jkROCK Homes
jkROCK Homes

Josh Gierach didn't plan to make a difference in real estate. In fact, for much of his early life, his compass pointed in several directions, from running a vending machine business to landscaping and even launching a staffing agency. But beneath all the entrepreneurial ventures before he had even reached graduation, there was a consistent thread that underpinned each of his endeavors: a knack for coordination, an appetite for learning, and a genuine desire to help people.

Today, Gierach is the founder of jkROCK Homes, a company managing hundreds of residential units and rapidly expanding into community association management. The journey, from hustling through event gigs to leading a values-driven property management firm, is marked by persistence, mentorship, and a deep belief in service.

"I was homeschooled, started six businesses before graduating high school, and then just traveled," Gierach recalls. "I backpacked through Europe, lived in Australia, and spent time in China. I loved seeing the world, but I realized it wasn't sustainable to live that way forever."

Upon returning home, he developed a drive to build something more stable, and reading a copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad sparked his interest in real estate. He was 23. With not a lot of experience but plenty of determination, he found a local property owner with 400 apartments and made an offer. "I told him, 'I'll work for free if you teach me the business.' He laughed, but he got on board," Gierach recalls.

After the owner agreed, he began paying him a humble salary a month with living accommodations. "I had no life, but I was learning and growing," he shares. It was on one of his earliest properties that a tenant's feedback changed everything. "She hugged me and said, 'You've changed my life. I used to be afraid to leave my apartment. Now I feel safe again.' I was 24, and that moment defined my whole trajectory. It was the catalyst for my career."

Over the next decade, Gierach worked under the same mentor, learning the ins and outs of the business while gradually acquiring his own units. When he finally branched off, his first solo, Orchard Village Apartments, nearly collapsed under the weight of its challenges. "It was quite messy, tons of negative press, unsafe conditions, way over budget. I thought we were going under," he shares.

But that risky venture would become a turning point. The transformation of Orchard Village earned Gierach a reputation. "People came to me asking, 'Oh, you're the one who did Orchard Village? I want to work with you,'" he shares. The success of his initiatives invited investors to join his buying group and funded his next ventures. "Our units increased exponentially, largely thanks to the people who believed in me," he says.

That sense of gratitude became foundational to how he runs jkROCK Homes even today. "The people who helped me, my mentor, a broker, those early investors, they opened doors. Now I feel driven to open doors for others, especially my team," he remarks.

Gierach's approach to leadership is unorthodox, but in the best way. He's built a company culture centered on personal growth, emotional well-being, and continued learning. The staff get to enjoy flexible schedules and structured packages to spend on personal growth and skill development. "I get extremely excited to watch them learn, grow, and become better people," he shares. The staff also receive vacation packages. "I pretty much force them to travel. It doesn't matter where they go, as long as it's some place that expands their world," he adds.

jkROCK Homes' transition from traditional residential properties to community association management is also a story of stepping up where others have opted out. "Most companies drop associations as soon as they can break into residential. It's easier to deal with tenants than with condo owners," he explains. "But we saw that these communities were underserved. There were issues with transparency, with mismanagement, even suspicions of theft." Rather than avoiding the complexity, Gierach leaned into it.

Gierach enforced processes tailored to handle different personalities and built a management package that prioritizes clear communication, fair fees, and reliable service. "It may seem cost-prohibitive, but it works. And people feel taken care of, that's the point," he says.

Despite the company's growth and success, Gierach's goals are evolving, rooted in a shifting mindset. He says, "We've hit a lot of our goals. But what's shifted is the reason for growing. It's no longer about money or freedom. It's about helping more people. If we grow, we can hire more staff. And in doing that, we can help more people grow."

Looking ahead, Gierach sees himself aligning with his true passion. "I'd love to spend more time mentoring others, whether it's my staff, future leaders, or just people trying to find their way and be unapologetically human, instead of getting buried in the weeds."

Gierach may have lived through some stressful seasons, but if there's one constant in his journey, it's the belief that business can be more than transactional. For him, real estate isn't buildings, it's the people who reside in them. "Everyone deserves to come home to a place that feels safe, cared for, and truly theirs," he says. "That's what we're trying to build, one community at a time."