The Crane Property Management Podcast

Crane

An informal, candid, unfiltered look at the latest news and hot topics in the residential property management industry, hosted by Crane co-founder Peter Lohmann and Crane member Mark Brower. Each episode breaks down recent industry news and the platform shifts, policy changes, and market dynamics shaping how property managers operate. Practical, opinionated, and grounded in real-world experience, brought to you by Crane.

Episodes

  1. Jun 30

    Owner Expectations: The PM's Responsibility?

    In this episode of The Crane Property Management Podcast, Peter Lohmann and Mark Brower take sides and debate about vendor pricing and owner expectations; specifically, whether rental property owners should expect discounted rates on maintenance simply because they work with a property manager. Peter and Mark disagree on how to handle these situations, touching on everything from setting expectations upfront to the challenge of building trust when owners compare prices to what they'd pay themselves. They discuss: - Whether property managers should negotiate bulk pricing with vendors and pass savings to owners - The three categories of home service pricing, from private equity-backed companies to cost-plus arrangements - Why investor clients often have unrealistic pricing expectations - The role of owner handbooks and proactive expectation-setting in reducing friction - Personal struggles with smartphone addiction and strategies for reducing screen time This episode offers practical insight for property managers navigating the tension between owner expectations and operational reality, along with an honest look at the digital distractions that undermine focus and presence. Topics:00:00 - Intro01:15 - Should owners expect discounted home service pricing03:05 - Can we set expectations for everything05:37 - The case for written owner handbooks07:24 - Handling difficult owner conversations08:00 - Trust building in property management08:39 - Are property managers paid enough for this work10:56 - Back to vendor pricing expectations14:37 - Three categories of home service pricing19:00 - Teasing vendor kickbacks for next time19:44 - Smartphone addiction and screen time21:19 - Turning off notifications and badges23:27 - Why we reach for our phones29:27 - Phone habits and screen time tracking30:40 - Accountability challenge to listeners Links: Peter Lohmann LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/pslohmann/ Twitter / X — https://twitter.com/pslohmann Website — https://www.peterlohmann.com/ Mark Brower LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbrower/ Twitter / X — https://x.com/markbrower14 Join Crane — https://www.joincrane.co/

    31 min

  2. Jun 17

    The Truth About Opt-Out

    In this episode of The Crane Property Management Podcast, Peter Lohmann and Mark Brower tackle growth challenges, sales ethics, and fee transparency. Peter shares how his company recently hit 750 doors and entered what ProfitCoach calls the "trough of sorrow", a profitability dip that occurs between 750 and 1,000 doors. Mark reveals his company actually shrank from 620 to 540 doors while becoming more profitable, sparking a discussion about whether door count is the right metric for success. They discuss: Why hiring and managing managers requires a different skill set than managing frontline staff, and how A players pay for themselves through higher profits and better team structureCold calling tactics in the property management industry, including when persistence crosses into deception and how to approach peer-to-peer outreach ethicallyThe opt-in versus opt-out debate around resident benefit programs, inspired by a class action lawsuit against Entrata over mandatory rent reporting feesHow emotional momentum in the rental process affects consumer choice, and why disclosure timing matters more than most operators realize This episode offers practical insights for property managers navigating the tension between growth, profitability, and ethical business practices. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:40) - The trough of sorrow at 750 doors (00:04:06) - Hiring and managing managers (00:08:35) - Why A players are free (00:11:48) - Cold calling ethics and tactics (00:17:10) - Defining what counts as a lie (00:18:05) - Getting past gatekeepers peer to peer (00:21:00) - Opt-in versus opt-out resident fees (00:22:50) - Good profits versus bad profits (00:28:56) - The emotional momentum problem Peter Lohmann: • ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pslohmann/ • ⁠Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/pslohmann • ⁠Website⁠: https://www.peterlohmann.com/ • ⁠Crane⁠ – Private PM Owner Community: https://www.joincrane.co/ Mark Brower: • ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbrower/ • ⁠Twitter / X: https://x.com/markbrower14

    33 min

  3. Jun 2

    Zillow: Friend or Foe?

    Peter Lohmann and Mark Brower launch The Crane Property Management Podcast with a sharp look at recent platform changes affecting residential property managers. The conversation opens with Zillow's controversial decision to remove phone numbers from rental listings unless property managers pay for upgraded accounts—a move both hosts see as monopolistic leverage rather than value creation. They discuss: Why Zillow's removal of phone numbers from free rental listings feels like fee extraction rather than partnershipHow Google's new anti-gaming policies for reviews mirror Yelp's longstanding enforcement and what that means for property managersWhether review volume matters beyond a statistical threshold and how consumers actually evaluate online ratingsWhy well-run review platforms elevate entire industries by incentivizing better customer serviceThis episode offers a candid take on the power dynamics between property management companies and the digital platforms they depend on, with practical insights for anyone navigating online reviews and rental listing strategies. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:02) - Zillow removes phone numbers from rental listings (00:03:42) - Zillow's pricing inconsistency problem (00:04:38) - Could Zillow be a partner instead of a bully (00:07:22) - Comparing Zillow to Google's fair auction model (00:11:14) - Legal action as the only remedy (00:13:57) - Google bans review manipulation (00:16:26) - Why Google is cracking down now (00:19:06) - Trust drives review platform value (00:25:22) - How consumers actually use reviews (00:32:18) - Legitimate reviews elevate entire industries Find Peter Lohmann and Mark Brower at:Peter Lohmann:• LinkedIn • Twitter / X • Website • Crane – Private PM Owner Community Mark Brower: • LinkedIn • Twitter / X

    34 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

An informal, candid, unfiltered look at the latest news and hot topics in the residential property management industry, hosted by Crane co-founder Peter Lohmann and Crane member Mark Brower. Each episode breaks down recent industry news and the platform shifts, policy changes, and market dynamics shaping how property managers operate. Practical, opinionated, and grounded in real-world experience, brought to you by Crane.

Information

You Might Also Like