of this problem. [23:55] PetScreening is a timesaver - and time costs money. John's firm has saved time and minimized liability risks. [25:09] Every question asked in PetScreening's application is designed to protect property manager and owners. [25:20] PetScreening developed the first nationwide database where property managers can report incident reports of pet damage and pet biting that follow that animal forever. [26:58] For one, specific pet, the owner only has to submit an application and pay once. Then they can share that information with other businesses. [28:37] However, pet owners need to renew the application every year, which costs $10. [29:29] Property managers should re-evaluate data because a lot can change with pets. [30:10] HIPAA protects sensitive medical documentation. Property managers can ask for such documentation about assistance animals. [30:42] PetScreening has HIPAA-compliant servers to protect the documentation. Tweetables PetScreening - a win for property managers, pet owners, and property owners. PetScreening's database offers incident reports of pet damage and pet biting. It's up to the property manager how they treat the pet scoring. Resources PetScreening

Are you stuck? The best way to get unstuck and grow your business is to talk to clients and customers. Today, I am talking to Chuck Hattemer, co-founder and CMO of Onerent, about systems and processes used to scale to 2,000 doors. While in college, Chuck had a horrible housing experience as a renter. An aspect that drew Chuck into real estate was that he could impact some of the most sensitive parts of people's lives as renters. You'll Learn... [03:06] Chuck describes his company's first platform, which was student housing with a few extra bells and whistles. [03:26] Onerent took that as a model to investors to raise seed capital. [04:14] Onerent pivoted to a full-service property management. Eventually, it scaled to managing 2,000 doors. [04:54] Having come from the renter's perspective and a lack of experience, Chuck is still naive about some things. But that naivate lets him think out of the box for solutions. [05:20] Onerent identified problems people were facing, how to make the experience consistent, and how value translates to the investor. [07:33] The current trend is putting money into other things instead of buying a property. So, people, especially millennials, are renting. [07:50] Chuck expects a big move eventually by first-time investors that is fueled by technology. [08:25] Onerent hired staff new to the industry and with a different perspective to drive the company's culture and mission regarding how to interact with renters and owners. [09:48] At Onerent, it is ok to fail and apply what you learned in the next initiative. It's a sign that you are making progress toward being successful. [10:49] Create a culture where staff feels safe and comfortable to express problems. Support your team, and they will support you as an entrepreneur. [12:33] At Onerent, each part of the rental process is managed by its own team. This helps handle tasks and keeps tenants informed. This collaboration drives motivation, happiness, competition,and success. [14:59] Onerent follows a workflow business model where staff members specialize in one area. [15:55] Make changes. Onerent would not be where it is today and able to scale its business without having pivoted from software to full-service property management. [17:00] Onerent figured out how to grow its business - talk to customers and clients to identify its next move. [17:48] Companies often try to sell what they can sell instead of what their customers actually need. [18:15] Don't change everything at the same time. Make iterative changes over time. [19:27] To grow your business, determine the scale. What's the purpose of your property management business? What is your key output metric? What is the closest tie to revenue and customer satisfaction? [21:20] What are the inputs that go into that output? Consider the customer lifecycle. Determine where you will have the greatest impact to improve efficiency and operations. [22:40] Unlock growth by having a sales team and defined sales process. Develop credibility by aligning and partnering with large real estate brokerages. [24:15] Onerent's key performance indicator is its time to lease. Chuck has to deal with various constraints, including listing exposure; qualified applications; and signed leases. [25:24] Utilize on-demand scheduling for showings. Onerent then dispatches a mobile manager who shows a property. [25:45] People usually have to pay application and documentation fees. However, Onerent offers a free application process. [27:10] How do you start a property at the right price? Educate property owners that if they list the property too high initially, their listing stays on the market too long. [28:35] In property management, how can you look at things with fresh eyes? Get out of your office and talk to customers. Make sure to have an open mind about all problems. [29:30] Think about your own problems as a property owner. The best way to start a new business is to solve your own problems. [30:30] Entrepreneurs love to solve problems. If you could solve a problem, what would it look like? Unpack a problem into small components. Don't try to solve it all at once. Tweetables If you could solve a problem, what would it look like? Be open to feedback. Companies sell what they can instead of what their customers actually need. Create a culture where the staff feels safe to express when they are stuck. Resources Onerent Chuck Hattemer on LinkedIn Chuck Hattemer on Quora Jason Fried Slack National Association of Residential Property Managers DGS Episode 40 Level Up Your Property Management Business By Hiring a Great Assistant with Tim Francis DoorGrow Club