22 | VANCOUVER RELOCATION GUIDE 2014 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER
Advertising feature
MAKING PEOPLE MORE COMFORTABLE HighStreet Accommodations has developed an international reputation – and loyal following – with an emphasis on service
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e don’t have a fancy mission statement,” said Terry Rodgers, founder and president of the hugely successful and international award-winning HighStreet Accommodations of Vancouver. “We are all about making people more comfortable.” A simple concept, perhaps, but it is a powerful mission that underlies all that HighStreet has delivered for more than a decade: superlative returns for real estate investors; worry-free housing for blue-chip corporate clients; and, for guests arriving in a strange city, a welcome as if they are coming home. What HighStreet Accommodations does – and apparently does better than anyone else, based on industry recognition – is provide fully and finely furnished accommodation in quality privately owned residences for people who will be working, relocating or visiting Metro Vancouver for a relatively long time, often for months, sometimes for years. HighStreet works with investors who want to maximize the rental return on their residential real estate without worrying about management and tenant issues. The company works with corporate clients who need high quality housing for employees relocating and rotating through Metro Vancouver, and with insurance companies seeking immediate shelter for victims of flood or fires. And, of most importance to Rodgers and her full-time staff of 40, is working with the guest who wants a comfortable place to stay. “Our goal has always been ‘head to bed’ in two hours,” said Rodgers, whose staff provides true round-the-clock service that can include picking a guest up at the airport and tucking them into a home where the towels and linen are spotless and the phones, TVs and toaster work perfectly. Think of it as a concierge for a virtual luxury hotel that extends from West Vancouver to the eastern Fraser Valley. Rodgers got her start in the furnished accommodation business during Expo 86, sourcing, securing and managing more than 500 homes and apartments during the five-month event. In 2002, she decided to focus on the corporate housing industry and opened HighStreet Accommodations with a continued dedication to service. During the 2010 Winter Olympics, HighStreet became indispensable to an international audience of long-stay clients, beginning with television crews arriving in September 2009. Today, with more than 250 different properties to choose from, HighStreet has the widest range of
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Terry Rodgers, president of HighStreet Accommodations, which has the widest range of property sizes and types of any corporate housing company in Vancouver
Think of it as a concierge for a virtual luxury hotel that extends from West Vancouver to the eastern Fraser Valley property sizes and types of any corporate housing company in Vancouver. “We have properties in downtown Vancouver, Yaletown, Gastown, Coal Harbour, the West End and ‘The Drive’; plus North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, North Burnaby, South Burnaby, Richmond, Steveston, New Westminster, Langley, Surrey, South Surrey, White Rock and Abbotsford,” said Wendy Galati, HighStreet’s vicepresident of sales and marketing. Choices range from exquisite one- to three-bedroom condominiums to spacious houses ideal for larger groups and families, Galati added. “We are fully staffed to service all these properties with dedicated housekeeping teams, maintenance experts and quality assurance folks. All of our properties meet the same rigorous standards for comfort and quality,” Rodgers said. When a HighStreet guest arrives, day or night, they are met with a complimentary “mobile front desk service.” Agents are quickly dispatched to meet the guest at any location and provide full orientation of the chosen property. “It’s our personalized check-in service and it’s designed to make guests feel at home right from the get-go,” Rodgers said.
“Guests get fully serviced private accommodation and peace of mind.” That peace of mind extends to real estate investors, who own about 30 per cent of all the condominiums and private rental property in Metro Vancouver, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Investors can purchase their own furnishings to HighStreet’s specification, or have HighStreet conduct the design, furnish and equip on their behalf. HighStreet’s services to investors include arranging regular housekeeping, on-call, 24-7 maintenance, and taking care of all billing and receivables collection. Properties are rented at a premium to the market and the owner receives 60 per cent of the income. HighStreet works with a large number of investors, many of whom even rely on HighStreet to recommend where they should buy. Corporate and insurance clients, in turn, trust HighStreet to provide hassle-free, quality housing where and for as long as it is needed. The company’s corporate recognition was underlined this year when Oakwood Worldwide, the world’s largest corporate housing organization, created a unique “Partnership of the Year” award to honour HighStreet’s reliability. While totally local and independent, HighStreet Accommodations is linked to a global network of corporate clients that allows efficient and seamless scheduling. The prestigious awards and the high-technology appear secondary to Terry Rodgers, however. “It is really all about the service to our guests,” she said, “to really make them feel at home.” ■
12/3/13 10:51:25 AM