We were lucky to catch up with Paige Hubbard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paige, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

What I would like your audience to know is how things can come together unexpectedly and why they need to remain open to new possibilities. I was invited to lunch by my clients when I worked as a property manager for a large real estate firm. At lunch, I apologized for being so busy and having a delay in some of the items that needed to be addressed for them. I expressed some frustration about my work load, and one of my clients asked me if I had ever thought about starting my own business. I almost brushed it off, but I realized that was the second time that week someone had said the same thing to me. Jokingly, I said to him, “Funny you should ask – someone else asked me the same thing this week, so maybe I should listen.” From that conversation and subsequent ones, I realized he was a serious investor. Not only that, he had complete trust in me to start a property management business. He was an amazing business partner, and now nine years later, I am the sole owner of the company. My life has completely changed because I was willing to pause and not jump to discount my worth or my abilities. I also had to not carry the beliefs from the past forward into that moment. I had failed in other businesses, and I also didn’t believe anyone would risk their own money for a business opportunity. I am grateful I had the ability look at the situation at hand without dismissing it without further consideration. In retrospect, I was trying to find another job at that time but I also thought it would be cool to have my own business. I was trying to figure out what I might be able to do as a sole proprietor, but I didn’t think about the profession I was in! So the idea was given to me – I never came up with it myself, lol. And guess what? I had all the skills to do it well and create a successful business.

Paige, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a business owner, I wanted to create a team and a work environment where we could “delight in the day”. Our work home front is a beautiful brick bungalow with lots of windows and a homey vibe. Our office is a place where we can laugh, cry, and swear, because I’ve learned that I want to to live my work life, not exist in my work life. The freedom to express feelings (respectfully) eliminates the need for me to take all my feelings home and dump them on my partner! It allows us all to be our authentic selves in the workplace. Needless to say, we are still professionals – it’s just happier and more genuine!

In our business of residential property management, we’re dealing with a business built on major assets for owners, and peoples homes for residents. What I wanted to bring to my position as a property manager, and for our team, is a true sensitivity for all the people we serve. So we always seek to listen, understand, and create an outcome with the highest degree of positivity for all parties. I think the success of our business has been built on that principle, which is the principle of “Win-Win”in created by Stephen Covey, author of the book 7 Habits of Successful People. I never realized that until I read the book a couple of years ago. The book is quite old, but I think it generated a newer business paradigm that carries into all types of relationships, not just in business. I know there are even newer models for the workplace, but this one has worked best for us.

For owners, we want them to have an experience that allows them to be successful landlords. Being a successful landlord means having enough money to maintain a property and to save enough money for major issues, like roofs, appliances, and landscaping. It means having quality residents that respect the property and their rental agreements. For residents, we want them to have a responsive management team that treats them with respect, addresses their living needs, and communicates efficiently.

We as a team always try to look at the situation we are addressing from both sides. The old adage of “How would you like to be treated?” applies. We carry an immense responsibility for our clients, our residents, our vendors, and ourselves. Collectively, we are only as good as each other. For that reason, we are required to hold each other accountable for our respective parts of the whole.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Hands down – it’s referrals! The daunting task of getting new clients can seem utterly overwhelming. It can be confusing and expensive. What I have realized is that all you need is ONE good client or adjacent professional to get started. Do an amazing job, and from there your business will grow organically and exponentially!

Referred people will automatically prefer you to your competition because you have been recommended. This gives you grace, so you don’t have to be as nervous about convincing them about your services. That being said, you need to be able to speak to them with confidence and have answers ready for their questions.

Always thank your clients for their referrals, but don’t ask for them. What? That’s right. Just let it happen organically. Remember your strengths and let them come to you for the good work that you do.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think our reputation is built on providing a high level of service and communication that typically exceeds our competitors. It sounds brave, but I hope its true!

It is critical to know where your competitors are failing. What are they doing wrong? That’s where you need to be different. I set out with the values I held for our business to be different from our competitors (where they were dropping the ball).

For example, many owners would become devastated by learning their investment property (that they worked so hard to buy) was decimated from damages. This resulted from the property managers failing to inspect the property on a regular basis. Guess what we do? We inspect our properties on a regular basis. I could list at least five more things we do differently.

You have to change with the market place and employ new technology. We’re always improving and streamlining our services, and we utilize the best technology available.

Finally, we prioritize effective and efficient communication. Without it, we would not have been able to keep our clients and attract new ones for over nine years. Oh, and admit when you’re wrong or could have done better. Take responsibility and your clients will appreciate it, not only because it is the right thing to do, but it is also what your competitors probably don’t do :)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hubbrealty.com