Urban living drives growth for local property management firm

Brent Fisher, who recently joined Green Property Management as the senior portfolio manager, says it's a good time to be in the property management business in Grand Rapids, especially in and around the downtown area where college students and young professionals are interested in living, working and playing. "It's a very exciting time to be an investor."

The firm, which was founded by Marty Green in 2008, specializes in managing properties with 30-150 units. It also recently began managing office space, such as the Midtown Executive Offices, which Fisher describes as something akin to a co-working space.

Fisher says a typical housing for their College Hill property is a younger demographic. "They are looking for value relative to living downtown and a good location. They don't want to spend a ton of money. Access to public transit is important as are walkability and biking options." Several of the properties managed by his firm are just on the outskirts of the central downtown area.

The firm currently employs 13 people, and they anticipate quite a bit of growth in the near future, especially as the downtown living resurgence continues. "Our model is, we come into a property and make an investment. We work with owners that want to add value in the community by making the building more sustainable to increase the value of the property.  Everything we do -- construction, maintenance -- is done in house. As we grow, we want to raise the bar on property management." 

To learn more about Green Property Management, you can visit their site here.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor