From complexity to clarity: PMI’s $72B property management reporting overhaul

The Challenge

When Lon Searle became CFO at Property Management Inc. (PMI), the business had already grown into a nationwide franchise leader with 450 territories and a bold mission: to build the world’s premier property management network.

But behind the scenes, financial reporting was a mess.

“When I first took on the job, I spent so much time in Excel. It just wasn’t sustainable.”

PMI’s franchisees spanned residential, association, short-term rental, and commercial verticals, each with unique needs. Reporting across these pillars, systems, and geographies was fragmented, heavily manual, and prone to error.

With $72 billion in assets under management and continued rapid growth, PMI needed a smarter, scalable reporting solution.

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The Solution

Lon and the corporate finance team implemented Fathom to consolidate data, eliminate spreadsheet sprawl, and bring consistency to financial storytelling across the entire franchise network.

“We loaded everything we used to do in Excel into Fathom; analysis, forecasting, financials. Now it’s all there.”

With Fathom, PMI can:

• Benchmark performance across 400+ franchises

• Visualize doors, units, keys, and suites across four verticals

• Track critical KPIs like occupancy rates, rent yield, and cash on hand

• Create automated, customizable reports with visual storytelling

• Sync with QuickBooks and other systems for seamless data flow

“Fathom slices and dices everything. We use it to track individual doors and units using ratios and trend lines. It’s completely changed how we operate.”

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The Results

Fathom has transformed how PMI manages its franchise network:

• Eliminated time spent in Excel for financial and operational reporting

• Standardized reporting across 400+ territories

• Automated monthly board reports and performance reviews

• Supported visual reporting across $72B in assets under management

• Enabled privacy-protected benchmarking across franchises

• Reduced manual workflows and error-prone data handling

• Handled growth with ease, using forecasts and KPIs for every property

“We’re a visual team. Fathom doesn’t just show numbers, it gives us insight and confidence.”

Lon also calls out the benefits of internal benchmarking within Fathom, and the capability to visually rank and compare across the group.

“We can compare franchise performance without revealing names. It’s changed how we support and coach our network.”

What’s Next

As PMI grows toward its potential of 5,000 franchise territories, Fathom is central to their next chapter.

“Fathom syncs beautifully with our systems and scales with us. I can’t imagine doing this job without it.”

Make the numbers make sense.

Help your stakeholders see what matters with clear, visual insights they’ll actually understand.

Start your free trial of Fathom.

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