Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuriy Skripnichenko.
Hi Yuriy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My background is actually in tech — I have a master’s degree in IT. But when I moved to the United States, I wasn’t able to secure a job in that field right away, so I ended up working in the automotive business instead. That wasn’t the plan, but it’s often how it goes when you’re starting over in a new country — you take the opportunities available to you and figure out the rest along the way.
From automotive, I eventually found my way into real estate. I started out as an investor myself, buying and self-managing rental properties in Philadelphia. Like most self-managing landlords, I hit a breaking point — juggling a full-time job with tenant calls, maintenance issues, and compliance requirements on top of everything else. That personal experience is what led me to start TrustArt Realty in 2012.
I built TrustArt around the idea that Philadelphia landlords deserve a property manager who treats their portfolio the way an investor would — not just someone collecting rent. My background in tech and my time in automotive both shaped how I approach the business today. I bring a systems and process mindset to an industry where a lot of people still operate informally.
Over the past 13+ years, TrustArt Realty has grown to manage rental units across Philadelphia. We became the only Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) in Pennsylvania — the highest professional designation in residential property management, awarded by the National Association of Residential Property Managers. I also got licensed as a real estate broker and became active in NARPM.
More recently I started The Philly Landlord Guy podcast, where I share real, data-driven market updates and compliance guidance specifically for Philadelphia landlords — because so much of the property management content out there is either outdated or written for a national audience that doesn’t understand Philadelphia’s specific laws and neighborhoods.
Today TrustArt Realty has been named Best Property Management Company in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Inquirer Philly Favorites three years running — 2024, 2025, and 2026 — voted entirely by our community and clients. That recognition means more to me than any paid ranking because it reflects the actual experience of the people we work with every day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, not at all — and I think pretending otherwise would do a disservice to anyone reading this who is going through their own version of starting over.
The first real struggle was moving to a new country and not being able to use the degree I had worked hard for. I have a master’s in IT, but when I got to the United States, that credential didn’t translate into a job offer. I had to set that aside and start over in an industry I hadn’t planned on — automotive. That was a hard adjustment, both professionally and personally. You spend years building expertise in one field and then have to prove yourself from scratch in another.
The second struggle came later, once I was investing in Philadelphia real estate on the side. I was self-managing my own rental units while working a full-time job, and it eventually became unsustainable. Tenant calls at odd hours, maintenance emergencies, staying on top of constantly changing Philadelphia landlord-tenant law — it was too much for one person to juggle alongside a career. That breaking point is actually what pushed me into property management professionally. It wasn’t a smooth, planned pivot. It came out of necessity.
Starting TrustArt Realty in 2012 came with its own challenges. Building a property management company from nothing means earning trust one client at a time, in an industry where a lot of companies over-promise and under-deliver. Philadelphia’s landlord-tenant laws have also become significantly more complex over the years — we’ve had to constantly adapt our systems and stay ahead of new legislation, most recently the Safe Healthy Home Act taking effect this November. That kind of regulatory environment means the work is never really “done” — you have to keep evolving.
Looking back, none of it was smooth. But every one of those struggles — the career reset, the burnout from self-managing, the constant regulatory changes — shaped how carefully and systematically I approach the business today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about TrustArt Realty?
TrustArt Realty is a full-service property management company and real estate brokerage based in Philadelphia. We manage residential rental properties for landlords across the city — everything from single-family homes to duplexes and small multifamily buildings up to 20 units. We handle the full scope of what property ownership requires: tenant screening and placement, rent collection, maintenance coordination, financial reporting, eviction management, and — increasingly important in Philadelphia — regulatory compliance.
What we specialize in, and what I think we’re known for, is treating property management as a serious professional discipline rather than a side hustle. Philadelphia’s landlord-tenant laws have become genuinely complex over the past few years. Between rental licensing requirements, security deposit rules, and the new Safe Healthy Home Act taking effect this November, staying compliant is not something a part-time or informal property manager can reliably do. We built our systems specifically to handle that complexity for our clients so they don’t have to track city legislation themselves.
What sets us apart is our certification. TrustArt Realty is the only Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) in Pennsylvania — the highest professional designation available in residential property management, awarded by the National Association of Residential Property Managers. It requires a level of documented systems, financial controls, and professional standards that very few companies in this industry meet. It’s not a marketing badge — it’s an operational standard we hold ourselves to every day.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is being named Best Property Management Company in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Inquirer Philly Favorites for three consecutive years — 2024, 2025, and 2026. We’re the only property management company in Philadelphia to win that recognition three years running, and it’s entirely reader-voted — no advertising spend, no pay-to-play. It comes directly from our clients and the Philadelphia community, and that means more to me than any paid industry ranking.
I also host a podcast called The Philly Landlord Guy, where I share real market data — neighborhood by neighborhood — along with legal compliance updates and investment guidance specifically for Philadelphia landlords. I started it because so much property management content online is generic or written for a national audience, and Philadelphia’s market and laws are genuinely unique. If someone wants to understand what’s actually happening in a specific Philadelphia zip code, or wants a plain-language breakdown of a new city ordinance, that’s what the show is for.
What I want readers to know about TrustArt Realty is simple: we treat our clients’ properties the way we’d want our own treated. We’ve been doing this since 2012, we know Philadelphia block by block, and our growth has come almost entirely from word of mouth and repeat business — which in this industry is the only kind of reputation that actually matters.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If there’s one thing I’d want people to take away, it’s this: whether you’re a landlord managing your first rental property or someone thinking about investing in real estate for the first time, don’t underestimate how much the landscape has changed. Philadelphia in particular has seen significant legislative changes over the past couple of years, and the days of managing a rental property casually — without staying current on licensing, compliance, and tenant law — are largely over. That’s true whether you use a professional property manager or not.
I’d also encourage anyone who’s rebuilding a career or starting over in a new field, the way I did when I moved to this country, not to see it as wasted time. My background in tech and my time in the automotive industry both shaped the way I run TrustArt Realty today — the systems thinking, the process discipline. Nothing is ever really wasted if you’re paying attention to what it teaches you.
Lastly, I’d just say thank you to the Philadelphia community. Being voted Best Property Management Company three years in a row by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s readers is something I don’t take lightly. It’s a reminder that consistency and doing right by people, even when it’s harder or slower than cutting corners, is still what earns trust in this business.
Pricing:
- 1–2 units: 8% of collected rent, minimum $85/month
- 3–5 units: 7% of collected rent, minimum $85/month
- 6+ units: 6% of collected rent, minimum $85/month
- No management fee charged while a property is vacant
- Free rental analysis available for any Philadelphia property owner, no obligation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trustartrealty.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trustartrealty/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trustartrealty/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustartrealty
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrustArtRealty1
