The Third Lane: How Stakeholders VR Is Creating a New Exit Strategy for Property Managers with Stakeholders VR
Update: 2025-10-21
Description
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon speaks with Lino Maldonado and Brady Stump, co-founders of Stakeholders VR, about creating an entirely new consolidation model that didn't exist in the vacation rental industry.
What you'll learn:
- Why traditional "cash out and move on" acquisitions aren't the right fit for many successful operators
- How the "third lane" between selling everything and franchising preserves entrepreneurial ownership
- Why Stakeholders VR keeps local brands intact instead of consolidating under one umbrella
- How property managers can derisk by having 40-60% of valuation in a diversified national portfolio
- Why servant leadership at the parent level supports rather than directs local operations
- The three goals of Stakeholders VR's CTO role (understand current tech, guide future selections, anticipate what's next)
- How generational family businesses maintain ownership while accessing enterprise-level resources
- Why 99% of net worth in one property management company is like having your entire 401k in one stock
- The importance of keeping operators invested long-term rather than rushing them out after a year
- How to multiply synergies without forcing operational changes
- Why the greatest value in vacation rental companies is typically what gets removed first
- The role of local market involvement in maintaining brand authenticity
- How diversification protects against hurricanes, floods, fires, and no-snow years
- Why passion and "fire in the belly" is the secret sauce that creates brand value
Lino Maldonado brings 30 years of vacation rental experience, currently serving as CEO of Stakeholders VR. He started his career at Abbott Resorts (which rolled into Resort Quest) and has operated Scenic Stays in Destin, Florida, where his daughter now works in the same office he sat in three decades ago. His deep understanding of local market dynamics, technology implementation challenges, and the value of servant leadership shapes Stakeholders VR's approach to honoring rather than disrupting successful operations.
Brady Stump is co-founder of Stakeholders VR and founder of Rental Guardian. Before that, he operated a real estate and property management company affiliated with Christie's International Real Estate in Pawleys Island. His sons are actively involved in the business—his oldest, Jonah, helps run operations at Sea Mountain, while his youngest assists with bringing the stakeholder group together. Brady's experience building both insurance products and property management companies from the ground up informs his vision for creating winning scenarios where operators can take chips off the table while maintaining significant upside participation.
This episode is sponsored by Rental Guardian.
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👉 RSS - https://feeds.fame.so/the-vacation-rental-show
The Vacation Rental Show is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Lisa Stinnett of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
- Vacation Rental Stories: Episode 63 - Driving Innovation and Partnership
- Homeowners Become Family with Michael Godfrey, Owner of Michael’s Vacation Rentals
- Life in Maui as a Property Manager with Scott Jordan, Owner of Maui Life Realty
Are you a vacation rental industry leader looking to share your expertise? We're seeking innovative voices to join our conversation about growing and scaling vacation rental businesses.
The Vacation Rental Show reaches thousands of property managers worldwide. We're particularly interested in perspectives on:
- Scaling your vacation rental portfolio
- Optimizing guest experiences
- Revenue management strategies
- Industry trends and market insights
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