Beyond Rent: Exploring Property Management

An $80,000 special assessment nearly cost Steven Laidlaw his first condo. It cost two of his neighbors theirs. In this episode of Beyond Rent, the founder of Stelor explains how a reserve study written to keep fees low set an entire building up for a financial shock nobody saw coming, and why that same failure is now playing out across North America at scale.

Steven breaks down the structural flaw in the traditional reserve ...

Accounts payable automation in property management traces back to a single dinner in late 1999. Mike Praeger had just sold a software company when Charlotte property owner Daniel Levine described how hard it was to get vendors paid on time and how much paper stood in the way. Praeger went looking for software he could recommend, found nothing, and started AvidXchange instead. In this episode of Beyond Rent, he joins host Joe Easton...

Security deposit management is the rare property management process that costs real time, creates real legal exposure, and generates no revenue at all. That combination is exactly why it has gone unfixed for decades. In this episode of Beyond Rent, Conor Brennan, Co-Founder of Rentable, makes the case that security deposits are a risk center rather than a profit center, and walks through what it takes to modernize a process that mo...

Most operators trying to scale a property management company assume profitability arrives gradually. Nik Boone says it doesn’t arrive at all until roughly 600 doors. In this episode of Beyond Rent, the founder of Ascend Real Estate & Property Management in Bakersfield, California, explains why 300 doors is the trap so many owners get stuck in: big enough to feel like success, small enough that the owner is still working d...

Voice is the next frontier of AI, and Lindsay Liu, co-founder and CEO of Super, will be the first to tell you it's also the hardest problem to solve. In this episode of Beyond Rent, Lindsay breaks down why voice AI is so much more complex than chat-based interfaces, and what it actually takes to build a system property managers can rely on.

The conversation covers where AI is already delivering real results today, including structur...

What does it actually take to scale a property management business — and is doing it inside a franchise really faster than going it alone? In this episode of Beyond Rent, Steve Hart, CEO and co-founder of Property Management Inc. (PMI), joins the show to unpack what it looks like to build inside the property management franchise model, and why PMI has grown into the largest property management franchise network in the country...

Manufactured housing has long carried a stigma, but Kaliber Management is rewriting that story. In this episode of Beyond Rent, Brent Dudley and Bryce McMurry break down how their vertically integrated business model has allowed them to acquire, develop, and manage manufactured housing communities at a quality level the industry rarely sees. From building parks with modern amenities to navigating capital markets and legislation, Ka...

Resident screening has always been part of the leasing process — but Johnny Bravo, Product Strategist at Rent Butter, makes a compelling case that it should be much more than that. In this episode of Beyond Rent, Johnny argues that screening belongs in the operational infrastructure of every property management company, sitting alongside insurance and maintenance rather than being treated as a one-time checkbox. With 20 years...

In this episode, you’ll hear how leasing data is revealing meaningful shifts in renter demand, market conditions, and operational performance. The discussion explains why growing days on market, lower lead volume, and flat rents are changing how property managers need to approach leasing. You’ll also learn how automation, conversion-focused metrics, and self-service leasing tools can help you work more efficiently, impr...

In this episode, you’ll hear a detailed discussion on the ways AI is changing leasing analytics and prospect engagement in property management. The conversation focuses on why response speed, data quality, and modern KPIs matter more than ever as renter expectations continue to rise. You’ll learn how AI-supported leasing teams are improving response times, reducing vacancy days, and using better data to guide prospects ...

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Rising costs, tighter margins, and increased competition make it easy to blame the market for shrinking profits. But for many property management companies, the real issue is internal inefficiency. In this episode, Jay from Better Who explains why operational waste, undocumented policies, unclear roles, and poorly defined processes quietly drain profitability every single day. Jay breaks down how prop...

Abe Schuchman, Executive Director and CEO of Housing Unlimited, joins the podcast to discuss the need for quality, affordable housing for individuals with psychiatric disabilities who are in recovery. 

Housing Unlimited is committed to community integration and independence for these renters by providing renovated scattered-site homes that offer independent living for individuals in mental health recovery.

Abe also shares why cl...

Kevin Jacobson, CEO at Foxen, joins the podcast to discuss navigating the challenges of growing a multifamily business and three different approaches to take.

The first method is “Outside Your Four Walls”: How you show up to external stakeholders. The importance of understanding your customers’ evolving needs. How senior leaders demonstrate credibility, vision, and financial discipline to banks and investors. Balan...

Present-day renters expect mobile-first, instant payments. Digital rent payments are on the rise as manual or paper-based processes often lead to impatience, friction, and even fraud. 

Chris Helmers, Vice President of Sales & Client Success at Zego, joins the podcast to discuss the state of digital rent payments, including an industry snapshot and market outlook. He also explains the connection between check fraud and ident...

Only 25% of property managers use video as a tool in their listings, and 10% or fewer use it for communication and education.

Jennifer Ruelens, Founder and Broker of One Focus Property Management, joins the podcast to discuss why video is the best scalable way to build credibility and relationships; how to succeed in video production; why public videos consistently increase visibility, impact, and differentiation for your company; a...

Mindy Parish, Founder and Chief Consultant of Parish Consulting, joins the podcast to discuss how establishing a monthly operating rhythm can improve your organization and develop the next generation of community leaders. Using monthly checklists that focus on key areas of portfolio operations—financials, capital, resident relations, property inspections, safety, compliance, etc.—managers can gain a 360° view of operati...

Communication is a perpetual challenge in business and a task that property managers are always trying to improve.

On this episode of the podcast, Joseph Schultz, co-founder of Efformance, discusses how technology can help us be more efficient in communication. Joseph addresses the biggest resident communication challenges; ways to improve internal communication; how technology helps solve these challenges; and how communication can...

Traditionally viewed as an entry-level role, the leasing agent position has evolved. Today’s agents must bring strong professionalism and specialized skills to the job. Finding a home can be stressful, and prospects deserve knowledgeable, well-trained agents who focus on building relationships—not just closing transactions.

Stephanie Oehler, Founder of Savvy Leasing, joins the podcast to discuss why sales is such an impo...

Maintenance is an extremely important aspect of the property management industry—and thanks to advancements in technology and artificial intelligence (AI)—it’s a field that’s changing rapidly.

Bo Lais, CEO and Cofounder of Lula, joins the podcast to discuss massive shifts in society that have resulted in high expectations for maintenance; how to leverage technology and buying power to control maintenance cost...