Paul Burke built a 64-home rental portfolio from scratch in Colorado, and sold it in two years. Courtesy of Paul Burke

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Paul Burke, 42, the CEO and cofounder of Vantory, an AI startup that streamlines vacation rental operations for property managers. He previously built a 64-home rental portfolio in Colorado and sold it in 2026 after two years. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

If you'd asked me two years ago if I'd ever be running a property management company, I probably would've told you you're crazy.

One of my sisters lives in Winter Park, Colorado . She's a real estate agent, and I was visiting her and met her boss, who owns the brokerage.

He invited me into his office that weekend, and he gave me this whole pitch on Winter Park and how billions of dollars are being invested in it, and there's all this opportunity.…