Send us Fan Mail

A three-year delay doesn’t sound like much until you translate it into what rent to own actually sells: first homes, first rooms, and the big “everything at once” purchases that come with household formation. The average move-out age has climbed from about 23 to about 26, and that shift is quietly reshaping demand across the rent-to-own industry. I break down why this is overwhelmingly a housing affordability story, why the purchases did not disappear, and why a backlog of delayed household formation could become a powerful tailwind for operators who build real customer relationships now.

I’m also packing for Knoxville, Tennessee for the National Shed Rental Association conference, and I explain exactly why a shed event matters even if you rent sofas, appliances, electronics, or tires. Traditional RTO and shed RTO often serve the same customer with the same weekly or monthly payment structure, but the operating muscles are different when the product sits on someone else’s property and gets sold through independent dealer lots. I share the three sessions I’m most focused on: RTO reporting and key metrics, the economics of returns and the “return advantage,” and a keynote on overcoming uncomfortable conversations that hits home for collections calls and team coaching.

Then we shift into fourth quarter execution with four sets of numbers that should shape the next 90 to 95 days: holiday retail forecasts, the spending power of households with kids, job-market texture that points to longer unemployment spells, and the reality of record debt plus rising delinquencies. If buy now pay later apps are already approving your customers, your counter conversation has to be sharper: no debt, return flexibility, and service included. I close with four practical moves to protect renewals and reduce returns before January arrives.

Subscribe, share this with one operator who needs it, and leave a review so more RTO leaders can find the show.

Support the show

Join The RTO Newsletter: https://bit.ly/RTOPODnewsletter

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/4wpbUqF

Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/RTOPODspotify

Learn More About Sponsorship: https://bit.ly/RTOPODsponsor