Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Gray.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I worked 5 years in the wine business managing a sales team in LA and finished with E&J Gallo Winery as State Manager of NV. With thousands of different wine brands in the market, you quickly realize the importance of both marketing and service. The importance of accessibility and service to your customers was paramount to be successful in wine sales. I took this same approach to property management when I joined Moss & Company in 2011. At that time, Moss & Company managed 4,200 multifamily units. With a relentless focus on service and accessibility, we grew to almost 11,000 units under management today.
I saw a great opportunity in the LA market as the reputation of a property manager was someone in a bathrobe that didn’t want to be bothered. Within the first year, we surveyed the 120 Moss employees asking questions like: Are you happy in your current role? Do you feel you get the support you need to be successful?; What can we do better as a company?. It is common in all industries, that the executive team thinks they have the answers and the knowhow so the direction is given from the top. I disagree. In a company with a great culture, the best ideas often come from the team members providing the frontline service to the customers, we took the team’s ideas, prioritized them and implemented them one by one. Moral and motivation sky-rocketed and that marked the beginning of a new era for Moss & Company.
We measure our company performance by one thing and one thing only…Client Satisfaction. We are providing a service and that’s the only measurement we care about as an executive team. The Partners of Moss has made this clear from day 1 and it’s a huge part of what makes up our culture today. Unlike, any other business that I’m aware of, we don’t review our own P&L statements to measure success. We understand that if we take care of our clients and operate their properties as if they were our own, the numbers will take care of themselves.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Operating a business anywhere comes with many challenges and we are no exception. To name a few…continuing to recruit the top talent; implementing new technologies and processes across the portfolio to stay on the cutting edge; Of course, government and regulatory issues play a large role as well.
Moss & Company Property Management – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Moss & Company started as an owner/operator of both commercial and multifamily real estate in 1960. Over the years as the demand for good property management in Los Angeles increased, Moss & Company changed the strategy to third party property management services. As Moss & Company sold off equity positions, the fee management continued to grow. Today Moss & Company is one of the largest multifamily operators in Greater Los Angeles with almost 11,000 units under management. Although Moss & Company is most known for multifamily management, we also are experiencing growth in our commercial division which encompasses close to 2M square feet of office and retail management.
We are most proud of our company culture and the team that makes up the culture. The family-like culture and relentless support of each other as a team is what sets us apart from others.
Regional vs. National: With 11,000 multifamily units in Greater Los Angeles, we have a great competitive advantage. With our integrated management software, we are the first to see market trends narrowed down to the specific neighborhoods. This large sample size also provides great operational knowledge that our clients benefit from. For example, what unit amenities will demand the greatest return in value-add strategies. There isn’t much we haven’t already tried in the LA market, giving all of our clients a great advantage in maximizing returns for themselves and their investors.
Our size of 11,000 units in LA, also provides unparalleled economies of scale. All if not most service providers are local, meaning they don’t care if you have 1,000 units in LA and 10,000 units across the country. Our portfolio in LA serves a great leverage to provide our clients and residents great service and greater savings.
Growth: Both our size and continued growth provides great opportunities for our employees. Our company culture attracts the best talent in the industry and our growth provides opportunity with our ‘promote from within’ strategy. This results in unparalleled employee tenure, many longer than 20 years and some over 30 years. This also adds to the client experience.
All in all, our team, our portfolio of 11,000 multifamily units, our knowledge of the market leads to a great NOI for our clients and a positive experience for our tenants and residents.
Contact Info:
- Address: Chris Gray, CPM
15300 Ventura Blvd. Ste 405
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 - Website: www.mosscompany.com
- Phone: 8183053608
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mossandcompany
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MossCompanyPropertyMgt
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mossandco
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
