The Property Couch 573 | The $75M Rise: How This 29-Year-Old Is Turning the “Ugly Kid” of Real Estate into the Cool Kid - Chat with Jonny Bell
Nov 20, 2025
In this discussion, Jonny Bell, the 29-year-old founder of Housemark, shares his incredible journey of transforming property management in Australia. He reveals how he outmaneuvered big players without an office—starting his business from a lockbox and a jet ski! Jonny dives into the six essential functions of property management, the importance of proactive service, and why hiring empathetic managers is crucial. He also discusses using technology to enhance service and how higher pay can attract top talent in the industry.
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Property Management Is Relationship-Driven
- Property management is relationship-driven and holds the asset's cash flow and long-term value.
- Jonny Bell saw PM as an under-served opportunity to build lifelong client relationships and scalable impact.
Use SBAR For Proactive Communication
- Be proactive: present problems with assessment and a recommended solution rather than asking the landlord what to do.
- Use a structured SBAR format: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation in communications.
Jet Ski Lockbox Office Start
- Jonny lived in one unit of a Windsor block and used a jet ski and a lockbox as his first 'office'.
- Tenants collected keys by jumping over the jet ski while he worked from the apartment's second bedroom.