Student's property management company helps others and makes money

The average college student who rents or owns a home has a relatively large list of worries. In addition to their school work they have to worry about rent, taxes, property damage, break-ins, fires and much more. Now multiply those worries by a few thousand people, and you can catch a glimpse into the life of student and entrepreneur Walid Zaibak.

Zaibak, 20, currently in his first year of the small and medium enterprise management program, is part owner of N.T.Z. Properties, a property management and real estate services company. Managing rental properties mainly in the downtown Ottawa area, they specialize in renovating underperforming units and increasing the revenue for investors.

“We manage the day-to-day running of properties, assist with tenant inquiries and manage any construction projects being undertaken at the property”. Said Zaibak. “Our other services include property maintenance and real estate consulting regarding the purchase of an investment property.”

Not happy to stop there, N.T.Z. Properties is also hoping to branch out into other areas of the real estate industry within the coming year, such as rent to own projects.

In addition to a full-time school schedule, Zaibak is personally responsible for meeting with prospective clients to bring in more accounts, coordinating tradespeople and managing tenants, all the while continually growing the company and looking for new investment opportunities.

“It is not always easy”, said Zaibak. “As with any other business there are always things to do, as well as the added responsibility of having to ensure tenants well-being. Overall ,I’m happy with my experience.”

While still young for a business owner, Zaibak is no rookie to the entrepreneurial game.

“I started my first official venture in 2009, however I have always had the spirit of entrepreneurship”, said Zaibak. “In elementary school I started selling instant noodle bowls to students at school as they were very popular. Later in high school, I started getting involved with computer programming and sold the source code to some programs that I made.”

Thanks to his computer programming experience, Zaibak also ran an online rental listing website when he noticed that there was a need for the service and that his skills could come up with a better solution than what was currently on the market.

Graduating from high school two years early, Zaibak first attended Carleton University for a degree in software engineering, then later studied art history and theory of architecture, which is what first got him interested in the real estate industry.

Zaibak is now taking the skills he is learning at Algonquin and using them to further the growth of his business.

“I have found the material that I’ve learned at Algonquin has been invaluable to the growth of my business and I”, said Zaibak. “Effective communication is by far the most valuable skill that I have learned during my short time at Algonquin. By applying the concepts learned in class to my business interactions I have been able to present myself more effectively and professionally which has allowed me to secure significant contracts to manage more properties.”

Always open to new ventures, he ensures that he actively networks with fellow like-minded students to explore new investment opportunities.

Being a partial owner of a property management and real estate services company can be a lot of work and a lot of stress. As Zaibak reflects, however, it does have its advantages.

“I love the freedom of being self-employed. It allows me the flexibility to see fit how to creatively tackle problems I face”, Said Zaibak. “Having the ability to set my own hours gives me the flexibility to balance work and personal life, although as entrepreneurship is a tough and lonely road, I find it important to always be motivating myself to constantly grow.”