Podcast Episode
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Intro: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Stacey Salyer Show, the podcast for property management leaders ready to think bigger about growth. I'm Stacey Salyer and the only acquisition strategist in this industry who sat on all sides of the m and a table. I've been the buyer acquiring a 370 door competitor during COVID using seller financing.
I've been the seller building and exiting a seven figure business. And I've been the corporate evaluator as director of acquisitions, assessing over hundreds of companies nationally. That means I know exactly what you're thinking, what you're missing, and what actually works when it comes to buying and integrating in this space.
On this show, we dig into acquisitions as a real business tool. Not luck, not someday. You'll learn positioning, strategy, numbers, and integration from someone who's actually done it all. Let's go.
Stacey Salyer: Welcome, my friends, to the [00:01:00] Stacey Salyer Show, where we talk about buying and selling property management companies. Today, I'm doing a very different episode. I'm actually in Las Vegas at the NARPM National Convention, offsite at a very cool podcast studio.
And today's a little bit different episode because normally I'm the one interviewing guests, but I have my sales director, Erin Lindstrom, with me today, and she is going to be turning the tables and interviewing me. We're gonna be talking about my experience in property management, my M&A experience, and all the new and exciting things that I'm doing in quarter four and 2027.
So I am gonna turn the tables to Erin and let her take over. All right, here we go. Erin. Hello. Welcome back to the Stacey Salyer Show. Hello. Thanks for being with me, Stacey. Oh, thanks for having me. I'm so excited to be here, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to ask you some questions because we obviously have a lot of behind-the-scenes conversations.
Erin Lindstrom: We've been in different rooms, and I've [00:02:00] heard different parts of your story. And every time I ask you a question, I feel like you have such unique insight, and I'm excited to bring that to your show and to get you to kind of like open up and share some of the behind the scenes. Yes. Peel back the layers- Exactly
Stacey Salyer: of the Slayer. Yes. How about that? And actually, let's actually start right there. So we're both wearing pins- Yes ... that have, , the Slayer symbol. Yeah. Can you talk about that for a second? I know it started with your name, but, like, what does Slayer actually, like, mean to you- Oh, gosh ... as a part of your brand?
, So yeah. I mean, years ago, my... Uh, so my last name is Salyer, obviously. . And, um, I mean, going back to grade school, you know, my last name would get butchered, and I would be called Slayer. . And so I just kinda... I would ebb and flow and lean into it, but I actually didn't really start leaning into it until I, , opened my consulting business.
. And I thought, "You know what? I'm gonna really embrace, like, that whole- ... Slayer feel." , And so I... All my programs are Slayers Built to Acquire. In fact, I got that trademarked. . And recently I just got the official trademark, so yay. And, , [00:03:00] you know, throughout my marketing journey in this last year, I had the bright idea.
I was like, "You know what? I really wanna have, like, a cool pin for people that join my program and graduate from my program so that they can be recognized as alumni."
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And, uh, when they go to conferences, wear their, their pin proudly. So I have... It's a sword through the S. And, that's the Slayer pin.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. Yeah. It gives, like, , precision vibes to me.
Stacey Salyer: Yes. ,
Erin Lindstrom: Earlier this morning when we were with our s- you know, close personal friend, Barbara Corcoran
Stacey Salyer: Yes,
Erin Lindstrom: yes. She was talking about, like, the difference and, like, talking about the difference in your business. And so I'm wondering, when you are acquiring, like- Mm
what are you doing that is different in property management- businesses? Like, what makes them stand out, or what are you doing that makes it unique?
Stacey Salyer: In the property management business- Yeah ... like the acquisition?
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Well, so there are people out there that teach you how to buy what they call boring business, right?
. Well, we all know that property management is probably one of the least boring businesses ever, and they're actually pretty complicated.
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So when [00:04:00] you're talking about acquiring a property management company, it's not just an easy like, "Oh, hey, here's a car wash. This is how much revenue it makes."
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. "
Stacey Salyer: This is, you know, how you can increase some revenue, get some more cars, whatever- ... for your car wash." The due diligence that you need to put in to, , acquiring a property management company far exceeds what I would classify as, like, boring business. So that precision as far as really understanding, like, what do you need to really look at, and what...
like, what kind of things you need, like, what kind of rocks do you need to turn over and like- Yeah ... things What- whatever, um, things that you need to look be- like, underneath the hood-
...
as far as that kind of goes. So you really do need to be very precise in, you know, kind of even backing up a little bit to, like, what your buy box is.
.
And then going in and, like, really that due diligence piece of it is super important.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. So you just said property management companies are actually, like, quite complicated.
Stacey Salyer: Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: So, why do you think this is the right thing for some people? Like, because it's not necessarily the simplest, right?
Stacey Salyer: Right. ,
Erin Lindstrom: But what [00:05:00] makes it attractive, and why do you think it's, like, worth it to move forward with acquisition?
Stacey Salyer: Oh, well, I think every property management company should acquire other property management companies. I don't think it should just be, you know, the top dogs out there.
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So one, in, in our industry, you know, the door-by-door acquisition has always been the way it's been.
. Maybe put your name on Google and you just hope and pray that people are going to find you with your five-star reviews, and you get some landlords here and there. It's a very slow way to grow.
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Because you could maybe add 50 doors a year.
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Which is not that many. On the flip side, when you go out and acquire, you can obviously add, you know, 100, 200, 300.
In my case, I did almost 400 in my market during COVID. . Um, just in one fell swoop. So I tripled the size of my business overnight, , which changed the life of- Yeah ... me, my family, and the trajectory of my business. So I'm a hu- you know, very passionate about it. But beyond that, as we move into '27, 2027, [00:06:00] it's really looking at the landscape of business in general and what's changing.
So obviously we've had the silver tsunami, the boomers, you know, I mean, I even have the tagline- Silver
Erin Lindstrom: tsunami.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah. The... I've never heard that. Oh, you haven't heard that one? No. Oh yeah, that's one. Um, but you know, I have the tagline, "While boomers retire, you acquire." . So one, with the boomers still retiring-
they're slowly - retiring.
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Um, there's that, but with the AI coming into it-
...
those of us that are really looking forward of, hey, how can I, you know, start popping AI into my business, still using my people, , then, you know, elevating your, your company even more, being able to do it on the operation side, and then go out and acquire.
So yes, it's complicated, but I do believe everybody should be acquiring.
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Um, and I don't... And I think if you're not acquiring. I think if you don't have that mindset, you're going to be acquired-
Erin Lindstrom: Mm ...
Stacey Salyer: in the next 24 to 36 months, especially if you don't- That
Erin Lindstrom: [00:07:00] fast.
Stacey Salyer: Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah.
Stacey Salyer: Well, yeah. I mean, look at how fast AI is moving now.
Yeah. Right? Absolutely. So if you look at where we were at the beginning of 2025, we're almost at the end of 2026, you know, I guarantee you by the end of 2027, for those business owners that are not keeping up with technology and people- they're going to be acquired. So that's why I'm super passionate about teaching people how to build out their acquisition engine-
so that they're ready to start having those conversations with the people that are ready to move on.
Erin Lindstrom: Mm. Love that.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: And so for people, you ... Like, obviously, this acquisition, when I look through the steps, and I've been through your curriculum and, like- Yeah ... touched all of this, right? I find that you have, like, a very interesting way of, like, breaking things down that are quite complex and making them, like, very simple for folks.
. ,
I imagine that that's something that's important when it comes to acquisition because w- if you think about it just as one thing with one title on it, it's ... It can mean anything and can be overwhelming. Right. So this breaking down of the steps, can you just kind of speak to, like, the importance
[00:08:00] Like, what's the mindset that you have to go into this with to not be overwhelmed by all the pieces of the puzzle?
Stacey Salyer: Well, yeah. I mean, so I think accepting the fact of if you want to grow your business, you do need to become an acquirer. . So I think that's the first step.
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And then once you do accept that fact
And, and I will say- I've had people through my program the, at the beginning of the year- ... that swore to me that they would never buy another company.
Erin Lindstrom: Really?
Stacey Salyer: In fact, there was a gentleman, , here at the conference who's, he said, "Oh, no. No, Stacey, I will never buy another company. I don't, I don't wanna do that."
He called me last week, and he said, "Hey, I'm in conversations with somebody who, , has 1,000 doors, and I'm looking at possibly, you know, acquiring that one." So I think it, number one is a mindset shift- ... of it is a fantastic way to grow. , And then two, once you've, you know, accepted that, that mindset shift, is really defining your buy box.
And I do have, you know, some [00:09:00] guides that are complementary that people can use- ... to, you know, kinda work through that- Yeah ... what that looks like. But you need to know, like, where you're going. So I know I've talked about that a little bit in some of my newsletters. Like, I use Dora the Explorer-
analogy for that because my daughter loved Dora, and I watched countless episodes of Dora, so, and her map that she would always have, right? So she always knew where she was gonna go. So it's the same as a business owner who's acquiring. You need to have a roadmap. . You can't just, you know, throw out a wide net of, like, "Oh, I'm just gonna go buy a business."
You really need to define, like, your market, the location, how many doors you're looking at buying, like, what kind of business.
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Stacey Salyer: Do you wanna buy just the contracts? Do you wanna buy the entire business, like a stock purchase instead? You know, do you need staff? If you need staff, are there key people that you wanna go after?
Is there a business that maybe you could, instead of recruiting their people, you can go buy their business and their people?
.
Stacey Salyer: You know, all those different things. So really defining that [00:10:00] first, and then- Yeah, you've got
Erin Lindstrom: options ... moving on.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: That's so cool. , When, so this person you were just talking about, like, had some resistance to it, and was like, "No-
I'm not gonna do that." , Does that typically come from, like, the operational overwhelm of thinking about, like, having more responsibility, that sort of thing?
Stacey Salyer: I think it comes from operational overwhelm and the fear of unknown.
Erin Lindstrom: Mm.
Stacey Salyer: Right? . So this particular person went through my one-day event that I actually had in Vegas at the beginning of the year.
.
Stacey Salyer: And walked in, and was like, "Well, I'm here, you know, because- ... I like you. And I thought it'd be a cool, cool one-day event, but I'm probably not gonna buy anything." And when they walked out, they were like, "Oh, wow, you did really break it down so that it doesn't... It is still complex, but you break it down into bite-sized chunks, so it's not as scary."
Yeah. So, you know, I think the fear of unknown really w- allows people to create a lot of stories in their head.
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Stacey Salyer: And so they'll tend to make up stories then of, "Oh, well, I don't need to do that," [00:11:00] or, "That's not really me."
.
Stacey Salyer: But I would say, why not?
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah, why not, right?
Stacey Salyer: Why not?
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. , And you obviously, like, you are the objection overcoming of, like, be with someone who's done it before, who has the stories, who's been behind the scenes.
Yeah. Right? Yeah. , In terms of the side of the operational overwhelm, how do you work... Like, how do you help people work through that? Or, like, is that a mindset shift or is that an actual thing that needs to be changed before they step into acquiring?
Stacey Salyer: Mm, the operations? . Yeah. You know, I think it really just depends on the person.
Erin Lindstrom: Mm.
Stacey Salyer: Um, you know, I think property management in general tends to attract a lot of people that are very good operators- Mm ... like that, that technical expert type person, the person who isn't necessarily the salesperson. . They love processes and systems, and that's why their business is successful because you really do need a lot of good processes and systems, you know, in order to run a good firm.
.
Stacey Salyer: But at the same time, nothing's ever going to be perfect. And I mean, I have to tell myself that every day. Yeah. 'Cause I'm that kind of [00:12:00] person- Yeah ... where I'm like, "I want it to be perfect." Now, at the same time, I'm not saying if you have a dumpster fire of a business, you should go out and acquire another one and, like, dump a business on top of-
a dumpster fire.
Stacey Salyer: . ,
But there are a lot of really good operational consultants in the business that can, you know, help you get things fixed up if you feel like that's what you need.
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Stacey Salyer: But I would say that the majority of people probably don't really need that.
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Stacey Salyer: They really just need to expand their mindset of acquiring.
Erin Lindstrom: Interesting.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: When we were talking earlier, we mentioned the culture index and that you're an architect.
Stacey Salyer: Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: Can you talk a little bit about, like, how do you see things? How does your brain work? Because I imagine as people are, like, hiring you and working with you, like, they're tapping into that and getting that-
Stacey Salyer: Yes
Erin Lindstrom: experience. Like, tell us about that.
Stacey Salyer: Yes. They will get to tap into- ... the architect brain, and I, I will tell you. So we're actually kind of a more rare profile, and actually being a female architect is even more rare. I've met one other female architect. So our brains are we're builders essentially.
. So I'm not gonna be your implementer-
...
Stacey Salyer: [00:13:00] um, ever on a project, but I am your, your builder, and I don't live in the moment. I'm already in 2027. Yeah. I'm down the road. I mean, I'm probably over in Q2, Q3- Yeah ... just over there in my land. And so when I do work with clients, I literally will have conversations with them-
and my mind will automatically go to their future. I mean, as far as, like-
...
Stacey Salyer: I can see for them what they're talking about when it comes to their goals. And so when I do get to work with people, , it's really a lot of fun for me to be able to help them see that. . Because, again, I work with a lot of more kind of the technical, like, the operator-
mindset, which they tend to be more kinda, kind of the implementers. , Still some visionary, but more of the- ... detail person. And for them, it's like, how cool is that that they get to work with somebody who's that super visionary, who... I, I don't have a lot of brake in me. I'm... I call myself the cliff jumper.
I mean, if I have- ... an idea, I'm like, "All right, I'm gonna [00:14:00] jump off the cliff." I will build it-
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah ...
Stacey Salyer: and I'll land. , And so for them, they get to have that space, and creativity- Yeah ... um, by their side, and I know, like, the clients in my program have... You know, I can kind of see them, like, flourish around that because they're like, "Oh, I, I didn't look at it that way," or, you know, I essentially give confidence without having to, you know-
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah
Stacey Salyer: give confidence.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. Yeah. Do you see them, like, your clients becoming more of, like, the visionary side? Like, are they g- stepping out of implementation or kind of just tapping into your visionary power and applying that?
Stacey Salyer: Yeah, I think it depends on their traits. . I would say if, you know, if they're kinda more the implementer style, I think that they'll just, like, tap in.
. ,
Some of them, you know, are, are visionaries, and so for them, it's a little bit more of a confidence boost of like, "Oh, okay, cool. Well, you know, how I'm thinking isn't crazy." Yeah. I'm like, "Oh, no, we are not crazy."
Erin Lindstrom: Not crazy, no.
Stacey Salyer: Well, maybe a little bit. Yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: But good crazy. In a good way. Good crazy.
Yeah, yeah,
Stacey Salyer: yeah. Yeah. ,
Erin Lindstrom: When we talk about what's happening, like, in the acquisition [00:15:00] space right now, the private equity bros- Uh-huh ... tend to, like, pop up. Can you talk a little bit about, like, what you're seeing there? 'Cause it sounds to me, like, when I hear you talk about this, that it's so important that small business owners- comparatively, , are stepping up and kind of, like acquiring so that they continue to exist.
Stacey Salyer: Right.
Erin Lindstrom: Can you talk a little about like what is happening on the private equity side and why you feel this is important and worthwhile?
Stacey Salyer: Sure, yes. And obviously there's room for everyone.
Erin Lindstrom: Sure. ,
Stacey Salyer: And it, it's not that private equity is bad. , However, I will say that, you know, there is a large group of, you know, the private equity-
yes, I call them the private equity bros, 'cause I get hit up on LinkedIn all the time- , ... right? They see my title and they're like, "Oh, we gotta talk to this lady." And, , you know, they just don't have the experience in property management. Now, I don't... It's not that I don't believe that you can't buy a company if you don't have experience, because I do have other clients who don't necessarily own-
a PMC, but they want to buy one-
... ,
because they're entrepreneurs and that's great. , But they [00:16:00] don't have the experience, they don't have the relationships in the market where they want to buy. And property management really is a very... It's very much a relationship-based business. It's a very intimate business.
. And so like when you really like step into what a property manager does, we are truly providing housing for our community members. And so like when you really go deep into it, inside the community, we're very important people. And I know that, you know, holistically landlords are frowned upon, right?
. But at the same time, like we're, we're providing housing for families and, you know, ensuring that the kids are living in the right school district, for the, the parents. . And, , you know, we get to know people, you know, the insides and outs of, of all the things. I mean, some of the things we see and that we have to deal with are really hard.
.
Stacey Salyer: And, you know, when you kind of come back out of that- If it is just a large firm that's doing things to roll [00:17:00] up and to make money and, you know- ... to basically turn around and sell it, obviously I am not opposed to money, and I'm not opposed- Sure ... to selling businesses either. Yeah. But at the same time, the relationships that you as a business owner have, like, in your market-
like let's say you own a property management company, you're gonna be able to take on those doors if, you know, if you go buy from maybe a boomer-
...
Stacey Salyer: and still provide that good service, and you, you know your market, you know the, you know what you're doing. , So it's not like those are right or wrong, but I do strongly believe that the, you know, the business owner that currently owns in the market-
actually has a better advantage over the private equity guys, more than they probably believe.
Erin Lindstrom: Hmm. That's so interesting.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah, yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: What do you want them to know about their advantage?
Stacey Salyer: Well, I think a lot of people assume that you have to have a lot of money to go buy a business, and that's actually not accurate either.
So when I did my deal, , I barely put any money down. I think I put, like, $25,000 down- Wow ... [00:18:00] and had the seller finance. . So, I mean, that's a screaming deal, and it was a really good interest rate. And, , there's so many different ways you can structure a deal, and then there's also SBA products. So there's- Mm
a lender that I refer people to all the time. And in fact, I'm actively acquiring. , This time I have a business partner, and so we are closing on a deal, , by the end of the year.
.
Stacey Salyer: And we are not putting any money down, and it's a very large transaction. Mm.
,
Stacey Salyer: . And so there are ways to structure it to where you can use your experience-
, And you actually will win more than maybe people that have the private equity funds because they don't have the experience. Interesting. . Looking back on the first deal you did- Yep ... is there, like, a... If you had to make a bumper sticker of, like, the big lesson from that- ... like, what you took away from that acquisition, what would that be?
I mean, could it cover, like, the whole back window?
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah,
Stacey Salyer: sure. I mean, I feel like- It
Erin Lindstrom: can be a billboard.
Stacey Salyer: We got you. Yeah, that my... [00:19:00] Oh my gosh. , Yeah, I learned a lot. So I didn't know what I was doing. . And that's the thing, is there hasn't been anybody that's been teaching it. . So it's always been kind of this, like, mystical thing of like- Yeah, behind closed
Erin Lindstrom: doors
Stacey Salyer: hey, yeah. Like, hey, I have opportunity to buy, like, a portfolio. I see it on Facebook all the time.
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Stacey Salyer: Uh, people will post like, "Oh, I have a opportunity to buy 150 door portfolio. Like, what should I, what should I pay for it?" Like, oh my God. , So yeah. So I guess to answer your question before I start going down that road-
uh, I learned a lot. , Due diligence, I learned a lot. I mean, I think I did an okay job-
...
Stacey Salyer: but I could've done better.
.
Stacey Salyer: The people piece of it, I learned a lot. I could have done a way better job on that.
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Stacey Salyer: Um, I made some deals, , as part of the transaction, , to keep the seller around-
a little bit longer than I probably would recommend-
...
Stacey Salyer: somebody now. , And I didn't do a separate contract for him. . I should have done that. So there, , [00:20:00] I don't think I wrote a non-compete- ... into the purchase agreement.
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Stacey Salyer: That, I would never recommend. Gosh, I'm trying to remember what else there was.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah, it sounds like there's tons of takeaways. Yeah. Like, you're learning as you move through everything.
Stacey Salyer: Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: As you're going through your current acquisition- ... are there, like, lessons that are popping up for you that you can see already, or are you kind of too in it to see right now? Like, how is it different?
Stacey Salyer: Oh, gosh. Well, this one, I would say, is different because I feel like I'm applying what I teach- ... to others to my own transaction. Yeah. And the amount of hours that we've put into due diligence, I mean, far exceeds what I ever did in the very- ... like, my first deal.
. ,
So that, that has been really good.
, It's taken a little bit longer than normal, I think, you know, 'cause it's been a little bit- ... more complicated with the SBA and- ... all these different moving pieces. , Yeah, this one, we've put a lot of time into.
.
Stacey Salyer: And, it's been really good, actually.
Erin Lindstrom: Interesting. Yeah. I'm excited to hear everything when [00:21:00] you're, like, complete with it- Yeah
and fully looking back as well.
Stacey Salyer: Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: And, like, what comes out from it from there.
Stacey Salyer: Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: All right. I'd like to take us in a totally different direction for a minute, if that's okay.
Stacey Salyer: Okay. Yes.
Erin Lindstrom: I wanna go to, like, your home side of things. I'm always interested to know, like, how your experience as an entrepreneur, like, what are you bringing home, and what are your kids learning from you acquiring?
Stacey Salyer: Oh, sure. , I would say to start off, I do not believe in the saying, like, work-life balance. . I just believe there's work life.
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Stacey Salyer: Or just life, actually. . Let's just call it life. Let's
Erin Lindstrom: call it life.
Stacey Salyer: Let's call it life 'cause that's what it is. , So I've always been this way.
. I've always been, you know, ideas, opening businesses. I mean, I'm the person that quit a six-figure job, , and opened my own company as a full-time single mom of three. Mm. Literally opened my own property management company from my living room and have always bet on myself. . So I think my kids grew up seeing that.
, They've always seen me just take chances. They've seen me roll the dice on myself. , This time around, you [00:22:00] know, as far as, like, the acquisitions that I'm working on right now, you know, I wouldn't say they've been as involved- ... because they, they have all moved out. . I'm an empty nester.
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Stacey Salyer: But at the same time, you know, still talking about it.
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Stacey Salyer: And, you know, I think that they just see, you know, kinda my relentless drive as far as, like, what I'm doing, and then of course, this particular business as well. I think they, I think it's pretty cool.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: When we think about, like, acquiring, , I can't help but think, like, about, like, a heaviness and the- Mm
possible, like, I- the- there's the operational overwhelm, but then just the idea of, like, having more on your plate when you- ... already have so much, and I imagine for women especially, like, in this space, , there might be some resistance to adding more when life feels full.
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Erin Lindstrom: How do you, how do you think about that, and how do you kind of, like, manage this in a way where just because you are acquiring more, it's not necessarily on your shoulders?
Right. What does that look like?
Stacey Salyer: Yeah. Well, I think that in your leadership journey, hopefully, you know, you're really looking at [00:23:00] yourself. because there was a time many years ago that I was that person that felt like I had to do everything and carry everything. , But over the years, you know, I, I've grown, and so for me, I don't have a problem delegating.
I actually love delegating-
...
Stacey Salyer: a lot. , This time around I have a business partner. Mm. So I would say that's actually a little bit different... Well, it's very different for me. It's the first time I've had a business partner. , And I don't always play well with others, so usually I do really well when I'm in charge.
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Stacey Salyer: And then I can delegate out to-
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah ...
Stacey Salyer: to people that I- I know and trust- ... that will do the thing. So this time around for me, this has helped me grow as a leader as well of looking at, like, okay, well, you know, we need to really divide and conquer. You know- ... y- you're really good at this.
. I'm really good at this. Let's divide and conquer and trust that we're gonna get things done. ,
Erin Lindstrom: Okay, so going back to you, single mom deciding to, like, start a property management company.
Can you talk about that a little bit? Like, why? How did that ... That's a [00:24:00] very unique choice.
Stacey Salyer: Why? Yeah, tell us
Erin Lindstrom: more.
Stacey Salyer: Okay. Well, I had been in the business since 2004. . Then 2010, I had an opportunity to start a property management company for a home builder.
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Stacey Salyer: So I basically opened a real estate firm for him, and I built that from the ground up and ran that-
for him, and we did in-house and then some third party. And I'd always had a vision of what I wanted. I, I wanted my own business and, you know, it just became the right time. So 2016, I said, "Hey, I'm going out on my own, and thanks. See you later" No. No, actually, it was a really good parting. I actually managed a few of his doors.
. I took some, and then I had some other clients that were third party, and they came along as, as well. But it was a very, very small portfolio. I took a huge pay cut. , But I just had a specific vision. I had... I knew what I wanted. I knew what the community needed, and again, it kind of goes back to that it's a very intimate thing that we're providing is housing.
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Stacey Salyer: And, , my word was always care. So I felt like, [00:25:00] you know, if we approached everything with care- ... then we would do really well. And so it was the four-prong approach of, you know, to our clients, our residents, our team, and our vendors, and every decision was made through care, essentially. Even though, you know, property management can be a tough business because you're also upholding contracts on the resident side and the client side.
. We're basically like the middle child every day. Yeah. Which I'm not a middle child, so I don't know what that's like. I'm the eldest, eldest child, eldest daughter. , But at the same time, I knew that we could be respectful and still do really well for everybody. . And so I had a specific vision, and that's what I wanted to create, and that's why I did it.
And also just because I, I've always bet on myself, and I know whenever I roll the dice on myself, I always win.
Erin Lindstrom: Love that.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah.
Erin Lindstrom: Love it. So when you're looking forward to 2027, what do you see, both in the space and, like, for your business [00:26:00] specifically?
Stacey Salyer: Oh, gosh. Well, I mean, you know, I'm still working on... Okay, so in the consulting business, , you know, I've got a really cool program.
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Stacey Salyer: I'm launching my next cohort that starts in November. It'll be a three-month program. . Um, so I'll be doing a couple of those in 2027. it's a great way to work with me. , My bandwidth is pretty small- ... because I am actively acquiring as well.
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Stacey Salyer: So I think for everyone that gets to work with me, you know, not only have I done it on a national scale, but now I'm doing it again on a personal level.
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Stacey Salyer: And so I'm really in the trenches, actually- Yeah ... doing it day by day and then also teaching it. - And then, gosh, in the industry, obviously AI is like the word-
...,
Stacey Salyer: you know, part of me is gonna nerd out, so on our acquisitions- ... I'll be kind of more on, like, the back end- ... on the operations-
...
Stacey Salyer: piece of it. So I have some plans of, you know, building some, , AI agents, -
Erin Lindstrom: Interesting
Stacey Salyer: putting them into fruition, , for [00:27:00] our business, and keeping the humans, but elevating them as well. So it's almost like back in 2016, '17 when I was building Leading Edge, using a lot of the prop tech and going with the word care. . , And now as I go into 2027, I feel like it's a 10-year journey for me where I get to start over, but using AI.
Yeah. And doing some cool things. Because I do believe... one of my predictions for 2027, if things go how I want them to go, is I do believe one property manager could manage 1,000 doors.
Ooh. .
Stacey Salyer: That's a big one.
Erin Lindstrom: That's wild.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah. It is wild.
Erin Lindstrom: And do you think, like, AI is a part of that?
Stacey Salyer: Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Well, yeah, it, it would have to be.
Erin Lindstrom: Yep.
Stacey Salyer: Yep. Agentic AI. Yeah. So we're not talking chatbot AI. Right. Agentic AI, 100%. Yeah. And there's, , there's, you know, some work to do in that, but I do believe it can be done. And again, it goes back to that, that care word-
...
Stacey Salyer: of, you know, making sure that we're really building [00:28:00] good, deep relationships in the community-
and then with our team and, you know, our vendors as well.
Erin Lindstrom: So what are, to kind of, like, wrap us up, for people who are listening and kind of, like, thinking about it, is, is the program right for me? I kinda wanna learn from you. I wanna see more of what's possible here.
, Are there, like, three steps you would recommend for people to take? Is three too many? Is it just one next step? Like, what, what do you tell people when they are leaning in, not quite there? Mm. Like, they're not quite sure if they want to acquire- Yeah, they're, they're curious ... or they're not quite sure if they wanna- But, like, on the fence.
Stacey Salyer: I would have to tell them that, listen, you gotta roll the dice on yourself, and if you aren't joining the program, or if you're not getting in the acquiring mindset, I guarantee you, your competitor down the road is. And so if you really want to, you know, continue to grow your business- ... you know, I w- I would strongly suggest taking a look at it.
[00:29:00] And I do believe that everybody should learn how to acquire and have those skills. Because at the end of the day, even if you, you know, let's say you join my program, and then you don't technically acquire, you can still take whatever you learn, and you can flip it around and use it in your business to make sure that you are setting yourself up for success for sale.
. I mean, that's really, it's really a twofold-type program. You know, obviously, I'm teaching you the ins and outs to buy. . But you just have to look around, like, flip around the due diligence and say, "Okay. Well, how am I gonna apply this to my business?" And then, , be able to, you know, take a look at it and, and grow your business that way, too.
Erin Lindstrom: Yeah. Can't lose.
Stacey Salyer: No, you cannot lose. It's a win-win.
Erin Lindstrom: Love that. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for being here, for opening up, and for being so generous with all the insights that you have, , 'cause I think this is really important stuff.
Stacey Salyer: Well, thank you for coming on the show and interviewing me. This was super fun.
We should do it again.
Erin Lindstrom: Let's do it again.
Stacey Salyer: Yeah. All right.
Erin Lindstrom: Bye.
Outro: [00:30:00] Thanks for listening to the Stacey Salyer show. Here's the deal. You can read about acquisitions anywhere, but you can't learn acquisitions from someone who's done it the way I have as a buyer, a seller, and from the corporate side evaluating hundreds of companies. That's why I need you to subscribe and share this with someone in your network who needs to hear it.
And if this episode landed, leave a five star review. It's how more PM owners find the only acquisition expertise in the space that comes from all sides of the table. And while you're at it, grab my Acquisition Readiness checklist on my website at staceysalyer.com. Then when you're ready to move from Growth Thinking to Growth Building, explore the Built to Acquire program.
Don't leave it on the table. See you on the next episode.
