Finalists for PropertyManager of theYear
Finalists for Service Provider of theYear
LINDA LIBERATORE FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, SECURE PAY ONE INC.
KEVIN ORTNER PRESIDENT & CEO, RENTERS WAREHOUSE
Linda Liberatore is the president of Secure Pay One, Inc., a property management company dedicating to saving property managers and real estate investors money by reducing slow-paying residents and resolving cash-flow issues. She is also the author of Daily Inspirations to Achieve Your Real Estate Investment Goals and My Landlord Helper: Keys to Managing Your Real Estate Investments, Achieving Explosive Growth, and Saving Money. “Probably one of my proudest moments was helping a landlord save his building from foreclosure by moving to timely cashflow just in time to avoid foreclo- sure,” she said.
Kevin Ortner is the president and CEO of Renters Warehouse and author of the book Rent Estate™ Revolution. Ortner joined the Renters Warehouse team in 2009 when he opened the first franchise in Phoenix, Arizona. Renters Warehouse manages more than $3 billion in residential real estate and services for more than 13,000 investors owning 20,000 residential homes. Ortner said, “Today, homeownership is at an all-time low [and] Americans are also increasingly unprepared for retirement. Our goal at Renters Warehouse is to help investors leverage a rental portfolio, what we call ‘Rent Estate’ or ‘Real Estate for the Rest of Us,’ as a tool to take hold of their financial future and build a legacy.” Ortner has a personal passion for real estate as well: “When I lost my job as a corporate pilot in 2009, my real estate holdings and my interest in property management saved me and my family from financial ruin. Real estate is one of the most powerful investment vehicles available to ordinary Americans.” According to the client who nominated him, “Kevin’s investors are able to relax knowing their properties are receiving first-class care regardless of portfolio size.”
One of her clients called her “the driving force behind her team’s success” and another called her “a role model to the community through her efforts in giving back,” citing her involvement with local colleges, fundraisers, and local business incubators. “Linda and Secure Pay One are a godsend for independent landlords with small holdings and those with dozens of units,” another stated.
DEB SALEK CEO/BROKER, AVENUEWEST NORTHERN COLORADO
BLAKE JOHNSON FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, FINISHING TOUCHES REMODELING
Deb Salek is the CEO, owner, and broker at AvenueWest in Northern Colorado. Ave- nueWest is a corporate housing provider specializing in fully furnished and serviced residential property rentals. Salek and her husband started their Colorado branch of the franchise in 2013, hitting $1.1 million in gross revenue during their first year of business and doubling that in the second. Although Salek focuses primarily on corpo- rate housing now, she bought her first condo in 1995 and that investment appreciated 47 percent over the next three years. She works closely with many investors who wish to enjoy the benefits of owning corporate rentals but do not wish to manage them directly. “I love that real estate is a tangible asset that is easily understood and evaluated based on market, physical, and environmental factors,” she added.
Blake Johnson is the founder and president of Finishing Touches Remodeling, a contract- ing company dedicated to serving the needs of real estate investors in the Fort Worth, Texas area. “Our team has a deep understanding of real estate investing, especially in the North Texas region, and we know what it takes to ensure properties sell,” said Johnson. “I’m probably proudest that we have survived 17 years in real estate, including the market crash. We turned that situation into a successful growth opportunity for our business.” One Finishing Touches client described Johnson and his company as “loyal” and added, “He truly cares about his clients.” Another wrote, “Finishing Touches has completely changed the way I think about general contractors for the better because he understands investors’ needs and care about them.”
“Some of my favorite things about Deb are her drive for excellence and sustainability in her business, her passion for people, and her willingness to always try and improve what she does,” observed one of her colleagues.
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