Shandron Pemberton with POSolutions, Inc.

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open for Business, and this is going to be a good one. Today, we have with us Shandron Pemberton with POSolutions. Welcome.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:00:30] Hi, Lee. Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:33] Well, I am excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about POSolutions, how are you serving folks?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:00:38] Oh, gosh. Well, you know, Lee, we’ve been around now going on about 18 years. And POSolutions, we’re actually a real estate brokerage firm. With this niche concentration, we deal with asset management. I got to tell you, the basis of which we started here 18 years ago was started working with HOA and condo communities. So, we still work in that capacity. We manage about 15,000 units throughout the metro area, ranging inside this all over. So, you know, some people kind of feel a certain kind of way when you talk about HOA and condo management.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:01:11] But, essentially, you know, it was the basis to jump start and catapult POSolutions into the asset management arena. You know, from there and dealing so much from a property management perspective, it broadened our understanding as related to working with federal counties or any government agencies regarding things like custodial services, potentially doing real estate, consulting services. Because I am the broker, we are a brokerage firm, is licensed with the Real Estate Commission. We do deals so much in money and recovery of dues and making sure those assets are maintained from a leasing perspective as well. We are a fair credit reporting entity, so we do have a collections division internally where we do financial recovery and discovery for our clients. And even in a nontraditional debt collective perspective as well.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:02:11] But when you think about asset management as a whole, Lee, whatever is required to maintain the portfolio that a client may have, whether it’s HOA or whether it’s a school system and they need custodial services, or whether it’s working with a developer, you know, a housing authority to help from their leasing program or HUD initiatives. So, all of those things are kind of lumped up under asset management when you think about real estate. And it has truly been a space that, I will say, has been resilient, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:53] Now, I have a question, I’m not familiar with the industry as a whole. You know, I’ve lived in places and rented places. But talk to me a little bit about how the service works from your standpoint. When you say property management, a property, in your view, is what? Like, could it be someone’s house? Because there’s property management, people who help an individual rent their house out? Or it could be a condo building, where you help that condo building owner, you know, serve their clients and become the manager of that property? Like, how are you defining property manager? Is it so broad that it can include lots of different things?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:03:35] Yeah. Great question, Lee. So, when you do think about property management, you’ll tend to see either one side or the other. From an investment, you know, kind of a single owner and you may have a multiple rental properties and you want a property management firm to help you find a tenant to be placed in that property and collect those rents. In that capacity, we don’t operate per se. So, we manage neighborhood association programs.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:04:05] So, the developer may have acquired a piece of land and they are building a deed restricted community. So, that homeowners association or that condominium building, the entity in itself, because the association isn’t a corporation, is going to be operated by its board of directors. So, in most cases, those board of directors have the right to procure property management and, i.e., they’ll work with firms such as POSolutions. So, from board members electing to enter into an agreement with the firm or whether it is a developer in itself, and while that developer is building out the property or that particular phase, helping understanding what that initial budget and the creation of the the covenants and bylaws, the restrictions, and things like that from the inception of the community.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:05:00] So, not more so from an individual perspective. But, again, in terms of those neighborhood management programs, that HOA and condo spaces is where our niche expertise essentially resides. And from there, dealing with so much maintenance on those properties. So, it could be the neighborhood pool or the clubhouse, anything from, again, the financials or the dues that are paid by the members to maintain the assets. POSolutions is hired to oversee all of that and execute based on the directives of the board of directors.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:05:40] So, from, again, that maintenance perspective, when you’re talking about maintaining those assets, that is where we spun off and continue to excel over the years by developing out our full maintenance division. So, within POSolutions, as that asset management firm, we have that neighborhood management division. We have a maintenance department to include a financial recovery department.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:06:09] So, when you’re talking about being connected with a partner, like GWBC, that benefit has equated to us being certified and being a female-owned and operated firm opens us up for a wealth of opportunities in procurement from the county perspective. We currently work with the Douglas County School System. We’re based here in Douglasville, Georgia to do some custodial services. We’ve done work with the Department of Natural Resources, and did some maintenance on some of their staff corridors out at a state park.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:06:48] So, when you think asset management, think about that real property and what all it takes to keep it in good standing. And so, not only just from the receipt of the monies to keep it maintained but, equally, the work that goes into maintaining it. So, if it’s painting, if it’s roofing, you know, all of those things to make sure that the entity, that real property, the asset in itself, is in good standing and in keeping the best value as possible in terms of how that asset is performing.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:25] Now, it sounds like your business evolved from starting out with these homeowners associations. And then, it’s just expanded into, like you said, wherever people had assets that needed to be managed. Is that accurate?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:07:40] That is absolutely correct. You’re a quick study, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:44] So, when that’s the case, can you talk about that? Because that’s a good lesson for business owners. They might think that their initial idea is their big idea, but, really, that was just your point of entry. And once you kind of looked, maybe, at a bigger view of what your service was, then you realize that, “Hey, other people can benefit from that service as well.”

Shandron Pemberton: [00:08:06] Absolutely. Absolutely. And I looked at it from a scalability perspective. You know, yes, and yes, and yes again, in terms of we started with HOA and condo management. But as we continue to evolve over the years and going through just understanding, training, education, partners like GWBC, the SBA through the Emerging Leaders Program, how do you begin to scale. Or growing organically is one way, typically, that’s going to bring in more, you know, employees, resources, more financial cost.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:08:47] But if you think, especially with the current climate and how to pivot, how can you scale? Meaning, what you already have access to and what you’re doing already. As minimal as possible, how can you bring in additional streams of income? You know, our systems, where is the benefit? There’s benefit in the systems that we use from a property management perspective and being able to have, again, in this aspect, you have to be a licensed agent, part of the Real Estate Commission. But it is a very specific training and level of expertise.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:09:24] And so, when you think about all of the different areas that you’re touching, you have to be creative. You know, I remember when the market crashed here back in 2007 or ’08 or so, it was, “Hey, I’m getting all of these closing verifications and seeing all these foreclosure notices coming across my desk that we have to process for our HOA and condos, because many of those homes were in the neighborhoods.” And, you know, I’m seeing the common partners, and that is actually when I began exploring my understanding in terms of in the federal market space. It was at that time that we got our first subcontracts with working with a HUD partner, and we started doing preservation work on their foreclosures throughout the metro area. And that took us to a whole another level. It pushed my understanding of how really to maximize in different areas of the professional insight that we had, quite frankly, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:31] Right. It was one of those things that it wasn’t obvious when you started maybe. But once you started kind of immersing yourself into it, then these opportunities present themselves and then you become a logical solution. And in hindsight, it’s probably, “Look, the path was there. But I just didn’t see it until I was kind of in it.”

Shandron Pemberton: [00:10:53] Absolutely. Absolutely. You’re absolutely right. But education, sometimes it’s a lot of dialoging and, again, connected with affiliates and having those conversations. Some of my most intricate moments were talking with other likeminded business owners and in completely different spaces. But just the owners and business, the challenges that you have day-to-day. And through that dialogue, it was, “Hey, well, have you thought about this? And, you know, you may be able to spin it this way.” And sometimes it’s just the sharing and the reciprocation of those conversations. They were very helpful for me. And to that extent, you know, sometimes when you’re in it, you kind of don’t see it. But, equally, the planning and working through some type of growth plan and proper preparation prevents poor performance.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:11:47] So, you should always be thinking, you know, six months to 12 months down the road and what things are going to look like, and working on opportunities that far in advance. But you’ve got to keep doing something out there and see what sticks. And sometimes, you know, it’s just about following the money also. If you’re intending to the emerging trends and watching what’s happening, you just got to find your niche. Research is everything, is what I’m saying, and being connected to the right partners. And once you’re there, you got access to information, you’re bound to find your way some kind of way.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:25] Yeah. That’s great advice. And you have to be bold enough to take the action, too. It’s one thing to kind of intellectually see it. But you also took the action. You used your network, you used your resources, you used your partners, and helped each other kind of solve a problem for folks.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:12:47] Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:48] So, now, you mentioned GWBC a few times here, talk about why specifically was that important? Did you know about GWBC when you started? Or how did you kind of find it and decide to get involved with the organization?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:13:05] Getting involved, you know, it’s like one of those things, you kind of have to kiss a lot of toes before you get to the prints there. And, honestly, it was trial and error. You know, just over my 18 years of being in business, you try things. If you’re committed to the education, and developing your talent, and being a true professional in your space, you should be pushing and hungry for information. I hope anyone who’s listening there, they are taking this as solid advice here.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:13:41] But through that, it was, again, going through just multiple exchanges there. As I began, like I said, learning more because I was self-taught initially, just from a procurement perspective. And then, you started seeing these common denominators in terms of where you want to go connected in terms of, “Hey, if this person has this opportunity, I’m looking for when it’s expiring.” So, I would do kind of a reverse look up there. And some of the common denominators that kept showing were, you know, between the SBA, GWBC, and B certifications, and what does this mean? And if I see another company, I would stalk them who was doing anything even similar and they were affiliated. So, if they’re affiliated, they’re successful, that’s where I need to be.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:14:28] And I guess, being savvy enough, again, you cannot be remissive about that research. But once I landed there, you know, it was an aggressive process. I wasn’t prepared to be as exposed as you go through and go into that certification piece. But I truly appreciated it, you know, it prepared me for – it was kind of an internal check for me to making sure that I’m right, not only just on paper that we’re prepared for things like reserves and being able to shift and being ready when the opportunity presents itself. It was always kind of in that aspect.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:15:16] But, you know, having gone through the process with GWBC, it kind of prepares you for applying for your first business loan. You know, if you can meet that mark and knowing just how extensive that process was, I developed a level of appreciation. And this a prestige. It became a badge of honor. You know, and with that, it has opened me up for so many other opportunities and access. And it’s an accomplishment, quite frankly. And so, in landing there with GWBC, it is one of those things where, like, the who’s who among women business owners are there. And I would not trade it for anything else in the world.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:16:08] And if you’re not already there, strive to get there. It’s been a huge benefit for the firm and even with opportunities, like here this morning. As a business owner, the best you can do, what you can do is, make those decisions with the information that you have available at that time and based on what those challenges are.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:16:30] A true fundamental appreciation for me with being a member of GWBC is, one, that it helps me in the planning forward, pushing that thought process, pushing the expansion, not allowing you to really settle for just being mediocre. You know, this is an organization of very, very strong and talented women. And, honestly, I feel privileged to be considered to be among the group. And for anyone out there who’s listening, it’s one of the places where I stopped there. You know, once you kind of get that certification, it just opened up so many doors. It was an exchange for us in terms of, “Hey, I don’t necessarily need to get an 8a certification or all those other things there. It truly has been a result of our success of being here, in a nutshell.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:40] I think it’s like the saying, iron sharpens iron. You know, you’re around smart people, you’re around encouraging people, you’re around talented people, and it just makes you better. Being around those people, they raised the bar to help you raise the bar. And everybody wins when everybody kind of gets together like this and helps each other.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:18:07] Absolutely. Absolutely. You couldn’t have said it better.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:10] Now, in your work, who is the person that you need more of? Like, who do you need to know that we can help you with? What kind of folks do you want to get in front of that we can, maybe, help you?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:18:24] Absolutely. Anyone definitely in that procurement asset management. So, if they’re MV, the compliance officers, almost every corporation or county or everyone has assets. And if you’re thinking what it takes to maintain them, right now, I am pushing and advocating looking for financial recovery opportunities. And there are so many things, unfortunately, as a result from our current state of the nation that a lot of people different delinquencies, have lost revenues. In some cases, you know, things have been sent out by lenders and some things may have been fraudulently done.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:19:12] We are set up much like a private eye, so our our Financial Recovery Department is stellar. And we do have that capacity to recover from a nontraditional debt perspective, from utilizing our systems and software. So, any company out there, you know, if it’s collecting outstanding power bills or outstanding loans, student loans, we can collect on and help the recovery in any aspect. If you’re thinking from an asset management perspective and the maintenance there, custodio. If, in fact, they’re looking to maintain inside of the actual just purely custodial work, and extensive about explaining that, or landscaping, or we have a GC on our team.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:20:09] So, we are quite diverse with regard to our maintenance department. So, if anyone is there and listening, the opportunities you hear, and think POSolutions can be a good fit for you, please, I welcome the opportunity to have a conversation or to maybe do a capabilities briefing with that potential compliance officer team. But we equally follow just key opportunities and just agencies that are typically a good fit that I’m thinking of. But, you know, you just never know who may has a portfolio of assets that they may need a unique service for. So, I would tend to say more about the services that we can provide and are readily able to go at this point as opposed to, you know, kind of calling out a particular agency individually at this moment.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:04] Now, you’re still doing work with the homeowners and condominium associations?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:21:09] Oh, absolutely. That is the basis of POSolutions. So, in that aspect, we have seven licensed agents who are staff members who are out and they have their portfolio of properties. We have a variation between full service or financial only services revenue-wise in that component. It’s close to about $8 million that we oversee for that pool of clients. So, yes, those compliance officers or listeners are actually on their board of directors in their neighborhoods and you’re not quite happy with your management firm or you’re doing it right now in a self-manage capacity, feel free to reach out for us. We’re based here in Douglasville, but we do service throughout the entire metro area. So, we have communities from Duluth, John’s Creek, all the way to Latonia. So, we’re throughout the metro area.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:22:06] And on that HOA and condo side, we breathe and sleep that. That is something that has been the basis truly, truly, Lee, from a real estate and asset management perspective. Because some people will say, “Hey, well, you’re a broker, a licensed agent.” Some will immediately go to, “Hey, is that commercial sales or residential sales?” And many of our colleagues so choose to be one or the other. We are in that property management side of things, that asset management. And I, honestly, look at that from the aspect of when you’re thinking about any real estate transaction, you know, in mastering the art of efficient property management/asset management, we are going to be there before, during, and after that process.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:22:55] So, from the point of inception, whether it’s that developer, that entity that’s looking to create the entity, how is that set up, to helping walk through the creation, the building of the property, even potentially selling, or what have you, to the end of it. Once they’re ready to transition off and now you want to keep it maintained and keep that property up to exceptional standing, that niche area of property and asset management, again, we are, in fact, resilient.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:23:28] And because of that, in understanding that – and I will say this not just to belabor – but you mentioned there on that HOA side, so in knowing and as we evolve over on the procurement space and started doing those sub-work and working in asset management for foreclosures and things that were happening for HUD and et cetera, having access to that information and knowing how that affects our neighborhoods, because ultimately our goal is to create stronger and safer communities that preserve value. And that could be, not just from a neighborhood management program, but, again, that asset management. Because if you’re talking about driving economic development, you know, you want those neighborhoods to remain intact. You don’t want them to become transient. And now you’ve got absentee owners. And we are talking about companies that want to buy into accounting and coming into an area, what does that look like for the families?

[00:24:27] So, I get really excited when I think about just the, although, broad, very specific support and assistance that we provide uphill solutions when you’re thinking about asset management. So, I charge my agents to really be better so we can have conversations and understanding because of relationships, “Hey, what does this mean from fair housing if you’ve got an implied service animal at a pool area and how do you deal with it?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:25:04] So, I really have an appreciation just for understanding the law and legalities around it. And making sure that my team is equally equipped and versed in those areas. It’s a benefit to our clients and our partners because it’s a representation, not only just some of the work and the level of care and excellence that we look to provide, but, fundamentally, all of it ties back into preserving the asset. And, again, building that stronger, resilient community, that neighborhood.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:25:42] So, now it really does become a motivating and kind of self-fulfilling thing there when, you know, you can look and see and saying, “Hey, the work that we’re doing, it’s increased. It’s making that county better by this. It’s making this neighborhood better in this way. And, now, you have these companies looking to acquire and maybe put their hubs in that location because you’ve got families there. They’re thriving in their jobs or opportunities. So, I just really get excited about it. And just being that very niche, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Lee Kantor: [00:26:19] Now, if somebody wants to learn more, is there a website?

Shandron Pemberton: [00:26:23] Absolutely, you can certainly reach out to us, again, POSolutions, that’s P as in Paul-O as in open-solutions with an S on the end, all one word. And you can get us at posolutions.net via the web. Our office number, 678-715-1430. Or feel free to reach out to me directly, I’m a very hands-on leader. And, again, my name is Shandron, Shandron Pemberton. You can get me at shan, S-H-A-N, @posolutions.net.

Lee Kantor: [00:26:55] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Shandron Pemberton: [00:27:02] Thank you so very much. It was a pleasure to be here. And I appreciate your candor and dialogue this morning.

Lee Kantor: [00:27:08] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you all next time on GWBC Open for Business.