Property Management, Inc. Gave Veteran and Franchisee Paul Arrington the Keys to a New Community of Real Estate Professionals

Franchisee Paul Arrington joined Property Management, Inc. (PMI) in 2016, but the new business owner was no stranger to real estate, having worked in the industry since he retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2002. PMI is a consistent revenue-generating property management business which now helps hundreds of property managers realize their dreams of successful business ownership.

It is no secret that veterans make great franchisees and Arrington is no exception. Over 20% of PMI franchises are owned by veterans and the brand is the highest-ranked property management franchise on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Franchises for Veterans 2019. PMI also offers 10% off of the standard franchise fee for veterans, both out of appreciation for their service and because veterans make for truly reliable and successful franchise partners.

While many veterans turn to franchising after retiring from service as a way to reenter the workforce, Arrington’s path was a little different. Following 21 years in the Air Force—first working on fighter planes and then moving into recruitment—Arrington turned to mortgages and real estate as a way to take advantage of what was, at the time, a very active market. “Recruitment is essentially a sales job,” said Arrington, “and I felt equipped to enter the real estate industry because of my background in recruiting. It was something I always wanted to do.”

In 2008, Arrington seized an opportunity to start his own property management company. “The market at the time was changing so quickly, it became evident that I needed to be in property management,” Arrington said. “People were refinancing and trying to sell their houses, but often they owed more than what their houses were worth. It became my job to rent out the houses until the market turned—11 years later and I'm still managing some of those properties.”

Arrington’s company covered sales, property management, home owner association management and more.

Eventually, Arrington became involved with Property Management, Inc. when the brand sought him out for his experience as a broker. While brokers can typically work independently or hire real estate agents to work for them, agents often need representation from brokers to oversee their real estate transactions. “In Florida, an agent has to work with a broker to be legitimized,” said Arrington. “That’s when I struck an agreement with Steve Hart, President of PMI.”

Arrington became the broker for quite a few franchises, meaning he negotiated, arranged and oversaw real estate transactions for PMI agents throughout his territory in Florida. Shortly after joining in 2016, Arrington realized that if he really wanted to succeed, he needed the training of a franchisee. “I spoke with Brian and Steve and said, ‘I can’t help these people as much as I want to help them without the proper resources. I need access to the same systems that they use.’ I’ve been a franchisee ever since.”

“I currently qualify 13 different PMI franchises as a broker and I am the regional manager for the Florida market,” said Arrington. “The franchise system really brings structure to property management. I was helping to bring that same structure on the brokering front.”

“I’ve owned my own business for years, but I had never thought about it to quite the degree of this systematized manner,” Arrington continued. “Had I known about PMI before, I probably would have started working with them much sooner.”

Arrington isn’t the only franchisee with PMI who had a long career in property management prior to working with the brand. For even the most experienced business people, PMI allows franchisees to leverage the brand’s robust network and streamlined processes to provide an ample foundation for both security and growth.

“The best part for me is being part of something that is bigger than my little shop in Florida,” Arrington said. “There’s teamwork and camaraderie—everyone wants to help and see each other succeed.”