All Forum Posts by: Matthew Cates

Hey Drew — that’s a valid concern, and one we hear a lot from out-of-state investors.

The reality is, like many high crime cities, Memphis has pockets with higher crime rates rather that it being the entire market. There are many stable, high-performing neighborhoods where tenant demand is strong, rents are rising, and properties cash flow consistently.

We manage over 200 doors here and have firsthand data:

• Good areas stay rented

• Tenants pay consistently

• Our investors are hitting their numbers

We don’t sugarcoat anything... in fact, we spend a lot of time helping clients buy in the right areas and avoid the wrong ones. Memphis isn't for every strategy, but if you're looking for cash flow and long-term upside, it's hard to beat the numbers.

Also, a lot of the crime stats are city-wide averages that don’t reflect the block-by-block reality of where most investors actually buy.

Happy to share specific ZIP codes or walk through what a good acquisition looks like if you’re ever curious.

Hey BP community —

I wanted to share why Memphis continues to be one of the most proven and profitable cities in the country for rental property investors—especially if you're focused on long-term cash flow and want to scale without stress.

I work with Collaborate Real Estate Group, where we manage over 250+ doors across Memphis, Tampa, and Orlando. For landlords and out-of-state investors, Memphis stands out as a consistent performer with the numbers to back it up.

Why Memphis Works for Landlords:

1. Millennial Renters Are Driving Demand
Young professionals are flocking to Memphis for its affordability, job access, and quality of life. That’s keeping rental demand strong and vacancies low.

2. Diverse, Growing Economy
Healthcare, logistics, and a growing startup scene are all fueling tenant stability. Employers like FedEx and major hospitals are anchors that attract long-term renters.

3. Strong Cash Flow Potential
Memphis offers low entry prices and above-average rent-to-price ratios. That means real-world cash flow—not just on paper.

4. Citywide Investment in Infrastructure
The city continues to invest in neighborhoods, parks, and public services. That translates into better retention, rising rents, and long-term property value.

What We Do for Rental Property Owners:

If you’re investing or already own property in Memphis, here’s how we help:

• - Full-service property management

• - Local leasing and tenant placement

• - Rehab and make-ready coordination

• - Transparent reporting and owner communication

• - Neighborhood and acquisition guidance

We bring an investor-first approach to every property — and we treat your asset like a business, not a burden.

Looking for Reliable Support in Memphis?

Whether you’re self-managing and want your time back, or just entering the market and need boots on the ground — let’s talk.

Drop a comment or DM me. Happy to share insights, referrals, or show you how our team supports owners like you every day.

Darius...if you'd want, I'd love to run an analysis on your property to see what it would rent for compared to what it would take for the rent to match what you would have made selling it.

I love to help when and where I can.

@Michael Dallas I started off with house hacking a single family residence my senior year.  Bought a 3bed/ 2 bath in Balmoral (Quince & Ridgeway) and rented out the other two rooms to friends of mine.  I kicked everyone out and rented it to a family once I bought a foreclosure in Germantown.  I wish I had started out with a multi-family property like you are planning.  More doors as quickly as you can, before you add someone as a dependent, will put you way a head of the game.

"Know they self," Greek someone... this is incredibly important when it comes to property management.  I quickly found out, I'm too nice of a guy and, I do not need to be managing my own properties.  Before I could have someone on my team to PM under me, I always used a property manager.  If you're house hacking, it's a different story since you are living with your tenants.  That said, you might find out you don't enjoy managing tenants OR don't have the patients for it OR you'd rather be swinging a hammer OR talking to sellers to find your next property OR a multitude of other things. 

It's a pretty detailed analyzer.  If you take the time to wrap your head around it...you will be killer at it.

Here's a link:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WCkoi_uPXsktRtrCQPCh...

@John Matthew Johnston Of course good Sir!

I haven't checked BP forms...but I have a few spreadsheets for analyzing multi-family properties that could be of help.

@Aaron Rushton,

Something to ask a potential PM, "what is your current longest vacancy?"  You'll probably get the reason why but if they can't tell you pretty quickly, you can assume they don't have good systems in place to track what will be most important to you and you need to call elsewhere.

I know when we take on a new client, we actually have requirements of the property before we will let a tenant move in.  This is in your best interest as well as ours.  We do best when you do best...so the less amount of time we have to visit a property for repairs, the better it is for everyone.  I can say, there are some PMs whose business plan is to make money off of the repairs, please watch out for them.

We also provide some other features to our clients like 11 months of rent advancement and tenant turnover coverage.

Adrian...I'd love to talk with you about implementing the property analysis you've created into my list of available properties to my clients.