Case Studies
Real Properties. Real Challenges. Real Results.
We don't deal in theory or hypotheticals. Every strategy we recommend has been tested with real capital on real properties facing real market conditions.
From Worst Park In Town To Best Year Since 1973
Best Year Since
New Tenants From Us
Revenue Increase
Declining Economy
The Backstory
Sundowner isn't just another case study. It's one of our family parks. It's also our "test park" where we experiment with new strategies before sharing them with clients.
In 1972, my father got a call about a "great opportunity" in a small New Mexico town. When he drove through, here's what he saw: knee-high weeds in almost every lot, dogs on chains racing toward his car, junky cars on concrete blocks. He bought it anyway. He could see the potential.
Within a few years, Sundowner was one of the nicest and most in-demand parks in town. The waiting list was a yellow legal pad, three pages long. Depending on the occasional ups and downs in the oil and gas industry, business was either good or great.
But then, the entire game changed.
The Problem: Early Warning Signs (2011)
We noticed something had changed. Mobile home spaces were doing well, but overall revenue from rental income was starting to decline. The warning signs were clear:
- Increasing RV space vacancies over time
- Fewer overnight RV guests showing up
- Fewer RV owners making reservations
- Traditional advertising methods had stopped working
- Local coal-fired power plants and oil companies were laying off employees
The local economy was collapsing. And traditional advertising methods had stopped working.
"Marketing Malpractice"
Around this time, Sundowner was getting postcards and spam emails from marketing agencies promising to drive customers with SEO, Google ads, and print advertising.
Here's my question: When was the last time a doctor prescribed treatment before examining and diagnosing you?
You can't prescribe the RIGHT solution until you've diagnosed the REAL problem.
Which is why I set up a meeting to identify EXACTLY what was happening with Sundowner. It's human nature to think we know what the problem is. But the initial "problems" my family was telling me weren't the real problems at all. They were symptoms.
The Solution: Real Strategies, Not Random Tactics
Some strategies came from my experience growing up in the mobile home and RV park business. Some came from commercial real estate. Others came from strategies I learned after investing tens of thousands of hours and well over $100,000 in direct-response marketing and online advertising.
Working closely with Sundowner, we put a number of solutions in place, many of which worked together to get better results than any one solution would achieve on its own. We also worked with them on property management practices to help convert more callers into reservations and tenants.
Fighting A Declining Economy
At the end of 2012, here's what Diane (the property manager) told us about conditions:
"From the time we started until the end of 2012, economic conditions continued to get worse. Lower interest rates were causing tenants to leave as they purchased single-family homes. The local economy continued to decline due to EPA regulations. Despite all of that, daily call volume skyrocketed, 95% of new tenants came from what RVPME put in place, and we had our best revenue year since 1973."
Diane, RV Park Owner
Sundowner Mobile Home & RV Park
The Results: Best Year Since 1973
Despite the fact that local economic conditions were continuing to decline, the solutions we put in place were working:
Let that sink in. We started working with Sundowner in 2011, during a collapsing local economy. By the end of 2012, they had their best revenue year in nearly 40 years.
Key Takeaways
What This Case Study Reveals
1. Symptoms Aren't Problems
What looks like the problem is usually just a symptom. Most property owners (and most agencies) treat symptoms instead of diagnosing root causes. We don't prescribe solutions until we've diagnosed the actual problem.
2. Comprehensive Solutions Beat Random Tactics
Sundowner didn't succeed because of one clever trick. They succeeded because we implemented multiple strategies that worked together, each amplifying the others. Website optimization made ads more effective. Better property management converted more callers. Improved operations generated better reviews.
3. Operations And Marketing Must Work Together
You can't market your way out of operational problems. But when you optimize operations first, marketing becomes exponentially more effective. We worked with Sundowner on property management practices to convert more callers into tenants. That was just as important as the advertising.
4. Market Conditions Don't Determine Results
Sundowner had their best year since 1973 while the local economy was collapsing. Why? Because we helped them capture a larger share of the demand that existed, instead of hoping for more demand to magically appear. You can't control your market. But you can control your market share.
5. Testing With Real Capital Matters
Sundowner is one of our family parks. Every strategy we tested there was tested with our own money, our own risk, and our own reputation. When I tell you something works, it's because I've proven it with real capital, not theory.
Your Property Could Be Next
Every property is different. Every market is different. But the process is the same: