Triple Win Property Management Blog | Second Nature

12 Wins You Need to Get Lease a Property

As property managers, we don’t talk enough about just how complicated the leasing process is. There’s this idea that leasing is just, “This property’s for rent! You want it? Great, you can move in next week.” In reality, leasing is a lot more than just posting a property on Facebook. It’s a detailed, complicated process that can be sometimes frustrating for everyone involved. If you’re a quality, professional property manager, you’re looking for qualified, credit-worthy residents. You’re not just accepting whoever walks in the door, because you know that’s going to cause more headaches down the line. If you ask me, there are twelve crucial points in the leasing process—points where property managers like us have to win over and over again. If we lose at even one of those twelve steps, we’ve lost that qualified applicant entirely. But if you know what the applicant wants at each step, you can get your vacant properties filled a lot faster, with great residents. Property managers play all the roles—and that makes it a tough gig One of the things that makes property management so unique (and, for many of us, so exciting) is that we’re wearing so many hats, even just in the leasing process. When you’re buying a home, there are multiple different people who each have a specific role to play. The Realtor is there to show you the home of your dreams and convince you that you should buy it, even if it’s at the top of your price range. The lender will counsel you through the process and push to get you approved for a mortgage. And then the underwriter is the bad guy. They’re this mysterious person behind the scenes. They’re the one who typically takes the blame if the mortgage doesn’t come through and you can’t buy the property. As property managers, it’s just us. We have to be the good guy and the bad guy. We have to market properties, woo applicants, enforce restrictions that determine whether they qualify, and then deliver the news, good or bad. Then, once someone’s moved in, our job is to keep them in line while also keeping them happy. It’s a lot of different jobs at a lot of different points in the process, so let’s take a look at the twelve wins you need to get to lease the property at market rent to a qualified resident. The self-driven discovery phase When an applicant starts their journey of finding a home to rent, you aren’t there to help them. They’re out in the ether somewhere, and all you can do is market that property as best you possibly can and try to get them to apply. 1. Be where the resident is looking The first step is to be where the qualified applicants in your area are spending their time. In 2025, that’s typically online. You need to be on listing sites, search results, and social media so that people searching for rentals will find you. Yes, some people still drive around and look at for-lease signs, or ask their hairdresser, or scan the newspaper. But the vast majority of qualified applicants are looking at Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, and other major listing sites. If you’re not on those sites, they’re never going to find you. That’s not genius marketing, it’s just table stakes. 2. Win the click Once people have found you, you have to actually get them to click on your particular listing. This is one of the top three wins to be optimizing. Picture it: they’re probably scrolling through page after page, dozens if not hundreds of different properties. How do you stand out to be the one they click on? No click = no lease. It starts with filters. When people look for rentals, they’re filtering by price, by number of bedrooms, by pet friendliness. You need to have your listings structured correctly so that you’re not getting filtered out accidentally. Take a look at your pricing strategy. If you’re listing a home at $2200 a month, and someone adds a filter for “under $2200,” you may not show up at all. If you list at $2199, suddenly you’re right in the mix. I’ve tested this theory. I’ve gotten twice as many leads on the same property just by changing the price by $5 per month. Next, you have to have a great headline and thumbnail. Show the best aspect of that unit right in the first image, and emphasize it in the headline. If you operate a portfolio where you have consistent inventory, like build to rent neighborhoods, townhomes, or condos, you can do some experimenting with how you word these headlines. Try different things and see what resonates. Don’t be afraid to go on these listing sites and actually browse like you’re a resident. See where your properties are and aren’t showing up! You can even shop your competition or look at what people in other markets are doing. Most property managers no longer know what the modern leasing experience is like for applicants, and that’s why they’re falling short. At the end of the day, your thumbnail, headline, and price have to beat out all the other tiny rectangles on that screen to win that click. 3. Answer your applicants’ unspoken questions The thing about online listings is that you can’t be there to ask, “Do you have any questions for me?” If someone has questions you haven’t answered, they’re probably going to move on. Remember, a lot of people are browsing rentals at 3AM on a weeknight. They’re tired, they’re stressed, and they’re trying to plan a weekend of tours. (Trust me, I see when the emails and voicemails come in booking showings.) If your listing isn’t answering all of the questions that applicant has, it’s not going to make that list of places to go see on Saturday. Your ad has to be thorough enough to cover things like “Does it have a dishwasher?” and “Can I have a cat?” If it doesn’t do that, they are not likely to waste their time finding answers. Make it easy! 4. Spark desire to see it If you’ve made the short list for a showing, you’ve still got some work to do. The thing is, it takes a lot of energy and motivation to get up, get in the car (or on the bus, or on a bike, or whatever!), and go see a property. This is where your listing needs to really excite that applicant. You need to provide a realistic vision of what it’s like to live in that home. Is this somewhere they want to bring their family? Is it somewhere they can have friends visit and be proud of? You need photos, videos, and descriptions that sell the lifestyle, not just the walls. 5. Get it scheduled Scheduling is just an administrative task, but it’s where a huge number of applicants drop off. Your job here is to make the scheduling process as easy as possible. It has to be foolproof, or you’re going to lose qualified residents. Remember, it’s 3AM! This is not a fun process for them! You need the logistics to be dead simple so that they can immediately self-schedule online, without a phone call, and get their confirmation immediately. The showing phase Once you’ve gotten someone interested, convinced this is the place for them, and on the showing calendar, it’s time to move them through the showing process. The good news is, this is where you finally have their information and you can start communicating with them personally! 6. Get them to show up This is another of the top three areas most PMs can improve. It’s easy to forget how much can change between the time someone schedules a tour and the time they’re supposed to show up. They may have booked that showing with the full intention of being there on Saturday morning, but then the weekend rolls around and they’re tired, or someone’s not feeling well, or they forgot that their kid had a little league game. Your job is to keep building anticipation ahead of their scheduled showing, reminding them that it’s coming up. As a property manager, you can’t afford to lose five days thinking you have showings lined up for Saturday, and then no one shows up. You’ll be back to square one and a week behind. If you get ghosted, remember, that person went somewhere and rented something. They have to be living somewhere, and it should have been in one of your properties. You should be doing everything you can to maximize your show-up rate. Experiment with reminder cadences, incentives, get creative! 7. Deliver on the promise When a resident shows up to that property, you need to actually deliver the experience that you promised in the listing. The home needs to be clean, well cared for, and smelling good. The garage band next door can’t be practicing in the middle of a showing. Sometimes little things you might not think about can have a huge impact. I once showed a property that was around the corner from a school. It was a cute house in a great neighborhood, and ridiculously convenient if you had kids. But it’s also a nightmare at 3:00 on a weekday. For just that half hour on school days, it’s a remarkably inconvenient place to be, because the streets are filled with children. In reality, the residents may work outside the house and they’d never be coming or going at that time anyway, but that was the situation when I had a showing, and it was a disaster. Lesson learned, don’t show houses near schools at pickup time. Turning from marketing to compliance After the showing, your role starts to shift from just a marketing person to more of a compliance role. This is where you’re collecting applicant information, determining qualifications, and often delivering some tough news. 8. Win the application Applying to rent a home is a lot. You’re asking for this person’s pay stubs, their social security number, and a whole bunch of money to process their application, not to mention the emotional aspect of committing to this particular home. Basically, you’re now telling them that you don’t trust them unconditionally just because they came and looked at your property. Plus, best case scenario for that applicant, they get the pleasure of giving you their largest expense every month and moving all of their belongings across town (or farther). It’s not an easy process. We should be talking with leasing agents about how to overcome these objections and win these applications. One tip: you’re a lot more likely to get cooperation if you’ve properly set expectations in the listing. When you tell applicants exactly what they’ll have to provide as part of the application process, they won’t be caught off guard later. 9. Process it fast When someone applies for one of your units, it’s because they need to find housing, and they usually need to do it quickly. They aren’t just sitting around waiting for you to get back to them; they’re out seeing other properties. They’re still getting emails from Zillow and Apartments.com about new properties that are available, and they’re still getting calls from the other leasing agents they’ve met with. That means that every day you spend processing the application is an opportunity to lose that resident. You need to keep them on the hook. This is the last of those top three most important steps. You should be doing everything that you can to cut down the time it takes to get to a decision, while also still properly qualifying applicants. Speed is a competitive advantage here. In the meantime, keep communication open. Don’t let that applicant feel like you’re ghosting them. Let them know where things stand. It can make a huge difference to just shoot them a text or an email and say, “Hey, this is taking a little longer than I had hoped, but I have all I need from you and I will update you daily.” That keeps them engaged while you work toward an approval. The move-in phase Once you’ve received and processed the application from a qualified resident, your role shifts again. Now you’re trying to close the deal, get that resident to sign on the dotted line, and move them in so you can transition to their day-to-day manager. 10. Communicate approval This is another step where a lot of property managers get ghosted. The resident is approved, but they never reply to your email. The key is to present the “yes” as quickly, cleanly, and confidently as possible. You want to communicate enthusiasm and make that applicant feel over the moon about their new home. Don’t be overly dry and boring—really make them understand how excited you are to have them and that they should be excited, too. A personal phone call is a great way to build excitement and get them ready to commit. 11. Lock in the lease and deposit As property managers, we sometimes forget how big of a commitment a lease can be for residents. Let’s look at it objectively: you’re asking them to sign an agreement that, while fair, is typically very one-sided. At most property management companies, it’s not negotiable, and you’re asking them to commit to the biggest monthly expense they have, for at least a year. Oh, and you’re telling them that if they screw up along the way, you’ll take away their home. It’s also a lot of money up front. Between pet fees, security deposit, and first and last month’s rent, they’re coughing up a lot of money. We need to be understanding of that and help coach them through the process. No, we’re not here to be therapists, but a little bit of empathy and understanding can go a long way in one of the most important decisions a person will make. 12. Move-in & compliance You might think that the leasing process ends as soon as the PDF is signed, but there’s actually one more step where you need to earn a win. It’s resident onboarding. It’s not enough just to get the resident in the door—you have to get them bought in on your policies. They need to be willing to pay the rent, your RBP fee, and any late fees if they miss a rent payment. They have to be willing to cooperate with maintenance teams and routine inspections. You need to be as transparent as possible about how you manage properties and what your expectations for your residents are. Whether you use an onboarding video, a resident handbook, or an email campaign, you absolutely need to be communicating your expectations through the first 30, 60, and 90 days of the lease. It goes a long way toward reducing problems down the line and increasing the chances of a renewal. Final thoughts There are a lot of steps here, and it can be tough to earn a win at every single one. If you are like my company, you’re declining 45% of applications, so think about how wide the top of the funnel needs to be to get through all twelve wins and get a qualified resident moved in. But by breaking it out step by step, you can start to make tangible improvements and earn more wins. And remember, you can’t let the difficulty of getting all these wins push you to accept less qualified residents. You should always be doing everything you can to meet the standards of your market and the housing you manage.

September 11, 2025

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The Most Critical Leasing Objective Isn’t Speed, It’s Selection

Hot take: resident selection is the single most important thing you do as a property manager. It doesn’t just make your life easier, it drives performance and maximizes income. There’s a very real temptation to fill vacancies as quickly as possible, minimize the time that a unit sits empty, and get back to earning management fees. But if you want to grow and mature as a property manager, you need to resist that temptation. Instead, you need to be selective about who you accept, using a clear, standardized process. When you pick the right residents, you can generate more revenue in the long term because you have fewer disputes, fewer issues, less delinquency, and higher renewal rates Your greatest liability isn’t the property, it’s the person in it There are three main sources of risk in real estate: Market risk: Think about the economy, job market, interest rates, etc. These will impact pricing, the number of applicants you get, and whether investors are buying or selling homes. The thing is, you can’t really do anything about. (Trust me, if I could magically change the global economy, I wouldn’t be writing blog posts right now.) You just have to accept them and stay aware of them. Asset risk: This is the risk associated with the physical property itself. Is it going to burn down? Is the boiler going to go out? Is a storm going to rip the roof off? We mitigate this risk by scheduling regular inspections, doing preventative maintenance, and carrying sufficient insurance. Resident risk: This is the risk that comes from your choice of resident and their behavior once they’ve signed a lease. Will they pay the rent, will they damage the property, will they sue you? That is just the tip of the iceberg. This is your largest source of risk and the only one that you have 100% control over. The thing about resident risk is that it’s inherently complex, yet you only get the decision on who you rent to when you (a) have a vacancy, or (b) choose whether to renew a lease. My philosophy is that If we can obsessively focus on our acceptance and renewal decisions, we can have a real impact on the business, but most companies aren’t making it a priority. Typically, property managers are accepting the first vaguely qualified applicant they get, and then renewing that lease at every opportunity unless something truly awful happens. Instead, we should be using verifiable, objective data to look at how residents are performing and what they’re costing us in time and energy, then making renewal decisions based on that. As always, every market and portfolio is different. I’m not going to be prescriptive about exactly how you should be making acceptance and renewal decisions, because it depends on the product you’re offering and the community you’re serving, but it should be backed by concrete metrics. The main thing is that you never want to be in a spot where you’re stuck with a resident because you renewed them when you shouldn’t have. You should be as deliberate about renewal decisions as you are about applications. Draw the line early, and watch the wrong applicants walk away Another hot take: If an applicant is “ghosting you” midway through the process, they’re not actually ghosting you; they’re actually just self-selecting out. And that’s a good thing. Self-selecting out of the process just means that the applicant realized it wasn’t a fit, or that you were probably going to decline them anyway. People opting to drop out of the process is actually a sign that you’re communicating your expectations and your process well. Applicants have digested that information and decided you’re not the right fit for them (and that means they probably weren’t going to be the right fit for you, either). When you’re trying to find residents to fill your vacancies, you basically have two main things that applicants are looking at: your product—what the property is—and your process—how you manage it and make decisions around it. You need to align on both in order to find a good fit. Your rental isn’t “just a rental.” It’s your reputation. The product you’re marketing is the property itself; the home someone’s going to rent from you. The quality of that product and how you present it are a direct reflection of your company. If you’re showing a property that’s not in excellent condition, clean, and ready to be shown, residents are going to assume that they’ll have a chaotic, less-than-stellar experience living there. If it’s well maintained, clean, and neat, that communicates that you’re on top of things. It shows that you care about the quality you’re delivering, and that you never treat a property as “just a rental” (which, by the way, is one of my least favorite phrases on earth). The process sets the terms of the relationship The process behind the product is how you run your business. How you approach maintenance, resident relationships, inspections, late payments… that’s all process. The application and leasing process is about filling a vacancy, yes, but it’s about telling the resident what to expect. When we work with a renter through the application process, we’re showing them that we’re going to be communicative and helpful, we’re not going to leave them high and dry, and we’re going to meet every obligation we have. We’re going to do it professionally, expertly, quickly, and friendly. At the same time, we’re communicating that the resident has obligations they’re agreeing to, and we’re going to hold them accountable to those. We’re illustrating what those obligations are, and that we’re not going to accept people who want to duck those responsibilities. In a way, this is where we’re giving them the opportunity to self-select out. If they aren’t ready for those expectations, this isn’t going to work. We’re not trying to scare them away, but we’re also trying to be honest and transparent about who we are and how we work. So how do we set that expectation? We start at the listing. Each of our rental listings includes a thorough description of both the property and our process, which aims to answer as many of their questions as possible. We want to outline our expectations to a T so that only those renters who are going to be a good fit actually apply. Part of that clarity includes describing our onboarding process, too. Moving is almost never fun for residents, so when you’re thinking about your onboarding process, you want to be there to support them, but you also need to set clear expectations. At OneFocus, we’re very upfront that we do a video move-in inspection. That’s often a 20-25 minute video where we walk through the home, open every cabinet and drawer, and document everything. We also ask the resident to do exactly the same thing so that we can clear up any inconsistencies. When we tell residents about this, it lets them know that we’re not a management company that plays fast and loose with security deposits. We don’t make exceptions and we don’t let things slide. How the applicant responds to that is very telling. It shows us who they’re going to be as a resident. Their cooperativeness throughout the application process is the only subjective piece of our application process. If they’re abusive, rude, unresponsive, and difficult to work with, that’s going to work against them. When I say that, I don’t mean just asking questions or getting clarification on how to go about the process. I actually really like residents who have a lot of questions for me about how I run my business. That’s not a nuisance, it’s a sign that they’re aligned with my expectations, they’re going to be a good fit, they’re proactive, and they’re communicative. They’re as invested in finding the right fit as I am. When I talk about difficult applicants, I’m talking about people who are repeatedly dialing, calling over and over and refusing to leave a voicemail. I’m talking about any kind of abusive language, yelling at my staff, or otherwise treating us poorly. I’m talking about repeatedly no-showing appointments that they’ve made and disrespecting our time. Those are all red flags that show us we probably don’t want to commit to working with this person for a year or more. Bend the rules today, pay for it tomorrow Building and sticking to a comprehensive process takes time, but it takes even more discipline. There’s a lot of pressure to fill vacancies quickly, both from your investor clients and internally. The thing is, over the years, I have deviated from my process, and every single time I’ve ended up paying for it later. At this point in my career, if a client asked me to do them a favor that circumvented my process, there’s a decent chance that client is getting fired. I don’t break from my process, and my clients know that. It’s never worth breaking the process just to fill a spot. If you’re struggling to find qualified applicants, yes, you can make some changes; revisit how you’re presenting the process, revisit your pricing, but don’t lower your standards and accept a resident who’s going to cause problems down the line. It’s not only a potential fair housing violation to deviate from your published process, it’s also just bad business. If the process fails, fix it—don’t abandon it If a resident gets through applying, selection, and my onboarding with me, they have no reason to be surprised with how I manage the property and what I expect from them. That’s the goal of a robust process. If you’re finding that your residents aren’t aligned with your expectations, it’s time to strengthen the process. It’s worth stating that you don’t strengthen your process by just updating your lease. Old-school managers tend to just add another addendum to the lease to cover whatever stupid thing the last resident did (and some of those addenda aren’t even legally enforceable). The best property managers will look deeper, make their process more thorough, and actually drive business improvements. Want to see how you can appeal to more financially responsible residents with benefits like credit reporting and identity theft protection? Request an RBP demo with a local expert today.

August 28, 2025

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Build a Brand Residents Trust, and Vacancies Take Care of Themselves

Every property manager dreams of a flood of qualified, eager applicants to fill their vacancies, followed by happy renewals for years on end. But many of them don’t know how to position their company to create these happy, loyal renters. By branding yourself as a resident-friendly property management company, you can stand out from your competitors, attract residents to fill vacancies more quickly, and increase renewals, all without significantly changing your company’s process. At OneFocus Property Management, I’ve leaned into resident education as a means of brand building, but there are plenty of other ways to establish yourself as resident-friendly. The key is to make sure you’re actually delivering on that brand promise to drive genuine brand affinity among residents. Teach residents well, and they’ll trust you back I’ve previously written about how my go-to-market approach leans heavily on investor education. Now, as a second phase of growth, I’m building similar materials for residents. The sad reality is that there’s a huge void for resident education. In many communities, no one is educating residents on what’s available to them, what their rights are, or what they should expect from a high-quality rental property. That’s a gap that I want to fill. What does that look like? For one thing, I share with them the market research that I’ve developed for clients. I give them context for the market that they’re renting in so they can better understand things like pricing and competition. I also develop guides for the areas I service, giving them an overview of different neighborhoods and what kinds of housing stock are available here. I even give an overview of my competition, because if that’s what they’re looking for, I’d rather have them find it than rent from me and be a bad fit. I frame a lot of information through the lens of Fair Housing, giving residents a better understanding of their rights and how they should be treated. That starts to build a baseline knowledge among residents, which improves the property management industry as a whole, not just my company. In some markets, like mine, most residents don’t understand their rights or how they’re supposed to be treated, so when you start treating them correctly, it stands out. For renters, there’s always some insecurity about housing. My goal is to provide as much security as possible. When you provide valuable information to applicants and residents, you start building trust and brand affinity. Beyond education: More ways residents see your brand Our branding doesn’t just happen through resident education, even though that is a huge focus for me. We’re also looking to build loyalty with each and every touchpoint in the resident journey, even if they never actually end up renting from us. Listing sites To start, we’re branding our listings on sites like Zillow and Trulia. When I say that, I don’t just mean a watermark on each of the listing photos. Instead, we’re writing listings in a way that makes it clear to the reader that it’s a OneFocus property. Each of our listings incudes: As much information as possible, clearly detailed A high-effort, high-energy video introducing the property and driving engagement High quality photos that reflect the effort we put into our management An easy self-scheduling process for showings We’re always trying to make it easier for people to recognize us and see how present we are. The goal is ultimately to shift those users over to our website to look at our available properties there. If we can achieve that, we can make an even bigger impression and really drive a positive association with our company. Community involvement One of the next areas I want to get my company even more involved is community events. I’d love to work with local organizations to provide education to the general public, especially on things like: What is Fair Housing? How does it work? How is the housing market changing in our area? What’s typically expected of residents when they apply for a rental? It’s a great way to continue that resident education while also getting more eyes on our company, and of course it’s a fantastic way to give back to the community. This is a people business, so getting involved is essential. Review management We work hard to make sure that the reviews people are posting about us online tell the true story of interactions with our customers. That means we’re not only encouraging happy residents to leave reviews, but we’re also creating moments of delight that they actually want to write about. It also means that, when we get a negative review, we’re not dismissing it out of hand. Instead, we’re taking that feedback seriously and always trying to improve. A brand promise means nothing if you don’t deliver The biggest part of this, of course, is actually delivering a resident experience that upholds the trust and loyalty residents are putting in us. If we’re not delivering on our brand promise, we’re not going to maintain that brand for very long. Responsiveness defines real success For us, success isn’t just about increasing tenant duration or holding a certain renewal rate. Instead, it’s about delivering high quality service at market rents. That’s what’s best for us, our residents, and our clients. Top of the list is responsiveness. We want to build a reputation as trustworthy, responsible people. We’re on top of our stuff and we’re willing to be held accountable. That means not delaying things. We’re highly responsive to every single person that we interact with, not just our residents and our investor clients. Think about all the other people who come into contact with us: vendors, judges, attorneys, tax officials… the list goes on. I want everyone in the community to know that we’re responsible and can be trusted. This isn’t just about branding, it’s about helping people understand the value that we bring to the table and how we’re different. When residents become raving fans A lot of small businesses struggle to measure whether or not their branding efforts are working. They might feel like they’re creating a trusted perception of their company, but how can they really know? Well, here are a few ways we’ve seen our branding efforts reflect back on us. For one thing, on the off chance that we’ve stopped working with a client, we’ve had residents who were devastated. When they found out that we weren’t going to be managing their home anymore, they were upset, because they were going to miss the level of service we deliver. That’s a huge compliment, and such a testament to the relationships that we develop. Second, we’ve had prospective applicants come to us and say, “I want to rent from you. Can you help me find a property?” Rather than finding the perfect property that just happens to be managed by us, they know first and foremost that they want to rent from us. Those calls are always hugely flattering, and we want to do everything we can to deliver for them. I’m looking to build a true multi-generational reputation. In fifteen years, I want someone to call me up and tell me, “Hey, I grew up in a OneFocus house. I want to live in one again.” That’s true loyalty. Final thoughts: Branding works when you know your market—and yourself Like everything in real estate and property management, all of this is subject to your local market. A lot of these branding strategies are going to be harder in more competitive markets, but they’re also going to matter more. There are more companies for residents to compare you to, and that means you have to meet a higher standard. At the same time, though, larger markets also offer more opportunity for collaboration. Maybe there’s another company that you can partner up with on some of this educational content, or just brainstorm and get creative with. Finally, some markets have longer or shorter renewal notice periods than others. The tighter the notice period, the more your branding is going to matter. With less lead time for a vacancy, you need to have eager, excited prospective residents lining up around the block to apply. That’s all down to your brand. Looking for more insights from expert property managers? Join the Triple Win Property Management Facebook Group.

August 25, 2025

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How Service Tiers and Taking on Risk Shaped our Proven Process

Not too long ago, the hot new thing in property management was offering different service tiers, where the more a client paid, the more they got in their management package. I decided to give it a try, and through the process I learned a lot about myself and how I wanted to run my business. The thing is, I didn’t want to build any kind of “less than” tier. In my view, if something is good for clients, it should be included in every plan that I offer. Otherwise, I’m just delivering some clients sub-par services. That got me thinking about how I wanted to build out my different service levels, how I wanted to structure my business, and how to build a proven process that could allow me to step outside of my role as an executor to become more strategic. Assuming risk with a “gold plan” Because I didn’t want to offer a package that I didn’t think lived up to my values and my brand, I ultimately decided not to go with a good/better/best structure. Instead, I kept my standard management package and added what I called a Gold Plan. The Gold Plan was built to offer all the same services as my standard package, but it also came with some pretty hefty guarantees. Basically, if you paid for Gold and you had losses, property damages, or unpaid rent because of a resident, we would cover that expense. The program was completely self-funded and self-insured, so the buck stopped with me. On its face, this seemed like a pretty big risk for my business. Assuming financial responsibility for so many different things was a gamble, and plenty of people told me I was just asking for trouble. But the thing is, I knew my business, and I had the data to back it up. When I took a deep look at my company’s performance, it turned out I was losing less than 1% of receipts to bad debt, so the risk factor was actually very low compared to the additional management fees I was collecting with the Gold Plan. Risk mitigation as a service One of the biggest reasons that I chose to develop the Gold Plan wasn’t just because I felt that we could increase profit margins. Risk mitigation is actually of tremendous value to our investors. By building it into our go-to-market strategy as a defined service, it helped us better communicate that value. Differentiating your property management business is really difficult. Most clients are so detached from the daily workings of property management that they don’t even know what to ask about. We have to do a lot of work just to educate them on what it is that we do, never mind all the value-adding activities they never see. By packaging risk assumption as a unique product, it helped us better articulate our value and present a clearer go-to-market message. Developing a proven process What I didn’t foresee when I built out the Gold Plan and took on some of this risk was how my own role within the company would evolve. As we continued to grow, I had fewer direct touch points with my clients, and things became a little bit less predictable. Working on my business, not in my business It’s a story a lot of property managers can tell you: when you’re small you know every single client, but when you reach a certain level and you hire more staff, you’re less involved in the day-to-day and focused more on business strategy. The problem in my case was that I had built a Gold Plan based on the idea that I could personally oversee the risk levels of all my clients and all of their properties. When I shifted into a more strategic role, that became increasingly difficult. I no longer had eyes on every single interaction or every property inspection. I hired business development managers to bring on new clients, and suddenly I wasn’t intimately involved in every deal that came in. I realized that I needed to design a company that let me keep a handle on risk, and that’s when I developed our proven process. Creating a need for a proven process The proven process started with a few simple questions about making the company more efficient and keeping us out of crisis mode: How do we make sure that properties stay stable? How can we identify risk before it becomes a problem? How can we get properties back on track to a stabilized status? We started by identifying what kinds of things actually indicated “risk”. What behaviors were indicators that there might be a growing problem? Things like: Code violations in a property Resident disputes (with us or with each other) Unpaid or consistently late rent We started flagging every one of those behaviors as soon as it happened so that we could monitor and stabilize those properties. That quickly developed into an hour-long, weekly meeting where my staff reported out any red flags they were seeing, and then the whole property management team discussed ways to address them. I joined that meeting and basically role-played the world’s worst client, pressure testing every solution we proposed until we were confident in our go-forward plan. That one hour a week let me keep my finger on the pulse of every potential problem across our portfolio without having to be deeply involved with every single resident every single day, and allowed me the time and space I needed to make strategic decisions about the business. It also let me see the inner workings of how my team was confronting problems, and gave me more confidence than ever that they were doing the right thing. Moving beyond the Gold Plan Ultimately, after a few years, I made the difficult choice to sunset our Gold Plan. While it was a great program for us, it didn’t come without challenges. When I was acting as a BDM and directly involved in every single deal, I had a natural intuition for which clients I should sell Gold Plan to. Once I hired other BDMs, they didn’t have that same instinct, and, as a result, we started selling Gold Plan to accounts that weren’t a great fit for it. And those accounts started costing me. The Gold Plan was successful while it lasted. I didn’t get wiped out by any disasters, and I did make a profit. But the potential future risk to my business meant that, as a leader, I had to protect myself and my staff, and quit while I was ahead. I’m still looking at ways to relaunch a similar plan, this time supported by a third party insurer. In the meantime, I’m still utilizing the proven process that we developed, and it’s still incredibly effective in helping me manage clients, residents, and staff without having to be constantly in the trenches. If that were the only result to come out of the Gold Plan, it would be 100% worth it. I learned a lot, and I’m glad I took a chance. Final thoughts To me, there are a few lessons that any property manager should take from this experiment. Be deliberate about how you build service packages. You should put very clear, specific thought into how to build service packages that work for your business. Don’t just think about how profitable they’ll be or how well they’ll sell, but consider how they’ll change your team structure, the way you work with your staff, and what will be required of you as a business leader. Make your service levels scalable. As your company grows, your role will continue to evolve. You can’t be directly involved with every client, and you need to trust your team. Make sure you’re offering management packages that allow you to do that. Use service tiers to communicate your value. The various packages that you offer to investors can be a fantastic tool to help show exactly what it is that you do. You don’t want clients wondering what they’re getting in exchange for their management fees. Client education never ends, so embed it into your process. Don’t be afraid to pivot. You should always be thoughtful when you try new things. I had data to justify the Gold Plan. I didn’t just start selling it on a whim. But as things changed, I realized it was no longer right for my company. Don’t be afraid to change things if they’re no longer working. Everyone’s business is different, and every business leader takes their own approach. But with each business decision you make, you should always be on the lookout for ways to improve the processes around it. If you want to hear more about how I approach my company and my property management philosophy, listen to my recent episode of the Triple Win Podcast.

July 3, 2025

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A PM’s Guide to Real Estate Investment Networking

Networking can feel a bit daunting, especially if you think it means wearing a nametag and chatting with strangers over bad appetizers. But the truth is, networking isn’t just about going to mixers. You can build and strengthen your professional network in one-on-one Zooms, referral groups, or even entirely online through social media. It’s all about building relationships, sharing your knowledge, and learning from others—in whatever way actually works for you. A strong network can have a massive impact on your business growth and your reputation. It gives you access to other people’s knowledge, resources, and experience, which is invaluable—especially in property management. In this article, I’ll walk you through how I approach networking and the real, bottom-line benefits of getting in front of other PMs, investors, and real estate pros. The importance of real estate investment networking as a PM Property management is a wild ride. You’re solving weird problems every day, juggling personalities, and trying to keep properties performing. Doing that in a vacuum? Brutal. Connecting with other PMs and investors gives you solutions and support when you need it. This business is built on relationships. You’re constantly talking with residents, investors, vendors, even municipal officials—the list never ends. Every connection you build is a chance to grow. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. That trust comes from showing up, staying in touch, and adding value before you ask for anything in return. Networking helps you meet potential clients, sure. But it also keeps your name in circulation and your reputation strong. How to master real estate investment networking as a PM Some forms of networking might feel uncomfortable at first, but you won’t know what works for you until you try it. Eventually, you’ll find your rhythm, and enjoy it. Thanks to technology, there’s a flavor of networking for everyone. Here are some of my go-to tips for effective networking: 1. Build your online reputation Even though I’m a face-to-face kind of person, I’ve put serious energy into building my brand online. That’s one of the big reasons I created Hold It with PM Jen. Online networking isn’t about blasting random LinkedIn connections or shouting into the void. It’s about real interaction—commenting, sharing, reacting. Be human. Tell stories. Let people see who you are. Post regularly: You don’t need to be groundbreaking. Just share your take on trends, recent experiences, or industry news. Make sure you’re adding value. Don’t show up to the potluck with paper plates. Bring something good. Be consistent: Keep your tone and message aligned. Don’t chase controversy for clicks. Engage: Comment, react, say congrats. You can even disagree—just keep it respectful. That’s how community grows. Try engaging publicly and following it up with a connection request or direct message. This is a great way to build a connection with someone you want to know. 2. Cultivate authentic, long-term relationships Whether it’s online or in-person, relationships need follow-up. I love grabbing coffee or lunch with new connections (and yes, I pick up the tab). A $25 lunch can turn into a years-long referral source. That’s a solid return. Not ready for lunch? Invite them to a local event or meetup. Even better—make it easy with a Calendly link. That will allow you to quickly and easily establish a call or zoom with a new contact and allow you to build that relationship. Make it easy to get to know you! That kind of effort stands out and fosters trust. 3. Give before you get Most people come to networking wondering what they’ll get out of it. Flip that. Ask what you can give. That mindset changes everything. Share insights, connect people, recommend a book or podcast—just be helpful. One of the best moves you can make? Introduce folks who can help each other. You just became valuable to both of them. And hey—people love to talk about themselves. Ask questions. Let them share. It’s how you break past the boring surface stuff and get to the good conversations. If you are able to help, this gives you something to follow up about. You can call them and ask how the referral went, or did your contact follow up with them? That kind of concern and attention is what people are looking for in people they work with. 4. Track your contacts and interactions Confession: I’m not great at this one. But it matters. Follow-up is everything, and your CRM (or even a basic spreadsheet) can help you keep track. Set reminders to check in with folks, especially the ones who don’t live on social media. Life gets busy, but your network is like a garden. You must water it, weed it, and tend to it or it will die. It won’t take long either. Ever left a town or industry? How long did it take before you didn’t speak to most of the people there? Staying visible to your network means staying relevant. 5. Track your progress and refine your strategy Don’t just network blindly—track what’s working. Set simple KPIs. How many leads came from referrals? How many new connections turned into real clients? How much revenue did they bring in? When you know what’s effective, you can double down on it and cut what’s not. When you get more efficient at networking, and stay consistent, the strength of the network grows exponentially. Where to network with real estate investors as a PM To connect with investors, you have to think like one. Where are they hanging out? What are they trying to learn? oin real estate associations and groups: I’m a huge NARPM fan. Their conferences, webinars, and resources are gold. If there’s a local chapter, get involved. If not, join the At Large Chapter. I have found amazing networking through service to this organization. Write an article for the website, serve on a committee, or attend an event if it’s within your budget. It’s a great place to meet other property managers and learn from them. Even if you don’t have an active real estate association in your area, you can still find industry events to attend. There are plenty across the country. Some of them focus more on professional development and learning, while others are designed to help you meet vendors and solution providers. Almost all of them will include some kind of dedicated networking time, so they can serve multiple purposes. Not every area is buzzing with activity. I’m in rural Pennsylvania, so I started my own real estate investor group. I booked speakers and mailed invites. You can also travel to bigger markets nearby to expand your circle. I’ll often travel to events in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, just to meet a wider variety of people. Get involved in your community: Not all investors spend their free time at real estate events. Many are just regular people running businesses and raising a family. Go where they go—Chamber events, fundraisers, entrepreneurial groups. Be visible, be helpful, and you’ll be remembered. I try to stay very involved in my community, especially things like Chamber of Commerce events. Small business development groups and entrepreneurial networking groups are both extremely valuable, in part because many members are also real estate investors. You can also look at more charitable work. I combine philanthropy with networking events, have worked with The Junior Leagues, and served on fundraiser events committees. Even if the people you meet there aren’t real estate investors (yet!), they may know someone who is. When you are working together with others, you build a great relationship that will be there for years. Make networking part of your everyday life Networking doesn’t have to be a single, defined thing that only happens in certain places. If you make it part of your everyday life, it starts to feel a lot less intimidating. I already mentioned how making connections on LinkedIn can change the game, but the same applies in real life. Whether you make a friend at the gym or you bump into someone at the grocery store, they’re a potential connection. Plus, when you’re already networking every day, it makes it a whole lot easier to get up on stage in a speaking slot, or to volunteer to help with an event or organization. You just have to flex that muscle until it feels natural. Providing value is the key to networking success No matter where or how you meet someone—online or off—lead with value. Ask what you can give, not what you can take. When you are able to provide value, do it well and follow through. Your actions speak louder than your words and you want your actions to let others know who you are and how you move through the world. Cultivate your reputation with generous and good work. Lead with what you can give, not what you can get, and you’ll start to form authentic, lasting connections. Your network is your net worth. Invest accordingly. If you’re looking to offer more value to your clients, consider Second Nature’s Resident Benefits Package. Request a demo today

June 12, 2025

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When to Coach and When to Cut: Working with New Investors

When you’re growing a property management business, a universal challenge is figuring out what kinds of clients are the right fit. Bring on the wrong ones, and you burn through your team, churn accounts, and lose money. Bring on the right ones, and everything runs smoother—and becomes more profitable. If only it were as simple as good versus bad. The truth is, even the best-fit clients usually require some leadership to get there. One of the most valuable skills I’ve developed is knowing when to coach a client and when to cut them loose. I’ve built a company that runs like a well-oiled machine, and I can’t afford to jam it up with the wrong clients or properties. If you put the wrong materials into a great machine, you don’t get great results. You get breakdowns. To me, clients and properties are the raw materials. And my job is to make sure we’re only putting in the right ones. I evaluate two factors: trust and vision alignment. Trust is the line in the sand Clients must trust my team and our proven process. That’s not negotiable. Without trust, we can’t do our job. I don’t expect blind faith. I lay out the plan, explain the process, and give data-backed pricing. If a client still can’t trust our expertise, especially when their buddy “who owns rentals” is their go-to instead, then that’s a no-go. If they don’t trust the vision I’ve outlined to stabilize and grow their investment, it’s better for both of us to walk away early. Vision alignment matters The other dealbreaker is a lack of vision alignment. I’m clear about the kinds of clients I want: long-term, buy-and-hold investors. If someone wants to flip properties or sell every few years, that’s a totally different mindset. It’s not what our machine is built for. I also need clients to see their investment as a business that operates stabilized property. I define a stabilized property as one that “attracts and retains qualified tenants at market rent with no deferred maintenance.” That takes resources. If a client isn’t willing or able to fund that stabilization, they’re not aligned with our vision. It’s not that every client buys into the full plan on day one. But it gives us a shared goal to start from. And in those early discussions, I’m trying to determine: are they optimizing the plan for their situation, or rejecting it altogether? That tells me whether they’re in or out, and how much coaching they need to be successful. What if they’re not a perfect fit? Most clients aren’t perfect right away. That’s okay. They don’t need to be. They just need to bring the right ingredients, and be open to the process. That’s where coaching comes in. I front-load expectations. Before a client even has a chance to get emotional about something, I’ve already addressed it. I explain their role, the process, what they can expect from us, and what we’ll expect from them. If you wait for a client to raise a concern, you’ve already ceded authority. I call this showing leadership in your advisory role. Set the tone early. Show leadership. Be the coach. Managing emotions without becoming a therapist It’s totally normal for clients to be emotionally attached to a property—especially if they’ve lived in it or inherited it. But property management isn’t therapy. I don’t try to fix their emotional hang-ups. I do try to relate. “I get it. My grandfather built a house too.” That simple moment of connection might help them take the next step toward being a landlord. But if they can’t grow into the investor mindset? That’s a cut. Now, if you also do real estate sales, maybe a sentimental landlord is still a potential listing for you. But I don’t sell houses, and I’m not interested in working with someone who’s just emotionally attached to a rental. The team comes first My emphasis on trust and vision alignment isn’t just about me. It’s about protecting my team. I could probably tolerate working with just about anyone. But I’ve seen how the wrong client damages team morale. And at this point in my business, I have the confidence to defend my people and hold clients to our standards. Every time I defend my team, I show them they can trust my leadership. That builds loyalty. Looking ahead: a growing need for coaching Now is the time to sharpen your “coach or cut” instincts. The wave of new clients is coming—and they won’t all be investor pros. With the generational wealth transfer in full swing, we’re seeing more accidental landlords inheriting properties. Many of them are emotionally attached and financially unprepared. They’ll need coaching. At the same time, high interest rates mean fewer owners have cash on hand for repairs or improvements. Deferred maintenance is about to become your new reality. Coaching is already part of the job. But going forward, it will become essential to how we lead, protect our teams, and deliver results. So get good at reading the signs. Don’t be afraid to decide: coach or cut. Your team and growth depend on it.

June 5, 2025

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Why Investor Education is my Go-to-Market Strategy

Investor education is a key part of being a property manager, but it often goes overlooked. But what exactly is investor education, how can it help you, your business, and the industry overall, and why have I chosen to make it the crux of my go-to-market strategy? In the property management world, people love to talk about SEO, lead gen tactics, and ad spend. That’s fine. But for me, none of that matters if I’m not helping my future clients get smarter about real estate investing. Luckily, when I help them become better investors, they become better clients and refer like crazy. That’s why investor education is the backbone of my go-to-market strategy—and has been for years. In this article I’ll cover just that, and give you tips on how to improve your investor education efforts. What is investor education? We can teach property owners what steps they need to take to be successful, what’s expected of them throughout the buy and hold process, and how we, as property managers, help them. The truth is, most rental property owners are used to being treated like landlords, not investors. It’s about helping rental property owners shift their mindset—from "landlord mode" to "long-term investor." Most owners have never had anyone sit down and explain how return on equity works, what market factors really impact rent, or why emotional decision-making can ruin a portfolio. I believe that if we want better outcomes for investors and property managers, we need to close that knowledge gap. As educators, we should be teaching them the ins and outs of the business beyond just rent collection. An educated client makes better decisions, respects the process, and is ultimately more profitable—for everyone. Your company’s process is part of the education Investor education content doesn’t only focus on how to be a good investor. It should also include your specific requirements, expectations, and abilities as a property manager. When an investor is engaging with your content, looking for information, they are starting to know, like and trust you. It is natural they will want to know more about your company and how you do things. At the top of the funnel, when an investor is just beginning to look for a manager, that’s your time to teach them the benefit of hiring a professional. Then, as they engage with you more, educate them on what you, specifically, can do to help them. What are the services that you provide? How is what you do different from what they’ll get with other property management companies? This should also include your philosophy on management and how you think about things differently. It’s an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective. Finally, you should teach them about what they’re going to have to do in order to be successful with you. That can include everything from access expectations to financial requirements, but it should also focus on trust, communications, and service level. What kinds of things will you require complete control over? How often do you expect your clients to check in with you? Who would their point of contact be? Educating potential clients on these things will save you a lot of time and pain down the road. Education takes many forms The sky is the limit when it comes to options for educating investors. Social media posts, blogs, videos, podcasts, and webinars are some of the most popular. Building momentum with a podcast or live meetup group can take some time, but it can pay dividends in the long run because you are creating more than content. You’re building a relationship with investors and a community for them to learn in. When you’re generous with valuable education, you might find you get access to spaces and people that haven’t been open to you before. Videos, blogs and social media are great because they’re evergreen. They stay up forever, and are working when you aren’t. A prospect can watch five of your videos at 3:00 AM, and by the time you speak to them the next day, they are ready to sign! Think of all the ways you like to learn and keep up to date with the industry. Those are all the same channels you can use to reach more investors and begin educating them. Why I chose to invest in investor education I’m no longer running any pay-per-click ads, search ads, or display ads for my property management company. I’ve funneled all of my sales and marketing budget into Hold It with PM Jen, a series of educational materials that help investors grow, while also positioning me as the leader in the buy and hold space. I run live events, host a podcast, seek out speaking engagements, and provide a complete playbook for investors for my market. This was a very deliberate choice, even though it felt like a risk at first. Over time, it’s proven incredibly effective, and it’s helped me get very specific about my niche. I’m able to cater specifically to investors in North Central Pennsylvania who want to buy and hold real estate, not make money from flips or quick sales. My educational content helps me differentiate from other property managers in the area. That differentiation also comes from the specific topics I write and speak about, and trying to shift the focus from “what can I do for you?” to “what are the challenges you’re facing?” I think there’s a fundamental misalignment between the things property managers are writing about and the things property owners are looking for. Investors aren’t Google searching for the ins and outs of professional management. Instead they’re searching things like “how do I make more money from my rental property,” “how much can I charge for a security deposit,” and “what do I do when a tenant says there’s mold?” These are the types of education that investors are looking for, so I want to be there to provide it. Not only does this build credibility, it pre-qualifies prospects. When they reach out, they already know how we work, what we expect, and—most importantly—why we do what we do. It’s a smoother path to a better fit. A rising tide lifts all ships There’s one other reason that I think investor education is so important, and that’s that I firmly believe it just makes the industry better. They say that a rising tide lifts all boats, and if I want to think of myself as a leader in property management, I need to be doing work that pushes the whole industry forward, not just my own business. I believe that education is one of the best ways to do that. Sometimes, when I meet a potential client, it’s immediately clear to me that we aren’t a great fit for each other. You can’t always work with a client, because it’s not what’s best for your company or your team. But even when I know they’re not someone I’m going to work with, I still want to help them. In those cases, I try to point them in the right direction. I’ll give them a framework to improve the property, suggest vendors, or even refer them to someone who’s a better fit. Because if they grow into a better investor, we all win. I want that person to keep searching and to find another property manager that they can be successful with. You can’t always work with a client, because it’s not what’s best for your company or your team. But you can still educate them and help them develop as an investor. Final thoughts Whether you’re running a big shop or just getting started, education is one of the most powerful tools you have. It creates better clients, smoother operations, and deeper trust. If you want to stand out in a crowded market, stop shouting about what you do and start teaching people how to do it better. That’s the future of property management, and it’s where I’m putting my focus. Want to learn more about how I approach educating and onboarding clients? Register for my webinar with Second Nature and Blanket. Register Now

May 15, 2025

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Jennifer Ruelens

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When to Coach and When to Cut: Working with New Investors

Why Investor Education is my Go-to-Market Strategy