312: A Playbook For Buying and Holding Rental Properties with Jennifer Ruelens

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Jennifer Ruelens, a longtime property manager and unapologetic truth-teller in the real estate industry. With more than two decades of hands-on experience, Jennifer shares what buy-and-hold investors often misunderstand about property management, tenant relationships, and the real work required to make rentals perform over time.

The conversation explores why real estate investing is rarely passive, how deferred maintenance and avoidance cost investors far more than management fees, and why many landlords struggle when they underestimate the human side of housing. Jennifer explains how professional property management reduces risk, stabilizes assets, and helps investors focus on long-term wealth rather than short-term cash flow.

Listeners will also hear a candid discussion about ego, DIY investing, family dynamics, and why many investors fail not because of bad deals, but because they avoid hard conversations and responsibility. This episode offers a grounded, experience-driven perspective on what it really takes to succeed with buy-and-hold real estate.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why buy-and-hold real estate is a business, not a passive investment

• How poor property management decisions erode long-term returns

• The true cost of deferred maintenance and conflict avoidance

• Why professional management often increases NOI despite added fees

• How stabilizing properties protects both tenants and investors

• The role of expectations, transparency, and service in tenant retention

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Supporting Resources

Connect with Jen:

Website: https://holditwithpmjen.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@holditwithpmjen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoldItwithPMJen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holditwithpmjen/

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jenniferruelens

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@holditwithpmjen

Connect with Jonathan:

Website - www.streamlined.properties

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/streamlinen​j

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/jonathangreene

Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties

Email - [e-mail]

This episode was produced by Outlier Audio.