Holiday Greetings from Unique Real Estate Accommodations

2009 was definitely a “Unique” year for most of us. From market crashes, to foreclosures, to thousands of jobs lost, we all witnessed, and for some of us experienced first-hand, these difficult times. It feels like a blessing to have weathered the storm and be moving towards a new year, which we all feel will bring a strengthened economy and a fresh start for so many.

We want to start by thanking you for staying with us through one of the most challenging years we have seen to date. The Olympics are definitely providing a busier winter season, which is most welcomed after a slower year in the furnished rental market. Although there was a lot of discussion in the media and likely amongst your acquaintances that Olympic rates would be very high, the reality in Vancouver is that the media, corporate sponsors and athletes are not willing to be gouged. We felt it was important to do our best to secure you a premium for this high demand period and still maintain positive working relationships with our corporate and film clients. We want our tenants to return to your properties time and time again and to remember Unique as a professional and reliable presence in the Vancouver furnished rental market.

Post Olympics, there will be a significant amount of furnished inventory coming available all at once. The market will likely become saturated which could potentially drive rental rates down once again in 2010. It may be prudent for some of you to consider converting your investment property into an unfurnished rental. Although, your monthly return may be less, you can expect the continuity of monthly rental revenue for at least one year. Please call or email our Sales Team to discuss if this is something you would like to pursue.

Nina has spent most of this year developing and working with the Property Management Division. Nina understands the importance of a strong and knowledgeable PM team and has been sharing her expertise and experience with our newly added team members. See our company photo and staff list for the profiles of all members of the Unique team.

Our goals for 2010 include continuing to grow our strong market share, building even stronger internal systems to streamline our processes—providing a seamless experience for our Owners and Tenants, and increasing occupancy rates with our web-based cutting edge marketing systems. We have always had a strong online presence, but we are very excited to launch our newly updated website this coming year—stay tuned! As a growing company, Unique is ever-evolving and improving. Like any ‘masterpiece,’ Unique is truly a work in progress.

As we keep in mind our mission statement: “connecting people with unique homes to allow them to fulfill their unique abilities,” we are truly grateful for the working relationships that connect us with each of you. This Holiday Season, we want to wish you a New Year filled with prosperity and many successes both personally and professionally.

Warmly,
Your Team at Unique.

left to right: Front Row: Belinda Milner, Nina Ferentinos, and Mark Teasdale Middle Row: Harvey Dykes, Jenna Van Alstine, Kelly Sluggett, Holly Fairweather, Amanda Senior and Kyle Downey Back Row: Colin Choww, Chad J. Kalyn, Carolyn Doig, Sarah Fuchs, Danielle Dobson, Claudia Vogel, Karolina Sobus and Jane Chu. Missing from photos is Luisa Coppola Unique Real Estate Accommodations Inc.Team Nina Ferentinos – President; Managing Broker/Owner, Business Development Mark Teasdale – Chief Operations Officer, IT Development, Owner Sales & Leasing Team Carolyn Doig – VP Sales & Marketing; Licensed Leasing Agent, marketing initiatives, oversees sales team, lists new properties Chad Kalyn– Sales Manager; Licensed Leasing Agent, Owner/Tenant liaison, schedules tours Jenna Van Alstine – Licensed Leasing Agent Sarah Fuchs - Sales & Leasing Assistant, New Owner Coordinator Colin Choww – Contract and Lease Extension Administrator Property Management Team Holly Fairweather – Property Management Coordinator; Tenant liaison Amanda Senior – Property Management Assistant; Owner liaison Kyle Downey – Property Manager; unlicensed, Move in/outs for managed properties Karolina Sobus – Property Manager; unlicensed, Move in/outs for managed properties Jane Chu – Property Management Field Assistant; general office administrative assistance Accounting Team Harvey Dykes – Financial Controller; Non-resident owner relations, managing owner’s accounts, making rent deposits and tenant billing procedures. Directs day-to-day office procedures Belinda Milner – Trust Accountant; Rent receivables, distribution of monthly owner invoices and owner related property maintenance costs, Squamish office Accounting. Luisa Coppola – Senior Accountant; Rent receivables, distribution of monthly owner invoices and owner related property maintenance costs. Squamish Team Danielle Dobson – Licensed Property Manager & Leasing Agent; Owner/Tenant liaison Claudia Vogel –Property Manager; Leasing Agent, unlicensed, Owner/Tenant liaison Kelly Sluggett – Receptionist/Property Management Coordinator Unique Accommodations Holiday Hours Our office will close Dec 24th at noon until Dec 29th and then again Dec 31st we close at noon and will reopen Jan 4th 2010. For all property management emergencies: Dec 24th-31st call Kyle at 604-805-3916 and Dec 31st – Jan 3rd call Karolina at 778-896-4261.