First Realty Management: A leader in creating quality communities - by Frank Cevetello

First Realty Management has provided property management services to residential communities throughout Boston and the regional metropolitan market for over 60 years. Throughout that time we have remained a privately-held, family-owned company whose focus has been creating quality communities together with the owners we serve. 

Our total residential portfolio contains more than 7,500 units spread across more than 80 properties. More than half of our portfolio consists of apartment communities. The remaining properties under management are condominiums, mixed use, and commercial property including industrial property, office, artist studios, and retail. 

Our team of more than 200 employees commits itself on a daily basis to providing proactive, responsive management. We ask our team to be problem solvers and to work with residents and owners collaboratively. Our efforts and the quality of our work have been confirmed independently in numerous ways.

In 2016, we were ranked among the top five companies nationally by SatisFacts, a national residential survey company that serves more than 3 million units nationwide. We received an Exceptional Resident Satisfaction Company award for 2016 after earning a collective score of 4.5 out of a possible 5 points. Our properties have also earned numerous national and local awards over the years including the National Apartment Association’s Paragon Award for the best community in its category, and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board’s Rental Housing Association Community of Excellence Award. 

First Realty has a significant track record of resident retention in both our market rate and affordable communities. In each of our market rate Boston communities in 2016 we sustained 97% or higher occupancy rates in addition to sustained rent growth with both our new leases and renewals.  

We believe in the vision that owners have for their properties and we guide them in achieving that vision. We work closely with developers of apartment and condominium communities, and have a strong track record of facilitating successful transitions from developers to owners within condominiums and for facilitating successful and expedient apartment, commercial and mixed-use property lease ups in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

We work with developers from concept to construction and thereafter and provide consulting on matters ranging from amenities and design elements to pro forma budgets. Through a combination of effective branding, marketing, and finely tailored resident programming, we turn the residential, commercial and mixed-use properties that we manage into vibrant communities that residents and businesses call home. 

We are also experienced in rebranding properties. Over the last 10 to 15 years, we have transitioned several properties into highly profitable apartment communities through comprehensive property branding and marketing initiatives. We have deep knowledge of the Boston market and we stand ready to assist developers in need of management assistance. 

Frank Cevetello is the chief operating officer for First Realty Management Corp., AMO, Boston.