Meet Erica Sanchez

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erica Sanchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success, and our brand at Places Management, is curiosity matched with operational clarity. I’m a lifelong learner who loves solving the puzzle of each asset, resident community, and market. I didn’t just climb the ladder; I climbed the lattice; rotating through leasing, operations, marketing, due diligence, and receivership, which gave me a broader, more resilient skill set. Along the way, I’ve had incredible mentors who challenged my thinking and raised the bar on execution. That breadth shows up in how we run boutique assets: clear service promises like our 23/23 guarantee, our robust SOP’s that are tailored to the increase of legislation we are seeing combined with elevated customer experience that we call The Places Way, and a 30-day transition playbook that turns clarity into consistency. Consistency builds trust, with residents, teams, and owners, and trust drives results: faster lease-ups, tighter expenses, and stronger NOI. I’m still learning every day, and that learning mindset, paired with disciplined systems, is the engine behind my career and our brand.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Places Management is a boutique property management company built to serve smaller, high-touch communities, generally under 100 units, with big-company discipline and a hospitality mindset. What sets us apart is simple: operational clarity that residents and owners can feel. We run on clear service promises, our 23/23 guarantee (respond to new leads in 23 minutes and address resident work orders within 23 hours), daily scorecards, and a 30-day transition playbook that makes takeovers calm and predictable.

I’m most proud of how we’re elevating the resident experience with our Resident Experience Playbook (inspired by brands like Chick-fil-A, Disney, and Buc-ee’s) and a hub-and-spoke model that centralizes leasing and resident care while keeping on-site teams focused on people and quality. We pair that with transparent owner reporting and rigorous compliance, because trust is an operating system.

Was it easy? No. Launching a high-standards platform while navigating labor constraints, aging assets, and shifting legislation is hard. We overcame it by building repeatable systems (SOPs, zero-based budgets, vendor scorecards), cross-training teams, and measuring what matters every day.

Lessons learned:

Clarity beats cleverness.

Consistency builds trust, and trust drives NOI.

Smaller communities deserve world-class operations.

Keep learning; curiosity compounds.

What I want the world to know: Places is proving you can be human and high-performing at the same time. We stand for promises kept, residents respected, and owners informed. That’s our brand, and the story we’re writing every day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Day 1 – RiNo & Union Station

Coffee, murals, and shops in RiNo
Lunch at Denver Central Market; browse vendors, grab ice cream at High Point Creamery. Evening cocktails at Death & Co or Mission Ballroom if there’s a show.
End with Jovanina’s Broken Italian for some amazing Italian

Day 2 – Meow Wolf + Rooftops

Afternoon at Meow Wolf
Sunset drinks at a rooftop like 54thirty or El Five.

Day 3 – Red Rocks & Golden

Morning hike the Trading Post/Geologic Overlook trails at Red Rocks, then explore Golden and (when flows are safe) float or people-watch at Clear Creek; dinner on Washington Ave.

Day 4 – Tennyson Street (Berkeley)

Brunch on Tennyson St (Atomic Cowboy/Denver Biscuit Co.), wander boutiques, cap with a cocktail at a neighborhood spot

Day 5 – Boulder Day

Chautauqua trailhead for Flatirons views, then shop/eat along Pearl Street Mall; stay for street performers and patio dinners.

Day 6 – Colorado Springs Classics

Garden of the Gods
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway

Day 7 – Rocky Mountain National Park

End with Golf! Either at Arrowhead or The Broadmore! Both are amazing courses with wonderful views.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe a huge shoutout to the Apartment Association of Metro Denver (AAMD). AAMD didn’t just educate me, it gave me a platform to grow, serve, and advocate. I’ve had the privilege to serve on multiple committees as both a member and a chair, and I’m honored to be back as an Owner Director on the Board. Through AAMD’s programs and staff support, I learned how to testify locally, I have been able to write op-eds, and lobby in Washington, D.C. on issues that matter to housing providers and residents.

AAMD also opened the door to national service. I’ve spent the last two years on NAA committees, which has allowed me to give back to the industry that’s given me so much. The AAMD community; its staff, volunteers, and member companies, models what it means to invest in people. They sharpened my skills, expanded my network, and reminded me that progress in housing is a team sport. Any success I’ve had sits squarely on the shoulders of that community. I also want to give a shout out to Drew Hamrick, SVP of Government Affairs for AAMD. He has been such a great steward for me and I have learned so much from him.

Website: https://www.placesmanagement.com/property-management-services

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/places-management/posts/?feedView=all

Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-sanchez-10876542/