Helping People Succeed: Property Management Team Supporting Team, Clients, Communities
Katy Bertodatto, founder/owner of Golden Swan Management, a vacation rental/property management business in northwest Michigan, has one big value that drives who she is and what she does – “helping people succeed.”
“It goes to the heart and soul of our team and our business,” she says. “We want to take care of people. Our team members, clients and the communities where we do business.’
Bertodatto started the business in 2020 and has steadily grown ever since. With financing support from West Shore Bank and Venture North Funding and Development, she developed a new laundry facility to bring that essential service in-house. Cherryland Electric provided zero interest financing to support equipment purchases. The Diamond Drive property will also include more space for operations and parking.
“This project is a great reflection of how Venture North works,” said Laura Galbraith, president of the organization. “It will create five new full time and four part-time jobs. It is a collaboration involving us, West Shore Bank and Cherryland Electric. And the business has a social mission of building community. Perfect!”
Owner Katy Bertodatto (in sunglasses), with the Golden Swan team and friends, officially cut the ribbon on the company’s recently opened headquarters and laundry facility — an exciting milestone in the business’s continued growth.
“I’m preaching to everyone about how wonderful Venture North is,” says Bertodatto. “They met all my needs, and their process is quick and effective.”
The growth of Golden Swan Management is consistent with their mission to offer a diverse menu of perfectly maintained properties that includes clean and well-equipped downtown condos, waterfront homes cottages, and rural escapes.
“We are managing both condos and stand-alone homes, located in Leelanau, Grand Traverse, Benzie and Antrim Counties,” she reports. “And we’re getting prepared for entry into Charlevoix and Emmet County as well.”
In total Golden Swan consists of a 17-person team who clean, organize, repair, upgrade and maintain vigilance over the property they manage.
“We are experienced, dedicated and responsible stewards of your vacation or short-term stay,” says Golden Swan’s Director of Operations Devan Gorton. “We also pride ourselves on being good stewards for the communities where we do business. For example, we do not pursue or acquire properties that could serve as a first home or affordable housing option for local residents, as we strive to be recognized as constructive members of the communities we invest in and to support their long-term plans and goals.”
“We look at this as a partnership with property owners,” Bertodatto said. “They set the goals based on their aspirations for the property, we offer suggestions and recommendations and sustain back-and-forth dialog as part of our routine. We do everything to meet and exceed owner expectations.”
Bertodatto is no novice when it comes to meeting challenges head on.
She was a scrappy athlete in high school, participating in basketball, track (the high jump) and volleyball.
She attended Flight School at Northwestern Michigan College and flew Cessnas and, in 2005, started investing in real estate.
After gaining her associates degree from Northern Michigan College in Applied Science, she completed her bachelor’s degree under a full-ride scholarship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor while commuting the 239 round trip miles from her Traverse City home where she was a single parent raising two children.
She was selected from a highly competitive process to give the student University of Michigan Commencement Address, preceding Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City. After Michigan, she continued to focus on real estate, seeking a more data driven approach to commercial investment. She took a course through MIT in Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investment and applied the principles she learned.
She has merged all of her remarkable experiences and skill into her passion to help people succeed with and through Golden Swan. “We want our employees to look at this as a career, with a living wage and good benefits,” she says. “We have a soft spot for single moms. And we have the employee base and track record to significantly grow our business over the next ten years, at least.”
“While we all have specific roles, we also work in unison as a team to do whatever is needed to get the job done,” says Ben Thayer, a key member of the Golden Swan team and a hospitality industry professional. “I’m here to help make the rental process flow for everyone, from check-in to check-out. Clean, meticulously maintained properties is what we offer seven days a week.”
“I’m a big advocate for the company, our team and, of course, our customers,” Thayer continued. “The new property will accommodate our growth – who knows, perhaps one day we’ll have the Golden Swan restaurant!”
Who knows, indeed. Golden Swan is good for business, employees and thousands of visitors to northwest Michigan.
While helping everyone succeed.
Contact:
Contact: Tim Ervin - Ph: 231-794-0089 - Email: timervinassoc@gmail.com
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