Author

Mark Ainley

Mark Ainley is an investor, managing broker, and property manager with almost two decades of experience in real estate. Mark has been a speaker at numerous events across the country including investing summits in Dallas, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Experience
Mark’s extensive experience allows him to share his knowledge and experience on many topics like property management, scaling a business, rehabbing and flipping, out of state investing, asset stabilization, market analysis, and more. Mark found his way into real estate by purchasing and flipping condominiums prior to the Great Recession, and since, he has built his own portfolio of rental portfolio alongside co-founding GC Realty & Development LLC (GCR&D), a full-service real estate brokerage, property management, and investment firm, and GC Realty Investments (GCRI). He has rehabbed and stabilized over 450 properties and currently manages over 900 investment properties throughout the Chicagoland area.

GCR&D consults with both local and out of state investors on the acquisition, stabilization, and management of their rental property portfolio, as well. In recent years, both companies have grown to include over 25 full- and part-time employees, running the management and development divisions with 27 additional brokers getting deals done.

Mark was featured on CNBC’s TV show The Deed, which chronicled one of his rehabs. He has also been featured on podcasts like the BiggerPockets Podcast, The Real Estate Mogul Podcast, Joe Fairless, REI Diamonds, and Positive Phil. In 2017, he was featured on the cover of Top Agent—Property Management Edition.

Mark loves to give feedback to beginners or less experienced entrepreneurs on what steps not to take or what steps to take sooner in growing a younger business.

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Mark loves to give feedback to beginners or less experienced entrepreneurs on what steps not to take or what steps to take sooner in growing a younger business.

Follow
LinkedIn
GC Realty & Development, LLC on Facebook

Landlording & Property Management 3 min read

Apr 26, 2022Mar 18, 2023 Mark Ainley

Rental Scams: How Landlords Can Spot and Avoid Them

Landlords have had to deal with fake tenant applications for years. But rental scam artists upped their game and have gotten increasingly sly in their attempts to evade background checks…

Real Estate Business Management 5 min read

Jan 19, 2021Mar 31, 2023 Mark Ainley

Finding the Right Real Estate Broker: A Key Tool for Investing Success

Your broker is one of the most important members of your team. Make sure you find one who specializes in working with real estate investors.

Landlording & Property Management 8 min read

Apr 18, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Mark Ainley

4 Rules Landlords Must Follow to Get Through the Pandemic

Although there is a lot to take in overall during these crazy times, as a property manager firm for over 1,000 residential units and 350-plus owners, here's what we are…

Building a Team 5 min read

Jan 23, 2020Jan 27, 2024 Mark Ainley

The No. 1 Reason Rental Owners Fire Property Managers (& How to Avoid It)

Over the past 18 months, I have had the opportunity to speak with over 300 owners looking to replace their property management. I asked all of them one question: Why…

Investing For Beginners 5 min read

Nov 04, 2018Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

Newbie Investors: Here’s the Truth You NEED to Know About $30k Properties

You've done the calculations and that cheap investment property looks GREAT on paper. But wait—first, DEFINITELY learn the problems with $30k houses.

Landlording & Property Management 5 min read

Aug 05, 2018Jul 10, 2023 Mark Ainley

10 Not-So-Obvious Ways to Thoroughly Screen Potential Tenants

Finding great tenants will make your landlording job MUCH easier—but what process do you use? These 10 tips will land only the BEST renters in your units!

Investing For Beginners 3 min read

Jul 22, 2018Feb 19, 2024 Mark Ainley

Why I’d STRONGLY Discourage Newbies From Buying D-Class Investment Properties

Without a doubt, everyone has heard that real estate is all about “location, location, location.” I’ve bought in every class of real estate. I’ve bought A-class condos that I flipped,…

All 3 min read

Apr 22, 2016Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

The Landlord’s Guide to Dealing With Problematic Tenants

Problematic tenants come in all forms and are not limited to bad neighborhoods. It can be that very detailed-oriented tenant renting a class-A home who doesn’t stop calling you about every…

All 3 min read

Apr 14, 2016Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

Why Appraisals Don’t Necessarily Value Homes From an Investor’s Point of View

Appraisals are an important component to the home-buying process -- but do they truly reflect a property's value? Take a closer look here!

All 3 min read

Mar 12, 2016Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

The 2 Biggest Problems Buy & Hold Investors Face (& How to Solve Them!)

Maintenance and vacancy are the two biggest hits to an investor, and they are the two largest time requirements for a property manager. So if you could get maintenance under…

Finding Deals 2 min read

Feb 13, 2016Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

3 Tips to Find Cash-Flowing Properties (Including Using the Cash Zone Formula!)

Positive cash flow on a property usually occurs when rents are high and interest rates are low or after you’ve owned a home long enough that you’ve made a substantial…

Investing For Beginners 2 min read

Feb 06, 2016Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

The 3-Step Process for Evaluating a Prospective Investment Property

Today’s real estate investing climate tends to make accurate and appropriate information critical for success. If you do not know your local housing market, you could be in trouble. An…

Flipping 3 min read

Oct 17, 2015Mar 16, 2021 Mark Ainley

5 Vital Rules For Working With Contractors on Investment Properties

As I get older, I want to believe that I get wiser. I learn from my mistakes. I learn from others’ mistakes. As I get older, business has gotten easier,…