Meet Kali Lamarine | Owner, LA Lux Property Management

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kali Lamarine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kali, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ve been working in the real estate industry since 2013, first on the management side for a real estate firm, then with sales and began getting more involved with real estate development. My experience in sales and development had me involved in several income property transactions where the process was far from seamless with so many different moving parts, companies and people involved. Property management companies have a reputation for being awful and I was seeing why, unfolding right in front of me on every deal. Property management companies can actually make or break a deal. With the strict tenant and landlord legislation in Southern California, property managers who neglect maintenance, mismanage problem tenants and don’t keep correct and up to date financial reports can quickly scare away buyers and kill a deal. I had never started a business before, but I knew the number one thing you needed to build a successful business was finding a problem that needs solving. I realized that a full service property management company could actually be the glue that holds a deal together and keep things moving in a positive direction. I have always had a natural talent for problem solving, so I knew this was the path for me and quickly jumped into action.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
LA Lux is a luxury property management company, whether we are managing a $2k/month apartment or $50k/month home. We believe in quality service for everyone, both renters and income property owners alike. Renters should feel safe and enjoy their living space. Owners should feel secure in knowing their property is being cared for, and most importantly, in regulation with local legislation. Our goal is simple: keep tenants happy, minimize expenses, maximize cash flow and protect your investment. We keep tenants happy by responding to and resolving maintenance requests quickly, providing easy to use software to pay rent online and submit requests, easy to schedule showings and friendly customer service. We minimize expenses and maximize cash flow by nurturing relationships with vendors who give us quality pricing, maintaining rents at market value, being diligent in our application screening process and by conducting property inspections, reviewing ongoing maintenance and implementing preventative maintenance. We protect your investment by staying on top of all state and local tenant and landlord legislation so your property is always in compliance. Because we started small and grew slowly, we learned most of our lessons early on and were able to adapt and implement the necessary tools to do our job well and exceed expectations. Having the right processes in place is critical to ensure nothing falls through the cracks or gets overlooked. This business is all about attention to detail and getting things right the first time. This industry has become more and more unforgiving, so mistakes are not an option.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Rooftop brunch at Perch, lunch at Gracias Madre, dinner at Barton G and a night out that starts at Kalaveras, concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Universal Studios Tour, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood sign hike, LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), The Broad, The Grove, Disneyland, High Tea at the Huntington Library and if you can make it out to the desert, feeding the giraffes at the Palm Springs Living Desert Zoo & Gardens plus a spa day at Spa La Quinta.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There have been 3 mentors I’ve worked for and worked with throughout my real estate and property management career that have all contributed to the success I’ve been able to achieve. They selflessly opened doors and put me in rooms with people I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.

Mark Dilbeck, who owned Dilbeck Real Estate at the time, a company founded by his father, Ray, is one of the most fair and ethical people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working for. I started working at Dilbeck as a part time accounting assistant. I worked hard and Mark continued to let me grow into larger roles over the years. I didn’t realize it at the time, but working for Mark taught me how I would lead my own company one day. In my current day to day, I frequently think about how Mark was a calm and respected leader, never rushed into a decision, sat back and looked at the picture as a whole instead of getting caught up in the details, always stuck to the facts and treated people well. I always valued his work ethic, values and integrity, which left such an impression on me and directly play a role in how I manage my own team today.

Thomas Atamian is a top real estate agent with high profile clients who hired me as an assistant. I owe everything I know about real estate to Thomas. I worked on many deals with him, witnessed how well he treats his clients and learned so much from watching him navigate stressful deals and problem solve through complex situations. Thomas is self made and truly started from the bottom, which isn’t the case for most real estate agents. He’s originally from Chicago, so he built his entire business without local family or friends as clients to get started, as most agents do. Being from New England myself, I knew it was possible to build a brand and clientele from scratch because of Thomas. No one works harder than Thomas and I can blame my bad habit of responding to emails at 1am to him. My very first property management client came from Thomas for a 26-Unit building in Pasadena in 2017 that I still manage today. That’s unheard of for anyone just getting started in property management, but Thomas opened that door for me, which in turn, launched my entire business and career. I am forever grateful.

Ari Afshar is also a top agent with high profile clients who took a big risk by trusting me with some of his biggest investors early in my property management career. Ari’s connections grew my business into what it is today. He’s also the reason I was able to get into building and renovating apartment buildings in Los Angeles. Ari and his team have continued to refer clients to me for years and I owe my ability to grow my company early on to him. My business became profitable because of Ari and it’s something I will never forget. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Ari and his team and will always be there to help them navigate all things property management. The bigger an agent gets and the higher profile their clients become can really change a person, but not Ari. He continues to grow his team and business, gain momentum and success, but has always remained one of the most humble and down to earth people I know.

Website: https://www.laluxpm.com

Instagram: @laluxpm

Image Credits
Jarrel Cudjoe