View source for Executive Profile: Brian Ferdinand 84223

As managing partner with CorpHousing Group, Brian Ferdinand oversees the operations of the short-term apartment rental firm that assembles and manages multifamily real estate throughout the U.S.

Ferdinand is also an owner and operating partner of SoBeNY, a national hospitality company that provides luxury, short-term rental accommodations for travelers in core urban markets, employing CorpHousing Group’s inventory of rental assets.

Prior to getting into the short-term rental sector, Ferdinand had a successful career on Wall Street as a partner and managing director of ECHOtrade. He is currently working on his master’s degree in revenue management from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.

Describe your role at the company and why you decided to launch this business?

In my day-to-day role as managing partner of CorpHousing Group, I’m primarily responsible for handling the overall business vision and strategy of the company, which includes expansion into new markets and brand positioning. I decided to start CorpHousing Group when I began to see the proliferation of a new industry that was growing with similarities between what I was seeing develop and what had occurred with automated trading in 2005-2012. Hospitality was rapidly evolving to incorporate a new category of home-sharing with a focus on automation technology. As online distribution gained in popularity, it resulted in a powerful combination of real estate and business-minded practices both on the investment and operational sides of the short-term rental industry.

How did your experience in finance prepare you for success in the real estate industry?

Prior to launching CorpHousing Group, I served as partner and managing director of ECHOtrade, a proprietary trading firm. Under my guidance, ECHOtrade grew from 30 employees to more than 900 licensed traders working globally across 13 offices. I was also responsible for engineering its direct market access on the New York Stock Exchange. The firm became the first Merrill Lynch and NYSE client to accomplish this feat. I have been consistently recognized for my dedication to innovation and unique automation strategies, which led to new models I managed and ran at ECHOtrade and the generation of more than $400 million in trading profits over a four-year period. Much of the experience I acquired in my finance position has been applied to real estate, specifically on the investment and management side. Working for almost a decade developing ECHOtrade with highly-skilled professional traders, quants, and large institutional partners, such as Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, and programmers building automated trading strategies and models at the highest level, truly prepared me for any business challenge.

How do CorpHousing Group and SoBeNY differ from home-sharing concepts like Airbnb or other short-term rental platforms? 

CorpHousing Group and SoBeNY, provide a standardized experience across all locations that is not typically available at Airbnb properties or other short-term rental platforms. Our brand standard ensures that each unit meets a certain level of quality, whether it be through coveted locations, level of cleanliness, or amenities available. In comparison to Airbnb, we have an advantage in that we control all of our own inventory.

How do you recruit property owners to participate in the short-term rental business?

We have a number of relationships with national developers and management companies that provide inventory in various locations where short-term rentals are permitted.

What is the biggest obstacle in expanding the firm’s portfolio of properties and getting them rented?

Our biggest obstacle is scaling while still maintaining a high-quality product with standout service. In our operations, we’ve ensured optimal quality through our SoBeNY ‘Heroes’ program, which is responsible for maintaining, inspecting and overseeing units through host, concierge and resident manager roles to provide an optimal standard of quality and guest experiences without the fuss. They are on call for any emergencies, questions or services guests may require in each market. Through our consistent positive reviews and referrals, we’ve been able to keep our units fully occupied.

Does your firm rent more properties to vacationers or business people?

The majority of properties are rented to business travelers, but we see guests staying for leisure as a rising demographic.

What markets do you currently service and which do you plan to enter in the near future?

We currently service Washington, D.C., Miami, Fla., Columbus, Ohio, Nashville, Tenn., Seattle, Philadelphia, and Denver, with plans to be in Boston, San [https://libn.com/2019/07/08/executive-profile-brian-ferdinand/ poof] Francisco and Los Angeles by the end of 2019. And we have plans for 30-day rentals only in New York.

Aren’t short-term rentals illegal in certain places like New York City and how do you overcome that?

New York City regulations state that you have a 30-day restriction with short-term rental properties. By adhering to this rule, we are able to operate in the city.

What do you see as the next big change in the short-term rental industry?

As the industry continues to evolve, I think we will see ongoing reform around compliance and short-term city zones. In addition, I foresee a rising number of buildings dedicated to short-term rentals as the industry continues to grow. This will be coupled with more developers diversifying their portfolios with short-term rentals. By dedicating sometimes whole floors to home-sharing, they are able to mitigate risks with achieving occupancy in high-density areas.