Leveraging Corporate Management Experience? (Big vs Small)

[Warren Lizo]

Hi BP Forum:

I'd appreciate some guidance from some of the experienced members here. I have spent most of my life working in roles that would further my education and experience towards working for myself. I worked in commercial bridge lending, for the City of Boston's BRA, residential re-developers, and, currently, for a regional management company overseeing apartment communities (700 units) and office buildings. After trying on these different 'arms' of real estate, I discovered value-add property management fit me best. I've now been doing that for 10 years.

I would love to leverage all my experience to build something for myself. The last 2 years I picked up a few side property management gigs for 1-5 unit bldgs. What I have come to realize though, is that many of the skills I use to create value in large assets are squandered on small buildings. As is the ROI on my time - a 100 unit bldg and a 5 units bldg both have 1 roof! I crush RealPage OneSite, but Buildium seems clunky to me. Negotiating utility contracts or tax abatement does not have same impact. I also increase the ROI of my time through my 20 staff at my job which I do not have with my side gig. Managing the side jobs now takes as much or greater time than the larger corporate stuff.

How may I best leverage my experience? Is there something that mid-large size owners need that I can provide? Should I find a partner to building a management company? Is there a problem I can solve? I am in the Northeast/Boston/Milton/Braintree area, but also manage in Rhode Island/Providence/Newport area for work.

Your advice and guidance is valued. Thanks everyone!  - Warren, 41 yo, Milton, MA