Jennifer Ruelens is the broker/owner at One Focus Property Management, the largest property management company in North Central Pennsylvania. Jennifer has over twenty years of real estate experience, and 13 as broker/owner at One Focus. She also founded Hold It with PM Jen, a platform dedicated to helping investors grow wealth with the buy and hold real estate strategy. Jen is a Second Nature Triple Win Mentor.
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.
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