Every spring, property management professionals from across the country gather at the NARPM Broker/Owner Conference and Expo to do something that is harder to find in most industries: openly compare notes on what is working, what is not, and where the profession is headed. Once again I attended the event. This April, the 2026 event was in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I came home with a lot to think about.
Here is what stood out and why it matters to you as a property owner.
The Industry Is Changing Faster Than Most People Realize
The single biggest theme woven through nearly every session I attended was this: the property management industry is in the middle of a significant transformation, driven largely by technology and rising expectations on all sides.
That is not hyperbole. The closing keynote featured the presentation of the 2026 PM Trends Report, a research study co-authored by Jordan Muela and Peter Lohmann. The data behind the report surveyed more than 750 U.S. based residential real estate investors and painted a clear picture: professional property management is becoming the standard, not the exception. More than half of rental property owners in the U.S. now use a professional property management service, which is a significant shift from even a few years ago.
The reasons property owners leave their current management company were equally revealing: 42% cited a decline in service quality, 29% cited delays in tenant placement, and 27% cited fee increases. In other words, owners are not leaving over price, they are leaving over performance. That is a message Trio Property Management Inc. (Trio) takes seriously every single day.
Technology Is Raising the Bar for Everyone
One of the more candid conversations at the conference centered on artificial intelligence and how property management companies are beginning to integrate it into their operations. The honest answer from most attendees, including myself, is that the industry is still in the early stages of figuring this out. The opportunity is real, and the pressure to adopt is growing. But the more important question is not whether to use AI; it is how to use it responsibly and effectively.
At Trio, we are already working on streamlining and consolidating our technology to that end: better service, delivered more consistently, with the safeguards in place to protect our clients. Technology should make your experience as a property owner smoother, with faster communication, more transparency, and fewer gaps. That is the standard we are holding ourselves to.
The flip side of this conversation was a topic that came up more than once: as technology becomes more widely available, it also becomes more widely misused. Applicant fraud is becoming more sophisticated. Fake documents, manipulated pay stubs, and AI-generated verifications are creating new challenges for property managers and self-managing landlords alike. Verification processes that were sufficient two or three years ago may not be adequate today. Staying ahead of this is not optional, it is part of responsible property management in 2026.
Self-Managing Is Getting Harder
If you are currently managing your own rental property, this section is worth reading carefully.
The complexity of residential property management has increased considerably in recent years. Fair housing requirements, application screening regulations, maintenance documentation standards, lease compliance, and tenant communication expectations have all evolved, and will continue to evolve. Add to that the growing sophistication of applicant fraud, and the landscape for a private landlord doing this without professional support has become genuinely difficult to navigate.
This is not a criticism of landlords who choose to self-manage. Many have done it successfully for years. But what worked in 2015 or even 2020 requires a meaningfully different approach today. The conference reinforced something we already believe: the value of professional property management is not just convenience. It is protection, compliance, and performance that compounds over time. Any attorney that specializes in Landlord Tenant Law will confirm this.
Now May Be the Right Time to Buy
Perhaps the most unexpected moment of the conference for me came when a speaker made the case, backed by market data, that right now is an opportune time to acquire rental properties. The reasoning: pricing is likely to increase in the period ahead, and those who position themselves as owners today will be better placed when that shift occurs.
That message resonated. We work with property owners across the Eugene and Springfield area every day, and we are seeing some of the same signals locally. Owners who have been holding properties with low locked-in interest rates are staying put. Others who could not sell in the current market are becoming landlords, sometimes for the first time. The rental market remains active, and professionally managed properties continue to perform well.
If you have been thinking about adding a rental property to your portfolio, or wondering whether the timing makes sense, this is worth a conversation.
What This Means for Property Owners in Eugene and Springfield
Attending a national conference like this is valuable precisely because it puts local practice in a broader context. Some of what I heard validated decisions Trio has already made. Some of it revealed areas where we intend to improve. All of it reminded me why belonging to a professional community committed to raising industry standards matters.
Whether you are considering hiring a property manager for the first time, thinking about purchasing a rental property, or wondering whether your current management relationship is delivering what it should, we would welcome a conversation. Trio has been managing residential properties in this community since 2004, we are the only company in our area to hold the Residential Management Professional (RMP) designations and have been NARPM members since 2016. We regularly attend events like this specifically to ensure we are bringing the best the industry has to offer to our clients right here at home.
It is not what your property manager is charging you. It is what they are saving you.
Ready to find out what professional management could mean for your property? Request a Free Rental Analysis at triopm.com or reach us directly at investments@triopm.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is professional property management becoming more common?
The 2026 PM Trends Report found that more than half of U.S. rental property owners now use a professional property management service. Rising regulatory complexity, higher tenant expectations, and the growing sophistication of applicant fraud are all contributing factors. Managing a rental property today requires more knowledge, more time, and more systems than it did even five years ago.
What makes self-managing a rental property harder today than it used to be?
Fair housing requirements, screening regulations, lease compliance standards, and tenant communication expectations have all increased in complexity. At the same time, applicant fraud has become more sophisticated, with AI-generated documents and falsified verifications that are difficult to detect without professional tools and processes. The risk exposure for a private landlord who is not current on these issues has grown considerably.
Is now a good time to buy a rental property in Eugene or Springfield?
According to research presented at the 2026 NARPM Broker/Owner Conference, current market conditions favor buyers who are positioned to hold. Locally, we are seeing owners stay put due to low locked-in interest rates, and others becoming first-time landlords after being unable to sell. The rental market in the Eugene and Springfield area remains active. If you are considering a purchase, we are happy to walk through the numbers with you.
How do I know if my property manager is keeping up with industry standards?
Look for active membership in professional organizations like NARPM, continued education through events like the Broker/Owner Conference, and recognized credentials such as the Residential Management Professional (RMP) designation. Trio holds RMP designations, has been a NARPM member since 2016, and attends national conferences specifically to stay current on industry best practices.
Trio Property Management Inc. is a locally owned and family-operated property management company serving Eugene, Springfield, Coburg, Junction City, Veneta, Creswell, and Elmira.
