Stop Celebrating 10 Doors. Start Buying 200 at Once.

Recently I saw another property management owner post their “HUGE WIN!”
Twelve new doors in one month.

The comments were full of fire emojis and “Crushing it!” replies.

Meanwhile, I kept thinking about my own win:
350+ doors. Seller financing. During COVID.

Started the deal in January 2020. Supposed to close April 1st… peak COVID panic.
Everyone said wait. Cancel. Run.

I closed June 1st instead.
350+ doors added in one day.

You’re Playing the Wrong Game

Here’s what nobody tells you about growing a property management company:
You’re playing the wrong game.

The Math That Changed My Perspective

When I started my own PM company from my living room in 2016 — single mom of three, 50 doors to start — I did the math on organic growth:

• Average new doors per month: 5–10 (if you’re good)
• Time to reach 350 doors: 3–6 years
• Marketing cost per door: Hundreds in ads, time, and energy
• Your actual time: Countless nights and weekends
• The hidden cost: Every single door requires a relationship, property visit, contract negotiation, onboarding
  
  

Then, in June 2020, I bought a competitor:

• Doors acquired: 350+
• Time from first call to close: 5 months (including COVID delay)
• Marketing cost: $0 (one phone call)
• Seller financing: Yes
• Relationship building: One seller, one negotiation, done

Same growth. 95% less time.
350 individual sales conversations vs. one.

Why Acquisitions Aren’t on Your Radar

After selling my combined company for seven figures and stepping into a national acquisitions role where I had hundreds of conversations with property management companies, here’s what I learned:

Most PM owners don’t consider buying because they think:

“I don’t have the capital.” (You don’t need it.)

“That’s for big companies.” (I did it as a single mom from my living room.)

“It’s too complicated.” (It’s simpler than managing 350 individual clients.)

“Owners won’t sell to me.” (They will — if you know how to approach them.)

The real reason?
Nobody teaches this.

Every PM conference, mastermind, and coach teaches the same playbook:

• SEO optimization
• Google Ads
• Referral programs
• BNI meetings
• Cold calling homeowners

They’re teaching you to fish with a rod while others are using nets.

The Seller Financing Secret Nobody Talks About

Here’s what I found fascinating when I started looking at acquisitions:
Most PM company sellers will finance 50–80% of the purchase price.

Why?

• Tax advantages (installment sale)
• Higher total price (buyers pay more for terms)
• They know the business generates cash flow
• Often easier than finding a cash buyer

I bought my 350+ doors with seller financing. During COVID. When banks weren’t even answering phones.

The business paid for itself from its own cash flow.

The Industry Is Already Moving This Way

Most owners are still celebrating a handful of new doors — but the real players are buying entire companies.

• Private equity groups are rolling up PM companies nationwide
• Regional firms are acquiring 5–10 companies per year
• Smart operators are scaling to 1,000+ doors through acquisition

They’re not smarter than you.
They just know something you don’t.

“But What About COVID?” – Exactly.

People ask me: “Weren’t you terrified closing during COVID?”

Here’s what I knew that they didn’t:
Uncertainty creates opportunity.

While everyone else hit pause:

• Sellers became motivated
• Competition disappeared
• Financing got creative
• Deals got better

I negotiated from January to June 2020.
Watched the world shut down in March.
Had every reason to walk away in April.

Closed in June with better terms than January.

Fear is expensive.

The Integration Myth

“But won’t integrating 350 doors be a nightmare?”

I thought so too — then I did it.

Integrating 350 doors from an acquisition is easier than onboarding 350 individual doors over three years.

Why?

• Systems already exist
• Staff often stays
• Clients are already stabilized
• Processes are documented
• Cash flow is immediate

You’re solving one big problem instead of 350 small ones.

How to Start Thinking Like a Buyer

Step 1: Stop celebrating small wins.
Every door counts, but are you building a business or buying a job?

Step 2: Look at your competition differently.
That competitor isn’t your enemy — they’re your potential acquisition.

Step 3: Learn what makes PM companies valuable.
It’s not just door count — I’ve seen 500-door companies worth less than 200-door ones.

Step 4: Start conversations.
Every PM owner thinks about selling eventually. Be the person they think of first.

The Call That Changed Everything

In January 2020, I made one phone call to a competitor.

“Have you ever thought about selling?”

“Funny you called. I’ve been thinking about it.”

Five months and one pandemic later, I owned their 350+ doors.

That one phone call delivered more growth than five years of marketing would have.

What This Really Means

I’m not saying organic growth is bad.
I’m saying it’s incomplete.

The most successful PM companies use both strategies:

• Organic growth for quality control
• Acquisitions for scale

But 99% of PM owners only know half the equation.

Your Next Move

Stop thinking in doors.
Start thinking in deals.

Stop asking “How can I add 10 doors?”
Start asking “Who might sell me 350?”

The conversation changes everything.

Ready to Learn the Acquisition Game?

I went from a single mom starting in my living room to a seven-figure exit — then into a national acquisitions role where I had hundreds of conversations with property management companies.

Now I teach PM owners how to grow through acquisition, not grinding.

Big things are coming for acquisition-minded operators in 2026.
I’m sharing the frameworks and strategies I’ve developed from my own journey — from building and selling my company to helping others buy and grow their own.

The same lessons that shaped how I think about value, freedom, and scale.

👉 Join the Waitlist for Early Access. 

Because empires aren’t built door by door — they’re built deal by deal.

About Stacey Salyer

Stacey Salyer, aka “The Slayer,” is an Acquisition Insider who’s had conversations with 100+ property management company owners nationwide. She bought 350+ doors with seller financing during COVID, sold for seven figures, and now teaches PM owners how to scale through strategic acquisitions.