Peter Lohmann's Newsletter - Tuesday Edition #2

Northpoint's New CEO, Churn Poll Results, VeriFast's First Acquisition.

Author

Peter Lohmann
February 03, 2026

A no-fluff, twice-weekly publication for the property management industry.

Welcome to Issue #2 of the Tuesday Edition! Not interested? Click here to opt out (you’ll still receive the Friday editions).

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You Need to Know About OpenClaw

The internet is currently losing its collective mind over OpenClaw, a new personal AI assistant. Here’s some coverage worth reading:

For the past week or so, I’ve been working with a digital assistant that knows my name, my preferences for my morning routine, how I like to use Notion and Todoist, but which also knows how to control Spotify and my Sonos speaker, my Philips Hue lights, as well as my Gmail. It runs on Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5 model, but I chat with it using Telegram. I called the assistant Navi (inspired by the fairy companion of Ocarina of Time, not the besieged alien race in James Cameron’s sci-fi film saga), and Navi can even receive audio messages from me and respond with other audio messages generated with the latest ElevenLabs text-to-speech model. Oh, and did I mention that Navi can improve itself with new features and that it’s running on my own M4 Mac mini server?

Federico Viticci’s review of OpenClaw

You can hook it up to iMessage, Slack, Whatsapp, or any messaging platform and start asking it to do stuff for you, or learn new skills.

Yesterday I spent an hour peppering Jon Matzner with questions about what exactly this thing even is (he’s in way deep). Follow along as I get my mind completely blown:

Learning about OpenClaw with Jon Matzner

I think this is a turning point for AI. If you care about being on the cutting edge of technology, you need to start messing around with this right now. I’ve ordered a Mac Mini to start playing with it.

THIS ISSUE IS PRESENTED BY APPGENTIC.AI

Imagine your phones getting answered without pulling your team away.

Most AI tools I see in PM are either too rigid, too risky, or a downright waste.
They promise to “automate everything,” then hand you fires to put out.

appgentic.ai has launched AI Assistants that follow your policies and escalate what matters.

Think of it like a sidekick, one who:

  • Answers and triages maintenance calls (even at 2am)

  • Handles leasing inquiries and books tours

  • Knows when to involve your staff

And it acts inside clear guardrails. No guessing games. Just execution on what your team already knows how to do, but gets distracted by.

If you’re slammed with tasks and looking for leverage, this might be the solution that works. Click below for a personalized demo.

PM Company & Vendor Updates

  • Northpoint Asset Management CEO Adam Haleck is stepping down, and Crane member Daniel French is in as the new chief executive. In Q2 of last year, Northpoint was managing 6400+ units.

  • Affirm announced a partnership with Esusu that will allow renters to split their monthly rent in two equal payments with no interest.

  • In case you missed it: Peter & The Wolf, my live property management show with Wolfgang Croskey, returns for the 2026 season next week.

  • Tenant screening platform VeriFast has acquired Opsana (customer support).

Podcast Archives: Dr. Julie Gurner on Energy, Mindset, and Why Discipline Isn’t Always Enough

This one’s a little different (and one of my top-3 episodes on Spotify). Dr. Julie Gurner shares why your mindset drives your business more than any system, tool, or hire ever will. We also talk about how self-belief actually compounds (just like capital), why environment is one of the most underrated performance levers, and what it really means to operate with discipline vs. energy. If you’ve ever felt “stuck” in your business, this episode will be a huge help. (Season 5, Episode 2)

(Also available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)

Poll Results: How is your PM company's client churn compared to this time last year?

Last Tuesday, 45% responded “Much lower “ or “Somewhat lower churn.”

Poll Results: Client Churn vs Prior Year, January 2026

Our churn was down in 2025, and it looks like we’re not alone. That’s great news for property managers, let’s hope the trend continues in 2026!

I plan to use this section of the newsletter for surveys & survey results. The goal is to provide up-to-the-minute benchmarks for the industry. It can be really lonely and confusing when you’re operating in an information vacuum. “Am I the only one dealing with X, Y or Z right now?” We’re going to fix that. What would you like to know about your fellow property managers?

What I’m Reading Right Now…

  • Jon Matzner just wrote an excellent piece entitled “You build rapport to use it.” I’ve read it twice.

  • South Dakota is taking steps to outlaw the misrepresentation of a pet as a service animal or ESA. Let’s hope more states follow.

  • I love this breakdown of how to have difficult conversations about performance with direct reports by Julian Scadden, CEO of Nexstar Network. I’m re-reading the excellent book Radical Candor right now, which has similar themes.

My Take on This Week’s News

I intend for this section to host a short video with my take on the week’s property management news. Here’s a taste, let me know what you think of this new format. By the way, starting today, these news breakdowns are syndicated to my podcast feed as well. Subscribe for a 7-minute property management news breakdown in your favorite podcast player every Monday.

Affiliate of the week: Notion

I use Notion to organize everything across all my businesses, including Crane and RL Property Management. It’s the “informational glue” that holds our internal systems & processes together. Think of it like a living, searchable wiki for your company. Whether you’re running a property management business or just trying to streamline your life, Notion is the tool I trust. Check it out.

Meme Tuesday:

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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.