Evernest Property Management Show (Formerly 300 to 3,000)

What does it take to become a leader who makes an impact? Where do most newbies stumble, and how can you recover? In this episode, Spencer Sutton shares his insights as Evernest's VP of Marketing through the lens of the book, Leader Shift.

You'll learn:

• What makes a true leader (and why falling short will cost you in the long run)
• How humility fuels growth
• The three price points of leadership
• Why you should embrace struggle to evolve in your career
• How to become a leader worth following

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

How well your employees' personalities mesh is among the most underrated aspects of scaling your property management business. That's why Spencer Sutton sat down with Matt White, an Executive Advisor at Culture Index. Culture Index lays out the potential of each employee's personality, allowing companies like Evernest to match each employee's unique strengths to the demands of every role. Reach out to Matt White on LinkedIn for more details.

You'll learn:

• Why success doesn't come down to the work that your company does, but rather the people you lead
• How identifying personality patterns for various departments leads to greater employee satisfaction and retention
• What to do when leading someone completely different from you
• Why hiring people whose internal wiring aligns with role-based personality trends empowers employee growth

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Guest: Matt White, an Executive Advisor at Culture Index

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

In this episode, Spencer Sutton shares a detailed roadmap to institutionalize your real estate investor clients and set yourself apart as a growth-focused industry asset.

You'll Learn:

• How to help your clients form a portfolio-based investment strategy to amplify their efforts (and their need for your services)
• Why a good rehab based on market data and comps is worth the time and money
• How to uplevel your strategic mindset to become an invaluable consultant
• The easiest way to lose your clients (and how to retain your contracts)
• How institutions approach maintenance to reduce churn
• Why thinking relationally is the secret to growing your property management business

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

In this episode of The Evernest Property Management Show, Evernest's Director of Leasing, Brett Drevlow, joins Spencer Sutton and Matthew Whitaker for an in-depth conversation on what's required to lease rental properties in 2025.

Brett highlights the importance of overcoming tenant objections, building trust, and using data-driven pricing strategies. His leasing team handles ~350-400 move-ins monthly, communicating mainly via phone and strategically handing off leads through stages from contact center to underwriting and move-in coordination. He emphasizes thorough tenant screening to combat fraud, which ranges from 7-12% of applications, and the need for consistent communication with property managers to inform owners about market trends and pricing adjustments. This discussion underscores leasing as both an art and a science requiring competent, empathetic management to secure quality tenants and protect owner investments.

You'll Learn:

• How to work around the limitations that common comp software misses
• Why having a pool or a huge yard doesn't mean your property will rent
• What to do when faced with the most common objections potential renters have
• The secret to unlocking consistent leases
• The technology Evernest leverages to maximize its leasing process

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Guest: Brett Drevlow, Evernest's Director of Leasing

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

In this episode, Spencer and Matthew sit down with longtime friend and property management veteran Bryan Jenkins, now President of Gentone Property Management. Bryan brings more than 25 years of experience in the industry, from his early days managing corporate housing for Honda executives in Birmingham to building and selling a regional property management company, leading institutional operations at PURE, and now expanding Genstone’s multi-service real estate ecosystem.

Bryan shares his journey, lessons learned from different market cycles, and why he believes relationships will always be at the heart of property management—even as technology and AI transform the industry. The conversation covers everything from institutional investors and build-to-rent to the boutique operator’s future, remote team members, and how AI could reshape the role of property managers.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Bryan accidentally fell into property management after leaving the military.
• The early corporate housing boom in Birmingham and how it fueled business growth.
• Why diversification into C-class and Section 8 housing became essential.
• Lessons learned managing through the 2008 housing crisis and institutional cycles.
• The story behind selling his company to PURE and transitioning into institutional management.
• How Genstone Property Management integrates property services, construction, insurance, and more under one roof.
• The challenges and opportunities of managing across multiple states and markets.
• How AI is beginning to impact property management operations and where it might go next.
• Why boutique property managers and large-scale operators will both thrive, while the “middle” may struggle.
• Why, even with AI and technology, property management will always be about relationships.
  

Memorable Quotes:

• “I’m a relationship guy, so it’s always about relationships. At the and of the day, our business is still about relationships and I don’t think any amount of technology is gonna change that.”
• “It’s always best to be the second property manager, not the first.”
• “AI may change the way we operate, but it won’t replace the need for trust and communication.”

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Guest: Bryan Jenkins, President of Gentone Property Management

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

In this episode of The Evernest Property Management Show, host Spencer Sutton interviews Jeremy Tallman and Scott Hallberg of T&H Realty Services to learn how these brothers-in-law have kept their rental property owner churn below 15% while managing 1,200 doors. Looking for one-stop shop property management services in Indiana? Get in touch with T&H Realty Services today.

You'll learn:

• Why churn has become such a big problem in the industry
• How prioritizing the renewal process has expanded T&H Realty Services' opportunities
• The secret to retaining owners (hint: refocusing on relationships is key!)
• How educating property owners on the market and maintenance costs retains business

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Guests: Jeremy Tallman and Scott Hallberg of T&H Realty Services

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

In this episode, Spencer Sutton reveals the six brutal truths that he's learned from growing teams so that you can avoid making critical leadership mistakes that could destroy your property management business.

You'll learn:

• Why you're the hardest direct report to manage
• What the Circle of Insanity is - and how to regain control
• How to develop discipline
• Why lifting up the rock and looking at the squiggly things sets your team up for success
• The understated power of leading with your vision first
• How culture makes or breaks your business' longevity

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

Matthew and Gray sit down with Ray Hespen (Property Meld) to unpack why, in today’s market, maintenance execution is one of the biggest levers for NOI. Ray shares fresh data showing how specific maintenance behaviors statistically change renewal rates, why the first 90 days are make-or-break, and how coordinators armed with benchmarks can talk to owners with confidence. We hit alignment of PM/owner incentives, proactive budgeting, and where insurance + AI are taking maintenance next.

What you’ll learn:

• Why post-2021 conditions make leasing + maintenance the profit center, not an afterthought.
• New data: a certain maintenance ops style can measurably lift renewal rates.
• First 90 days = landmines: failures in HVAC, water, and hot water can spike churn risk ~90%.
• How communication volume & satisfaction correlate to renewals (over- and under-comm can both hurt).
• Using data to set realistic NTEs and keep owner trust (no wild estimates).
• A simple way to budget maintenance so owners expect the spend (and stop feeling “surprised”).
• Turning a 60-day coordinator into a 20-year vet with benchmarks, history, and vendor fit.
• The case for aligning incentives around NOI (not just service volume).
• Why resident quality and past care of a home should influence expectations—and maybe pricing.
• A peek at insurance-style maintenance and portfolio-level risk in the next 5 years.

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Connect with Matt, Spencer, and Gray at Evernest: Evernest.co

Guest: Ray Hespen of Property Meld

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.

In this episode of The Evernest Property Management Show, CEO of ProfitCoach Brad Johnson returns to share industry secrets that every property manager should know. Have additional questions? Reach out to Profit Coach on their website or Brad on LinkedIn.

You'll Learn:

• The two most difficult transitions all PMs face when trying to scale
• How to avoid becoming a business bottleneck
• Why a gradual transition from being hands-on with every owner to passing issues to your employees works best
• The importance of uniformity across your property management agreements (PMAs)

Plus:

• Who your first hire should be based on your skillset
• What people looking for freedom of time and money should do next

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Connect with Matt and Spencer at Evernest: Evernest.co

Guest: Brad Johnson, CEO of ProfitCoach

Link: Connect with Evernest

Link: Evernest YouTube Channel (@ThreeHundredToThreeThousand) (Watch this episode and more!)

Visit the Podcast Website: Evernest.co/podcasts

Email the Show: podcast@evernest.co

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Evernest 2025.