Steve Welty

Issue# 62

August 2025

Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about self-showing lockboxes.

99.99% of the time, our self-showings go perfectly. This is the story of the 0.01% - and how it made our system even stronger.

We’ve been using them for years, and they’ve completely changed the game for how quickly we can rent a property. They cut vacancy time, let people tour when it works for them, and honestly make for a way better experience than a rushed walkthrough with someone following you from room to room.

Over time, we’ve done tens of thousands of self-showings, and the system has worked beautifully. But as I’ve been reflecting, I’m reminded that no matter how good a system is, nothing is 100% foolproof. And back in March, we faced one of those rare “uh-oh” moments, the kind that really tests you as a property manager and as a company.

A scammer stole one of our rental listings, reposted it online, and convinced a family to tour the home. He took money from them, gave them a fake lease, and then disappeared.

At first, the family, three kids, a pregnant wife, and a panicked husband, told us, “We’ve been scammed.” They seemed cooperative. But within a day, everything changed.

They insisted their lease was real.
They claimed we had rented the home to them.
And they weren’t leaving.

The home was supposed to be vacant. Our client had no idea. And this wasn’t a normal eviction or even a typical squatter situation. It was complicated, emotional, and high-stakes.

What We Had to Do

I wasn’t alone in handling this. Kevin, Jimmy, and the rest of our team were working closely with our attorney every day to get the property back.

At one point, I decided to get personally involved.

I met the family face-to-face, heard their story, and helped them see a way forward.

In the end, we reached an agreement that allowed them to move out quickly and peacefully.

The process was resolved without damage to the property, our client was protected from further stress, and the outcome was positive for everyone involved.

By the following week, the property was rented to a qualified tenant, and that client is still with us today.

What We Learned (and What We Changed)

We didn’t just fix the problem, we improved our systems to prevent it from happening again.

We now use AI to automatically scan the internet for duplicate or fake versions of our listings. If someone posts a Good Life rental on Craigslist or other public platforms, our system flags it in real time and we take it down fast.

We re-evaluated our self-showing system and made adjustments to increase security, traceability, and accountability for every lockbox access.

This situation became a case study for our whole team. We shared what went wrong, how we handled it, and how to spot signs of fraud before they escalate.

We learned. We adapted. And we got stronger.

Should I Even Talk About This?

That’s what I’ve been wrestling with.

Do I tell this story publicly - maybe even as a YouTube video?
Or do I keep it internal, to avoid scrutiny?

Sure, it would be easier to stay quiet.
But I believe transparency is more valuable than safety.

Yes, we use self-showing lockboxes.
Yes, this situation happened.
And yes - we took ownership, protected our client, and made it right.

We didn’t run from the problem.
We handled it.
We learned from it.
And we changed because of it.

That’s what a real property management company looks like.

The Good Life Promise

We make owning rental property easy.

We care about you, your property, and your tenant.

And we do it all, so you can Live the Good Life.

That’s not just a tagline - it’s a commitment we live out every day.

And in March, when things got messy, we leaned in - not away.
We took action, protected our client, and owned the outcome.

This situation was also a reminder of why our Good Life Guarantees matter so much.
Over $10,000 in built-in protections, we give our clients real peace of mind:

Eviction Protection
Maintenance Guarantee
Satisfaction Guarantee
Leasing Guarantee
And more.

These aren't just bullet points, they’re safety nets, designed to protect you from the unexpected.

We lived the Good Life Promise in March.
We’ll live it again - every time we’re tested.

Have you ever dealt with something similar?
A squatter? A scam listing? A tough eviction?

Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your story - even if it’s just to say, “Yep, been there.”

Have questions about managing your property?

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