On the
End
Bankruptcy cases
and receivership
Offer unique career
OppOrtunities fOr
prOperty Managers
by J. Benjamin McGrew, CPM®, CCIM
The Jimmy Buffet lyrics, “Lookin’ back at my background/Trying to figure out how I ever got here,” might
be the best description for my career, which is actually probably no different from most other IREM Members.
For 27 years I have been a court-appointed receiver, taking over the management of properties primarily in default
under the court’s direction; as well as a federal bankruptcy trustee, a court-appointed official who administers a debtor’s
bankruptcy estate.
It has been an alternative path compared to most other real estate management careers, but an interesting one that has
provided stability in down cycles. I’ve been a receiver for nearly 500 cases nationwide, and business is currently steady
