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, or whatever the case may be, certainly in a timely manner, with the green background, it's a great solution for property managers. Jason: What do property managers typically do to try and take care of these problems? James: Well, some of them, Jason, they throw bleach on it. One of their first things is to have a maintenance guy go out, spray it with bleach, and hope that it's taken care of, when in all actuality, bleach is 99% water. The water content absorbed into that porous material, essentially feeding the mold and then bleach does what it does, it kills the color on the surface and they think it's gone, only to come back two or three weeks later and say, “Gosh, this mold hasn’t gone away. It’s back.” Well, it never really left. You just got it embedded, stole the color and that’s a lot of [...] to take care of the mold for you. Jason: Bleach is not the best strategy for dealing with molds. James: No sir. Only on a nonporous surface. If you're dealing with bleach in a fiberglass shower that's hard, that’s not going to absorb water or anything for that matter, certainly bleach is best. If you're dealing with anything that's a porous surface, you do not want to use bleach. Jason: What are some other challenges that you're helping property managers with besides just the mold situation? James: Odor is certainly relevant in a property manager’s life. You have somebody moved out, they lived in that unit for several years or whatever the case may be, and there is an odor left behind. They know walking in to do that evaluation after somebody's moved out, “I am not wanting this unit with that smell attached to it,” so they give us a call and there’s the four C’s, cannabis, cigarette smell, cat urine, and gosh I can't remember the other one we had, but those are some very pesky odors and were able to actually eliminate all three and other one. Seriously, the tough smell would be [...] from the cabinets, but those are some tough odors we can get rid of, and we've got a very efficient and affordable way to remove those from the environment. Jason: I was going to ask about smoking, that’s a tough one. You'll come in and you use your materials or your systems and you can remove these odors in the property. Then we'll be able to rent much more easily. Rent for a higher dollar amount, most likely, than if it had these potential problems scaring off prospective tenants. James: Correct. Jason: What do property managers typically do to deal with the odor things? What are they trying to do on their own? They might have their own little ozone machine. What are they typically doing and how is it different than what you guys might provide? James: Generally, we’re trying to take care of things the most efficient way possible as far as money involved. I've seen everything from people try to paint over orange cigarette stained walls, hit it with [...], bleach is always a go-to whether it's mold or odor. Those are some of the ways they're trying to but it's really just masking it or covering it up. It’s a band aid. We have a way to go in and eliminate that odor molecule scientifically, removing it from the environment and leaving behind nothing, just that smell of a fresh unit. Jason: Mold, odor, does that cover the bulk of what you guys do? Is there is some other things that Green Home Solutions TrueEnviro will help with? James: Yeah. We’re able to remove allergens, pathogens, mold, odor, bacteria. We're really able to help maintain and establish a healthy indoor environment. We have different services that we can offer. One of the things we're most excited about is our probiotic treatment and [...] machine. What that does is just flood an environment with healthy probiotics, creating the healthiest microbiome possible. Jason: That sounds really interesting. I read this book called Eat Dirt. The author of this book was talking about the benefits of having healthy bacteria and how all these things that we do to try and kill bacteria, create an environment that doesn't allow for the healthy bacteria to remain, and even in environments that we might consider dirty or unsanitary like subway systems and things like this, there's this organic or this healthy biome that exist, that maintains this healthy stasis of bacteria. The bacteria is always going to be there, so if you can shift the balance towards healthier bacteria versus bad bacteria. In the book, he even talks about literally not maybe eating dirt or different types of things that expose you to beneficial bacteria, or allow your kids to be exposed to bacteria in ways that your immune system can develop and stuff like this. This is a really interesting idea to spread probiotic. I haven't heard too much about that. I doubt there's too many property managers spraying pro bacterial sprayers, whatever, throughout a unit. What are the benefits of putting probiotic into a building or into a unit? How's that become a thing? I find that fascinating. James: Good or bad, a bacteria is looking for a food source. If they have something to thrive on, it can swiftly take off. If you imagine for example the air ducts. The air ducts along any indoor [...] whether office or home, it’s really circulating good, bad, indifferent bacterias, particles throughout the home. If we can eliminate that food source that a bacteria will thrive on by flooding that environment with good probiotics, there's really no way that that bad bacteria whether it’s staph, MRSA, whatever it is, can thrive and really take off an environment. This also means allergens, pet dander, all of these things are sources of food for good or bad bacteria. When something in an environment is completely overwhelmed with those healthy probiotics, there's really no chance for a bad bacteria or any sort of infection to take over the environment. Jason: I would imagine one of the leading reasons why a tenant may end up not paying rent or suddenly is not able to pay rent might be due to illness, sickness, things that have affected their ability to work, and generate revenue. By having something like this in place, I would imagine that the property in general, I would imagine there would be some stats over time that would showcase the properties that have this treatment done if it works effectively, but they would then be in a situation which they had a lower sickness, or a lower turnover rate, or a higher instance in paying rent. James: Yes, exactly. The other thing that people lose sight of is that a lot of odors are contributed to bacteria. If you think about that, a moldy sponge that sits on your sink, after a few days, that thing will start smelling. It’s due to the bacteria. Not only is it going to help create a healthier environment, but it’s going to cut down significantly on things that are lingering around. Jason: Another interesting case that kind of connects to this just in my mind is, there's this major river in India. In India, people are just putting their waste material into that, they're putting all kinds of stuff, but the water is clean. It has this flora of bacteria that's so strong and powerful in it, it’s a good bacteria that it just feeds on any sewage, or soil, or any stuff that comes into it, and it's able to transmute it basically into something positive. People will travel from all over just to drink this water. In India, they view this water as magical or amazing, because it's got this really strong flora of healthy bacteria. It’s fed constantly by waste and stuff that we would normally find would destroy water, but it's because the bacteria is able to convert that, and it converts it really quickly and effectively. I find that fascinating. We've covered the odor. We've covered the probiotic stuff that also can help with odor remediation, removing mold. Is there anything else that we're missing here? James: No. That indoor environment, allergens, pathogens, those are all encompassed in that indoor environment. The products that we use are really what separates us from our competition. The mold remediation product is called Oceanic. It’s been fully vetted by the EPA. By fully vetted, I mean, they put this thing through 570 individual tests. Within 10 minutes, it killed every pathogen and fungi, mold being a fungi, earning an additional approval for usage in hospitals. How safe is it? How effective is it? So much so that they will use it in a hospital. This product, we apply it as a bomb, on the surface and in the air and it will remove the mold and mold spores, not only from the surface, but within that air quality, and that’s the problem. Just because you see a mold and you cut out mold and remove it, doesn’t mean the mold is gone. It already put spores into the [...] and that it. What you can't see that is going to cause a problem, somebody gets sick or whatever the case may be. Now the property manager or landlord is dealing with the situation and really want to know about it. Jason: Yeah, it makes sense. That’s this Oceanic product. That's part of why you're called Green Home Solutions. It sounds like these are all products that have been tested safe, they are largely green solutions that are friendly to the environment, and they're safe to be around humans and pets, correct? James: Yes, that’s correct. The Oceanic is a plant-based enzyme, it’s catalytic in nature, it’s whole purpose in life is to kill mold source. The difference also is that you can go out and kill a mold source, but that can still cause an allergenic threat, or cause somebody to have an asthma attack. Our enzyme, what it actually does is breaks down the three protein layers that make up the mold source and break it down and leave behind a [...] thus removing that mold source completely from the environment imposing absolutely nobody any health concerns. That's really what separates us from our competition. With that being said Jason, we're able to remove less building material. Just because something has mold, we’re not cutting it out. As long as it's not structurally compromised, we are going to clean in place, which means a tremendous savings. That’s really why people enjoy us. We’re green, safe for everybody that lives in the environment, and we're saving your home. Jason: Right. There's nothing destructive about it and you're not having to replace as much. I love it. What are some of the main questions besides the safety of the product, besides what you guys do that potential clients have questions or concerns about, that we maybe haven’t covered? James: Well, one of the concerns that we see is, we need to have testing. “I see it’s mold, you're telling me it’s mold, why do we have to do testing?” The testing is so important because we need to understand the scope of the job, how much of the air, if at all, has been affected? Without a firm understanding of that, we can't properly treat that environment, and do a clearance test saying, “It's clear to go [...]” the mold level is down to a healthy state and tenants are safe to be in that environment. I cannot give you that guarantee without proper testing, done. It's really not worth it to cut the corner and say, “I'll skip the testing, just please take care of the mold.” We've got to do testing so we can provide the proper protocol and give every [...] that that environment is [...]. Jason: Alright, so part of what you do as part of your process is you'll test the before and you’ll test the after so that you can verify with confidence that there's a difference. Whether it goes to marketing or any sort of product or service that you're using, you want to be able to showcase or prove that there's been some sort of change, because that's why a product or service exists, it’s in order to impact some sort of change. James: Yes. The testing, we’ll do pretesting. The conflict of interest to verify our work. We have a third party that does that, but we're not done until the test, the client’s test shows what [...] to show. Jason: You don't even do the testing yourself. You use an independent third party to do the testing to verify the results and where they're at. James: The post testing. We will do the pretesting. Use whoever you need to know for testing, but things you should consider, what protocol do they follow. I've seen people walk in with a petri dish and say, “We’re going to leave this here for a certain amount of hours and if it turns whatever color, you have mold.” Well, we’re [...] well of course it’s going to show whether there’s mold, what kind of mold are we dealing with? Is it a waterborne, watery mold, or is it just common mold spores that are out there right now that we are breathing in? That petri dish isn’t going to tell us something. What protocol are you following and then who are you sending this to. Make sure that the lab’s accredited. Worst case scenarios, somebody ends up having to [...] and come to find out the lab wasn’t accredited at all and now we don’t really make a stand on it, if you will. Make sure that that lab is accredited. Make sure that the protocol is on point where it needs to be, and that will give you peace of mind that the job has been done perfectly. Jason: Fantastic. Now you guys have a franchise location in California, you target the LA market, and maybe you're expanding out from there. How can people in that market get a hold of you and how can people get a hold of you if they're outside of that market. We've got listeners all over the US. How can they get in touch with the corporate entity? James: We cover all of Southern California. If you're in Southern California, you can go to trueenviro.com and look us up. But for anybody anywhere in the country, go to greenhomesolutions.com, type in your zip code that you need [...] the proper channel so that it fits your assessment, you get your problem taken care of. Jason: Awesome. James, thanks so much for coming on the show. I appreciate you sharing with everybody maybe a new perspective on dealing with mold, dealing with odor, and even adding healthy bacteria into the environment. I think it's been really interesting and I appreciate you being here. James: I appreciate you and the opportunity, Jason. Thank you very much. I hope everyone has a great day. Jason: Awesome. For every property manager that deals with order, you deal with these sort of situations, and you want to make sure that a property is safe and healthy, because you care about the families and the people that you're putting into these homes, then if you're in California you can check out trueenviro.com. If you are outside of Southern California, then you can go check out greenhomesolutions.com as James have mentioned. Those of you that are new to the show, make sure that you subscribe if you're checking this out on YouTube or on iTunes. Make sure that you leave us a review. If you're listening on iTunes, we would love to get your feedback and hear what you think of the show. It helps us out and motivates us to do more and to provide this free service to you guys. Also make sure you get inside our community at doorgrowclub.com and check that out. If it's been a while since you've had your website done, or tested, or since you focused on your marketing, you may want to just test your website out, go to doorgrow.com/quiz and test your website. This will help you see your website through my eyes a little bit more from a marketing perspective, whether it's effective at making you money and converting deals. You could potentially be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars in the future ROI every month from every deal that is being missed by your website not being effective. Check that out, test your website, and make sure to join our DoorGrowClub community full of awesome property management entrepreneurs. Apply to get in it, the group's free, but you can get to that at doorgrowclub.com. Bye everybody. I appreciate you tuning in. Until next time, to our mutual growth.

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 PetScreening Email PetScreening Discount for DoorGrowShow Users ADA NARPA Bryan Greene of HUD HIPAA DoorGrow Club

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 

Do you need someone to help you build your dream? Someone who can handle your scheduling, email, and other tasks while you focus on the big stuff? Someone with the same native language and same culture? The only thing worse than not having an assistant is having the wrong assistant. Today, I am talking to Tim Francis, founder of the Great Assistant Program. During downtime as a touring drummer and after overcoming an illness, Tim had an interest in property management. He realized a brute-force method was not a sustainable long-term strategy. He needed help. He tried assistants from all over the world, only to have disastrous results. So, he created the Great Assistant Program. You'll Learn... [08:02] Tim had the common problems of letting go of control, not trusting others, not wanting to take time to train or manage, not knowing where to find assistants, and not knowing what to delegate. [08:35] After about four years, Tim was willing to offer higher pay to find an assistant in the United States or Canada and make a long-term commitment to them. [09:02] Tim learned that paying the lowest dollar amount and making the smallest commitment to someone, always resulted in them being here today and gone tomorrow. [09:47] Tim started using various tools, such as the Kolbe Index, that focus on different personalities and management styles. [09:56] Tim has had negative experiences using Upwork, a Website for freelancers to connect with business owners and entrepreneurs about jobs. [11:15] Tim discovered which marketing and operations tasks he could delegate to his assistant. [11:29] By having the right assistant, you can go from working 80 hours a week to getting so much done quickly in half the time. [11:48] Tim started helping others get an assistant, and over time he realized that there was a business need to help clients and friends find great assistants. [12:05] Tim created a management team and hired a corporate trainer to train assistants to make sure they are ready. [12:30] The Great Assistant Program has an 85 percent stick rate. For the remaining 15 percent of assistants that don’t fit, there is a 90-day rematch guarantee. [14:10] What’s the dollar-per-hour cost in real terms? You can pay someone in the Philippines $4 or someone in the United States or Canada for $16-20. The Philippines is less expensive, but it takes hours to explain things repeatedly and fix mistakes later. How much have your really spent? [16:21] If you have an assistant from North America that is high-caliber, they will produce at least 2-3X the work and results. You can feel safe that they understand you and trust that they will treat your customers well. [18:28] Finding a great assistant can be an issue for entrepreneurs starting out to multi-millionaires. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. [19:14] Time is your scarcest and most valuable resource. Give people money to get more time. [19:48] The Great Assistant Program takes care of what you need to find the right assistant. It takes everything off your plate - from posting jobs, figuring out what you need, to finding matches. [21:15] You are probably willing to pay thousands of dollars to undo what previous assistants had done. You don’t want to play Russian Roulette anymore. [22:40] Go to DoorGrow.com/greatassistant and fill out the form that determines if you need a great assistant. Plus you get a video gift! [24:01] What is your #1 frustration or challenge in getting a great assistant? The #1 response was control and trust. [24:33] Anytime in business, including property management, if you feel like you are taking a blind risk, that is a horrible feeling. Use the process provided by the Great Assistant Program to reduce the risk. It involves expanding your pool of talent, using the Kolbe Index, and trying work and cognitive tests. [26:23] How do you determine what you will have an assistant do? In property management, there is a lot of work to do. Have your assistant work on preparatory documents, lease renewals, pulling records, scheduling interviews, research, setting up events, posting rental ads, contract signing, scheduling move-in appointments, and tenant screening. [29:15] Just like with surgery, the surgeon does not prepare the patient and tools. The surgeon only does what is appropriate. This is not a form of superiority, it is about appropriateness, and everything done regarding the surgery is vital. [31:09] Critical decisions when it comes to anything that is strategy and high-level skill or high-level access is yours to handle and keep as the property manager. [33:28] Unpacking is the secret to delegating work. Categorize your email inbox for your assistant to tackle specific areas, then you do not need to worry about them accessing sensitive information. [34:53] As a business owner, you need to shift your focus away from tactical work and shift it toward strategic work that moves your business forward. [35:05] Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to teach your assistant how to do specific tasks and perform processes. If you can do it once, someone else can do it forever. [40:12] For example, if your assistant handles tasks related to an event, it gives you time to connect with people rather than running around performing tactical tasks. [41:41] Some fear having a virtual assistant rather than an in-office assistant. However, having a virtual assistant can be a competitive advantage. You are not bombarded with constant interruptions through questions and offerings to help, plus you cut your staffing costs. [44:05] For example, you are in a fender-bender and what to fix your car. You face a myriad of factors and a decision to make. If you want to fix your car good and fast, it’s not going to be cheap. If you want it to be fast and cheap, it’s not going to be very good. If you want it to be cheap and good, your going to have to call your uncle to work on it. So, it is not going to be done fast. Good, fast, cheap - usually, you can only pick two of the three. You can’t have it all! [45:08] In property management, the three pieces involved with hiring an assistant are talent, compensation, and working conditions. For a 9-to-5 traditional position that meets all three, you have to pay a ton. If you are more flexible on the work conditions, you can get someone at your preferred pay rate who is exceptionally talented. [46:45] What is more important than salary to these qualified applicants is being able to see their family more often and be a part of precious, once-in-a-lifetime moments. [47:41] What percentage of Americans want to work from home? About 67-68 Americans wish they could work full-time from home. [48:39] Various technology and tools, including videos and online project management software, allow more people to work from home. [51:08] You don’t need to feel like you are exploiting someone by paying them $16-20 per hour. The reality is that if you let someone work from home, they truly appreciate and value the time it gives them with their family, the ability to work in the comfort of their own home, and the money they save on not having to commute or on child care. Working conditions are part of the compensation. [53:40] When your relationship with an assistant does not work out, figure out why. Did you get an assistant too early? Don’t know what the high- and low-level tasks are yet? [57:00] If you are an entrepreneur who sees your team as some sort of servitude or slave to you, then you are not a good fit for the Great Assistant Program. You can’t treat someone terribly because you are the problem. Instead, how can you support your team? [59:00] As an entrepreneur, see the possibilities that come with getting the right person to support you and embracing the role of being a coach. [01:01:00] What is the order of what you are delegating? As an entrepreneur, rather than going off and doing something else once you hire an assistant, instead show them how to take over stuff that you are already doing. Also, pick the right tasks in the right order. [01:02:39] Record yourself performing a non-critical task that is easy to learn and teach, let your assistant watch it, then watch them perform the task. The training cycle is complete, and you are getting a pay off just a few days later. [01:03:48] Trough of Sorrow: The thought that once you hire an assistant, everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows. The reality is the opposite because you need to train, onboard, and manage them. The negative investment becomes less and turns into a positive ROI. [01:04:45] Investor Mindset: The assistant keeps getting better as you invest in them over time. [01:06:25] View every team member as an investment. The longer you have them, the better they get. Look for a relationship that will make a massive difference to your company. [01:07:45] Energy Management vs. Time Management: The biggest wins to when you onboard an assistant is to figure out what’s taking you time and what’s taking you time that you hate doing? The things you hate, are the things your assistant loves to do. Tweetables There is compound interest in the people you hire. Your very first hire should be an assistant. It’s a problem and a challenge knowing how to get an assistant. Resources Great Assistant; DoorGrow.com/greatassistant The E-Myth Work the System Kolbe Index Upwork Jason Fried The 4-Hour Workweek Loom Scaling Up DoorGrowClub DoorGrow on iTunes

If you outsource properly, you free up time, money, and resources that you can reinvest into growing your business. Today’s guest is Todd Breen, owner of Virtually Incredible, an outsourcing company. Since 1994 his quest has been to make property management both fun and profitable. Outsourcing achieves both of those goals. You'll Learn... [03:03] Create your own solution to meet the needs of your company. [04:08] A common mistake property managers make is thinking they are the one that does it all. But they realize they can’t do it all and need to hire others. [05:00] You don’t need to spend tons of money on new employees. But there’s a better option. [05:15] When thinking about outsourcing ask: What size is your company? Where are your weak spots? Where is your customer service lacking? [05:36] Todd’s company, Home Property Management, decided to outsource its maintenance to a company that specializes in it, is staffed adequately, and available 24/7. [06:21] To effectively outsource, find a business that has systems and processes geared toward a specific task that you need done. [06:57] Dial into collective genius. Learn from other people, collect best practices, and improve what you offer. [07:52] What can be outsourced? Maintenance, leasing, bookkeeping, and other areas. [08:07] Todd decided to outsource leasing because he discovered that 99 percent of the time, money, and effort spent on answering the phone and responding to emails was time lost and wasted. [09:12] About 60 percent of your calls are on your leasing and generate no revenue. It wastes times and does not yield profit. [09:48] Outsource leasing calls to avoid lack of response and voicemails - not good customer service. [10:33] Maintenance is another customer service sore spot for companies. What is your average turnaround on work orders? You may not know, but your tenants do! Lack of response and action generates poor reviews, lower renewal rates...it’s a trickle-down disaster. [11:40] If companies outsource leasing and maintenance, that is the bulk of where they think their time should be spent. But taking those off their plate lets them use that time to focus on building their business - strategic rather than technical work. [12:42] As an entrepreneur, you need to be willing to give up a certain level of control, even though that may feel uncomfortable. [13:37] At one point, Todd decided he wanted to scale and remove himself. He did so by becoming a reformed control freak. [13:55] The average property management company owner thinks they can’t afford the latest Website. Outsource to the lowest cost solution and invest the savings to grow your business. [16:25] If an entrepreneur has a clear direction to head in and believe in it, you can’t stop them. They are going to do it. Property managers need to believe outsourcing is a viable option for them. [16:38] One fear about outsourcing is related to quality. Property managers fear that those they pass off the work to don’t care as much as they do or the output won’t be as good. [16:58] Fear = False Evidence Appearing Real. For Todd, he felt that as soon as he didn’t do he work, the quality would go down. But, the quality of his life was not so good because he was working so much. [17:16] Todd’s customers had quality, but he didn’t. He got to a point where he was done with that and things happened. [17:24] Todd teaches a course called, Run Your Rent Roll From Under a Palm Tree. [17:54] If you are a workaholic or overworked, Todd figures out what he can do to help them through various processes, systems, quality assurance, and training. [19:16] Those with the fear factor may be surprised when they let go, they open up to a better way of doing things at their business. [19:31] Should you hire your own virtual assistant (VA) or a reseller? Do you have the time to hire, train, and work with others? Are you good at hiring, training, and working with your staff? It’s up to you to decide which is better for you. [21:20] Advantages of a team being virtual is that you can pull the best talent from anywhere and overhead is low. But there are challenges. [22:13] You can outsource to virtual team members as well as to specialized companies to handle various tasks, such as podcast production. [23:45] Entrepreneurs do not usually make good managers. Specialized agencies use their expertise to take that management piece over naturally for team members to thrive. [24:55] With outsourcing, don’t necessarily go with the cheapest option to save money. Time should be higher on your priority list than money. [25:27] There’s a hustle-and-grind myth that if entrepreneurs work harder and are more aggressive, burn themselves out, they will make more money and get more done. In reality, you become unproductive and make bad decisions. [26:25] If you don’t feel naturally passionate about something, take it off your plate through outsourcing. [27:00] The mistake entrepreneurs make when building a team is they build teams around them that make their lives more tactically difficult, instead of more strategically available. [27:33] Todd knew managing people was not one of his strengths. But his wife is an awesome people manager. So, she manages the people, and Todd has time for the visionary and innovation side of his business. [28:54] When outsourcing, you will experience hits and misses. But when you get a hit, you are able to shine! It is worthwhile to spend money on agencies that have the tools and processes that can match you with the right person. [30:37] The beauty of outsourcing is that you get to focus on your core strengths. [31:00] People want to enjoy property management, but they don’t know how. The trick is to realize it can be fun and profitable if we pursue it to be that way. [31:38] Pursue better clients and take care of growing and scaling your business at an affordable rate. [31:48] Learn from other property managers and their collective experience. Then, implement what you learned - that is the greatest skill set that differentiates truly successful property managers from average ones. [33:11] Entrepreneurs enjoy coming up with ideas and creating things, but they aren’t the ones to usually see things through. That’s why they need a team to support them. [33:30] There are four personality types: spontaneous (don’t make good business owners); competitive (make good business owners to a point); humanitarian (love everyone, but may not be the best property managers); and methodical (engineers who have to get everything done). Who makes the best business over the long haul? Methodical. [35:10] When outsourcing, hire those who have methodically figured out the best processes for doing something. However, they will probably not be good at sales and marketing. [37:47] Join the DoorGrow Club on Facebook. Tweetables There’s a better option than spending tons of money. Take the collective genius of companies to outsource. Outsourcing - biggest bang for your buck. Resources DoorGrowShow on iTunes Home Property Management; Run Your Rent Roll From Under a Palm Tree Steve Crossland National Association of Residential Property Managers Virtually Incredible; Email: [email protected] DoorGrow Facebook Group

Have you ever been sued because of a biased opinion on an inspection you did on a property? Did you have a personal, vested interest in the property? Do you think you are safe just because you have documentation and videos? Today, I am talking to James Alderson of OnSight PROS about inspections. Most property managers claim that they do inspections, but do they really? James was one of those who claimed to be doing inspections. But he just didn’t have time or want to do them. So, he hired people to do the inspections for him. As a result, it developed into a business for James. He saw the need for move-in/move-out, periodic, and initial inspections. You'll Learn... [03:51] How many doors are needed to grow into a new market - 800 to 1,000. James went through about 35 inspectors/technicians initially but did not enough business to sustain them. [04:57] If your area does not have OnSight PROS, see if you can create 800-1,000 doors for James to make some magic happen in your market. [05:12] Currently, OnSight PROS is located in Harrisburg, Pa.; Baltimore, Md.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Atlanta, Ga.; Tampa/Jacksonville/Orlando/Panama City/Lakeland, Fla.; San Antonio/Austin/Houston/Fort Worth/Dallas, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; and Phoenix, Ariz. [06:59] OnSight PROS is committed to hiring the right people and paying them well. [07:13] In most markets, OnSight PROS pricing is $99 for a periodic inspection and $119 for a move-in/move-out inspection. [07:57] James has not met a property manager yet who does not want to give back the security deposit. However, 99 percent of the time, an inspection indicates that a property is not rent-ready, so the full deposit cannot be returned. [08:26] One of the things OnSight PROS values is that you receive the same product, no matter where the OnSight PROS you use is located. [08:41] OnSight PROS has a quality control system in place to make sure its inspectors do the right thing, every time. [08:52] Why is it better to hire a company like OnSight Pros rather than having internal inspectors for a company? The main reason - the cost of money. It costs less to have someone else do it. [09:49] Examples why property managers need such services provided by OnSight PROS. [12:11] Tenants are becoming more knowledgeable about their rights and how to bypass various factors. [12:36] Is there a warranty, insurance, or protection in place for inspections? OnSight PROS offers a summary of issues in cases of disputes. This documentation typically prevents cases going to court and a company being sued. [13:42] There is a power and leverage that comes with a property manager hiring a third-party provider to handle inspections. [14:17] OnSight PROS convinces property managers to hire them instead of doing their own inspections by addressing the importance of performing certain types of inspections that are not being done currently. [14:30] OnSight PROS determines if a property is one they want to take on, is it up to code, and if it fits their portfolio of services. [15:27] OnSight PROS sets up inspections with the tenant, who has to be home. Otherwise, OnSight PROS will not enter the property. [15:57] Don’t be surprised if tenants to to stonewall you. Inspectors are not usually their friends. They may have a grow house that property managers do not know about! [16:50] OnSight PROS is willing to go in and be the “bad guy” when it comes to inspections. The property manager is removed from that role. [17:36 ] Example of a property manager who joined OnSight PROS to do inspections. He discovered how tenants treat property managers differently than inspectors. It’s a different perception from the tenants. [19:02] With property managers, tenants point out problems that need to be fixed. With inspectors, tenants don’t want them to find problems they created or caused. [19:41] One of James’ goals in starting OnSight PROS was to manage as many doors as possible, but live wherever he wanted. He has become a manager rather than dealing with day-to-day matters. [20:41] Cycle of Suck: Screen the types of properties you take on. If you take on bad owners, you are going to have bad properties. You are going to have bad tenants, who leave bad reviews. You will attract more bad clients. So, you need an effective screening process. [21:59] Property management entrepreneurs are the “weird birds” who want freedom, more than safety and certainty. [23:35] Owners expect OnSight PROS to pay inspections for them. Otherwise, they try to get reimbursed for them. [24:40] An admin fee is for all the administrative work, including inspections, done to get a tenant into a house. It usually ranges from $25-200. However, make sure to label it as an admin fee, rather than an inspection fee. [26:02] A periodic inspection involves checking smoke alarms to make sure owners are not at risk. A property manager’s job is to mitigate risk. [27:05] Inspections are not cheap, but they are worth the money - and property managers do not have to pay for them. [27:30] James has onboarding sessions with property managers to help them understand how to turn inspections into a zero-cost situation. [27:55] Contact OnSight PROS at onsightpros.com or [email protected]. [29:25] James is ready for OnSight PROS to experience rapid expansion. It does take time and money, so be patient with them. They want to make the property management industry better! Tweetables Property managers need someone else to do inspections. It’s a challenge in some markets to find the right person to do inspections. Inspections are not high on the list for property managers. Resources DoorGrowShow on iTunes Facebook Group OnSight PROS National Association of Realtors  

Imagine yourself drinking a beer, sitting by the pool, and watching the sun go down. Can a picture truly capture your enjoyment? Thanks to editing services offered by BoxBrownie.com, it is possible. Today, I am talking to Brad Filliponi and Peter Schravemade of BoxBrownie about their online marketing tool that helps others publish quality marketing photographs to get people to their properties. You'll Learn... [01:50] Background of BoxBrownie: Brad was previously a real estate photographer who had trouble finding people to edit his images. Peter is a real estate agent who believes quality marketing can be done for less money. So, they developed an online marketing tool for estate agents, photographers, and others to easily publish marketing materials. [03:45] The BoxBrownie website features quality output and samples of what can be done. The amazing photos help people envision what is possible. [06:35] Virtual Staging: BoxBrownie offers virtual staging of properties and rooms that are mapped out in 3D and where furniture is placed. You can select from the following styles: modern contemporary, urban industrial, Scandinavian, farmhouse, or customized. [07:18] View samples of virtual staging. [07:31] Virtual Renovations: BoxBrownie takes an unfinished room and adds furniture, appliances, and fixtures for renovations. Then, clients are given something they can use to instantly market the property for sale or rent. [09:05] BoxBrownie offers image enhancement editing for just $1.60. In a 24-hour turnaround, any photo from an amateur or professional photographer is taken and made to look 1,000x better for MLS listings. BoxBrownie has preset edits that polish your photos. [10:00] Many property managers use the image enhancement edit product because they do not have the budget to hire a photographer or they don’t have the time to fix photos. [10:33] Twilight Conversion: BoxBrownie takes an existing property that has been photographed in daylight and is converted to twilight. Day-to-dusk conversions are clicked on more often than daytime shots. It costs $4 and has a 24-hour turnaround. [12:35] Item Removal: Remove clutter and clean up the photo. BoxBrownie can remove cars, statues, paintings, etc. Some items can turn people off, so eliminate bad vibes - and items. [15:02] Drone Editing: This service is if you want to highlight a lot or pinpoint the location of a property, such as to identify schools and landmarks. The cost starts at $2.40. [16:43] Turnaround time from BoxBrownie is 24-48 hours, depending on the type of editing or enhancement service selected. [17:23] BoxBrownie is currently creating an API and in discussions with property management software companies to provide its services. [17:50] If marketing a property, make sure to have a floorplan. People tend to not look at your property if you don’t have one. The price frame is $24-36. [20:23] Custom Jobs: Customers upload images or floorplans and provide a description of what they would like added, changed, or removed. [21:05] 3D Rendering: Photorealistic or 3D image of a property that does not exist. BoxBrownie creates an image of what the property will look like. It costs $280. [22:23] Email product suggestions and feedback to BoxBrownie. [22:45] Copywriting: BoxBrownie can write content to go with your pictures of properties to market them. [23:15] BoxBrownie contact info - go to BoxBrownie.com to sign up for some freebies and $40 credit. Just use the coupon code: SHOWMETHEMONEY. Tweetables Put it up on the market and showcase possibility. You’ve got something to instantly market the property. Day-to-dusk conversions are clicked on more often. Resources DoorGrowShow on iTunes BoxBrownie.com Email BoxBrownie MLS PhotoShop Google Maps Jerry Maguire

Dealing with natural disasters is a crucial part of property management. In this episode, we hear a first-hand account from those who dealt with the devastation to property that occurred when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. There are all kinds of disasters that could happen in the future. Property management knows this first hand, as well as the importance of an effective disaster preparedness plan. Steve Rozenberg and Pete Neubig from Empire Industries give their perspective on dealing with the devastation in Houston. They describe their emergency preparedness plans and the crucial steps they took to manage their properties during the devastation. They are able to give us a first-hand look at the things property managers need to consider in the event of natural disasters and how best to manage operations. You'll Learn... [05:09] Roles during a disaster: Steve took to Facebook to show people what happened, and Pete served as the backbone of the operation, coming up with a plan and delegating tasks. [05:37] Systematically break down all the different problems. Houses were flooded, properties were vacant, can’t contact some people, people are calling in about damage, etc. [06:48] Identify prerequisites, such as how to notify your clients about how you plan to communicate with them throughout the process. A Facebook group or email are two options. [08:49] Are there staff members available to help? If yes, make them project managers for each project and provide available resources. For example, one project manager to handle a list of homes that were non-contacted homes. [09:56] Determine how staff members are personally doing because they are going through the drama, as well. Make sure they are ok. [14:12] Notify residents as soon as possible about whether their home is damaged and to what extent. Encourage them to contact their insurance company to determine what is covered and what isn’t. [16:01] During a natural disaster, your property management company will probably not be receiving rent payments. Use leasing fees to sustain your company. [16:30] Partner with an inspection company to know exactly what’s going on with a property and to allow the owner to make a good decision. [17:56] Initially, strive for one-way communication to avoid property managers and assistants being inundated with residents or owners asking questions when you don’t have immediate answers. [19:18] Realize that you are going to have a lot of tenants that need a place to live. As a convenience, compile a list of available properties. [19:50] Provide good-to-know information on your Website. For example, who to call if your car is towed or phone numbers to popular insurance companies. [20:24] Work with other companies to help out each other and your residents/owners. Utilize your resources. For example, waive application fees. [24:15] At some point, someone has to be the leader. Run your business through leverage and team. Develop such a structure and culture. [27:10] Grow your company as business owners and not doers. Focus a lot of time on working on your business and not in the business. [30:25] If possible, keep your business open and running the whole time during a natural disaster. [31:21] Hire someone knowing that they would make a good leader. [33:45] The definition of a business is a profitable enterprise that runs without you. Your staff is there to support you and minimize chaos. [35:55] Only one person can be a leader at a time. Know your strengths and weaknesses. [41:53] Build relationships with everyone, even your competitors. They become invaluable during natural disasters. [43:20] Invest in a business coach or mentor and training to gain knowledge that you can use during natural disasters. The more you grow, the more your company grows. Take care of yourself. [48:27] Invest in marketing and try to get free publicity. [59:17] Look at a VOIP system if you’re not on one. Look at having some assistance elsewhere to keep your business going. Also, have a communication plan for your residents, vendors, teammates, and owners before the natural disaster. [59:45] Speed is key for property management companies dealing with a natural disaster. Get moving as quickly as possible, don’t overthink it, just do it, and get it done. Talk to your clients about not only the problem, but the solution. Tweetables Only one person can be a leader at a time. Natural disasters just happen. Then, you deal with after effects. A lot if this was divide and conquer. Resources DoorGrow iTunes Empire Industries Facebook Empire Industries Website Empire Industries phone number - 888-866-6727 

A lot of people may want to upgrade their home or location, but money is tight and they are tied down. Mike Kalis of Marketplace Homes has a solution for this. Not only does he help people break ties with their existing homes and move into new ones, but he successfully built a business around this practice. Today we are talking about how to use options to grow your property management firm. Doing things like helping tenants and owners by leveraging rent-to-own options. The goal is to increase revenues and have enough money to provide a high level of service. You'll Learn... [04:02] Mike's company is close to 3000 doors in 28 states. [04:49] How we will talk about increasing revenues on transactions. [06:54] The biggest benefit is helping owners get out of their homes without having to sell right away with a rent-to-own plan. [08:01] This is also a second chance opportunity for the tenants. [09:09] Pros and cons a tenant could put money down and if they don't purchase they would lose that. The owner could lose out if they set a price that is lower than future market value. [10:32] What an option agreement actually is and selling the option to the tenant for $5000. [12:53] How this method actually helps grow a property management business. [14:01] How accidental investors are the one's property managers make the least from. This method helps make a profit from this group. [21:14] Signing the purchase agreement right out of the gate and list and itemize all expenses. Making sure the tenant understands the fee is non-refundable. Tweetables Not having enough money to provide high service levels makes us unprofessional. The better the pricing, the more likely the tenant is to close on the option. This is a neat thing that offers owners and tenants more than just a service call. Resources Marketplace Homes Marketplace Homes on Facebook #DoorGrowClub Mike Kalis on LinkedIn

A solid team is needed for any property management business to grow and be sustainable. One of the largest challenges of having, building, and retaining a team is creating an environment that enables team members to thrive. Having a culture and vision is foundational for attracting and keeping the right people on that team. In this episode, I interview Tim Wehner from Dodson Property Management. Dodson is a large company with a large team, which is perfect for today’s topic of having a culture and vision within a property management business. Tim shares how they create a culture at Dodson and how a shared vision helps motivate team members. You'll Learn... [03:43] Writing out a mission statement, company values, and vision. Then taking small steps to accomplish those. [05:43] Dodson has about 1475 properties under 10 units and 4000 in the multifamily department. [07:43] How important it is to make sure everyone shares the same vision and values. [09:44] Dodson promotes long lasting relationships by dividing groups into pods. [10:23] Dodson and their purpose or mission statement. Creating a positive relationship with tenants and owners. Trust, comfort, and pride. [11:57] Values are to be empathetic, honorable, driven, and courageous. [12:39] Vision to positively impact over 500,000 lives by 2025 is where they want to go at Dodson. [13:24] The importance of community within their vision and the impact they make on the community. [14:27] Inspire others to love true principles at Door Grow. Energy management and what is in line with purpose. Learning and sharing for fun. [19:28] Trust and relying on each other and being able to share while talking with people like they are human beings. [23:20] Being open to employees with new ideas. [24:46] Challenges dealing with things like gossip and office politics. Trust and open dialogue go a long way. [32:07] Making sure a job is a good fit and the team member will be motivated in their role. [40:21] Celebrating wins and asking how to give support as a leader. This allows feedback and creates momentum. [46:04] How memories don't even exist unless there is emotion attached to that. Create positive emotions and wins. [52:02] Finding what is working and continue doing that. [52:22] Get clear on your purpose and values. Have a vision of where you want to be. Tweetables It’s not important to copy another business's culture. It’s important to discover your business's culture. Our goal is to deliver a living experience unlike any other. We are a people business that not only focuses on clients but also tenants and customers. Resources Dodson Property Management Tim Wehner LinkedIn Tim Wehner Twitter @wehner1tim NARPM Traction [email protected] 804-426-1660 Wehner1Tim on Snapchat KingJasonHull on Snapchat  

When starting and building a business growth is an important factor. Emulating successful people can also be a shortcut to success, but keep in mind that doing the same thing as someone else that is in a different growth stage doesn’t make sense. Different tactics need to be used in different growth stages. In this episode, I am talking with Steve Rozenberg from Empire Industries. Steve grew his business from zero to 700 doors in four years. Steve has a really interesting story that he is able to go out and share because he is supported by a really great team. We talk about Steve’s story, stages of growth, and more. You'll Learn... [03:24] Steve's background as an airline pilot and how 911 was a pivotal point in his career and life. [06:37] He was attracted to real estate because he liked the fact of leveraging time and money. [07:11] He was doing well with houses and apartments, then he bought 20 low-income properties and got in over his head. [08:32] While trying to solve his low-income housing problem he and his partner ended up creating a business model for property management. [09:22] Their first hire was a business coach, then their first full-time employee. [09:46] They are a sales and marketing company that trains employees to close. [11:33] If you run a property management business you should be focusing on things other than the actual management. [13:20] Having a strategic 30,000-foot view of your business. [17:41] Helping your team in order for them to support you. [20:12] Doing a time study to understand where time is spent. Time needs to be on strategic business. [28:06] The importance of mindset and positive self-talk. We can talk our brains into and out of things. [30:47] The transition of handing the reigns over to your time after being the person who did everything themselves. [33:39] Growing a company to your level of incompetence, then you need to grow your level. [38:23] The importance of looking at the numbers and the cost of marketing. [43:40] The importance of branding yourself as an expert and building an awesome reputation. [01:01:33] How your number 1 prospect is your existing customer. Asking for referrals is also a good idea. Tweetables As a leader, your job is to grow the team and encourage them not to say “get out of the way I’ll do this better than you”. I’ve learned that the way to grow a company is to surround yourself with much smarter people. It’s not doing one massive action, it’s taking action continually that has been the key to our success. Resources Empire Industries Cold Leads Calculator Steven Rozenberg on Facebook Empire Industries on Facebook Call Steve (888)866-6727 Empire Industries Radio Show  

Being a property manager is a great career and a great way to earn an income. Getting in on a growing opportunity and building a solid business is fun and profitable. Yet, many property managers can get stuck on depending on only transactional income through adding clients. In this episode, we learn about a way to break this cycle. In this episode my guest is Jim Ingersoll from Big Money Investor. Jim shares creative ways to fund deals. He is a real estate investor with a lot of great ideas. My goal for this show is to make things very relevant for property managers. We discuss how property managers can break through the transactional cycle and purchase their own investment properties to manage and grow revenues for themselves along with their clients. You'll Learn... [02:05] How Jim helps people get into owning properties of their own and not just managing them for everyone else. [02:33] How property managers often get stuck in a transactional income stream. They would like to break out of this cycle but don't always know how. [03:00] Why some property managers don't have properties of their own. [03:47] Getting rid of the 20% down bank-funded myth. [04:35] Assuming loans, letting an owner be the bank, joint ventures - funding through someone else, real estate can be a retirement account. [07:16] Buying a property "subject to" an existing loan staying in place. [09:53] Structuring financing through free and clear owners who want to sell without any management responsibilities. [12:52] Joint venture with someone who has money on the sideline, where you do the work and they provide the capital and you share cash flow and equity when you sell. [16:34] How joint ventures would be a great method for property managers to get properties. [21:34] Investing retirement accounts in real estate. You are not limited to stocks and bonds. [22:33] Using self-directed retirement accounts to invest in real estate. 25:03] Using leverage in real estate is a huge benefit. 26:01] Creative options with short-term rentals Airbnb to traveling nurses. Tweetables Taking over a loan is a great strategy for truly motivated sellers. An incentive for owner financing is earning 5-6 times more interest than from the bank. A problem landlords can run into with 20% down loans is cash flow shortages. Resources Big Money Investor Free Gift from Jim Quest IRA Equity Trust Airbnb

If you have ever thought that managing properties would be so much easier if there was just a mobile or iPhone app that connected to your property management software and linked to your website, your time has come. Today’s episode is all about a mobile app that does just that along with insights and more from the apps creator. In this episode, I am talking with Evan Savar from MyResisentLiNC a software app that helps manage all aspects of property management from communication tools for residents to custom setup for property managers. They are currently focused on multifamily properties and connecting entire portfolios, but they are also starting to address specific residential needs. Evan shares all of this with us and more on today’s show. You'll Learn... [02:11] About Evan and his background. He is from Las Vegas and has always been an entrepreneur. [02:48] He created Evinar a live streaming tool for Facebook. [03:23] He has always been interested in communities and community creation through technology. And he created a tool to connect communities in an apartment setting. [04:43] MyResidentLiNC is an app that connects property management for all properties within a portfolio. Each community is run separately without having to create a custom app for each one. A flexible mobile app for customizing based on your area. [06:51] Needs and technology are all over the board, but the app helps organize and aggregate all of the tools and needs. [08:54] Meeting diverse needs and making it flexible and scalable. [10:51] Some cool things they have done is integrate with Calendly and reduce print costs. [15:24] How tools like this make sense once the 100 door barrier is broken. [21:25] How time is a big challenge for property managers. Advantages of scaling without throwing people at it. Tweetables It’s not the place that makes the person, but it’s the person who makes the place. We want to make sure we understand the needs specifically for each type of business. MyResidentLiNC enables one to one and one for all communication with residents. Resources MyResidentLiNC

Sales are the backbone of any business, yet it is something that most people struggle with. One thing that can help all of us is understanding the psychology behind what makes influences a persons decision to buy.  Mike Michalowicz the best selling author of Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, and Surge is back on the show. This week we are talking about behavior influences regarding sales. It’s all about what affects sales and what helps you sell your property management services. Mike shares his research and insights on this important topic. Be sure to listen to our popular, previous episode with Mike: DGS 25: Why Every Property Manager Should Implement Profit First You'll Learn... [03:00] How entrepreneurs struggle with momentum mode and overwhelm mode. [06:11] How we are wired to pay attention to things that are different. [11:18] How we feel compelled to share our knowledge and power of secrets. [14:45] Identifying what the customer truly needs and delivering it. [21:11] The Phoenix Effect and how there is automatic envy of someone in a superior position. [27:30] Having a compelling story with a high point and a low point and inviting the audience to climb with you. [31:36] How to have a perfect vision. [34:35] Focusing on the end benefit and sharing a story of the benefit. [42:20] Always look and see what the mass is doing and then do the opposite thing. [43:09] Being different and showing that you are unique and simple. [43:54] The more options the more paralyzed we become. [46:08] Catering to specific niches and benefits of frequency, intimacy, and trust. [55:36] How little guys can move faster than the big guy and always be different in business. [01:01:07] The way that Mike's website is radically different. [01:02:12] To make your business stand out, take a step. Tweetables Having the courage to be different guarantees attention. Envy or pity both result in avoidance. Once you get someone’s attention, you need to sell what they consume. Resources Mike Michalowicz's Books on Amazon Previous Podcast with Mike: Why Every Property Manager Should Implement Profit First Contagious: Why Things Catch On (Book on Amazon)

Property managers want to get business and make money, but they often make the mistake of underpricing their services. In the long and short run, it would be much better to make more revenue with less clients. The challenge is finding a way to reach an audience that will pay for a quality service and allow you to actually make money. Today, I am speaking about price sensitivity to the franchisees at Keyrenters. I had done some past consulting work with them,and they invited me to speak to their regular audience. I talk about how marketing to different channels and having a solid reputation while being able to sell to the right audience can make all of the difference with pricing options. You'll Learn... [03:42] Shoring up branding and creating reputation profiles as a business. [04:53] Category expansion is building brands and creating market share by finding an audience. [10:33] Focusing on the blue water where everyone else isn't.[13:24] Reviews are one channel for warm leads, but you can multiple review channels. [14:11] Sales is the number one thing to know. [15:42] How to deal with pricing and people asking for discounts. [16:34] Discount type companies have a higher churn rate and lower retention rate. [17:11] Reaching out and touching people and letting them know you are a better option. [17:47] Taking on too many doors at low price points will make you overextend yourself and not be able to hire help. It's better to have a profile of half the size and make more revenue. [18:54] Keeping costs low while getting a fee that makes sense. [19:19] Decide what you want and what you can part with. [23:02] Learning how to sell through failure or getting coaching. [23:59] Investing in yourself is the best investment. Mindset shifts for valuing yourself. [30:55] Knowing and understanding your business leads to success and more of the same. [32:28] Multipliers of increasing your sales by a small percentage. [37:46] Understanding why you are in the business and why you do and how you do it. The art and science of figuring out your why. [42:32] The number one thing you can do to improve is invest in yourself every day. [46:40] Taking action on the four main areas of your life. Tweetables The majority of property management clients come through word of mouth. The close rate on reviews from tenants and owners could be 70% by going more personal and leveraging reciprocity. The difference between a cold lead and a warm lead is that they know you, trust you, and like you. Resources Keyrenter Franchise Cold Leads Calculator Grant Cardone Increasing Fees in Property Management with Darren Hunter Cold Calling FRBOs for Property Managers With Daniel Madison National Association of Realtors Broker Summit  

Today, I am hanging out with Jameson Brandon and talking about the subject of genius and speed learning. We talk about how to really tap in and connect with your genius and purpose, and how to remove stuff from your life that is preventing that from happening. This all affects growth and how your business is growing. We talk about energy management, time management, and building a team that is motivated and passionate. Every business, especially, property management businesses want to grow faster. Jameson and I talk about unlocking your inner genius to grow your business faster. Most business owners want to be moving faster, but they run into roadblocks. People commonly think the roadblocks are due to lack of tools or resources, but they are usually rooted in a much deeper belief. In this episode, we explore what it means to be a genius, and how to bring out the genius in all of us. You'll Learn... [04:00] What it takes to be a genius. We all have genius inside us. [07:11] How people need to find what drives them and gives them joy. [09:41] How identifying with something creates a dynamic that makes it stronger. [10:12] Producer is a dreamer and thinker. The performer is a doer. In school, we are forced to become performers. [12:44] How what gets measured is the thing where the focus is. [16:47] Shifting our thinking towards passion and what we desire through an increase in awareness and asking deeper questions. [19:12] Why we deserve to remove the little things that take away our power. [21:25] Asking the tough questions and removing what we don't want to do. [24:31] Inspiring others to find their true principles and getting clear on why. [26:06] How energy management and feeling good is even better than time management. [27:21] Finding out what your employees love doing and hire them for that. [29:06] Going through the refinement process of letting go and finding what you love. [30:04] Knowing your purpose and focus enables you to learn much quicker. Stand on the shoulders of giants and learn from others. [31:10] Tell your mind to serve up more of what you are focusing on. Thin down your focus. [32:17] Having each team member focus on one thing. [33:48] Finding a company or software that fills the challenges you are facing. [34:49] Focusing on a few core things that you should focus on. [38:29] The endless to-do list of stuff to learn. [39:31] Put people in place to manage things. Have a process for how things are done, and even how much you learn. [44:15] Speed learning hacks. Find in love with the topic. Break it down into micro pieces and study until they become a habit. Create micro goals or measurements, so you know that you are moving forward. [46:32] Laws of frequency and recently. And reviewing. [50:44] Getting very good at living in the future to become the future thing. Tweetables Everybody is a genius. We all have a magical ability to make things effortlessly happen. Genius state is taking the flow state and making it an everyday thing. Resources How great leaders inspire action Simon Sinek Ted Talk Optimizing Man @jbrandon0 Jameson on Twitter Jameson on Facebook Jameson YouTube Jameson LinkedIn  

Today, I am speaking with John Ray, of Inspect & Cloud, a digital property inspection software product. If you haven’t heard of this software, I think you will love it. It is just really cool, and John is also a really cool guy. John began in real estate when he was 18 years old. He soon discovered that selling houses was harder than he thought, but he was good with technology. He started developing websites for realtors and working on marketing and lead generation. While working on the tech side of real estate, John was offered an opportunity to teach at Google. He ended up traveling with a group of brand ambassadors and teaching SEO, lead generation, and email marketing. John wanted to implement some of the things he was teaching and he was also fascinated by SaaS product. After talking to many realtors, he realized that there was a pain point when it came to managing paper property inspections. Here is John’s story of the creation of Inspect & Cloud. You'll Learn... [04:47] How managing paper property inspections was an issue which created an opportunity for searchable cloud based reports. [05:44] In three and half years they have grown from zero users to over a thousand. [06:22] Inspect & Cloud digitizes inspection reports. [07:51] How Inspect & Cloud makes it really easy to compile and organize property information in a few minutes. [09:53] Saving time using software as opposed to hiring more people. Scalable businesses use technology. [11:34] How Inspect & Cloud offers the most features and most streamlined inspection report organization. [14:10] How using one software that does everything doesn't give you the features and efficiency of specialized software that does the best job. [18:30] The goal of managing systems and processes and let those manage the team. [20:55] How Gamification and accountability are incorporated into the software. [24:21] Leveraging software and communication the right way. [28:56] Challenges with property managers not communicating the actions they are taking. [37:37] How it's backward thinking to skimp on software that touches with the property owners. [40:00] Perceived value is everything. Your competitive advantage allows you to collect prospects. Tweetables It was fascinating that I could offer service and build products from a backpack anywhere in the world. We offer a solution that hits 30 or 40 extra valuable data points. This new software is helping to bridge the property management gap and utilize the best tools. Resources Inspect & Cloud 14 Day Free Trial for DoorGrow Listeners

If you are frustrated by the support or lack of support from your property management software, you will be interested in this show. Today, I am talking with Nathan Miller, from Rentec Direct. The one thing I keep hearing about Rentec Direct is that they have fantastic customer service. This is really unique because we don’t often hear that property management software has amazing support. If you want to know what makes great support or are in the market for new property management software, you might want to give this episode a listen. You'll Learn... [02:35] Nathan formed Rentec, in 2007, because he wanted to make landlords lives simpler [03:19] Nathan has a background in software development and he was also a property manager [04:59] In 2009, the free version of Rentec turned into a real company with additional functionality [06:11] Why someone should choose Rentec Direct they know the software and the rental business [10:08] Why Rentec is profitable and how they treat clients and employees [11:23] Number one challenge with software is getting people to use it [13:09] Fine tuning features to save time for property managers which creates huge cost savings [14:25] Many SaaS companies have a lot of inefficient clicks. Rentec was designed more like an application so that everything can be done with one click [18:24] How Rentec has the best support team and live chat [21:25] How they offer free migrations to help with the difficulty of switching property management software [23:55] Integrations and APIs to work with other software [26:20] Rentec Direct is cloud-based and can be accessed from a web browser Tweetables I couldn’t find software to help me, I assumed there were other landlords with the same problems. We help property managers with the software and with the rental business. It’s our goal at Rentec to earn our customer’s business every month. Resources Rentec Direct