2022–2023 Summer ECHO LIVING magazine

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LIVING echorealty doing property differently PROPERTY / HOME / LIVING 2022–2023 | SUMMER essential workers New property launched for essential workers! Page 3 HIA INDUSTRY AWARD ECHO LIVING MAGAZINE / ECHOREALTY FREE HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES Fun things to entertain the Support Over Christmas A range of support services available over Christmas. Page 4–5 Planning a Move Useful tools to help residents if they’re planning a move. Page 4 a subsidiary of Evolve Housing

LIVING ECHOREALTY magazine CONTENT

Bringing affordable housing to all Australians

EchoRealty’s purpose is to provide high-quality affordable properties for all Australians. Equipped with over 100 years of property expertise, our team is passionate about helping our clients achieve their property goals, whether it be through renting, developing or investing.

Our unmatched customer care is embodied by respect, and our team believe that everyone deserves safe, stable and secure housing.

We will work tirelessly to ensure our client’s property experience is as smooth, transparent and successful as possible.

03 New property launched for essential workers

100 brand new, high-quality apartments to eligible essential workers.

04 Planning a move

Useful tools to help residents if they’re planning a move.

04 Support over Christmas

A range of support services available. 05 Free holiday activities

Fun things to entertain the kids these holidays. 06 Getting To Know Your Agent

Interview with Team Leader Joel Flowers 07 Suburb Profile

Insights about Penrith. 08 Your tenant portal

Access to our Information Management System portal. 08 Tenant reviews

Check out some of our recent reviews.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Artwork

EchoRealty acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land where we deliver our housing and services. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. We welcome all First Nations People to our services, as we walk together towards reconciliation.
“Land, River, Home” by Sal Lavallee.
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ECHO LIVING

Alphington

Essential Worker Affordable Housing

Moving forward, EchoRealty, on behalf of Altis Property Partners and Aware Super, is now managing 100 brand new, high-quality apartments to eligible essential workers at a new building in Alphington.

The development opened in September 2022, and includes brand new ultramodern one, two and three bedroom apartments. Essential worker tenants will pay only 80% of the market rent, giving them the chance to live near their workplaces in a high-quality property without falling into financial stress.

The properties are part of the Home by Caydon development, located at the Yarra Bend precinct on the banks of the Yarra River in the Melbourne suburb of Alphington. The property is within close proximity to Melbourne CBD and within

walking distance to the Yarra river. These modern, light-filled apartments are approximately a 7–minute walk from Alphington train station.

If you’re interested in this property and think you may be eligible to become a tenant, email: info@echorealty.com.au

To read more about this property visit: echorealty.com.au

*Essential workers who may be eligible for this type of housing include people who work in essential industries such as aged care, health care, education, emergency services, law enforcement and childcare.

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PLANNING A MOVE

We understand that moving homes can be a very stressful exercise.

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) represents local councils in Greater Western Sydney, and the team there have created some useful tools to help residents if they’re planning a move!

We encourage you all to donate and recycle wherever you can, and organise a council clean-up for anything that’s left over. WSROC have an easy to download checklist for you to take advantage of! To get your hands on the Ultimate and Essential Moving

Checklists visit: wsroc.com.au/your-ultimate-moving-check-list

AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES

We have many affordable properties available for rent for eligible applicants, located all over Sydney! Please note that eligibility criteria apply to all our properties. If you know someone who is looking for a new home to rent, please let them know about EchoRealty. You can find more available properties at: www.echorealty.com.au

SUPPORT OVER CHRISTMAS

We understand that Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, both financially and emotionally. There is a wide range of support services available if you need access to them. It is OK to ask for help and we encourage you all to check out the list below.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Ask Izzy askizzy.org.au

Ask Izzy provides information on a variety of services that are available locally including accommodation, food, domestic violence, support and counselling, drugs and alcohol, employment, legal support and more.

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au

Beyond Blue offers free telephone and online counselling services open 24/7 for everyone in Australia. Beyond Blue also offers an online chat function through their WebChat Support Service.

Lifeline 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au, Text 0477 131 114

Lifeline provides Australians with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

Echorealty Wishes You

A Very Merry Christmas And Happy Holiday Season

EchoRealty wishes you a very Merry Christmas for 2022. Please be aware that we will be closed from 1pm on Thursday 22nd December 2022 and will be reopening on Tuesday 10th January 2023. During this time, the office will be closed, and online forms and emails will not be monitored.

EchoRealty wishes you a very happy and safe holiday period.

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Kids Helpline 1800 551 800, kidshelpline.com.au Kids Helpline is a free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason.

FOOD AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Salvation Army 1300 371 288 Food hamper and gift assistance: salvationarmy.org.au/ christmas/need-help-this-christmas/food-hamperand-gift-assistance/ Financial assistance: salvationarmy.org.au/need-help/ financial-assistance/ St Vincent De Paul 13 18 12, vinnies.org.au/findhelp

2021–2022

ANNUAL REPORT

Our Annual Report 2021–2022 is available for download from our website, or a free print copy can be obtained from the head office in Parramatta. We are particularly proud of the year that was and would love for you to download a copy for yourself!

To get your digital copy of the annual report visit: www.echorealty.com.au/our-story/ reports-plans-and-publications/

Looking for fun things to entertain the kids these holidays? Check out the list of free, fun activities below:

Learn about science for free from the science education experts at Fizzics Education. Their website has plenty of free resources for kids including free science podcasts, trivia and instructions for 150 free science experiments! fizzicseducation.com.au/free-resources/

Fun learning activities for kids? Find hundreds of free printable activities for literacy, math, science and more! There are resources for a HUGE variety of themes and they cover tons of different skills as well. Check it out here: funlearningforkids.com/free-printables/

Have you heard of the National Geographic Kids Club? Does your little one love exploring, learning and discovering new and exciting things? Then the NatGeo Kids Club might be for them! Explore content written for kids, by kids! natgeokids.com/au/category/kids-club/

Enjoy the outdoors and visit a park near you! There are plenty of parks in Sydney you can visit, whether you want to stay local or make a day of it. Western Sydney Parklands has something for everyone! Check out their website here: westernsydneyparklands.com.au/ Parramatta Park is home to the grand Old Government House as well as a couple of delightful playgrounds! It’s the perfect picnic location too! parrapark.com.au/ If you’re looking to explore the city, why not visit the Royal Botanic Gardens: rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/

5 FREE FOR YOUR FAMILY HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

Getting To Know Your Agent

Joel Flowers

‘Getting to know your agent’ is a segment we are launching to give you some insight into who we are (not only as your property managers!). In this edition, we interview Joel Flowers, our Team Leader, someone you may have already chatted to over the phone or met at a recent open home!

A hard-working and loyal professional, Joel has a positive attitude, loves helping his clients and is a great asset to our team!

How long have you been working for EchoRealty?

I have worked for EchoRealty for almost 7 years, in this time I have had a variety of roles, working my way up to the Team Leader position.

I first started in a Leasing position and was fortunate enough to be offered a permanent position as the contract ended. Shortly after I transitioned to a Property Manager position where I was for 3 years prior to becoming Team Leader.

What were you doing before you came to EchoRealty?

Before EchoRealty I was working in Residential Sales within Real Estate in Western Sydney. I was in sales for 8 years and really enjoyed the people-side of Real Estate.

When looking to expand my knowledge in the sector it felt natural for me to seek employment in Property Management. EchoRealty offered a way to grow in

this area, while also working closely with our clients to support their individual needs. I felt this would be very rewarding and 7 years later I am still so grateful to be part of the team.

How many people are in your team?

There are 7 people in my team in roles such as Leasing, Property Support and Property Management.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My job is responsible for overseeing the portfolio and supporting the team to meet the requirements of their role and any individual goals. I oversee aspects of the NSW EchoRealty team and I’m also the Licensed Agent in Charge for our Canberra agency.

I also focus on compliance and overseeing eligibility against a variety of Affordable Housing programs.

How many properties do you manage and in what areas?

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My team manages a total of 900 properties across the greater Sydney area with properties spread between the Eastern Suburbs out to Penrith in the West and Sutherland Shire in the South.

What kind of impact do you think EchoRealty has on residents?

EchoRealty is fortunate enough to offer a variety of properties across a wide area which also has a variety of Affordable Housing programs.

This allows EchoRealty to support residents in finding suitable homes as their circumstances may change; while also providing stability and a level of comfort relating to housing affordability and tenure for tenancies which may not otherwise be available in the private Rental Market.

What would you like residents to know about you?

That myself and my team are always working together to provide quality services and quality homes to our residents.

We love hearing from residents about how we have helped them through difficult times or were able to provide them with a nice, safe home that meets their needs.

What inspires you?

The broader EchoRealty team and our client base, working with so many individuals that have common interests and commitment keeps me inspired and motivated as the types of homes we can offer continue to expand into new areas. What do you do in your spare time?

I enjoy going out to eat and road trips.

Suburb Profile PENRITH

We asked our Property Manager JOEL FLOWERS to give us some insights into one of the suburbs he manages properties in! Check out his recommendations below.

What suburb do you manage the most properties in that you love?

We work a lot in the Western Suburbs which I enjoy, I feel connected to these areas having lived in the Penrith area my entire life, so for this interview I would say Penrith as my suburb profile!

What’s your favourite restaurant recommendation?

I love Thai food and Bai Bua Thai in Penrith is one of my favourites.

What resident profile is the area good for and what do you like about it?

Penrith has something for everyone, plenty of shops, food options, sporting activities, easy access to the city via express trains, local employment and education opportunities and a sense of community.

Are there any properties in Penrith that are vacant at the moment?

We have some great properties available and encourage you all to visit our website and search ‘Penrith’ in the search field via this link: www.echorealty.com.au

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Review our service

Did you know you’re able to review our service online? We encourage you all to take a minute to give us a review or a shoutout the staff! We’d really appreciate it.

From

Nic

My experiences with EchoRealty, in particular Francisco and Amanda have been nothing but positive. Both went over and beyond to help me secure a property I couldn’t be happier with. They treated me with care and compassion that I have never experienced before as a tenant. I am so thankful for them both showing me positivity at a time when I saw none in the tough, competitive market at the moment. I appreciate you both more than I can possibly express, thank you!

From Heng-Chia

Moving always is stressful, settling in and final inspecting and checking a new property are consuming so much time, however Natalee is great in communication and time management. She always replies with clear instructions and suggestions, with a great attitude if she is busy with tight hands-on other tasks. This is the best experience so far in years, thank you EchoRealty for having Natalee Peak to assist us, great company culture, really appreciate all the help!

From Gene Always received amazing services from Carol Wong, great communications and was always responsive with all of our queries. Despite property hunting in the mid of pandemic back in 2020, Carol was very helpful throughout the application process, renting up to us moving out. EchoRealty definitely is one of the best real estate agencies, would rent through them again when opportunities arises!

We would love your feedback!

If you would like to share any feedback or simply shoutout to any of the EchoRealty team for their services, we encourage you to click on this link and leave a Google review: https://g.page/r/CW_bzJOWsCgzEBM/review

Or email us: ihear@echorealty.com.au

ACCESS TO YOUR TENANT PORTAL

As a client of EchoRealty, you have access to our Information Management System portal. The portal provides you with 24x7 online access to important information about your tenancy. Features include:

• Secure access to your information

• Accessible 24/7 from anywhere

• Customer-centric with an organized communication system

• Access your tenant portal via web browser or via app

• New maintenance & status requests including image download to support your request

• Access to upcoming events

• Access to your most recent receipts

• Rental information

• Ability to update your personal information

• Ability to retrieve your username and password access, or change your password

Please contact your Property Manager for information and login details to access this online portal, or contact us by phoning 1800 693 246 or emailing info@echorealty.com.au

To visit your tenant portal visit: echorealty.com.au/tenancyinformation/tenant-portal/

HOW TO REQUEST A REPAIR

Do you know how to request repairs or maintenance for your rental property?

For urgent repairs, call your state’s EchoRealty contact center (numbers listed below).

If you’re in NSW, please call 1800 693 246

If you’re located in Victoria, call 1800 324 684

If you’re in the ACT, please call 1800 324 622

REPAIR REQUEST PROCESS

Once received by EchoRealty, your repair request will then be passed along to your landlord or strata manager (if you have one) for their approval. Once approved, the repairs will be arranged. Urgent repairs Examples of urgent repairs include: gas leaks, sewer blockages, hot water not working, complete power failure, electrical danger (such as exposed wires, water leaking through the lights or power points), roof damage that allows water to get into the property, and waterlogged carpet.

If you have an urgent repair request, please call the EchoRealty call centre number for your state (listed above) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note that if your repair is arranged out of hours but is not deemed urgent by EchoRealty, you could be charged for the repairs. For further information about urgent repairs, please visit: echorealty.com.au

If you, or a family member or friend, are interested in any of the below properties, please contact us by emailing info@echorealty.com.au. Properties available at time of print. You can find more available properties at: echorealty.com.au

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