In this episode, Jennifer Stoops shares how she scaled a PM company to 3,600+ doors before transitioning into her current role as SVP of Industry Relations at PetScreening.

We dig into that journey - from building systems and PM pod structures at scale to managing an office with 30 dogs (yes, really).

Jennifer explains what most PMs get wrong about pet policies, how unreported pets erode NOI, and why PetScreening has become the “Carfax for pets.” We also cover M&A pitfalls, vendor risk, breed restrictions, and why the portfolio model often breaks past a certain door count.

We discuss:

• (00:02:04) - Jennifer’s background and career
• (00:11:35) - Incident tracking
• (00:14:59) - Breed restrictions in insurance policies
• (00:16:51) - Sponsor - ⁠Crane⁠
• (00:19:04) - Discrimination by weight and breed
• (00:20:32) - Americans spending more on pets than kids
• (00:22:19) - Jennifer’s time at Park Avenue Properties
• (00:23:47) - How to organize a larger PM company
• (00:34:11) - Sponsor -⁠ RentEngine⁠
• (00:36:04) - Multi-market operations
• (00:50:00) - Advice to PM owners considering selling
• (00:53:59) - Non-obvious things to improve sales prospects
• (00:58:24) - Advice for considerations to take seriously in 2025 if you’re looking to acquire other companies
• (01:01:05) - How to approach an owner when you want to acquire them
• (01:07:26) - Getting in touch with Jennifer

Learn more & connect with me here:

• ⁠Crane⁠, the private community for property management business owners.
• ⁠My Free PM Newsletter⁠
• ⁠RL Property Management⁠

Learn more and connect with Jennifer here:

• Jennifer on LinkedIn
• PetScreening

Monica Gilroy is the founder of the Gilroy Law Firm and a legal powerhouse in the property management space.

In this episode, she shares what to do if ICE shows up, how to bulletproof your application process, and why short leases are fine (if your systems are solid). We also dive into lawsuits, insurance gaps, and why you can say no to Section 8 in some markets (if you do it right).

If you’ve ever felt legally exposed running your PM biz, this episode brings clarity - and a few fun “ask me how I know” moments.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:01:56) - Monica’s background and career
• (00:04:09) - How PMs can handle ICE enforcement
• (00:08:09) - Approving renters
• (00:14:19) - Emotional Support Animals
• (00:16:00) - Sponsor - CallRail
• (00:17:18) - Appealing PM laws
• (00:23:33) - Waiving late fees
• (00:25:32) - Insurance
• (00:32:32) - Sponsor - RentEngine
• (00:34:26) - Putting a non-disparagement clause in a lease
• (00:43:02) - ADA Website lawsuits
• (00:48:38) - Section 8 nuances
• (00:54:31) - What are property managers afraid of that they shouldn’t be, and what are they not thinking about that should worry them?
• (01:00:41) - Getting in touch with Monica

Learn more & connect with me here:

• ⁠Crane⁠, the private community for property management business owners.
• ⁠My Free PM Newsletter⁠
• ⁠RL Property Management⁠

Learn more and connect with Monica here:

• The Gilroy Firm
• Monica on LinkedIn

In this episode, I sat down with Lisa Horner, Chief Marketing Officer at AppFolio - LIVE at the AppFolio FUTURE Conference. We talked about what’s actually working in property management marketing today, digging into AI hype vs. real impact, why understanding your customer beats clever tactics, and how to market without sounding like… well, a marketer.

Lisa shares how AppFolio stays close to operators (literally - engineers on the tradeshow floor), why branding starts with asking “who are we?” and “what do we care about?”, and how the best marketing campaigns begin with deep empathy and strategic constraints.

We also touch on leadership transitions, the role of experimentation, and how business owners can prepare for AI-powered change (without panicking).

We discuss:

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:01:44) - AI in Property Management
• (00:06:03) - Marketing Strategies in the AI Era
• (00:09:17) - Understanding Customer Needs
• (00:16:31) - Sponsor - PropertyManagement.com
• (00:20:53) - Leadership and Management Insights
• (00:30:41) - Reflecting on Personal Beliefs and Values
• (00:30:53) - The Fear of Defining Your Brand
• (00:31:33) - Strategic Planning and Constraints
• (00:32:16) - The Importance of Targeted Marketing
• (00:33:00) - Sponsor - RentEngine
• (00:34:54) - The Impact of AI on SEO and Digital Marketing
• (00:37:47) - Embracing Experimentation in Marketing
• (00:40:23) - Understanding Your Customer Base
• (00:46:45) - Balancing Inbound and Outbound Marketing
• (00:49:15) - Leveraging Technology for Business Growth
• (00:55:34) - The Role of Marketing Beyond Lead Generation
• (00:57:21) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Learn more and connect with Lisa here:

• Lisa on LinkedIn
• AppFolio

Learn more & connect with me here:

• ⁠⁠⁠Crane⁠⁠⁠, the private community for property management business owners.
• ⁠⁠⁠My Free PM Newsletter⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠RL Property Management⁠⁠⁠