Building It: How to Build, Scale, and Sell a Property Management Company - with Hayden D'Arcy

How do you go from finding clients on Gumtree to selling a 145-property portfolio? In this episode of Building It, I sit down with Hayden D'Arcy, co-founder of Home Hero. His journey is one of the most relatable and inspiring stories we've had on the show. He started in 2015 with no clients. He drove a wrecked car to his first listing appointment (and hid it around the corner!). But through a relentless "Say Yes" strategy, he built a massive property management business on the Gold Coast, survived COVID, and recently achieved a successful exit. We dive into the reality of running a service business alongside a tech company, how to value your business for a sale, and why buying a cleaning company was the key to solving his operational headaches. #FromHustleToExit #ScaleWithSystems #AccommodationGrowth ibooked.online Book Direct Websites 🌐 Website: https://www.ibooked.online 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibooked-online 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibookedonlinefb/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibooked.online Strive Conferences 🌐 Website: https://www.striveconferencescom 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/striveconferences/ 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/striveconferences 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/striveconferences Don't forget to hit that subscribe button! This also keeps us going and creating more useful content for free! ACCOMMODATION OWNERS AND MANAGERS FREE RESOURCES! 📧Join the mailing list for freebies and critical industry updates: https://news.theaccommodationshow.com/ 🌍The Accommodation Owners and Managers Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/AMoFacebookCommunity 🗨 Connect with Bart Sobies for more industry insight: https://www.ibooked.online/bart/ 🎙 Subscribe to the podcast to listen later: https://www.theaccommodationshow.com 1. YouTube Chapters This is a fantastic "Building It" episode. It has everything: a humble beginning (Gumtree!), a struggle phase, a tech spin-off (Home Hero), rapid growth during COVID, and finally, a successful exit. The story about hiding the wrecked car around the corner is absolute gold—it's the perfect hook to show how far he came. Here are the promotional assets for the episode with Hayden D'Arcy. 1. YouTube Chapters 00:00 - Intro: Selling a 145-Property Business 01:46 - The Humble Start: Getting Clients on Gumtree in 2015 03:04 - The "Wrecked Car" Story: Faking It 'Til You Make It 05:34 - Co-founding Home Hero & Annoying Airbnb for API Access 09:38 - The Reality of Running Two Businesses at Once (18-Hour Days) 12:11 - The COVID Pivot: How He Grew When Others Quit 16:21 - The "Say Yes" Strategy: Taking Opportunities Others Refused 19:05 - Solving the Ops Nightmare: Buying a Cleaning Company 20:32 - The Hardest Founder Lesson: Learning to Let Go 22:31 - The Exit: Why He Sold His Portfolio to Focus on Tech 25:41 - How to Prepare Your Business for Sale (Valuation Tips) ✨ Ready to take things up a level? Come to STRIVE: https://www.striveconferences.com ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 🥊 Hotel - BNB - STR Owners! 🥊 Need more direct bookings or a brand new website? The trusted tech partner you can count on. We deliver results. 🥊 https://www.ibooked.online ​​​​​​​​​​​🥊 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Disclaimer: The content shared on this YouTube channel, Podcast, or associated posts reflects personal opinions and insights. This content is not intended as legal, financial, or investment advice. Always consult with licensed professionals before making decisions. The hosts and guests disclaim liability for any consequences of using this content. Actions taken should be based on your personal due diligence. Affiliate Disclaimer: This blog, podcast & youtube channel; will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you, if you buy something through my links. This show aims to educate viewers and share everything I know about improving your accommodation, STR and AirBNB business. I believe in the products and services we link to and that you may benefit from them. If you do purchase through my affiliate links; I want to thank you for your support.