When AI Does the Work, What Can PMs Do Better?

This Will Set You Apart In Your Market No Matter What AI Does.

Let’s stand in the future for a second. Don’t worry about how far ahead it is.

Let’s just pretend the world’s most successful CEOs' predictions are right:

AI has been fully adopted into the workforce. AI agents are handling the mundane tasks that used to bog us down.

And it’s not just you.

Everyone has reached this level.

So the obvious question is…

Where Does Your Value Come From Now?

In a world where getting the job done right is no longer a differentiator, landlords will be asking different questions. They won’t be about your processes. They will be about you.

• What can you do for me that no one else can do?
• What do you know that no one else knows?
  
• How can I trust you?

That’s right— in the AI future, prospects will be asking more human-like questions.

Winning new business in this new reality isn’t about proving you can do the job.

It’s about proving you can be trusted.

But how do you build that kind of trust at scale?

This was what Gregg Cohen from JWB Real Estate Capital was trying to do 5 years ago when I first met him. Despite having been on the front page of the Wall Street Journal (twice) and having tons of website traffic, his leads weren’t converting the way he hoped they would. Most of his new sales were coming from affiliate partnerships.

He was convinced that the people who got to know him and his team loved doing business with them, but he struggled to find a scalable way to replicate that deep connection with more prospects. So he was doing his best to talk about the returns he was driving investors online.

When we sat down to talk about it, I had just heard a quote.

It’s a quote I’ve continued to repeat to this day:

“People don’t do business with people they understand. They do business with people they feel understand them.”

The way you do that isn’t by explaining property management. It’s by educating your market on what they care about. In JWB’s case, they wanted to know why Jacksonville was such a great market to invest in and who else believed it.

That’s why we launched the Not Your Average Investor Show.

Why a Podcast is Your Trust-Building Platform (And How It Built a $40M Inbound Channel for JWB)

Back when we helped launch JWB’s Not Your Average Investor Show, we didn’t build a podcast about property management. We built a show about investing in Jacksonville. About where it was headed and the people investing there (and how to win)
And it worked.

That podcast became a $40 million-dollar sales channel in year 1.

And because of that success, I got invited to give the keynote at NARPM Broker Owner 2024. Quite frankly, you wouldn’t be reading this right now if that keynote hadn’t resonated with the 500 property managers in that room.
What really resonated was that:

• The results were tangible
• It’s an easy-to-follow strategy
• It didn’t require a huge audience

The goal isn’t just content creation or going viral. It’s trust-building at scale—connecting with the right people consistently, not the masses.

For us, that scale was reached when we got 30 clients to feel a part of our community. When curious prospects listened to the podcast and realized there were clients available they could talk to, they’d show up to our live events. When they came to our live events, they had unfiltered conversations with people who knew JWB well. When those conversations were positive, they invested with JWB.

This wasn’t based on chasing an algorithm for internet fame. It was based on what most property managers built their business on originally…

the strength of their network…

plus the scale of content.

When you approach it this way, you don’t need thousands of listeners, you need the 20 right ones to show up consistently.

Here is the entire strategy broken down in my NARPM Broker/Owner 2024 keynote:

Now here’s the best part—

A podcast plus live events is easier to pull off for a local audience of investors than it is in a local market like yours.

That’s why when Mark Ainley approached me after my talk to tell me his story, I was delighted, but wasn’t surprised to hear about his success.

Mark Ainley Quietly Took Over Chicago’s Investor Conversations (Through His Podcast)

Mark Ainley wasn’t just looking to build a property management business. He was setting out to become the voice of his market.

In 2020, Mark and his team launched the Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast, but this wasn’t about simply reporting the “how-to’s” of property management. It was about showing up in his market, building deep relationships with local investors, and sharing what really mattered to them—local insights, investing strategies, and stories of mistakes made.

Fast forward to today, and the podcast has become a trusted resource that attracts new clients, creates partnerships, and positions Mark as a connector in the Chicago real estate community.

From Zoom interviews to launching a custom-built studio in their office, Mark’s commitment to building relationships at scale has not only differentiated his business but also created real value for his clients (and it’s just getting started).

While in this conversation, we discovered there were 10 things we did very similarly.

10 Tips That Will Make Your Local Market Podcast A Winner

1. Start With Your Market’s Needs, Not Your Business

• Actionable Tip: When creating content, focus on what your market cares about, not just your business. Mark’s podcast is centered on the investing community in Chicago, not property management itself. This builds trust and engagement with the audience.
• Example: Mark talks about how the podcast covers neighborhood spotlights, investor stories, and policy updates (things investors care about).

2. Embrace the Power of Networking and Co-Creation

• Actionable Tip: Use podcasting as a networking tool to build relationships with the people you want to work with. Instead of doing traditional outreach, invite them on your podcast. It's a two-way value exchange.
• Example: Mark uses the podcast to connect with industry peers, investors, and vendors. It’s a great way to build rapport while producing valuable content.

3. Be Consistent, Even When It’s Not Perfect

• Actionable Tip: Don’t wait for everything to be “perfect” to launch. Mark launched his podcast with no fancy setup and recorded remotely using Zoom. Consistency is key. Keep producing and learn along the way.
  
• Example: Mark’s podcast started in 2020 and now has over 350 episodes. The first 10 episodes came quickly to build momentum, a tactic that helped him bypass the early hurdles.

4. Content Doesn't Have to Be Polished. Focus on Conversations

• Actionable Tip: Podcasting doesn’t need to be a high-budget production. Authentic conversations with local experts or investors can become powerful content.
  
• Example: Mark mentioned how his podcast moved away from formal "salesy" content and instead focused on stories—real investor journeys, mistakes made, and practical insights—which listeners value.

5. Build a Community, Not Just an Audience

• Actionable Tip: Use your podcast to build a community. Engage your listeners with meaningful interactions, celebrate milestones, create exclusive events, and make them feel involved.
  
• Example: Mark celebrates podcast milestones with events, such as hitting a certain number of downloads or a milestone episode, where he brings listeners together.

6. Leverage the Content for Multiple Touchpoints

• Actionable Tip: Repurpose each podcast episode into multiple pieces of content. One episode can become clips, blog posts, emails, and even social media posts.
  
• Example: Mark records one episode and then repurposes it into multiple formats like videos, snippets, and even clips shared with guests, keeping content flowing and engaging the community.

7. Monetize Through Strategic Sponsorships

• Actionable Tip: Use your podcast as a marketing asset for business growth, not just for brand building. You can monetize through sponsorships from local vendors, lenders, or other businesses in your network.
  
• Example: Mark turned his podcast into a profit center by bringing in sponsors, like lenders and attorneys, who pay to advertise their services during the show.

8. Leverage Your Podcast to Gain Referrals and Build Authority

• Actionable Tip: Your podcast can become an authority-building tool. Use it to guide sales conversations and build credibility with prospects by sharing valuable insights and interviews with local experts.
  
• Example: Mark uses the podcast to demonstrate his authority in Chicago’s real estate market by discussing local policies, market trends, and insightful interviews with experienced investors.

9. Use Technology to Streamline Podcasting

• Actionable Tip: As your podcast grows, automate and delegate the backend work (editing, posting, etc.) so that you can focus on what matters: creating content and building relationships.
  
• Example: Mark’s team handles everything from editing to posting on YouTube and social media. This allows Mark to focus on recording the show, while others manage the technical aspects.

10. Integrate Lead Magnets to Drive Engagement

• Actionable Tip: Use your podcast as a tool to generate leads. Offer downloadable content related to your podcast’s theme to attract listeners to your business’s ecosystem.
  
• Example: Mark and his team create lead magnets (like a zoning cheat sheet or screening matrix) related to their podcast episodes, which are shared to attract potential clients into their marketing funnel.

These are all big-picture ideas to have in mind, but one of the biggest things people get hung up on is thinking about what to talk about on the podcast.  You may have 6-10 property management topics you’re dying to get off your chest, but what about after that?

Well, you may not be shocked to hear this at this point, but Mark’s and JWB’s show topics were also eerily similar.

Let’s Get A Little More Granular…

Here’s The Formula For What To Talk About

These formats each build trust differently with transparency, familiarity, relevance, and consistency.

1. The first format is simple: investor interviews. These aren’t polished case studies. They’re conversations where an investor talks about their journey (their fears, their wins, their reasoning). These episodes don’t just teach. They create social proof.
2. The second format is local market spotlights. Whether you are interviewing someone to highlight a specific neighborhood or a local market development, these episodes perform well because they scratch the itch every investor has: “Where should I buy next?”
3. Third, there are real estate headline shows. When a policy changes or rate shifts, do a little research, bring on someone with an opinion on it, and react to it. These work because they position the host as the person who stays calm and informed (exactly who you’d want managing your money).
4. And fourth, thought leadership episodes. These are short, focused takes on key questions like “What should you know before buying your second rental?” or “Is rent control coming to our market?” These are probably the topics you were first thinking about starting the show with.

The key? Outsourcing the context of what you’ll be talking about.

It’s too hard to be a media company. You have to do weekly research and come up with nuanced takes every time.  Instead, becomes a stage for people to share their experiences and opinions.  

Think of yourself less as a “host” and more as a curious local connector (that’s the role investors value most).

Once that stage is built (and validated by your guests showing up regularly), it gives you the license to create your own takes on topics WITHOUT the pressure of having to come up with something every week, just when inspiration hits.  

The other thing people get hung up on is the system (and the tech) to distribute it.

Make Your Podcast a Repeatable System (Not A Full-Time Job)

Here’s the best news: the technology to post-produce a Zoom conversation into a podcast, YouTube video, multiple content pieces, and publish all of it has gotten exponentially easier since Mark and I started doing this.

So all you need to do is start by recording an interview.

It can be 30–45 minutes on Zoom; you don’t need fancy lights or a studio (but you definitely can); you need a calendar reminder and a Zoom link (schedule it like a client call).

What you mostly need is to show up with good questions for someone interesting (realtor, investor, or lender).

Once recorded, that episode becomes a flywheel. You can clip three short videos, send one summary email, make one LinkedIn post, and create one conversation-starting DM with a warm lead.

I’ve now helped enough folks do this that we created a step-by-step guide on everything you need to make this happen.

This document gives you everything from a software/equipment list to interview questions to job descriptions for your content team.  It’s all there.

But what will drive business results are 2 concepts people tend to miss.

Business Result Driver #1

Better Touchpoints Through Content Darts

Recording is only step one. Distribution is where trust compounds.

Each of your episodes should serve as a touchpoint, not just a post. So, don’t think podcasting is hard because you imagine no one will listen.

Because the best podcasts don’t need an audience.
They become tools you send, share, clip, and reuse in ways SEO never could.

After all, you’re not just building content (it’s not about going viral), you’re building relationships, just scaled through the mic.

The goal is to be visible in the places where decisions are made.

So…send that clip to a warm lead you haven’t heard from in 6 weeks; embed the episode in your onboarding email; share a snippet with a realtor who keeps sending you leads; drop clips into Facebook investor groups; add them to your monthly newsletter, and feature guests who will want to share their spotlight.

The clip you DM to a prospect next week might be more valuable than your whole website.

I call these little clips Content Darts.

Business Result Driver #2

A Unique Point Of View Is The Only Moat

Remember, we’re standing in the future here. Thanks to AI, getting the job done is no longer the thing that differentiates you. The value of completing tasks has been commoditized.

Owners are now making decisions based on your unique perspective of where the world is going.

This is what we call a POV (Point of View). The formula for a POV is simple:

• Figure out what your unique superpower is.
  
• Distill how the world is changing, and how your superpower helps mitigate the impacts of that change.
  
• Build a narrative that ties how your superpower was relevant before, but crucial in this changing world.

It’s simple, not easy. But it is the one way to differentiate yourself around something no amount of AI can copy, and will set the bumper lanes for all of your content.
If you dial this POV in, it’ll help you:

• Pick the right guests to have on (the ones that agree with where the world is going)
  
• Know how each content dart fits into the overall strategy (does it validate your superpower? The change in the world? Or the need for the superpower in fixing it?)
  
• Find your people (from clients to partnerships, to teammates, this POV serves as a bat signal for who you want to surround yourself with).

That’s what separates market leaders from imitators. That’s showing up where trust is built and being the voice they remember.

You can start asking yourself:

• What do you believe about your market that others don’t see yet?
  
• What’s your city really like to invest in? What traps should new investors avoid?
  
• Why does your team see things differently?

These aren’t just questions, they’re the foundations of the story you are telling. That’s the secret sauce:

You’re not just creating content.

You’re telling a story.

I believe in this strategy so deeply that I built a six-month Content Mastermind to help PMs execute it. We’ve started with a small group of operators who are ready to step into this new identity.

I didn’t launch it publicly. But if this hit home for you, and you already have answers to the questions posed above that make you different, there’s still an opportunity for you to join (as long as you’re willing to catch up). If that’s the case, reach out.

Either way, whether you are doing it through a podcast or your website, or your local business development efforts, ask yourself, “What story am I telling?”

There’s a quote I love that I heard Dean Graziosi say once:

“You never start a conversation with anyone. You can simply hope to enter the conversation happening inside their head.”

The story you tell is the bridge of trust into that conversation.

When people trust your story, they trust you with their property.

And in this new economy, that kind of trust is the ultimate competitive edge.
So step up.

Hit record.

And start building trust at scale.

Pablo Gonzalez,

Chief Evangelist at Vendoroo

‍