Peter Lohmann's Newsletter - Issue #178

OpenClaw is Going to Change Property Management

Something extremely bizarre is happening with AI right now. Out of nowhere, there’s been a step change in the capability of “Agentic AI” tools.

I hope you all know by now that I am by no means an “AI Hype Bro”. I’ve been pretty slow to incorporate AI tools at my property management company, and openly skeptical of the biggest claims that some in our space have been making.

But this is big. Really big.

First, check out this nice graphic that helps explain the difference between an “AI Agent” and normal automation:

OpenClaw is a free, open-source personal assistant AI agent that can run locally (eg on a Mac Mini, which is what I’m doing) or in the cloud (like on a VPS, which is virtual private server). You communicate with it using whatever chat tool you like (iMessage, Whatsapp, Slack, etc). It can do nearly anything a human can do on a computer such as use the web, install apps, log in to websites, send emails, etc. I should mention it’s quite new and is buggy, full of security risks, and extremely challenging to get working.

But once you do get it working, this thing is like MAGIC. Let me skip all the boring stuff and show you what I got working IN 12 MINUTES:

Hopefully you can read those messages (this is me talking to it through WhatsApp). Basically I asked it to monitor a competitor’s website for stale rental listings, then message me with the owner’s contact information once a rental listing hits 28 days. This is a very complex job that would have taken me many hours to get working even with ChatGPT’s help. In fact I tried to get this working a few months ago, wasted a ton of time and money on it, and gave up. It never worked. Now it’s up and running. Mind. Blown.

This is just the metaphorical tip of the iceberg in terms of what this tool, and others like it, are capable of (check out Claude Cowork).

I’m sure your mind is spinning with what else this tool could do for you, both at work and home.

[Crane members, join us in this thread to discuss OpenClaw if you’re messing around with it too.]

This tool is new and the situation is evolving quickly—there will certainly be more user-friendly, commercial versions of this tool coming out any day now—but I encourage anyone who can to start playing. Just understanding what is (and isn’t) possible with tools like this is the important part. I can’t wait to see what our favorite vendor partners can do with this tech. Let me know what you’re working on!

The Death of AI Slop

If you’re using AI to summarize meetings: good.
If you’re using agentic AI to do crazy stuff: awesome (see beginning of newsletter).
If you’re letting AI email your biggest client: fired.

In this episode of Lazy Leverage, Jon and I dig into the messy middle of AI adoption (where most teams get it wrong). We introduce the idea of “stamping the drawings,” a system for deciding when AI is fine on its own… and when a human needs to step in. If your AI policy is just “go faster,” you don’t have a strategy. You have a liability.

(Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify)

Property Management Companies For Sale This Week

• A 40-year property management business in Los Angeles, CA is on the market (asking $450k, generating $255k in revenue)

• This opportunity is available in Pawhuska, OK (asking $689k on $74,952 in annual revenue).

• Here’s another opportunity in California — a residential property management portfolio in the Sacramento & San Francisco region (36 doors, asking $225k)

This section is sponsored by Rentvine. Built for property managers who want clean accounting, connected workflows, and zero feature paywalls. Winter Sale: get 3 months free + Apple AirPods when you manage 150+ units and use screening (terms apply).

Industry News & Events

• Congress’s housing bill is moving forward without the ban on institutional ownership of SFR some had hoped for.

• An HOA management company owner is accused of stealing $1M in Florida.

• RentScale launched a 7-city workshop tour called PM Growth by Design. I have personally attended many RentScale events and they are always filled with actionable insights. Recommend checking these out if they’re coming to your city.

• Aptly launched Ascent, a new vendor-led community potentially aimed at multifamily. LeaseLock, Column bank, and Black Sheep Global are their launch partners. You can register for their two upcoming events with Deb Newell or LeaseLock, and check out their podcast with Column.

Closing Thought

A few quick things before you go…

• NEW: Crane Applications reopen April 3rd. Join the waitlist to get access 48h early.

• Last week’s issue went to 21,206 readers (56.6% opened, 4.4% clicked)

• The most popular link was the FTC article on rental fee regulations (342 clicks)

• Property managers: Your professional trade association is NARPM. You need to join if you’re not already a member.

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Software I’m using to scale my 700+ door property management company:

Note: These are affiliate links, but I’ve been recommending all these companies long before any financial arrangements came into place.

The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. I may have consulting agreements with, or financial interests in, companies mentioned in this newsletter. Additionally, some of the links included in this newsletter are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial or business decisions.