Inside Imagine Homes: Automating Processes for Better Data

At Imagine Homes, we are passionate about delivering best-in-class experiences across the board. As we continue to grow exponentially, we recognize the need to standardize processes and leverage digital technologies.

This is what the new Vice President of Finance, Paul Kim, aims to do in the near future. We sat down with him to talk about his experience joining the team and how he plans to modernize our accounting and finance processes.

I had the privilege of working with many organizations, helping them solve various accounting challenges.

Prior to joining Imagine Homes Management, I started my career with the Financial Process Outsourcing group at RSM McGladrey. At the time, I was still pursuing my Masters in Accounting at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to solve real-world challenges for clients even before finishing my studies.

After that, I transitioned to a public accounting firm, where I audited organizations across a wide range of industries such as insurance, manufacturing, and distribution.

I spent most of my career at a private equity real estate firm called Green Courte Partners (GCP).

GCP builds world-class businesses in niche real estate markets. For over a decade, I helped build GCP’s parking, senior living, and manufactured housing companies. I held various positions, but the most recent ones were Vice President, Portfolio Controller, and the Chief Financial Officer of the senior living and manufactured housing companies.

I managed a $503 million capital-committed fund that focused on scaling GCP’s three businesses. GCP built the senior living and manufactured housing companies from scratch, and that gave me the opportunity to implement a lot of new procedures and systems with the help of a very bright and talented team.

I wasn’t looking to leave my previous job, but Imagine Homes offered me an incredible opportunity.

A recruiter reached out to me through LinkedIn. I was hesitant to engage with her at first since I wasn’t looking for a new job. Eventually, her persistence impressed me, and I decided to call her back.

She told me about this incredible opportunity to work in the single-family rental space with Imagine Homes. I went on to talk with several people from the company including Jon Frank and Jake Holzman. During the interview process, the mission and vision of Imagine Homes resonated with me and made me want to be a part of it.

I found it incredibly exciting how quickly Imagine Homes Management is growing and I’m thrilled to see what we can accomplish together.

My expertise lies in scaling real estate companies.

I’m passionate about leveraging the adoption of new technology and implementing improved processes to drive efficiency.

Technology is advancing at an accelerated pace and is transforming the way companies operate. Finance automation drives value creation and has an immense effect across the organization. As such, I naturally look for opportunities to remove manual or inefficient processes, so my team has more time to provide data-driven insights to key decision-makers.

When I envision my role at Imagine Homes, it will be a multidimensional one.

To provide a bit more context behind this statement, I want to emphasize that over the last decade or so, the expectations for the Office of the CFO changed drastically. The finance team is now expected to work cross-functionally to ensure that the organization is well-positioned for growth.

The finance role is a strategic one and the team needs to better understand all aspects of the business including which acquisition channels are most effective, what our competitors are offering and charging, and how our customers’ expectations are evolving.

I tend to demonstrate a collaborative operating style and think in terms of impact. Currently, I’m focused on building a comprehensive model that allows our team to understand our cash and growth projections. With the data gleaned from this model, we could start refining our existing strategies and implementing new ones that work.

As VP of Finance, one aspect of my job is to ensure that we have access to accurate data.

As organizations become more data-driven, there are increased risks of misreporting due to poor data. One challenge we’re facing is sifting through a large amount of raw data and translating it into actionable insights.

As the volume of data and the number of system applications increase, the risks of misreporting poor data follow suit. We need to implement company-wide data standards to ensure the process for entering data is consistent and accurate. We also need to reduce the steps involved in gathering and manipulating disparate data from our various systems.

In response to some of these issues, we rolled out a new expense management policy. The new policy provides our employees with the resources they need to be successful in their roles while providing clear guidelines on valid expenses needed to fulfill the mission of the company.

We specifically chose a platform that allows us to automate the recording of transactions. We also implemented an internal control process where every expense needs to be reviewed by their managers because cost control is so crucial for any organization. This new process gives us better visibility and accountability over our expenses.

I support Imagine Homes’ vision of investing in our communities.

In my previous role at GCP, I was a member of the environmental, social, and corporate governance board. I learned a lot about sustainability and how it can impact businesses and consumers alike. I’m very excited to discuss new opportunities for Imagine Homes to operate with the commitment to sustainable value creation.

We have the privilege of providing our residents with best-in-class homes and services that allow our communities to flourish.

Imagine Homes works hard to deliver an exceptional experience that wow our residents.

What sets Imagine Homes apart is our fully automated rental process where our potential residents can tour the home at their convenience without needing to meet with anyone.

Additionally, all our homes are integrated with smart home technology that provides our residents with cost savings and an enhanced quality of life. To top it off, our homes are equipped with high-end finishes such as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and new HVAC systems.

Our homes are in great neighborhoods with nice school districts. They are pet friendly and competitively priced, so I think what we offer truly stands out from what other competitors are offering in that space.

When I first started at Imagine Homes, I experienced a bit of a culture shock—in a positive way.

I noticed that everyone at Imagine Homes checked on me often and was very generous with their time to make sure I was doing well. Everyone has been genuinely helpful and friendly. The culture here is nothing short of fantastic.

Imagine Homes finds value in delivering exceptional experiences not only for the customers but also to its employees.

We’re all about making our residents and partners feel valued. We truly want to make your experience with us exceptional.

Everyone at Imagine Homes is bought into the company’s vision and they all want to bring that best-in-class experience to our vendors and residents. We believe that our employees are our most important asset, and value them greatly.

Interested in working with us? Let’s talk.

We’re looking for passionate individuals to join our team and help us deliver best-in-class service, homes, and overall experience in 2022. If you think you fit the bill, let us know! We’d love to have you on board.

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