When Stefan Nikolic and his brother George decided to rent their one-bedroom investment apartment to travellers they were delighted with the high returns. “We had an 85 percent occupancy rate and the return is double that of long-term renting,” says Stefan. However, with both men working full-time the management presented a headache.
Late Arrivals
“We had some guests who were booked in for a 9pm-10pm arrival but their flight was delayed, and then it was delayed again, so they weren’t able to check-in until about 3am,” says Stefan. “That’s the type of thing that can happen so we looked for a management company who could help. There were a few but they charged extra for essential services like cleaning which didn’t prove cost-effective.”
A Large Tasklist
With a multitude of tasks involved in the undertaking including listing a property, communicating with potential guests, welcoming them on arrival, organising cleaning and linen, re-stocking amenities and maintaining the calendar, Stefan realised there was scope for a team of people to take care of it all.
Zodiak Management
He founded Zodiak Management to provide an affordable solution and in two years of operation, it’s become Auckland’s premium management choice.
Airbnb launched in New Zealand approximately five years ago but it’s only in the last two to three years that it’s taken flight with investors taking advantage of high occupancy rates and good returns.
Hands-Free Solutions
Providing hands-free solutions for owners is Stefan’s goal and his team are passionate about their work and providing a quality service to both guests and owners. Zodiak doesn’t only list an apartment on Airbnb but also on Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Expedia, HomeAway, VRBO, Agoda and their direct booking website to give vacancies maximum exposure.
The Human Element
“We have our own check-in/check-out staff who travel via 50cc scooters to get around the CBD to welcome guests and a team of cleaners who go through a stringent interview process,” says Stefan. “They then check the apartment to ensure everything is clean and tidy after guests leave to ensure the property is ready for the next booking. A lot of management companies offer a lock-box approach where guests check themselves in but we’ve retained the human element. We have a human being people can phone if they need to and guests appreciate that. We work a little like a hotel.”
Security is an important issue too so Zodiak checks all guest IDs and builds relationships with building managers to tick the security and health and safety boxes. “We also like to work with our owners to improve systems wherever we can,” says Stefan.
SuperHost Status
It’s dedication like this that’s seen Zodiak Management achieve SuperHost status on Airbnb due to receiving over 85 percent five-star reviews. They’re also part of Booking.com’s Partner Program, which works in a similar way to Airbnb’s SuperHost status.
“We rank high on Google, too, and a US company listed our blog as one of the top 100 short-term and vacation rental blogs in the world,” says Stefan. “We’re proud of the service we offer. It’s a fairly new industry, but it’s less ‘wild west that is was, and becoming more structured. In many ways, we’re learning as we go.”
And with 65 apartments now on their books and a growing list of accolades it’s apparent that Zodiak Management and Stefan are on the right track.
What to look for in a management company
- Good communication
- Reliable work
- Good reviews online
- SuperHost status
