Ep 26 | The Cost Of Misaligned Incentives In Property Management — And To Rethink It W/ Mark Brower

A bold truth was laid bare: most PM companies profit the most when their clients suffer the most—through tenant turnover, late fees, and avoidable issues.

In this episode of Property Management Frame Breakers, Mark Brower —founder of Mark Brower Properties gets radically honest about the structural flaws inside most property management businesses—and what happened when those flaws showed up in his own team. After losing all three of his PMs, Mark went inward, rethinking alignment from culture to operations to pricing.

You’ll learn:

🧠 Why “psychological safety” isn’t about comfort—it’s about predictability
🛠️ How to fix your hiring process so it surfaces real culture fit early
💡 The subtle ways your pricing model might be eroding owner trust
🔄 Why fee-based incentives often reward failure instead of results
👥 What it means to lead a team through vulnerability—not protection
🚀 How AI enables “fixed-cost scaling” so your team can focus on relationships
📉 Why obsessing over RPU might be costing you long-term growth

What follows is a raw conversation about culture, ownership, and why the status quo might be working against your growth, even if your revenue says otherwise.

If you’ve ever wondered why something still feels “off” in your business, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now to rethink what safety, trust, and true alignment really look like in property management.

🌟 Stay Connected with Us:
 
🤝 Connect with Mark Brower on LinkedIn
🎙️ Follow Pablo Gonzalez on LinkedIn
💼 Follow Vendoroo on LinkedIn
🌐 Visit Vendoroo's Website

Chapters:

01:28 The emotional impact of hearing “I didn’t feel safe here”
03:55 What does safety really mean in a work environment?
06:12 Balancing fast learning with team vulnerability
08:24 Wrestling with the contradiction between openness and consequences
10:46 Hiring mistakes aren’t always about the hire—they’re about the process
12:01 Probation periods as necessary discomfort in hiring
14:42 Creating a hiring process that filters for growth mindset 
15:42 Why new hires should be exposed to raw team dynamics early
17:21  A PM model that profits most when clients are hurting
19:18 The dangers of gaming RPU at the expense of value
21:43 The power of shifting from first-order to second-order thinking
24:56 AI, fixed-cost scaling, and the real opportunity ahead