By Steve Boudreault, Buildium, Boston, MA

It all comes down to Sunday.

The journey that started back in September for the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers ends at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Nawlins, with one team going home with the championship and the glory, and one team just going home.

Ostensibly, the two teams in the Super Bowl are the two best teams in football. But how do you quantify "best"? One could make a case for the Atlanta Falcons, who were undefeated for the bulk of the season and shared the best record in the NFL with the Houston Texans. Or one could make a case for the New England Patriots (those of us in Boston certainly do), who picked a bad day to have a bad day in the playoffs.

So then why the Ravens and the 49ers? It's actually a simple formula, really: it's equal parts talent, preparation, execution, and luck. The same qualities that can make your property management team ready for the big time.

Talent: Do you have the best possible people working for you? Are they creative in their solutions to day-to-day issues on the property? Are they smart and dedicated? Do they bring an intensity and an energy to the team? Do they work as a team? When it comes to talent, you can't compromise.

Preparation: Are the folks on your property management team proactive? Do they figure out situations before they escalate into problems? Are they organized and ready for walk-ins and showings? Are they on top of everything? Being prepared extends to everything your team does.

Execution: Is your team big on follow-up and follow-through? Do they show up when and where they're supposed to? Do they put their collective best foot forward and present the property in the best possible light? When it comes to paperwork, do they have all their i's dotted and t's crossed? Being prepared is nothing if there's a failure to execute.

Luck: Luck is the one element that's beyond your control, but if good fortune smiles, a high-caliber team can capitalize on it. And a team never, ever takes luck for granted.

Your property management team may not wear shoulder pads or eye black (but if they do, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), but they can be just as successful as whichever team prevails this Sunday. And remember -- neither the Ravens nor the 49ers were Super Bowl teams at the beginning of the season. The ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and blood, sweat, and tears of a grueling season forged them into what they are at this moment. The Ravens got where they are as a team. So did the 49ers. So can your team.

Enjoy the big game!