Every now and then, you meet someone in this business who reminds you what real operations look like. For me, that was Cory Harelson.
As someone who has only been in the Mobile Home Park industry for less than four years, I like to draw on the other decade of real experience I have to help move me forward. One thing I learned early on was to always seek the lessons and conversations of those who have gone before you.
I’m an avid listener of podcasts and always intrigued by the stories of fellow operators. I had listened to Cory Harelson on a few other shows and decided to sign up for his newsletter. I also took the opportunity to add his email to my own newsletter list.
Reading his emails showed me that not only was he active—always hunting deals, raising capital, and focusing on investor education—but that he was also centered around his family, which resonated with me.
The First Connection
One day, Cory responded to my newsletter regarding quarterly updates across our portfolio and some issues we encountered. He sent me an email:
“Sounds like you’re doing all the right things, man. We had a very similar deal that was two years of torture getting the trouble tenants out, trying to figure out how to fund home rehabs, etc. It’s finally doing MUCH better, but it took a lot. Anybody who says this business is easy has no clue!”
I was humbled to see someone who’s deep in the business take the time to read my article and respond. When I replied and mentioned my YouTube channel, he immediately agreed to come on and left me with a word of advice:
“My number one takeaway is to always raise more capex funds than I think we need. If you’ve got the money to solve it, it’s not that big of a deal.”
That line stuck with me. And once we got on the podcast, I realized that mindset runs through everything he does,how he built his team, structured his business, and grew to 14 parks.
This wasn’t just another podcast chat, it was a real conversation about what happens after you’ve bought the park, when you’re deep in the grind and trying to scale without losing your mind.
I think it’s worth your time to go and check it out: over two hours of conversation breaking down his business.
Different Backgrounds, Same Drive
I walked away with valuable lessons and was intrigued by how he grew his business and his team. Every operator comes from a different background.
I came from residential real estate—rehabbing homes and owning rentals. Cory came from corporate America, where he was a structural engineer. His mind works uniquely, and his focus on the mechanics of his business and operations is key to his success.
Funny enough, he started just like I did—he and his wife doing everything together, buying their first park in 2016 and learning as they went.
After about five years, when things started getting serious, he brought in his brother-in-law Thomas and focused on growth and division of responsibilities. Over time, they built a seven-person team, which is essential for long-term viability in a mobile home park operation.
Too many times, I talk to people who don’t know how—or plan—to hand off work. Building a team is almost as difficult, if not more difficult, than buying the park itself. It takes time, effort, planning, and organization to scale a team to run a business.
Building the Team That Scales
Cory didn’t hold back. Like most operators, each park has its own on-site manager—its “eyes and ears” on the ground—handling small tasks a remote owner can’t do. These managers also handle home showings, applications, and paperwork. They’re the first point of contact when someone wants to live in the community.
What really helped him was how he started layering on remote staff. Utilizing the growing “virtual workforce” trend after COVID, he brought on team members to handle the day-to-day tasks—things that didn’t excite him or took too much of his time.
He added staff to check in weekly with on-site managers to ensure they were actually doing their jobs. He brought on Carla as his operations lead, who keeps the entire system humming, and Axel, who stays in regular contact with vendors and on-site staff, helping with rehabs and sales.
Meanwhile, Thomas serves as the big-picture operations guy, carrying responsibility for the operational side of the business overall.
That leaves Cory doing what most founders should focus on—the capital and growth side of the business. He sources deals, handles acquisitions, raises capital, and provides leadership and vision for the business to move forward.
And let’s not forget the high-level problem solving that always gets funneled to the top. He may not be the guy chasing down vendors about a broken water line anymore—that’s Thomas and Axel’s world—but he focuses his energy on the investor-facing side and building leaders within his organization.
Cory is intentional about who does what. He and Thomas learned the hard way that if they both tried to do everything, they’d bottleneck each other and stall out. By dividing roles, they freed each other up to focus on their lanes.
Cory admitted that this division of roles is one of the reasons they’ve been able to grow to 14 parks—a feat many operators, like myself, aspire to.
For investors, this is what you want to hear from your operator. You want to know who’s solving problems when the owner’s not on-site—and how those systems protect your capital.
My biggest takeaway: define clear lanes for partners and layer on team members so growth doesn’t stall out.
Systems That Keep Chaos Contained
If you haven’t heard of EOS/Traction, a business model from Gino Wickman that focuses on six key components of scaling, it’s a popular operational framework for businesses looking to grow.
By using this model, Cory stays on top of each department within his company. They hold Level 10 Meetings, where issues are identified, escalated, and solved by the right person.
For him, the system is what keeps him sane in a world full of crazy mobile home park problems and endless tasks. With EOS, everyone knows their role, their metrics, and how to handle problems.
That hit home for me. Most operators talk about hiring people, but few talk about how to manage those people once they’re hired. EOS gives him a scoreboard, rhythm, and accountability, something I see missing in a lot of operations, even big ones.
Because at scale, chaos multiplies unless you put systems in place to manage it.
When Scale Doesn’t Mean Sophistication
The other month, I spoke with a high-level executive hired at a fund for mobile home parks. They had used my link to schedule a call to discuss operations.
What I learned is that not every operation runs as organized as Cory’s. This fund has over 1,000 lots but no organized systems or processes for accounting, material purchasing, or role definition.
I was surprised as we dug deeper into their issues and the challenges they faced. An operator like Cory, who builds a solid foundation early, is far better equipped to handle the troubles that scale brings.
That’s when it hit me—size doesn’t equal sophistication. Systems do. And Cory’s proof of that.
Different Paths, Same Principles
One area where Cory and I differ is in how we handle park-owned homes and materials.
Cory’s team is more hands-off, allowing vendors to buy and select materials for rehabs, then paying the bill upon completion. After a decade in single-family rehabs, I’ve seen how that can lead to inefficiencies and fluff.
I shared how setting standard pricing for major work—painting, flooring, skirting, etc.—and keeping a consistent list of materials helps control costs and quality. Using the same flooring, light fixtures, and paint codes across parks allows for better maintenance and cleaner, more uniform rehabs.
By sourcing from the same vendors in each state, our company cuts costs and simplifies repairs because we always know what materials were used in each unit. No mismatched floors in our homes.
It reminded me that in operations, everyone builds their own playbook. Cory focuses on efficiency through trust; I focus on efficiency through control. Neither is wrong—but knowing which style fits you is what keeps your business from going sideways.
That’s the beauty of this business—two operators can approach the same problem differently and still win. What matters isn’t the exact playbook; it’s that you have one—and you’re consistent.
Why Cory Stands Out
What I appreciated about Cory during our conversation is that he isn’t just talking theory—he’s built the track record. Over the last decade, he’s grown his portfolio to 500+ lots across 14 parks, while assembling a team that allows him to scale without losing operational control.
What stood out most is how he balances discipline in operations with creativity in growth. Too many operators try to brute-force scale, but Cory has proven you can grow big while still focusing on the small details that keep a community running smoothly. That’s rare.
Learning from another operator allows us to see flaws in our own process—or even just missing processes. Cory excels at many things, but building a well-functioning team and holding everyone accountable through the right meeting tempo and systems is, in my opinion, the key to his success.
This single factor is probably what has allowed him to scale so well while still serving his investors properly.
What I took away most from Cory wasn’t just a list of systems—it was his calm confidence. He’s been through the hard years, he’s earned the scars, and he still enjoys the work. That’s the kind of operator I want to keep learning from.
Wrapping It Up
Cory also puts out free resources for investors and operators who want to learn from his experience. If you want an inside look at how a successful operator thinks about scale, systems, and residents, I recommend checking out his free resource here: [insert Cory’s link].
Conversations like this remind me why I love long-form chats—you get the real story behind the operations.
For investors, it’s these behind-the-scenes details that help you understand who you’re trusting with your capital. For operators, it’s a reminder that systems, people, and lessons learned are what separate success from failure.
Every now and then, you meet someone who reminds you what real operations look like. For me, that was Cory. And every operator—including me—needs that reminder from time to time.
If you want to catch the full conversation, the episode is live on YouTube. You can find it on SPOTIFY or use the RSS feed link below to listen right now. And if you’re curious about passive investing in mobile home parks, let’s connect.
LOCK N’ LOAD
-The MHP Operator
Disclaimer:
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Any investment opportunity will be made only through official offering documents provided by Realovative Asset Management LLC in accordance with applicable securities laws.I’m not a financial advisor, CPA, or attorney. Everything shared here is based on my personal experience and opinions. You should always do your own due diligence and speak with licensed professionals before making any legal, financial, or investment decisions.
