Crown Investor Institute: Instructor Bios


Robert M. Locke RMP, MPM

Robert Locke is a Master Property Manager and has been managing rental houses for 30 years. He is the owner and broker of Crown Realty & Management in Atlanta Georgia and is a trainer in the property management and real estate investing industry. He is a frequent speaker at national and international real estate conferences and does consulting for property managers, REIT’s, investment groups, banks, government agencies, lenders, builders and other brokers on a wide variety of real estate investing subjects.

Personal Information

• Born in 1945
• Grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan
• Moved to Roswell in 1978
• Married 40 years to Betty
• Three sons (one is an Allstate agent and two are Pastors)
• Ordained Deacon 21 years
• Securities Dealer until became full time investor/realtor in 1985
• Member North Point Community Church

Professional Information

• Graduated from Michigan State University 1969
• Real Estate License since 1973
• Started Crown Management in 1980
• Certified by Georgia Real Estate Commission as an instructor for Continuing Education Credit, (Crown Investor Institute, LLC school code 3648).
• Received Residential Management Professional (RMP) designation in 1997.
• Received Master Property Manager (MPM) in 2001; there are 160 in the US.
• Past President and current board member of the Atlanta chapter of National Association of Residential Property Managers. (narpmga.org)
  
• Frequent speaker at local, state, national and international real estate conventions.
  
• Numerous articles published in national real estate magazines.
  
• Hired by attorneys to testify as an expert witness in magistrate, state, superior and federal court in property management disputes.
  
• Acquired 12 other management companies and brokered out one.
  
• Manages rentals for other area real estate brokers.
  
• Certified Instructor for National Association of Residential Property Managers (narpm.org)
  
• Member Georgia Association of Real Estate Educators (GREEA)
  
• Joint ventures with the law firm of Dickenson Gilroy LLC to provide education and training to real estate investors, real estate agents and the property management community.
  
• Has done consulting work with area builders, brokers, property managers, lenders, litigation attorneys, appraisers, developers and closing attorneys.

Investing in Real Estate Bio
Robert started his real estate career in Michigan in 1973. As a securities deal Roberts’ love for investing carried over to the opportunities in owning real estate. After syndicating office buildings and large parcels of land he settled on buying single family houses.

In 1978 Robert moved his family to Atlanta and started buying houses as a sideline to his securities career. His model was to buy good houses, rent them out and hold them forever. When Robert ran out of money he started selling houses to investor clients. Without fail investors would say “I’ll buy it if you’ll manage it” forcing him to start a management business to manage rentals for others. After 30 years he has bought over 150 houses for his own account and has sold over 500 houses to investor clients.

Robert expanded his house buying career by learning to buy foreclosures, doing wrap mortgages, Land Trusts, 1031 Exchanges, buying subject to existing financing and other creative investing strategies. He has been training real estate investors in the art of investing in houses for 20 years.

Property Management Bio
Robert got his real estate license in 1973 and has practiced real estate sales, investing, leasing and property management ever since. He and his wife Betty started buying houses in 1978 in Atlanta and have bought over 150 houses for their own account. Robert has also sold over 500 houses to investor clients.

Robert started managing his own rentals in 1978 and for others in 1980 out of his basement as Crown Management Corporation. Since then, over 7,000 tenants have rented from Crown. Robert has bought out 12 other management companies in Atlanta in the past 15 years and has downsized his company once (from 750 houses to 350). Crown currently manages over 700 single family rental homes in the Atlanta area with a staff of 20 experienced managers and staff. Crown’s clients include private investors, Real Estate Investment Trusts, banks, government agencies, builders, lenders and other brokers.

Robert is past president and board member of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Residential Property Managers. He received the Residential Management Professional (RMP) designation in 1998, his Master Property Manager (MPM) designation in 1999, and Crown received the coveted Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation in 2000.

Robert is a frequent speaker at local, state, national and international property management conventions on the topics of leasing, property management and operating a profitable management company. He has been hired by attorneys needing an expert witness in magistrates, state and federal courts on property management disputes.

Training and Education Bio
Robert’s parents were both educators and infected him with the love of training. He has an uncanny ability to break down complicated issues and clarify them for students. He has been training real estate investors, licensed agents and other property managers for 20 years. He formed Crown Investor Institute LLC (an accredited school with the Georgia Real Estate Commission) for the express purpose of infecting others with his love of the real estate investing game. He has spoken to local associations, national conferences and international real estate conventions. His topics are atypical for the traditional real estate industry including Leasing, Property Management, Building Profit Centers in Real Estate, Buying ‘Subject To’ The Loan, Real Estate Tax Strategies, Asset Protection and Title Holding Strategies, Using Land Trusts, Profits in Lease Purchase, Selling with Wrap Around Mortgages and many other real estate investor subjects. He has authored designation workshops for the National Association of Residential Property Managers where he is a certified instructor and is writing a book on Residential Property Management.

If you are looking for a speaker for a luncheon or a national real estate conference Robert will be both entertaining and informative.

Contact Robert »


Monica K. Gilroy, Esquire
Dickenson Gilroy, LLC
(formerly of McCalla, Raymer, Padrick, Cobb, Nichols & Clark LLC)

Monica is a 1990 graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Monica attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree in 1993. Currently a managing partner in the litigation department of Dickenson Gilroy, LLC, Monica has been a civil litigator for eleven years. At Dickenson Gilroy, LLC the focus of her litigation practice includes all aspects of real estate litigation, landlord/tenant claims, broker and agent liability defense, contract and title claims and homeowner/builder disputes. She regularly assists closing attorneys, real estate agents, property managers and brokers when title issues and other contract issues arise. Monica also practiced for several years in the area of estate and trust litigation. She speaks and teaches on a regular basis to real estate professionals, property managers, real estate brokers, agents and attorneys on litigation and real


John Mangham, CPA
Starker Services, Inc.

John is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Accounting. He is a certified public account, real estate broker and a certified continuing education Instructor. As the Southeast Regional Manager at Starker Services, Inc., John completes successful tax deferred exchanges for owners and brokers of real estate throughout the southeast. He provides education in the form of informational presentations, workshops and seminars, and teaches continuing education courses for real estate, accounting and legal professionals.

Affiliations: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Real Estate Exchangors, Georgia Real Estate Investors Association, Real estate Educators Association, Federation of Exchange Accommodators, Atlanta Board of Realtors.


Jennifer Dickenson, Esquire
Dickenson Gilroy, LLC
(formerly of McCalla, Raymer, Padrick, Cobb, Nichols & Clark)

Jennifer Laguzza Dickenson is managing partner at Dickenson Gilroy, LLC. She is a 1989 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Rochester, New York and a 1992 graduate of Emory University Law School. She also attended the

Mrs. Dickenson was admitted to the Georgia bar in 1992 and the New York bar in 1994. She has clerked for the Honorable Dorothy Toth Beasley at the Georgia Court of Appeals. She is an affiliate member of the Atlanta Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia, the Atlanta Mortgage Brokers Association, the Atlanta Board of Realtors, the Women’s Council of Realtors – Atlanta, and the North Metro Association of Realtors.

Mrs. Dickenson specializes in real estate transactional law including residential and commercial closings.

Jennifer lives in the North Fulton area with her two daughters and husband.


Carole Ann Padgett, CPA, MTx

Carole Ann received a Bachelors of Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Mercer University in Atlanta, and a Masters of Taxation from Georgia State University.

She has been a partner in Padgett and Hyden, LLC since its formation in 2000. From 1990-2000, she was a partner in Padgett, Watts, Britt & Hyden, P.C. She specializes in taxation and accounting services for individuals and small businesses.

She has served several terms on the Georgia Society of CPAs Board of Directors and Council. She is a member and former chairman of the Georgia Society of CPAs Professional Ethics Committee.