From Vendor to Partner: Austin Love on Relationships That Last | The 7-Minute Harvest

The best salespeople don't think of themselves as salespeople.

They think of themselves as partners.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Austin Love, supplier partner for Pro Sports Fitness Equipment and New Creation Charlotte, and one of the 2026 Apartment Association of North Carolina 20 on the Rise honorees.

Austin shares the lessons he learned from entering the multifamily industry at a young age, including one realization that transformed his career: You don't have to become someone else to succeed. You simply have to show up as yourself.

Throughout our conversation, Austin explains why every relationship matters, why every person deserves the same respect, and why today's leasing consultant may become tomorrow's regional manager.

He also challenges every supplier to stop thinking like a vendor and start acting like a true business partner.

In this episode:

• How authenticity transformed Austin's career
• Why relationships always outlast transactions
• The importance of treating everyone with equal respect
• What separates a business partner from an ordinary supplier
• Why communication, kindness, and follow-through still matter
• Navigating today's competitive multifamily market
• How AI may reshape the future of supplier relationships

Whether you serve multifamily communities, commercial real estate, or any customer-facing business, this conversation is a powerful reminder that trust isn't built through a sales presentation—it's built through authentic relationships, one interaction at a time.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

This is the Seven Minute Harvest, built for commercial property professionals responsible for asset performance, tenant experience, and operating results. This podcast is for those who expect more from their properties, their people, and their partnerships. Each episode features real conversations with industry leaders, sharing practical insight you can apply immediately. Hosted by Eric Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations. Let's get today's harvest.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Welcome to today's episode of the Seven Minute Harvest. Today I'm seated with Austin Love, and we are in the Rhino Deli in Charlotte, North Carolina. And so the reason that I'm uh so excited about this episode is Austin was recently recognized by the Apartment Association of North Carolina as one of the 2026 20 on the rise. And Austin, you're a vendor, and I'm so interested to hear more about your story. And so tell the listeners a little bit about you and your career and what it meant to get recognized and uh given that award and that recognition.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Man, first off, you are a professional brother. You hit that record button and you turned it on. I just want to say thank you so much for the opportunity to sit down with you, hang out with you, man. Um, sir. So, yeah, um introduce myself a little bit. My name is Austin Love. I make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich. One of the best, I believe. I'm one of the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich makers on the planet. That's good to know. I also, in the apartment world, I work for uh two different suppliers. I'm blessed to um work for Pro Sports Fitness Equipment and uh new creation, Charlotte. So supplying fitness equipment, resurfacing surfaces. Um I know those don't have anything to do with each other, but um I'm selling to the same people. And I hate to use the word sell because you know, these are my friends. I get to operate with the same people on a day-to-day basis and have a lot of things in the toolbox to supply to my friends. And talking about friends as clients, I was I was blessed to be able to be nominated for the 20 on the rise by people I consider friends and colleagues, and there's no better recognition than the people who are in the trenches with you doing similar things that you do. So I'm really excited to be recognized and be sitting down with you.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

You got a great radio voice.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Come on, man. Thank God for you as well.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

This is gonna be fun. Come on. All right, are you ready to get your hands dirty and get in this harvest? Yes, sir. Let's do it. Here we go, Austin. So, Austin, looking back on your career, what experiences have most shaped the way you approach your property relationships today?

SPEAKER_01 2:41

So honestly, uh probably the best teacher was experience, and I I did it wrong at first, man. I it took me uh took me a little bit to really understand that I could show up as me in this space. You know, I I showed up as I started in the industry at 20, 21 years old, and um I was fresh to kind of sales in general. I was I was fresh to kind of working in general. I mean, I worked some manual labor jobs before this, but sales and consulting, it was it was something that was new to me. So learning how the vital relationships were early on um and treating everybody the same, right? I got this industry is is so based on your your leasing agent of today will be your regional manager of tomorrow. So making sure that, you know, whatever room you step into, that I think what we get too held up on gatekeepers and decision makers. I think everybody at a certain point in their career, the right people stay in this industry. So everybody at a certain point will become your decision maker. So treating everybody with a mutual respect and understanding that we're all here for the right reasons and we're all here to serve residents, even though I'm on a supplier side, I'm aware that I'm here to serve residents as well. So um, yeah, experience early on of doing it wrong is probably my best teacher.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Right, that's great, man. Beautiful answer. Well said, brother. Uh so Austin, what would then be one operational challenge that um your customers, your property managers, regional managers are dealing with that people outside the industry might not fully appreciate?

SPEAKER_01 4:08

I think there's a a combination of a bunch of things, right? I think one thing is beautiful that our industry is growing in the way that it is with so many properties, you know, going vertical in our market, on top of so many um suppliers coming into the industry as well, coming into the shore of the market. And um, that's a blessing, but it also can be a curse, right? I think competition is is great, uh, but it also makes it tougher on the property management side. I know occupancy is tough right now, just off the strength that there being so many options for for residents to step into. And it makes it tougher on our end as well, with obviously supply and demand and supplies in general are becoming more expensive. So um just not getting in a a competitive race of like price to the bottom in a way we don't want to get in a space of like pricing just being everything. But in a market that we're in right now, I think that that price is more important than ever. Um and I I I love and hate that. I think that's a a beautiful thing, but it also can be a challenge, right? For for the property management side and and on the supplier side. So yeah, blessing and a curse to have a lot of great suppliers and a lot of great properties in the area, but makes it a little bit of a challenge.

SPEAKER_00 5:10

Yes, I agree. I agree. Um so Austin, you're clearly a great partner for your clients. And so what separates, in your opinion, a you know, a great partner from an average vendor in our industry?

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Yeah, I think you worded it perfectly yourself, right? I think that being a partner versus being a supplier is two different things. I think showing up as somebody who, like I said early on, I think that we're all serving residents. And it's not that I'm just serving, you know, property management. I I want to serve the people, especially being in the amenity space on the pro source side, on the fitness equipment side. I I'm aware that we're we're here to benefit the client and benefit the resident. So showing up, um, setting real expectations with our clients are super huge, right? I think that as I just said, they're answering the residents, and somebody's always answering to somebody else. You know, there's if you're on site, you have several people you're answering to. So setting realistic expectations, communicating correctly, and just being a kind human and showing up for people, um, and you know, partnering with people, as you said. So there's there's uh there's partners and then there's suppliers. So I'd I want to show up as a partner.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yeah, I mean I I you said the three things that I really harp on pretty much every single day, is and that's communicate, be kind, but show up. You know, it's really not that difficult. So very well said. All right, final question, Austin. As you look ahead over the next couple years, what areas uh as you serve property managers are going to require the most attention from the industry?

SPEAKER_01 6:39

You know, before I lean into the obvious answer, I think that midway through 27, through all our forecasting, throughout all the associations that I'm involved in, I believe that the bubble's gonna pop and everybody's gonna be really important here in a little bit about midway through 27. I think um funds are gonna be more allocated to all of us to be able to show up and show out for our clients. But I think the obvious answer is learning AI systems, right? I think everybody is starting to implement, um, becoming more tech savvy. And that's something uh me being from the country, me being from Salisbury, North Carolina, I have not perfected yet by any means, but it's something that I definitely know I have to work on personally and that I think all of us will have to work on as well.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

I agree, I agree. So I I need to just ask you a favor. Just let so for the the listener, you you can't see this brother, but this brother clearly is in the fitness industry. He's a wonderful partner. And so, how do how do property managers, regional managers, how do they get a hold of you? How do they get get in touch with you, Austin?

SPEAKER_01 7:36

Oh man, anyway, you know, I got all the socials very involved on LinkedIn, cell phone, email, MySpace, send a bird with a letter attached to it. I'll I'll find a way to make something happen for you. So Austin Love on LinkedIn. Um, cell phone is in the signature. The email is Austin.l at newcreations.com. If you need ProSource or New Creation, just do that one. I won't drop both emails, but yeah, find me any way possible.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

What an absolute blessing and privilege.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Come on, it brother. Thanks so much for having me. Super grateful to be here.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Yeah, bless you, brother.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

You've been listening to the Seven Minute Harvest, a platform where commercial property professionals share practical real world insight from the realities of managing commercial properties. If this conversation added value, share it with someone on your team. Now take what you've heard and translate it into measurable results across your portfolio. And we'll see you at the next harvest.