This month, we are excited to feature Hillcrest Property Management’s Director of Hillcrest Chicago, Caree Shtulman. Caree leads the charge on small to medium condominium, townhome, and homeowners’ associations in the city. These properties can get lost in the shuffle among the large national property management firms, or cannot afford their fees. As a family business, Hillcrest can offer the same level of service as a large national firm and uniquely give these types of associations the attention they deserve. We’d love for you to get to know Caree, so we’ve asked her a few questions to share about herself.
Q: Are you originally from Chicagoland? Specifically, where?
A: I grew up in Buffalo Grove and went to Stevenson High School. As soon as I was 18, my parents moved to the city and I went to University of Iowa. After college, I came back to Chicago to live and find a job.
Q: Tell us about your career journey and accomplishments in property management.
A: I started off renting apartments for the Enterprise Companies after college in 2002. I eventually became the Property Manager for their entire portfolio of rental buildings. After leaving, I was introduced to the condominium association market and have been managing condos for over 15 years now. I have always been a portfolio manager. I love being able to work with multiple associations, and handling the day to day operations for my clients. I also pride myself on long-lasting relationships with the Board, which is a key factor to success in this industry. I deeply value the opportunity I have to help shape the communities that I manage.
Q: Can you share the types of properties you currently manage for Hillcrest?
A: My main focus over the past 15 years has been the city market. Due to the relationships I’ve built with my Boards of Directors, I have been able to bring ten associations to Hillcrest Property Management. I am excited to be experiencing the suburban market while continuing to build a Chicago portfolio.
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge in residential property management today?
A: It is about work/life balance and finding the happy medium, and also giving homeowners the best service, honest answers, and reasonable expectations.
Q: What has been the biggest positive change you see in property management today compared to the start of your career?
A: Accessibility to networking and vendor relationships within the industry. In addition, the community manager licensing law of 2010 brought a much deserved level of professionalism and respectability to the property management industry.
Contact Caree to discuss residential property management in Chicago.
