In this episode of The Co-Living Show, we sit down with Franco Montano, a seasoned operator managing 600+ co-living rooms (and owning 150+ himself), to break down what it actually takes to scale a co-living portfolio.

Franco shares how he transitioned from running a 42-location T-Mobile business with 750 employees into real estate—and why co-living became his highest ROI strategy.

If you’re serious about building a cash-flowing co-living portfolio, this episode is packed with real-world insights you won’t hear anywhere else.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

How Franco scaled to 600+ rooms under management
Why co-living works even in expensive markets (remote investing strategy)
The truth about tenant demand, pricing, and vacancy cycles
How to structure leases to avoid winter vacancies
Why most operators fail due to poor underwriting (not operations)
Franco’s remodel strategy (including converting homes for under $10K)
The biggest mistakes new co-living investors make
How to build systems and teams to scale beyond 20+ rooms
Why affordable, safe, and clean housing beats fancy amenities
Real talk on tenant screening, evictions, and long-term retention

🧠 Key Takeaway:

Co-living isn’t complicated because of tenants,
It’s complicated because of systems, operations, and scaling.

Master those, and the upside is massive.

🔗 Connect with Franco:

📧 Email: Franco@highestmanagement.com
🌐 Website: highestmanagement.com

🔗 Connect with Us:

📸 Miller McSwain: https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain
📸 Craig Curelop: https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop

💬 Join The Co-Living Community:
https://millermcswain.com/community

🚀 Resources Mentioned:

👉 CoLiving Pro (Marketing + Pricing Tool):
https://www.colivingpro.io

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another investor looking to scale in co-living.

EP 11 - From 0 to 600+ Rooms: How Franco Scaled Co-Living Across the U.S.

The Co-Living Show

EP 11 - From 0 to 600+ Rooms: How Franco Scaled Co-Living Across the U.S.