Bob Potterton ⋅ Oakton , VA Monday Properties (Commercial real estate owner manager, operator) ⋅ 30 years experience

Hello Nicholas,
Thanks for your service. I have been in commercial property management for over 22 years in the DC market and may be able to help guide you. Seems you have a solid skill set. One option for you would be to go to work for a property management company to learn the business before launching into your own business be it residential or commercial. Its what you dont see under the hood that will sink anyone that thinks its cool to own your own business. You must have a well rounded experience base, a sound plan and passion to succeed. Study your desired industry, network, network , network ! - Also, Im a big fan of LinkedIn. You can follow groups in your industry, find events, seminars and yes - network. The ole adage of "measure twice, cut once applies" ! All the best.
Happy to help further. Bob
bpotterton@cox.net

Steve Wittner ⋅ Scottsdale , AZ Radius Cleaning Solutions ⋅ 25 years experience

Nicholas,
Forgive me for stating the obvious: before diving in you will need to have a good plan to generate clients. Great plans fall apart quickly if there is no revenue. How are you going to market to rental property owners and compell them to let you manage their property(s). Property managers advertise extensively so I would research how they are promoting themselves so you can get a good idea how to sell against your future competition. Check out allpropertymanagement.com. One way to find individuals or companies that purchased a lot of properties during the foreclosure era is to search county or city title records. Each location is run slightly differently but there may be a way to search for those own more then one property. Also, there may be a rental registration law in your area where rental property owners are required to register their rental properties. One last thought; many property managers use a handyman to do minor repairs or fix up properties between tenants. Getting hired for that position would give you some great insight into the business Someone who has reached Master Sergeant understands that there is no substitute for working hard and intelligently. All the best. Steve

Beth Ward ⋅ Laramie , WY CLIMB Wyoming ⋅ 25 years experience

Thank you for your time and service Master Sergeant Sanborn. There are several types of property management - anything from market residential to commercial retail. It sounds like you may be interested in residential but not sure. My husband and I can be helpful in both the residential and commercial market; please share a summary of what you're thinking and we would be happy to help.
Beth