The Third Lane: How Stakeholders VR Is Creating a New Exit Strategy for Property Managers with Stakeholders VR

In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon sits down with Lino Maldonado (CEO) and Brady Stump (Co-founder) of Stakeholders VR to explore a revolutionary new model for property management consolidation. Unlike traditional acquisitions that strip away local brands and force tech stack changes, or franchise models, Stakeholders VR has created what they call "the third lane"—a supergroup model that allows top-tier property managers to diversify their portfolios, maintain their brands, keep their tech stacks, and participate in something larger without losing their entrepreneurial fire. This conversation reveals how generational family businesses can derisk personal net worth, access servant leadership support, and build long-term wealth while keeping the heart and soul of what made them successful in the first place. This episode is sponsored by Rental Guardian.

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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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.

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