Unfiltered by PropertyManagement.com
00:25:04 · Dylan Scroggins
[00:25:04] S1: Yeah. And and also to... From your perspective, I know I just asked about what gets you excited about this next year. What what concerns you about property management right now? Right? We got broker owner a year from now. What are some things a year from now that you think people will be talking about wherever a broker owner chooses to be? But what are some things that might be concerning this next year they can be prepared for now?
00:25:27 · Thomas Perfect
[00:25:27] S0: I mean, concerns for the industry, I mean, think that we will see an increase of, you know, cut rate companies that are trying to do things just using AI entirely. You know, for example, like I have a separate business prop defend. We do cybersecurity for property managers. Right? And, I I saw an advertisement recently for essentially an AI company who is saying, we just have an AI agent who's gonna take care of this for you. And I'm like, shoot. Is that is that the future of we're gonna we're gonna trust AI to do our cybersecurity for us also? And then how much control are we giving up? So I think that that biggest threat for us is putting guardrails in our businesses so that we don't just lose control to AI, but also positioning ourselves with our clients to answer it. Again, PM trends report was like, hey, an overwhelming majority. I forget the percentage, but I wanna say it was like 90 something percent expect to be able to reach their property manager anytime of the day or night, most of the time. Right? Like, that's crazy to me. I'm like, I do not wanna be answering my phone at 08:00 at night or at, you know, 4AM when my client that lives in Germany calls. Right? Like, I I don't wanna be doing that. And, but we're seeing that that's the expectation that's coming out. So it's how do I how do I harness it, and how do I put guardrails on it?
00:26:51 · Dylan Scroggins, Thomas Perfect
[00:26:51] S1: That's just such a interesting insight and almost borderline funny that the generation that's been texting their whole life and some of them never even having to call a landline is now wanting to get on the phone with people ASAP. It's almost like this whiplash of being so technology, I guess, induced the last, you know, fifteen years. They're finally like, actually, like, I wanna talk to [00:27:12] S0: some Yeah. Well... And, I mean, I'm guilty of it where I don't have a... You know? If I call a company, can get put straight to a phone tree. You already hate that company. Right? And I freaking... I have a I have a phone tree. Right? I mean, I have a receptionist that's hired a a remote team member that's supposed to answer the phone, but then it's a a phone tree, and it... You know, there's solutions that are out there that can just make that experience so much better for people, and it's just a matter of finding the one that fits for you. [00:27:37] S1: Love that. Well, this has been awesome. We're starting to lay in the plane here, but this is one of our favorite questions, and I think you have a unique perspective on this over the last ten years. Entering, not really knowing probably what you want to do long term, and now you know, become a leader in this space, but off... Also obviously a leader at Uplift. How has being in property management changed you as a person these last ten plus years?
00:28:00 · Thomas Perfect
[00:28:00] S0: I mean, yeah, this is, like, really the only career I've really known. I mean, I don't think being a soccer referee, counts as a real career path, but going through and learning an industry and especially how much communication happens in our industry, communication among staff members, between clients, between tenants, between legislative issues that pop up, being able to really build a brand trust and expertise has been really enlightening and inspiring to me. So I've been really grateful to be able to take that idea of, you know, who we are, you know, for us at Uplift in our... We're uplifting people, properties, and communities. That's our mission statement. It's not just, you know, words on the wall on the sign behind me here. You know? We really take that to heart, and it makes us, you know... I love being able to select people that are gonna be part of my community, and I love being able to provide homes for people who are gonna be great contributors to our community. And I don't mean to say, you know, fair housing violations or anything, but, like, as property managers, we get to choose who are community And essentially when they're being bad community members, bad tenants, we can choose when they leave. So I I take that responsibility really, really, you know, to heart and I care deeply about that.
00:29:15 · Dylan Scroggins
[00:29:15] S1: I love that. I'm speaking actually at an NARPM event in Seattle in a few weeks, and you really shook a chord of what's gonna be my... One of my main topics coming from recruitment and hiring is that I feel like, and this is no way a dig, it's just an observation, that PM owners just do not give themselves enough credit on the narrative surrounding the industry. It's a very positive narrative in regards to what's being provided, like you said, with the housing and a roof on people's head, but also obviously the investment management and what you're doing for the owners as well. But I think your story personally about building a career and life and wealth and all these things, that's a story that I think needs to get shared a lot more is that, hey, we're a property management business, yes. We're actually just a great business that like develop leaders and provides, you know, careers for Donna, who's, I think I pronounced her name right, Don, who's been there ten years, right? It's like, we need to pull in people to PropertyManagement who might be in adjacent industry, home services, construction, etcetera. We need to share with them, like, there's a lot of great opportunities for your career in PropertyManagement, and I feel like that story does just not get shared enough.
00:30:27 · Thomas Perfect, Dylan Scroggins
[00:30:27] S0: Yeah. Well, and people always put it off into the future. Now I'm I'm 33, and I've been doing this eleven years. Right? This has really been the entirety of my career path. Right? And I plan on doing it for another twenty plus years. Right? This is this is where where I am. You don't have to be, you know, 50 years old and retired to finally, you know, own an investment property or own a a great company or grow a great company, you can you can do it today. [00:30:53] S1: That's really interesting. Even that PM trends report, you wonder, like, the industry as a whole. So not the owners, but the actual, like, PM industry. It'll be cool to see that trend change over time with more Gen Z, Millennials seeing it as a career path for them on the property management side. Has been awesome, man. Feel like just once again, really inspired by your story. I think it's really cool what you've been able to build, but also the career that's been built as well. So, let's do a couple lightning round. So right now, what's the favorite tool or app for your business? It doesn't have to be a specific PM tool, but fine if it is. [00:31:26] S0: AppFolio. AppFolio is still the backbone. [00:31:29] S1: Love it. What about a book or podcast every PM leader should check out? And for those listening on Spotify, you got the coolest bookcase I've ever seen in my life behind you. [00:31:39] S0: Good to Great by Jim Collins is probably my favorite business book. Classic.