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Emerald Management & Realty Ltd. Nominated 2021 Top Choice Award

Winning the Top Choice Award is one of the largest endorsements a business can receive within North America, so this is a BIG deal!

This is our 6th year being nominated for this award for Best in Property Management Services and we are proud of our team members for working towards the goal of being recognized as the best property management company in Calgary.

Now, we need your help to WIN! Voting is now open and if you feel that we have earned your vote, we would appreciate your support. Your vote will automatically enter you into a draw for a chance to win 1 of 4 cash prizes of $500 given out by Top Choice Awards!  Take a moment and please vote today as voting ends December 20, 2020. 

VOTE NOW

When you vote, you are also able to provide anonymous feedback via a survey. Your feedback is very important to us, as it allows us to know what you love about us and what we can improve to continue serving you every day and providing the best customer experience possible. Many thanks in advance!

We would love to win the Top Choice Award… But we need your help to do so. If you believe we are your Top Choice, show us some love and help us spread the word!

Thank you again to our customers and team members for your vote of confidence! We are proud to have received your 2021 Nomination for Calgary’s Top Choice Property Management Company!

 

Emerald Management & Realty Ltd. Top Choice Property Management Nominee

Emerald Management & Realty Ltd. Top Choice Property Management Nominee for 2021


COVID19 Property Management Update November

November 13, 2020

With the recent Alberta Government announcement of heightened restrictions in response to the increased community spread of COVID-19, we are reminded about the importance of remaining diligent in our efforts to stay well.

Our goal at the onset of COVID-19 remains the same today: to keep our team and clients safe, healthy and working. As we continue to work together to flatten the curve, in-line with the recent government restrictions implemented on November 12, 2020, our specific areas of focus include:

Face Coverings

In accordance with current provincial and municipal bylaws, signage regarding face coverings continues to be posted in common building areas.

Guests and team members at our head office are wearing masks in accordance with the Mask Bylaw1 protocols while in public, in common spaces and meeting with customers for the health and safety of all individuals.

Team members (in select positions) are also required to wear additional PPE including face masks and gloves.

Surface Areas & Shared or Common Spaces

In the common spaces of our multifamily properties and condominium communities, we have implemented rigorous cleaning schedules with the support of our valued third party contractors and vendors.

Our team continues to sanitize and wipe down their work areas and meeting rooms prior to and post client meetings. Hand sanitizer remains available to use in the lobby areas, at desks and in the washrooms.  

As property management has been deemed an essential service, we have added a regular disinfecting clean of all touch points in our office with Vital Oxide, a product authorized by Health Canada for use against SARS-CoV-2, the Coronavirus that causes COVID-192. Vital Oxide is a hospital grade disinfectant that uses new enhanced cleaning technology and odourless and 100% biodegradable.3   

 

This disinfectant service has been added to Emerald’s extensive list of property management and property maintenance services. It is now available to condominium corporations and building owners. The service includes: disinfecting hard surfaces, touch points, elevators, etc., and can be completed as a cautionary measure prior to a tenant’s move-in or showings

Physical Distancing

To help alleviate the risk of COVID-19 transmission through person-to-person contact, Emerald has placed signage in its lobbies to remind guests to maintain social and physical distancing protocols. Where required: furniture has been re-arranged to allow more space for distancing; partitions and protective barriers have been installed at desks and reception areas to provide an extra level of precaution for guests and team members; and floor markers have been placed in common areas.

As well, Emerald supports physical distancing with the use of technology for virtual board meetings and client interactions. Further to this, we continue to improve systems and update processes in addition to enhanced cleaning and new efforts like disinfectant spraying.

The health and safety of our team is our top priority. Accordingly, they are prepared to work remotely when necessary or should someone be impacted by quarantine. The need for rotating schedules continues to be monitored to ensure compliance with government regulations and meet service needs.

Guests to the office have been asked to arrange meetings by appointment. This measure has been taken to limit the numbers of people in the office and reduce congestion in meeting rooms and lobby areas.

We continue to take payments online and work with residents on maintenance concerns as they arise. Rental showings remain top priority and we take precautions to ensure both residents and our team remain safe. We provide virtual showings where possible and will continue to take proactive creative steps to market rental listings.

Updates

Continue checking here for updates about how we’re supporting our community and employees, and providing service to our customers and clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you need additional support or find yourself in a crisis situation, the following Agencies may be of assistance:

  • Distress Centre: 2-1-1
  • Alberta Works: 1-866-644-5135 (emergency needs allowance for Albertans)
  • Bow West: 403-804-9826
  • Sunrise Community Link: 403-204-8280
  • CUPS: 403-717-0922 (crisis intervention fund)
  • Aspen: 403-219-3477 ext. 177 (for families)
  • Children’s Cottage: 403-242-8575 ext. 230 (for families)

For your go-to resources and obtaining timely, accurate information and guidance, please visit:

If you start to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, self-isolate and call Health Link (811). You can also assess your own risk if you are concerned or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. If you need to self-isolate, follow the recommended instructions for self-isolation: Self-Isolation Fact Sheet (Government of Alberta).

COVID-19 information continues to be fast moving. Please let us know if you have any concerns or notice a sanitation issue in properties being managed so that we can work together to minimize the risk of transmission.

Emerald continues to implement the health and safety measures of applicable provincial and municipal government regulations to help provide our people a safe experience. We ask residents and clients to join us in doing their part to protect members of their community by staying home if experiencing any symptoms.

A big thank you, from our team to all of our clients, customers, trade members and third party contractors, for your support and collaboration during this challenging time!

Stay well!

 

1 Mask Bylaw Information 

2 Government of Canada, Health Canada 

3 Vital Oxide Material Safety Data Sheet

 


How to Write an Effective Rental Listing Advertisement

An effective real estate rental listing attracts attention — the attention of the type of tenant you are looking for.

What’s more is that an effective listing, as a consequence, should help you quickly rent the house or apartment in question.

So, how do you write an effective rental listing advert to create some “noise” in the market? To stand out from others?

You’ll want to accentuate the positives about the property, but also carefully choose the right words to ensure it appeals to your client base. To write great ads and list effectively, follow these great tips. You should be pleased with the responses you get from your future ads.

Know which market sector you are targeting

Is the property likely to be suitable for young urban professionals to rent? Or it is ideal for singles or perhaps older, possibly retired couples?  It may be close to a medical teaching university or college and therefore be likely to attract medical professionals and/or their students.

Also, what are the demographics of the area in which the property is located? Are they stable or likely to change (eg. is the area relatively run-down but undergoing a rejuvenation and attracting a new demographic)?

 

Know your neighbourhood: what are its main attractions?

Discuss proximity to good local, essential shopping (grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies), restaurants, cafes and great public transport links (such as bus lines, subways or closeness to highways for travel).  

What about the availability of public amenities such as parks, museums and libraries? And, of course, what can be observed about overall security and crime levels? Be sure to mention any details about nearby locations, landmarks and reputations for overall local safety.

 

Be well-versed in the factual details about the property

Be sure to mention important details, such as how many square metres make up the property’s size (only if you are 100% certain), whether it comes with/without balcony or terraces, how many bedrooms it has or what the general layout is like. Is the kitchen large or small or does the bathroom come with a shower or bath (or both)? If this is for an apartment, does it come with secure parking options? If it’s for a house, what is the garden like (eg. is big or small and can it be easily maintained)?

 

Make the property sound great — be creative and descriptive

Is the property light and airy, with a nice aspect to catch the morning/afternoon sun? Are there large windows or good ceiling heights? Does the property come equipped with well-proportioned accommodation or plenty of storage space?

If this is for an apartment to rent, does the main living space have a view? Or if it’s for a house rental, how many stories does it have and does it come with/without a basement?

 

Photos and videos

As we all know, there is an art to photography — but even getting the basics right can make a property listing so much better.

If at all possible, we suggest using a mid-priced SLR (if you are doing the photography yourself) or the new cameras in the latest cell phones. Or, if you have the means, it’s even better to hire a professional photographer to take some quality shots that’ll truly capture the appeal of the space.

Explore the angles when taking shots and see which works the best (usually from the corner of a room). Always look for the best light to enhance your photos. Usually, the ideal time is early morning or late afternoon for suitable light.

An additional pro-tip is to make sure you avoid photos of cluttered rooms or unmade beds, as this doesn’t offer the best look. Worst of all, definitely don’t show toilets with their seats up! These are some simple, but important things to remember when trying to get some nice shots for your listing.

Nowadays, it’s also easy to arrange videos — and most clients like to view these to get a better idea of a property before viewing. It can be even better if you have a 360-degree camera that can help produce virtual images and let prospects “walk” through the property without physically visiting it. These can save the agent a great deal of time (not to mention that they’ve provided an additional safety measure for property viewings in light of COVID-19).

The real skill, of course, is selecting the right information to entice the reader to want to view the property. Yet, if you follow our tips, you’ll soon be an expert listing advert writer!


Contact Emerald Management & Realty Today

If you are looking for a property management company with a great reputation in the market or for a house or apartment for rent, contact our team at Emerald Management and Realty today. It’s easy to arrange an appointment for viewings or contact us about some other property management related matters. We look forward to helping you!


Top 6 strategies to avoid if you want to find a tenant and minimize vacancy loss

Are you desperately seeking to rent your property and find the perfect tenant?

If that’s the case, here are 6 rental strategies to avoid … unless you absolutely want to make sure your rental property doesn’t rent. 😉

Emerald Management & Realty Ltd. actively manages thousands of tenant relationships and has built its reputation as one of the leading property management companies in Calgary.

Top 6 strategies to avoid to if you want to find a tenant and minimize vacancy loss:

  1. Don’t do minor repairs – Minor repairs show you care. If you want to give prospects impression you don’t care and aren’t interested in how they treat your property – don’t fix anything.  

To find the right tenant, keep your rental in a good, clean and safe repair. This provides tenants the reassurance that you are a responsible landlord and that your relationship with them … is a valued one.

  1. Don’t care about the curb appeal – Don’t mow the lawn, shovel the snow, or maintain the exterior of the property. Curb appeal gives prospects a pretty good idea of what the inside looks like.

If you want to rent out your property, be mindful that first impressions matter! It takes seconds to form an opinion. A well cared for exterior demonstrates pride of ownership. If the outside looks good, it’s a great indication that the inside looks good too.

  1. Make the leasing interactions as awkward as possible. Don’t know anything about the rental or its location and waste your time and that of potential renters.

Looking to minimize vacancy loss? The experience during your appointment is important. Be on time, organized and prepared.   Prospects expect you to know about the property. Again, first impressions matter – the goal is to create a positive experience and rent the property.

  1. Price way above market. If you have overpriced the property – tenants know. Checking comparables can be done right on your phone. If you over price the rental, you run the risk of incurring unnecessary vacancy loss.

In order to rent your unit – price it based on market conditions. Implement a good sales strategy and research your competition. The online culture is strong and tenants are savvy about their options.

  1. Blurry & bad photos – If you don’t want to stand out from your competition – post bad pictures.

To stand out from the competition and get your property, post quality pictures or maybe even a video tour. Use social media to maximize online marketing opportunities. Having good quality on-line material helps to visually communicate the quality or your rental and promote yourself as a quality landlord. As they say, “A pictures is worth an thousand words”.

  1. Feel like you have to do this on your own.

Our team at Emerald Management & Realty Ltd. is here to help! We understand that the decision to hire a property management company can bring immense peace of mind. With over 40 years of experience and voted as the Top Choice in Property Management for 5 years in a row, demonstrates that we have the experience to help make being a landlord easier for you. Let us help you by reducing the number of hours spent finding the tenants, solving tenant-related problems, and dealing with those middle of the night emergencies.

Contact us today to find out how our team can assist you!

Emerald Management & Realty Ltd.

www.emeraldmanagement.com

403-237-8600

 

 

 


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