Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
businessJun 11, 202446:25pending

536: My Property Manager Robbed and Ghosted Me ($40K Stolen!)

About this episode

If you get your property management wrong, you could lose tens of thousands of dollars. A sketchy property manager could take all your rent and run, leaving you with the bills and no hope of recovering your long-lost rent checks. That’s precisely what happened to today’s guest, a seasoned real estate investor who’s even looked up to as an expert in the industry. Even he made a sizable property management mistake, and in this episode, we’re trying to help you avoid the same fate.

The BiggerPockets Podcast Network is bringing you a crossover episode with the Real Estate Rookie podcast’s Ashley Kehr and the BiggerPockets Money podcast’s Scott Trench. Scott is not only the host of BiggerPockets Money but also the CEO of BiggerPockets. And today, he’s sharing every painful detail about how he lost over $40,000 by hiring a bad property manager. This IS an avoidable mistake, but some easily overlooked red flags could put you in the same position as Scott unless you’re very careful.

Scott shares the entire story and gives the top red flags to look out for. He’ll explain why he DOESN’T give his whole portfolio to one property manager, why you MUST set communication standards from the start, the questions EVERY investor should ask before hiring a property manager, and the fees you should refuse to pay the next time you outsource your property management. Need a property manager? We’ll share the best tool ANYONE can use to find a property manager TODAY!


In This Episode We Cover

Deadly property management red flags and signs you should run from a property manager

Why you never, EVER give your entire portfolio to a single property manager/property management company

Simple questions to ask that immediately show if a property manager is legit

Negotiating fees and why Scott is okay with paying a higher monthly rate

Communication expectations and what a property manager should be sending you EVERY month

The easiest way to find a great property manager wherever you invest

And So Much More!


Links from the Show

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Mindy on BiggerPockets

Scott on BiggePockets

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area

Find Investor-Friendly Lenders

Property Manager Finder

Want to Self-Manage Your Rentals Instead? Grab the New Book, “Self-Managing Landlord”

Ask Other Investors Your Property Management Questions on the BiggerPockets Forums

Past Episodes Mentioned in Today’s Show:

Real Estate Rookie 59 - Rookie First-Time Home Buyer Questions Answered by Scott and Mindy

Real Estate Rookie 200 - Scott Trench’s 10-Step Checklist to Buy Your First Rental Property

Real Estate Rookie 401 - Boost Your Cash Flow in 2024 with These “Self-Management” Tips

BiggerPockets 513 - The “Red Flags” of Investment Fraud from a Former $3.8M Ponzi Scheme Manager

Connect with Ashley on BiggerPockets

Connect with Scott on BiggerPockets


00:00 Intro

01:20 Hiring the Property Manager 

03:37 Things Start Going Wrong 

06:12 Losing $40K!

09:32 Property Manager Red Flags 

15:39 Questions You MUST Ask

23:34 Negotiating Fees 

30:05 Asset Type Matters! 

34:54 Communication Expectations 

37:29 Vetting for Legitimacy 

43:16 Find a GREAT Property Manager 


Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-536


Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get every episode summarized

Each time BiggerPockets Money Podcast publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

536: My Property Manager Robbed and Ghosted Me ($40K Stolen!)

BiggerPockets Money Podcast

0:00
46:25

More episodes

More from BiggerPockets Money Podcast

View all episodes →