“Most make ready boards are in the back of a basement somewhere, totally siloed.” — Jake Stoll
When I sat down with Jake Stoll of Rent Ready, we quickly got to the heart of a problem that every property manager knows too well: sticky notes, whiteboards and endless guesswork when it comes to unit turns. Jake has lived it from the inside as a leasing agent, a hybrid maintenance supervisor and now as a PropTech leader. He’s helping companies finally digitize and standardize one of the most overlooked pain points in property management.
“We’ve seen average turn times at 18 days but management companies want 5.” — Jake Stoll
Eighteen days isn’t just an inconvenience – it’s lost rent, deferred occupancy and NOI bleeding out the back door. Whether vertically integrated or fee-managed, operators face the same visibility gaps. Whiteboards and sticky notes may keep things moving day-to-day but they don’t scale.
As Jake put it, the pain often becomes undeniable when companies try to grow. Expansion magnifies inefficiencies. Without a standardized, digitized process, leadership is left playing telephone instead of making data-backed decisions.
For me, this was a reminder that growth exposes cracks. If your back office still relies on whiteboards, those cracks eventually become chasms.
“The first 90 days determine retention. Speed without quality isn’t enough.” — Jake Stoll
Jake talked about research showing that if residents hit friction in their first 90 days with broken appliances, unfinished punch lists, missed cleanings – they’re far less likely to renew. The implication is simple: every sloppy turn plants a seed for early move-out.
From my perspective, it’s not just about speed or quality, it’s about delivering both simultaneously. One without the other creates churn. As Jake noted, Rent Ready’s ability to cut average turn times to around 4.25 days while maintaining a 98%+ quality rate shows what’s possible when data drives decisions.
“Data gives you visibility: reliability rates, quality rates, actual vendor performance.” — Jake Stoll
Rent Ready reframes turns as a data problem. It’s not about hiring more techs or flying in “turn teams” to save the day. It’s about visibility: which vendors are reliable, which services create bottlenecks, and how much time (and money) each step costs.
That lens makes turns more than a cost center, it makes them a strategic lever. Every operator has untapped insights hidden in their process. Like our conversation with Kelly Brooks last week, The ones who surface and act on that data are outpacing the rest.
“Patience is critical. Be present, be consistent and the change will come.” — Jake Stoll
As we wrapped up, Jake offered the following advice: Change in property management isn’t instant, even when the solution seems obvious. Status quo has inertia. Leaders juggling multiple markets and priorities aren’t ignoring you, they’re overwhelmed.
For me, that was a leadership reminder: sometimes the most valuable thing we can offer isn’t just technology or strategy but patience and presence. Being there consistently means when urgency finally hits, you’re the trusted partner waiting with a solution.
Key Takeaways (Guillermo’s POV)
- Turns are leverage points. Done poorly, they destroy NOI. Done right, they accelerate growth.
- The first 90 days matter. If residents experience friction immediately, retention craters.
- Data wins. Visibility into vendor reliability, cost and cycle times transforms operations.
- Standardization scales. Whiteboards don’t. No matter how smart or dedicated your team is.
- Patience pays off. Trust builds over time, and readiness creates the moment for a Hell Yes.
Question to Consider
- How long are your current turn times and do you actually measure them?
- What would your NOI look like if you cut five days off every turn?
- What small data points could you start tracking today to build long-term visibility?
Jake reminded me that turning something many operators accept as “just the way it is” can actually be a competitive advantage when done with precision.
