Letter from the Future with Peter McKenzie, Rincon PM

Pete McKenzie embodies a “just do it” mentality for startups, and advises leaders to support their people, not dictate.

Some of the best property management (PM) players achieved their goals after years of making mistakes. Success only comes if you commit to trial and error, embrace failure, and follow your path.

Our Letter from the Future series allows PM business leaders to provide unique stories and actionable tips. Peter McKenzie from Rincon Property Management sat down with Strategic PM to talk about what he would tell his former self, if he could, that he learned along his business journey.

Who Is Peter McKenzie?

I unofficially started Rincon in 2014, but it was more of a hobby for the first few years. Rincon has now grown substantially, focusing on residential properties, mostly owned by accidental landlords.

No one intentionally becomes a PM entrepreneur. When I was 26, I was working as a firefighter, but I started investing in duplexes and properties nationwide. I wanted to buy assets — my peers were buying liabilities. I was in many different markets, and exposed to many poorly run PM companies.

I grew to hate PM companies. I realized that I could – and wanted to – do it better. I wanted to flip the script of PM companies that are so often seen in a negative light. Usually, they’re trying to work as cheaply as possible. People care about price, but they care more about value. Rincon works with highly profitable clients who see the value in investing in the best software and staff to deliver excellent services.

Biggest Lessons Learned in Growing His Business

I always focus on taking action. If I see a problem, including my current leadership challenge to find a CMO, I don’t dwell on it too long. I learn about the problem and develop a solution, and when that’s clear, I just act. Execution is one of my superpowers.