Hi, there! Joe White here from Grow Property Management, your trusted property management company in Philadelphia.
I remember recording that message while driving, apologizing for my sunglasses because the sun was bright. I said I’d take them off for the moment, but might need to put them back on. That small detail set the tone, it wasn’t a polished speech, just me talking candidly about something I see all the time in my line of work: the relationship between property owners and property management companies.
What I really wanted to explain is something many landlords don’t fully realize. Yes, property owners are supposed to do their due diligence when hiring a property management company, that’s obvious and important. But what’s less obvious is that the process goes both ways. While you’re evaluating us, we’re also evaluating you. It’s not just about whether we want your property; it’s about whether we want to work with you as a client.
I own a property management company, and I can tell you honestly that I do want clients. When the right type of owner calls me, I genuinely hope to win their business. If I don’t, I feel that loss, not just financially, but because I know they would have been a great fit. So this isn’t about companies not wanting business. That’s not true at all. We absolutely do. But we don’t want every type of business.
The deciding factor often isn’t the property itself, it’s the personality and mindset of the owner. Across the industry, this is a common perspective. I’m part of mastermind groups with property managers from all over the world, and we talk about this constantly. Many companies actually “trim” their portfolios regularly by firing a percentage of their worst properties every quarter. And when I say “worst,” I don’t necessarily mean the physical condition of the property, I mean the experience of managing it, which is often tied directly to the owner.
This connects to the 80/20 rule: a small percentage of properties tend to create the majority of problems. And more often than not, those problems stem from difficult owners. Because of that, many companies simply cut those relationships. My company doesn’t operate that way, we don’t automatically drop clients just because things get hard. We’ve dealt with extreme situations, like properties catching fire, requiring full rebuilds and extensive coordination with insurance. That’s a huge amount of work, often without extra compensation, but we still stick with the owner if the situation isn’t their fault.
However, that doesn’t mean we accept every client. There are certain red flags that immediately tell us the relationship won’t work. One of the biggest is distrust from the very beginning. If a potential client asks something like, “How do I know you’re not stealing from me?” that’s a deal-breaker. And it’s not just me, most top property management companies will feel the same way.
To be clear, I understand the concern. Owners want to protect their investment, and it’s reasonable to want transparency. But there’s a difference between asking for documentation and starting from a place of accusation. We already provide detailed monthly statements, invoices, and before-and-after photos of repairs. If that’s not enough, and someone still assumes we’re acting in bad faith, then the working relationship is going to be exhausting and unproductive.
I shared a specific example that really illustrates this. Years ago, we managed a property where the owner had taped a broken microwave handle back on with Scotch tape, just enough to pass inspection and fool a tenant into moving in. I didn’t catch it during inspection, and when the tenant tried to use the microwave, the handle came off in their hand. Naturally, they were frustrated.
Legally and ethically, anything included in the property is expected to work unless explicitly stated otherwise. So we contacted the owner, explained the issue, and they agreed to replace the microwave. That part was straightforward. But then the owner’s wife asked how she could be sure we actually bought a new microwave. We showed her the invoice and proof of payment, but she still questioned whether we might have taken the microwave for ourselves instead of delivering it to the property.
At that point, I had to end the relationship. Not because of the microwave issue, but because of the mindset. We can’t work with someone who assumes dishonesty at every step. It creates unnecessary friction, wastes time, and ultimately harms everyone involved.
There’s also a deeper pattern I’ve noticed: people who are willing to cut corners or deceive others often assume everyone else operates the same way. In this case, the owner had tried to trick a tenant, so it’s not surprising they suspected we might do the same to them. But that kind of thinking makes it impossible to build trust.
And trust is critical, not just for us, but for the tenants. When tenants move into a property, they’re excited, it’s their new home. If they immediately encounter something broken, especially something that looks intentionally concealed, it damages their experience. Now they have to report the issue, wait for repairs, and deal with the inconvenience. Worse, they may feel like someone tried to deceive them, which creates a negative perception of the entire management experience.
As property managers, we can’t tell tenants, “The owner caused this problem.” We have a fiduciary responsibility to represent the owner professionally. So we take the blame, fix the issue, and move on. But that means the tenant sees us as the problem, which can lead to bad reviews.
In the industry, we call this the “cycle of suck.” Bad owners lead to unhappy tenants. Unhappy tenants leave negative reviews. Negative reviews make it harder to attract good clients, so you end up with more problematic owners, and the cycle continues. It’s something every property management company tries to avoid.
That’s why we’re selective. We want clients who share our values, people who are reasonable, trust the process, and care about providing a good experience for their tenants. When we find those clients, we work hard to keep them. But when we see clear signs that a relationship will be difficult or damaging, we walk away.
So my main message is simple: remember that when you approach a property management company, you’re being evaluated too. Ask questions, absolutely. Request documentation, transparency, and clarity; that’s all fair. But avoid framing things in a way that assumes wrongdoing from the start.
The best companies, the ones with strong reputations and great reviews, have the luxury of being selective. If you want to work with them, you need to present yourself as the kind of client they want. Because while they may really want your business, they won’t take it at any cost. At the end of the day, it’s about alignment. When both sides trust each other and share the same goals, the relationship works smoothly. Tenants are happier, properties are better maintained, and everyone benefits. That’s what we’re aiming for every time we take on a new client.
