When asked if he had one book all property management professionals should read, Mark Brower, Broker/Owner at Mark Brower Properties, didn't hesitate.
Property management is a business full of crucial conversations—interactions where stakes and emotions both run high. Hear Mark's breakdown of the book and why he says it's a must-read for property managers.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High is written by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Al Switzler, and Ron McMillan, and published by McGraw-Hill.
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Laura MacMinn
Hello, professional property managers, and welcome to a special book club episode of the Triple Win Property Management Podcast. I'm your host, Laura Mac. Today, we're going to be speaking with the exceptional Mark Brower, owner Mark Brower Properties out of Mesa, Arizona.
Welcome to the podcast, Mark, and thanks for being here today.
Mark Brower
I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me, Laura.
Laura MacMinn
You are my favorite. Some of our listeners might not have had the pleasure of meeting you yet. And for those people and for just a refresh for our friends, could you remind all of us, a little bit about who you are? I would love to invite you to share what makes you tick and how you found yourself in the property management industry.
Mark Brower
Absolutely. Thanks for the opportunity. So what makes me tick is I think we were all sent to this spinning blue ball that's hurtling through space at a million miles an hour with gifts, and we're supposed to find out what those gifts are and use them in the service of others. And so I consider myself fully engaged with that journey in life where trying to figure out what makes me tick, and then every time I figure it out, just use that in the service of somebody else.
Laura MacMinn
That's beautiful. And, share a little bit with us about how you came to be a property manager.
Mark Brower
Certainly. So, I originally was making a living in commercial real estate. The markets were volatile, and I was starting a family, and I wanted some more stability.
So my wife and I had moved a few times and kept the old house as a rental. We'd self-managed and then hired a property manager, had a poor experience, and then decided, hey, we're gonna build a business around this because even though it's not glamorous, it could be really stable. That could be a good thing for the family.
Laura MacMinn
That's beautiful. And you've built a wonderful business that is filled with heart, and we’ve learned so much from you. And you have become one of our Triple Win Mentors.
And, if you're listening to this, I'll invite you to go read some of Mark's recent articles on our Triple Win blog and look for some upcoming podcasts and webinars that Mark is featured in. There's just so much great insight and learning that you bring to the industry.
And, as one of our Triple Win mentors, we are featuring a book. So this is your number one pick, the top book that property managers need to read, should read, to impact the way that they show up, for their teams, their residents, owners, and their business.
So, Mark, what book do you have for us today?
Mark Brower
Absolutely. The book I picked is Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler.
This book is incredible. It changed my life not only professionally, but also personally.
And I think it is a must read for everyone in property management.
Laura MacMinn
If you think back to when you first read the book, why did you connect with it at that particular time?
Mark Brower
Yeah. This book had a really powerful impact on me because, something that's true in my life is I'll be experiencing life and I'll be stubbing my toe in ways that I don't fully understand.
And then someone will come along, a teacher, mentor, or I'll read a book, and suddenly it'll shift my mindset and I'll see everything with more clarity.
And that definitely happened with this book. I was moving in and out of crucial conversations in my life, personal and professional life, without really understanding what they were and how to handle them skillfully. And this book shed light on that, and changed everything for me.
Laura MacMinn
That’s fantastic. Why would you say this book is particularly relevant to property management?
Mark Brower
Yeah. To answer that question, Laura, I need to describe what a crucial conversation is, and then I think it'll become clear to the listeners why this can be so impactful.
A crucial conversation is when two people are engaged in a dialogue where the stakes are high and emotions run high.
So with high stakes and high emotions, that never happens in property management, right?
Obviously kidding. So the residents are living in a home that's a sacred place to them. It's also the largest bill they pay each month, and if they don't pay it, they get evicted from their home. Stakes are high.
Laura MacMinn
Yeah.
Mark Brower
Most landlords are small investors that this home represents a good chunk of their net worth, and it's high value to them and also high risk. If they have an impact to their cash flow, it's significant.
Stakes are high, emotions run high. And in fact, I believe it's one of the reasons owners engage with professional property management is because of those high stakes and high emotions.
So a property manager that understands not only how to identify and see a crucial conversation coming, but navigate through that conversation with high effectiveness is a tremendously powerful ally for a homeowner.
Laura MacMinn
Beautiful. Can you talk a bit about how your business, the way that you lead your business has changed since you've read crucial conversations?
Mark Brower
Yeah, absolutely. So I believe in life, we have a very small circle of control, but we have a much larger circle of influence. And one of the primary goals in life is to increase our influence.
If we can use the principles in crucial conversation, principles like start with a heart, get our emotions and our heart in the right place, making sure we're not assuming negative motive and intent for the other party, making sure that we master our own story first before engaging in dialogue.
Those types of skills gain influence. I can gain influence with people in my organization, my employees, my team members, and I can gain more influence with the property management clients that we serve because of these principles that help gain influence.
Laura MacMinn
Beautiful. Beautiful. And I'm inspired, and I feel like a lot of people listening are inspired to add this book to their carts and really understand the principles here, internally and intrinsically.
I'd invite you to share just in case someone might not have the time to read the book or isn't able to get to it for a little while. What are the top two or three takeaways that you might want to highlight for the listener?
Mark Brower
Absolutely. So I think the number one takeaway is don't ever engage in a conversation with someone else until you truly sincerely in the depth of your heart have utter and total respect for them.
You can't fake that, and it comes through in the conversation, and you lose trust and you lose influence. So that's the most important principle.
And then I think beyond that, it's making it safe for the other person.
Recognizing that they are also potentially emotionally hijacked because of the high stakes and the high emotions, and skillfully helping them see that your motive and intent aligns with their interest, their long term interest, that you are not a threat. So establishing that mutual respect and mutual purpose is critical, and the book teaches beautifully how to make that happen.
Laura MacMinn
Thank you for sharing it, with our community and with the industry. So I appreciate your time today, Mark.
Mark Brower
Awesome. Look forward to it.
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