A Cautionary Tale: Scaling Isn’t Just a Bigger Version of Small

When I was managing rentals in Austin, I came across a contractor who seemed like the full package. Fair prices, solid work, and a rare kind of reliability. He handled a few renovations for me, and they all went off without a hitch.

After a few months, he started talking about growth. Said he could take on more projects, build out his team, and scale up his operations. Based on the work he’d done so far, I believed him.

So I handed him more work. Then more.
And that’s when the cracks started to show.

How to Become a Vendor For Apartments and Property Management Companies

After a decade of experience in the property management industry, I’ve learned that there are a few important things that you must focus on to become a vendor for apartments and property management companies.

Landlord DocThe Landlord Doc

The Beginning of The End

Missed deadlines. Sloppy finishes. Work signed off without inspection. Details in the scope that mysteriously went missing. It turned into a mess, fast.

Worse than the mistakes was how he handled them. He got defensive. Dismissive. Resistant to any kind of feedback. At some point, it became clear—he hadn’t scaled. He’d simply said yes to more work than he could handle and hoped for the best.

Eventually, I had to stop giving him work. Permanently.

But because I’d referred him to other property managers and real estate professionals, I also had to make some calls. My name had vouched for him, and when his work faltered, that trust started leaking in every direction.

So, a word of caution

If you tell a property manager (or anybody, for that matter) you can scale, make sure you actually can.

Otherwise, you’re sitting at the table, going all in on your bet…
and the cards haven’t even been dealt yet.

Scaling isn’t just more work. It’s different work.
It’s structure, systems, oversight—those need to be built before you say yes, or at the very least, you need to have the skills and know-how to build them quickly.

Because when someone trusts you with more, they’re trusting you on behalf of everyone else tied to the project. And if you can’t deliver, the fallout doesn’t land on you alone. It impacts everybody.

So before you raise your hand for that next opportunity, pause and ask:

Am I ready for the weight of what I’m promising?

Because in the business of real estate, reputation travels faster than results.
And you’re not the only one at the table.