In the last several months, the Team Preferred Choice real estate team of Clarence Braun and Wesley Dowse has made several key changes to their business, including changing their name, relocating to a new suite of offices on Main Street Niverville, and starting a property management company.

First of all, the realty side of their business is now known as the Clarence Braun and Wesley Dowse Team. The newest addition to their office, Preferred Choice Property Management (PCPM), began its operations in late fall 2016.

Braun says that they made the change to keep the two companies’ names distinct from each other, to comply with new regulations that are coming to the Real Estate Services Act.

“We continually meet investors who want to buy property, but they do not want the responsibility of getting tenants and dealing with tenant issues,” Braun says of the decision to get into the property management game. “Plus, with the new condo act that came into place in 2015, we had a [good perspective] as agents. As we deal in condo sales, we are well aware of the daily concerns of condo boards. So our focus is on investors who buy rental property and apartments, and condo property management.”

So far, PCPM represents five different investors, and all of their properties. 

“Communication is one of the most important aspects of the lease and rental market,” says Braun. “With a high level of communication, we can provide the service required to satisfy the demands of tenants on behalf of the investors as well as the condo boards that we represent.”

As the two companies grow, Braun says that they needed a larger and more professional space. The new location, 1789 Main Street, contains six offices and a large boardroom.

“Being right on Main Street is a great advantage for us,” Braun says. “Both for the visibility that it brings, plus it brings us closer to Tim Hortons.”

Braun adds that they expect to hire their first employee dedicated to PCPM later in 2017. “As well, we are looking to be in a position to begin adding to our real estate team towards the middle to end of this year. At present, we have three agents that work with Wes and I. Nyk Andrusiak works out of Steinbach primarily, and Matt Young and Nick Bergmann work out of our Niverville office. Nyk Andrusiak works alongside Wes and I as a partner in PCPM.”