Fresh out of NARPM National, the Strategic PM team and NARPM President Melissa Sharone discuss what they learned and where the industry is headed.

The Strategic PM team recently returned from the NARPM National Convention and Expo in Dallas, Texas, a place for all in the industry to come together, learn, connect, and (now more than ever) speculate on the latest AI tools and trends.

In an industry like property management, where one market can be just as distinct as the next, conferences like the NARPM National Convention remind us that the whole is but the sum of its parts, helping us to come together and sustain what we do on a national level.

And even though the industry had an odd and somewhat unique year in 2024, this year’s convention showed us how it’s adapting, evolving, and anticipating change in 2025.

Takeaways From NARPM National

Many of the vendors who attended the conference this year echoed the same sentiment: Business has been slow.

Why? After the COVID-19 pandemic, many growth decisions in the property management space were made in haste to capitalize on growing demand. New business was everywhere, and the property management vendor market was thriving.

The situation, however, has since changed: Property managers are a little less excited to invest in new vendors and try new things now. Combine that with how unusually difficult it’s been to get investors to buy new properties, and you have stifled vendor activity.

But NARPM wasn’t all bad news.

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Property management executives Marc & Jennifer go head-to-head. Who comes out on top?

It’s the great debate: What’s the best way for a property management company to attract new owners? Who should bring in the new biz?

One thing’s for certain: PMs and BDMs are two essential pillars of success. But who’s really sealing the deals, and where is the line drawn between them?

We framed the debate with Marc Cunningham, whose views are forged by having performed every job in the PM industry.

Marc is President of the thriving Grace Property Management, founded by his father, Alan, in 1978. He grew up in the world of real estate and property management and is a national educator on the subject who has taught in over 25 states.

Marc was joined by Jennifer Merritt, RentScale’s own Chief Operating Officer and Integrator, whose coaching expertise, among many other skills and qualifications, has helped RentScale hire hundreds of BDMs to help its clients’ businesses grow.

Jeremy Pound, CEO of RentScale, proctors the debate.

Now, let’s set the stage: The property management community sees decreased lead volume. Rising insurance costs concern prospective homeowners in larger, disaster-prone states like California and Florida. Sales projections are falling short.
So, who should be bringing in the business? BDMs or PMs? Mark says PMs. Jeremy and Jennifer Merritt with RentScale say BDMs.

Who’s right? And is there really a debate at all? Buckle up, because both parties share a ton of great information.

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To build lead flow, property management CEOs need educational marketing content and the right BDM.

In an age of seemingly endless content and media, those who can master the art of digital and traditional communication will position themselves as experts in listeners' minds, who very well may be itching to become prospective customers.
But how can you ensure they become your customers? With phenomenal content.

We get it. It’s hard for business leaders to find the time to generate engaging and mutually rewarding stuff. Hard, that is, unless they’ve got the BDM of their dreams on their team.

Enter John W. Tiner, the owner and CEO of Tiner Properties, a real estate sales and full-service residential property management company.

John got his start in the business as a handyman, fixing up properties and answering phone calls, when he joined Tiner Properties under the management of his father in 1986. His parents asked him to join their team and grow their property management (40 doors at the time) so his father could focus on real estate sales.

Today, that number is around 1250 and growing rapidly, with John and his team pulling in about 250 new accounts annually.

Strategic PM sat down with him to discuss the essence of leadership, the value of a great BDM, and how good old-fashioned radio can still catalyze the sales process.

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Justin Mann, CEO of StoneLink Property Management, breaks down how he scaled from zero to 1,500 doors—not by outsourcing services, but by owning them. From launching a plumbing company to acquiring landscaping and construction teams, Justin reveals how vertical integration has become his unfair advantage. You'll hear how this strategy not only creates better outcomes for owners and residents but also builds a moat around the business, unlocks new revenue streams, and transforms everyday vendors into lead generators. If you're ready to rethink what's possible in property management, this one's for you.

In this episode of This Week in PM, Jeremy Pound sits down with industry visionary Mark Brower to explore a bold new future for property management. Mark breaks down how PMs can move beyond rent collection and become true wealth advisors — transforming a typical $45K client outcome into a $2 million legacy. From mindset shifts to client retention strategies, this episode is packed with big ideas that challenge the status quo and reveal how to unlock 10X revenue without adding a single new door.

Travis and Brandon to uncover the real reason most property management companies struggle to grow—it’s not a lack of leads. They dive into the costly gap between marketing and sales, and reveal how a simple focus on Google reviews can change everything.

The Secret to Creating Unbeatable Customer Experiences

Lance Lambert, founder of ResiClub, joins Jeremy for a breakdown of the data he is using to get a pulse on the unusual housing market we find ourselves in and shares some of the metrics we should not be ignoring.

Todd Ortscheid from PM Assist and Revolution Rental Management joins jeremy to discuss the highly debated topic of fee maxing, and makes the case for why it will make your business healthier and your clients happier.