Meet Ryan Gulesserian, founder of San Pedro Square Apartments. With a background in finance, tech, and real estate, Ryan has built a successful management business that includes short-term and long-term rentals, as well as commercial properties across California. His approach centers on maintaining high occupancy and delivering a superior product to his guests, using OwnerRez to streamline his daily operations.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

I began my career as a real estate sales agent specializing in the residential market, assisting both buyers and sellers in finding their ideal homes. Over time, as my clients grew their portfolios and began exploring investment opportunities, I recognized the potential to expand my own professional path. This led me to establish my own real estate brokerage, where I successfully transitioned from residential sales to working as a commercial real estate broker.

What is your background?

I obtained a BS in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Straight out of college, I took a job with a financial brokerage company, where I was a stock options broker, facilitating financial asset trades on financial exchanges. Serving corporate clients and executives of high-tech companies, I quickly realized the greatest opportunities were in their sector. Therefore, roughly three years into my career, I pivoted and began working in sales for a software solutions company that provided secure authentication and encryption technologies, an imperative requirement as businesses transitioned from traditional “brick and mortar” to online. Fast forward another ten years in that field, where I worked my way into business development during the “.com” era, and I was able to build my own opportunities outside of work by buying property myself. This paved the way for me to pursue my real estate sales license, as I became increasingly involved with real estate investment opportunities.

Were you always in VR or property management, or is this a later career?

This is my 3rd career. My career path was never stagnant in any one particular field. I always left myself open to new opportunities. Looking back, taking on career changes so many times naturally entails risk; however, with risk there is reward. The rewards in my case were impactful because they were directly tied to my clients' gains. This was a recipe for success.

Now that I own a property management company, I can continue to serve my clients while also working on my own real estate portfolio. I strive to maintain high occupancy while delivering a superior product to my guests and tenants. I am responsible for vacation rentals, apartment rentals (both furnished and unfurnished), and I manage commercial tenants in the retail and office space.

Are you from the geographical area where your properties are located, or did you move there later?

OwnerRez allows me to work in a hybrid environment. I could work entirely remotely; however, I choose to get one-on-one time with staff and tenants as much as possible. With the tools of OwnerRez at my disposal, I am pleased to say that I have the option of being entirely mobile if I choose. My work often leaves me in a position where I must be extremely flexible. My portfolio of real estate locations spans from vacation rentals in Lake Tahoe to Sacramento to the Bay Area and as far south as San Diego, California.

If later, what drew you to that area?

Nothing really drew me to any particular area, other than looking at the financial profile of a specific real estate opportunity. If the investment opportunity looks right, so long as the property is within a short flight or drive, I will pursue it.

What do you love the most about the vacation rental business?

Being able to serve our guests to near-perfect satisfaction is what drives me. Naturally, we can not get a 100% success rate, but the goal is there nonetheless. The common theme of all my jobs has been to serve the customer to the best of my ability. The product changes, but the service remains the same.

I love how the vacation rental business has evolved. I’ve tried about 3-4 other versions of vacation rental and property management software, and have found that OwnerRez not only solves the most pain points but also continues to evolve with me, addressing future challenges proactively. The hospitality space is an ever-changing and dynamic environment that relies on good property management/vacation rental software solutions. While I currently use roughly 3-4 different software platforms to accomplish my day-to-day tasks, I am encouraged by the verticalization that is taking place, which allows me to have one “go-to” platform for the universal management of my business services.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

OwnerRez manages about half of my bookings, and I use the OwnerRez plug-in to integrate with my WordPress website. I also use the payment systems, calendar functionality, universal inbox, automatic reviews, 3rd-party integrations with partners, and more. 

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

The most important feature is OwnerRez acting as the heart of the booking process.

Ryan Gulesserian has built a strong and diversified business that consistently delivers excellent stays. We are excited to continue supporting his day-to-day operations, giving him more time to focus on growing his business.