Unfiltered by PropertyManagement.com

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins talks with Declan McGonigal, CEO of myBeach Vacation Rentals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, about building a property management business across both the long-term and short-term rental markets.

Declan shares how he got into property management, grew his vacation rental portfolio from just a handful of properties to more than 80, and later acquired a long-term management company that now manages around 285 properties. He explains why the two sides of the business operate with completely different teams, technology, and day-to-day demands.

They also dive into the realities of running a highly seasonal short-term rental market, the challenges of relying on platforms like Airbnb, and why property managers need to turn platform guests into direct customers. Declan breaks down when short-term rentals can be a strong revenue opportunity, when the investment may not be worth it, and what owners need to consider before converting a property.

The conversation also explores AI, including where Declan is already seeing meaningful results, why short-term rentals are harder to automate, and why chasing every new AI tool can become a distraction from the biggest bottleneck in your business.

Links

Declan on LinkedIn - / Declan McGonigal | LinkedIn

Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn

Matt on LinkedIn - / Matt Speer | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

01:50–03:58 — From Engineering to 80+ Vacation Rentals

05:34–06:35 — The Airbnb Dependency Problem

07:16–09:14 — Why Airbnb and Zillow Want to Own the Customer

09:43–12:14 — Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Two Different Ball Games

12:33–13:16 — Why Property Managers Love College Guests

19:09–20:59 — When a $1.5M Property Isn't Worth Going Short-Term

22:42–24:23 — Why AI Is Easier to Implement in Long-Term Rentals

25:00–26:09 — AI Can Be a Great Distraction

26:57–30:36 — How Property Management Changed Declan

32:18–32:36 — The Future of Property Management: "Disrupted"

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins talks with Katie Linkous, President of Freedom Investment Group, about building a multi-company real estate business while keeping people at the center of property management. Katie shares her journey from working as an ICU nurse to becoming a real estate investor and leader of five companies.

They dive into how Freedom Investment Group has built a business around property management, construction, brokerage, and nonprofit housing initiatives, including their work providing housing for people facing barriers to traditional housing. Katie also shares how her team approaches accountability, company culture, and creating a better experience for owners, tenants, and employees.

The conversation also explores AI and technology, including how Freedom Investment Group uses tools like Claude and Rent Engine to increase capacity and give their team more time to focus on the "people things." Katie discusses the changing property management landscape, the importance of proving the value of professional management, and why she sees the future of the industry as an opportunity.

Links

Katie on LinkedIn - / Katie Linkous | LinkedIn

Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

0:00 — Why property management can change people's lives

2:16 — Family, parenting, and working together

5:05 — Building a business across property management, construction, and housing

9:01 — The nonprofit's housing mission and flexible management approach

12:37 — From intensive-care nursing to real estate entrepreneurship

17:09 — Putting people at the center of property management

21:36 — Creating a workplace culture built on accountability and care

25:59 — Using AI and technology to free teams up for human work

31:02 — Where the property-management industry is headed

34:21 — How the work has deepened Katie's empathy

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins is joined by Tony Cline, founder of Onyx Property Management Coaching, to talk about the lessons he's learned from building, scaling, and eventually selling a multi-state property management company.

Tony shares how he went from managing roughly 30 doors to building a 330-door portfolio, expanding into six states, and navigating the challenges that come with growth, acquisitions, and leadership. He also draws on his experience as an ultra-runner to explain resilience, getting comfortable with discomfort, and pushing beyond the limits you put on yourself.

They also dive into AI, founder bottlenecks, delegation, client selection, and what it really takes to build a business that can operate without the owner being involved in every decision.

Links

Tony on LinkedIn - / Tony Cline | LinkedIn

Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

00:00 – From Property Management to Ultra Running

03:15 – How Tony Got Into Property Management

06:40 – Building Systems Around 30+ Doors

10:35 – Knowing Which Clients You Should Work With

14:20 – The Reality of Growing Through Acquisitions

18:05 – How AI Will Change Property Management

22:00 – The Founder as the Biggest Bottleneck

25:00 – Stop Being the Genius, Become the Conductor

28:43 – Your Business Will Never Outgrow Your Capacity

31:30 – The Championship Formula for Scaling a PM Business

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode, Dylan Scroggins is joined by Thomas Perfect, CEO of Uplift Property Management, to discuss his journey from running a 75-unit operation out of a small trailer to scaling the business to more than 1,000 doors. Tommy shares the leadership lessons that shaped his growth, the importance of building trust within a team, and how strategic staffing and performance-based equity helped create a culture focused on long-term success. They also explore the role of technology and AI in the future of property management, why thoughtful adoption matters more than chasing every new tool, and how trust and communication are becoming increasingly important in a rapidly changing industry. Tommy offers practical insights into building a resilient business, attracting top talent, and preparing property management companies for the next wave of industry disruption. Links Thomas on LinkedIn - / Thomas Perfect | LinkedIn Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/ The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter Chapters 00:01 — Intro to Tommy Perfect and Uplift Property Management 02:39 — How Tommy got started in property management 03:40 — Growing Uplift from a trailer to 1,000+ units 04:46 — The surprising story of how Tommy got hired 06:54 — Rapid growth from 75 to 550 doors overnight 09:24 — Staffing through explosive company growth 11:48 — The path from employee to 50% owner 13:23 — EOS, delegation, and Tommy's role as visionary 16:21 — AI, vibe coding, and guardrails for the future 22:09 — Generational change, trust, and why the market is shifting Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins talks with Mo Hashem, Visionary of Flat Fee Landlord, about what it takes to build and scale a property management company across multiple markets.

Mo shares how Flat Fee Landlord grew from Northern Virginia into the Texas Triangle, why Texas became a key market for the company, and how people, processes, EOS, and remote leadership have helped the business manage 600+ units across two regions.

The conversation also dives into some of the biggest questions facing property management today: AI, private equity, changing market conditions, and the risk of turning property management into a commodity. Mo explains where AI is already changing the way his team operates, why some roles no longer need to be replaced, and why he believes the companies that succeed will be the ones that continue creating real value for their clients.

Links

Mo on LinkedIn - / Mo A. Hashem| LinkedIn

Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

03:00 — Building Flat Fee Landlord

06:00 — Why Texas?

09:00 — Scaling Across Markets

11:30 — People, Processes & Remote Leadership

14:30 — The EOS Structure

16:30 — The Current Houston Market

18:11 — AI, VC/PE & the Future of PM

22:04 — AI Becoming a Commodity

25:00 — Building a Generational Business

28:00 — Lessons From 15 Years in Property Management

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins is joined by Stacey Salyer, an acquisition strategist from Bellingham, Washington, to discuss the strategies behind successful growth and acquisitions in property management. Drawing from her experience and industry insights, Stacey shares how operators can approach acquisitions more strategically and build stronger businesses through intentional growth.

They explore the role of relationships, acquisition strategy, and industry knowledge in creating opportunities for property management companies. Stacey also shares insights into what operators should consider when evaluating growth opportunities and how having the right strategy can make the difference between simply growing and building a stronger, more sustainable business.

This conversation offers practical insights for property management owners and operators looking to better understand acquisitions, identify opportunities, and approach growth with a more strategic mindset.

If you're thinking about expanding your property management business or simply want to better understand the acquisition side of the industry, this episode is worth a listen.

Links

Stacey on LinkedIn - / Stacey Salyer| LinkedIn

Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn

Matt on LinkedIn - / Matt Speer | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

0:53 — Stacy's origin story in property management

1:51 — Buying 370 doors at the start of COVID

3:58 — Growing from 200 to over 500 doors overnight

7:48 — Why acquisitions are heating up right now

8:05 — AI's impact on smaller PM companies

11:17 — The hot take: 100–300 door owners may be at risk

13:20 — How Stacy teaches people to build an acquisition engine

19:55 — The biggest mental hurdle: fear of buying

26:25 — How sellers should prepare 12–24 months out

35:16 — Favorite tools, podcasts, and the future of PM

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins sits down with Stephen Glover, CEO, owner, and principal broker of Peak Property Management, to discuss why growing a property management company isn't always about adding more doors. With nearly 1,500 rental units and a 45-person team, Stephen shares how turning down more than 4,000 units helped Peak protect its service, culture, and long-term growth.

They explore how Peak built a boutique brand around selectivity, trust, and strong relationships, along with the leadership systems that keep a growing team aligned. Stephen also shares how EOS, intentional hiring, and a focus on creating better "experiences" instead of simply following processes have shaped the company's approach to tenants, owners, and vendors.

From building a strong investor community in Richmond to navigating acquisitions and developing future leaders, this conversation offers practical insights for property management owners looking to grow without sacrificing the people and culture behind the business.

Links

Stephen on LinkedIn - / Stephen Glover | LinkedIn

Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

2:36 — His background in fitness and special operations team-building

3:25 — How he got offered a partnership and became an owner

5:37 — Turning down thousands of units to protect growth quality

6:32 — Why selective growth helped them build a strong reputation

8:38 — Building a product that everyone wants, but not everyone can have

12:45 — Brand, quality merch, and why they don't want to look cheap

21:40 — Leadership development and why building the right team was survival

31:59 — Reframing processes as "experiences" instead of just workflows

35:29 — The biggest opportunity and risk: AI in property management

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

AI is about to change property management but not in the way most operators think. In this episode, Matt Speer is joined by Blake Mohseni, Founder & CEO of Rising Tide, to unpack why the biggest opportunity isn't replacing people, but removing the repetitive work that keeps teams from focusing on owners, tenants, vendors, and growth.

Blake shares his approach to using executive assistants, SOPs, automation, and EOS to identify where businesses are losing time and where AI can create real leverage. He also explains Rising Tide's federation model, which helps strong property management companies grow while preserving their brands, teams, and existing systems.

If you're a property management owner or operator trying to figure out how to adopt AI without losing the human side of your business, this episode offers a practical look at where automation can create capacity and accelerate growth.

Find Blake at Rising Tide HQ:

Website: risingtidehq.com

Email: [email protected]

Links

Blake on LinkedIn - / Blake Mohseni | LinkedIn

Matt on LinkedIn - / Matt Speer | LinkedIn

PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/

The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm

Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter

Chapters

0:00 — Matt explains the time drain from email and scheduling

1:30 — Blake reframes the conversation around leverage

4:10 — AI as a canary in the coal mine for repeatable work

7:44 — Engineering loops and how to start using them

10:37 — The real value in property management is relationships

11:45 — EOS is still manual and full of repeatable workflows

25:04 — Blake explains Rising Tide as a federation, not a roll-up

28:59 — AI as an accelerant for growth, not just cost-cutting

43:52 — The Lab and the free AI consulting model

59:48 — "Service" as the one-word future of property management

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode of Unfiltered, Dylan Scroggins sits down with Josh Sterling, Chairman of Epic Property Management, to discuss how he went from buying his first rental property with 0% credit cards during the Great Recession to building a portfolio of more than 1,600 doors across Southeast Michigan. Josh shares the systems, operational strategies, and leadership principles that helped Epic scale beyond the common growth plateau many property management companies face. From developing custom software and embracing automation to building specialized teams and reducing resident turnover, this conversation is packed with practical insights for property management business owners looking to grow efficiently. If you're managing 100 doors or 10,000, this episode explores why efficiency *not just door count* is the key to building a scalable and profitable property management company. Links Josh on LinkedIn - / Josh Sterling | LinkedIn Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/ The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter Chapters 0:02 – Intro and welcome to Josh Sterling 1:53 – Josh's origin story: airline pilot to property management 3:20 – Starting with one house and growing to 1,200 owned units 5:43 – The three buckets of real estate and how Epic is structured 10:27 – AI, custom software, and the 300-unit growth plateau 12:02 – How Spark connects the operation and automates workflows 15:09 – Real-time turnover tracking and cutting turnover time nearly in half 20:11 – Leadership structure, specialization, and giving teams autonomy 24:44 – Why property management is harder now and where the industry is going 27:03 – Why turnover is Josh's top priority and how Epic minimizes it Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.

In this episode, Dylan Scroggins is joined by Engelo Rumora, a self-made entrepreneur who moved from Australia to Toledo and built a thriving real estate and property management business. Engelo shares how his journey from flipping more than 50 houses a year to running a lean, highly efficient operation shaped his approach to building a business designed to withstand economic downturns. They also explore how Engelo transformed property management from a business he once disliked into a scalable, recession-resistant operation by implementing SOPs, leveraging technology, and building the right team. Engelo offers insights into high-performance branding, bold marketing strategies, and the importance of creating a memorable presence in a competitive market—all while building a business that provides greater freedom and long-term sustainability. Links Engelo on LinkedIn - / Engelo Rumora | LinkedIn Dylan on LinkedIn - / Dylan Scroggins | LinkedIn PropertyManagement.com - https://propertymanagement.com/ The Kalmar Group - https://thekalmargroup.com/pm Subscribe to PropertyManagement.com's weekly Newsletter: https://propertymanagement-com.kit.com/subscribe-to-newsletter Chapters 1:34 — Angelo explains how he started as a laborer in Australia and got into real estate. 2:38 — He describes moving to the U.S. after spotting the Ohio real estate opportunity. 3:09 — He talks about scaling fast, burning out, and shifting focus. 5:35 — Why he initially hated property management. 6:25 — Property management is recession-proof and predictable once scaled. 12:35 — The team's current focus on SOPs, systems, and AI automation. 18:45 — Why branding matters and how he approaches it intentionally. 21:16 — Relationship building, SEO, and how he generates leads. 25:42 — His concern about AI and a potential "race to zero" in property management. 32:40 — How property management changed him, especially patience and toughness. *This was a lively conversation that included some stronger language, be wary of kids around when listening! Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.