Started a PM firm with an external supervisory broker in Texas (Designated Broker)

[Christian Bensch]

Planning a lean, compliance-first property-management firm in Central Texas (Austin–San Antonio corridor), operating with a formally appointed external supervisory broker (Designated Broker for a business-entity broker setup, or initially a Sponsoring Broker). Seeking first-hand experiences, pitfalls, comp models, and where you found trustworthy, helpful supervisors.

Context (quick):

• Target go-live: August 2026.
• I handle ops/SOPs/owner comms; the broker supervises compliance, ad approvals, and trust accounting.
• Transparency: I’m also considering the Triangle, NC market; I’m posting there too to gather local, state-specific insights.

What I’m asking for (please be specific):

1. Your experience launching under an external Designated/Sponsoring Broker in TX — what worked, what didn’t.
2. Red flags when evaluating candidates (e.g., weak trust-accounting routines, slow ad approvals, unclear authority/access).
3. Compensation models that worked for you: monthly retainer, per-door supervision fee, revenue share, flat + performance, any minimums/exit clauses.
4. Ballpark ranges and how they scale as doors grow.
5. Where you found them: NARPM chapters, Texas REALTORS/local boards, TREC license search, BP groups, LinkedIn, referrals.
6. Contract must-haves for an IC setup: authority, E&O proof, ad-approval SLA, trust-account signatories, data access, transition/exit clauses.

What I’ll bring:

• Process-driven operations, conservative owner comms, transparent KPIs (vacancy, turn time, WO cycle, reconciliations).
• Clean SOPs for leasing/screening/collections/inspections; consistent trust reconciliations; compliant advertising.

Location:

• Primary: Central Texas (Austin–San Antonio corridor).
• Note: Also evaluating Triangle, NC for later expansion; cross-posting there for localized feedback.

Call to action:

If forum rules allow, happy to take DMs or do a short 15-min Zoom. Otherwise, please drop your lessons learned, recommended steps, or referrals here. Thanks