P R OPERT Y / HO ME / L IVING
ChrisTmas And New Years wishes
LIVING echorealty doing property differently
Happy holiday season. Page 3
Lidcombe Rise
Our brand-new Affordable Housing project of 93 units. Page 4
GETTING TO KNOW US
We interview Reece Satara, EchoRealty’s Property Officer. Page 6
LIDCOMBE RIsE
Our newest Affordable Housing project in Western Sydney. Page 4–5
a subsidiary of Evolve Housing
ECHO LIVING MAGAZINE / ECHOREALTY
2024 | SUMMER
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ECHO LIVING
LIVING ECHOREALTY magazine
CONTENT
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Christmas and New Years Wishes Happy holiday season.
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Annual Report 2022–2023 Download our report.
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Lidcombe Rise Our brand-new Affordable Housing project of 93 units.
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Inclusive Design and Architexture Accessibility to essential amenities ensures that residents can lead a fulfilling and well-connected lifestyle.
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Getting To Know EchoRealty Interview with Reece Satara, our new Property Officer.
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Support Over Christmas Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, but there is help.
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Your tenant portal Access to our Information Management System portal.
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Tenant reviews Check out some of our recent reviews.
Bringing affordable housing to all Australians EchoRealty’s purpose is to provide high-quality affordable properties for all Australians. Equipped with over 100 years of property expertise, our team is passionate about helping our clients achieve their property goals, whether it be through renting, developing or investing. Our unmatched customer care is embodied by respect, and our team believe that everyone deserves safe, stable and secure housing. We will work tirelessly to ensure our client’s property experience is as smooth, transparent and successful as possible.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT EchoRealty acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land where we deliver our housing services. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. We welcome all First Nations Peoples to our services, as we walk together towards reconciliation..
Artwork “Land, River, Home” by Sal Lavallee.
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CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS WISHES
Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season!
EchoRealty wishes you a Merry Christmas for 2023. Please note that we will be closed from Thursday, 21st December 2023 and will be reopening on Tuesday 9th January 2024. During this time, the office will be closed, and online forms and emails will not be monitored. For emergency maintenance issues ONLY, please call 1800 693 246. EchoRealty wishes you a very happy and safe holiday period.
Annual Report 2022–2023 Our Annual Report for the 2022–23 financial year is available for download from our website, or a free hard copy can be obtained from our head office in Parramatta. We are particularly proud of the year that was and would love for you to download a copy for yourself. To get your digital copy of the annual report, visit: https://evolvehousing.com.au/reports/
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ECHO LIVING
LIDCOMBE
RISE
Our parent company Evolve Housing is extremely proud to have purchased a brandnew dwelling consisting of 93 units in Lidcombe which will be managed by EchoRealty.
EchoRealty is an award-winning business whose achievements have been recognised across all levels of government, not-forprofit, community housing, and real estate industries. We place our residents and clients at the forefront of everything we do to ensure we assist struggling Australians in finding a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. With the cost of living increasing, these brand-new Lidcombe Rise units are offered at a reduced rent rate of up to 25-30% below market rent. Lidcombe Rise will be defining a new way of life for social and affordable housing residents who, regardless of their income, can enjoy the same high standard of living as private market housing, creating a sense of equality and community.
GREAT OUTCOMES FOR ALL Lidcombe Rise was developed to help tackle the growing waitlist for social and affordable housing. Evolve Housing is managing 63 social housing apartments in Tower A on behalf of NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), and EchoRealty has begun moving in residents as of November in Tower B, comprising of 93 affordable housing units. There are two towers comprising of 200 units. This successful mixed tenure development is another step toward easing the housing stress in the community, particularly Western Sydney. We look forward to continuing to create similar projects to help more Australians in need.
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ARCHITECTURE The dwelling’s strategic location enhances its appeal thanks to its close proximity to retail shops at Lidcombe Town Centre, schools and public transport. This accessibility to essential amenities ensures that residents can lead a fulfilling and well-connected lifestyle, making the complex an ideal choice for families, young professionals, and frontline workers. There will also be a childcare facility to help meet residents’ needs. To accommodate for different family sizes and the demographic need and priorities of our current and future residents, the Lidcombe Rise Affordable Housing tower is designed with 30 one-bedroom, 43 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom apartments. This ensures all families’ needs are met as close as possible to their requirements, ensuring ease and comfort to begin their new life in Lidcombe Rise. To further enhance the residents’ experience, there are communal courtyards spaces to assist in positive social outcomes and a sense of community amongst all.
SUSTAINABLE AND GREEN LIVING Lidcombe Rise has been designed to complement and further enhance the local landscape. All four towers, comprising of social, affordable and private market housing are designed to ensure maximum daylight and sunlight access for all units, with ventilation and natural cross ventilation. This is evident in the rectangular pattern the dwellings are built in. To support a diverse tenant cohort, we aimed for best practices in access and liveability. Universal design principles equally apply to site planning, common areas and individual dwellings. To help reduce energy bills for tenants, sustainability measures implemented include 4-Star + water fixtures, and Low-E double glazing on external windows and glass doors.
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ECHO LIVING
Getting To Know EchoRealty
Reece Satara #MEETECHO gives you, our resident, a better insight into who we are as your support team. In this edition, we interview Reece Satara, a Property Officer, someone you may have had the opportunity of dealing with in leasing a property.
How long have you been with EchoRealty? I have been with the Echo team since February this year. 2023 has absolutely flown by and it’s been a great experience collaborating with such a wonderful team. There’s been lots of laughs, hard work and memories made over the last few months and I’m looking forward in continuing to be a part of such a great company.
What were you doing before you came to EchoRealty? I’ve worked a variety of different jobs before starting at EchoRealty. I started my working career as a labourer with my dad who is a tiler by trade. I then moved on to a retail job at Skechers whilst studying my Bachelor of Property Economics Degree at University. Once I completed my degree I transitioned into commercial real estate where I worked as a Sales and Leasing Assistant. And finally, the very last job role that I had before working at Echo was an interesting opportunity to do 3D Printing and CAD modelling at Monocure3D. I’ve been through a diverse range of jobs, but I’ve found my home at Echo.
What made you want to become a Property Officer? I wanted to become a property officer to grow and develop my organisational and property management skills. I particularly wanted to become a property officer at EchoRealty as its more than just doing standard property management tasks, it’s the ability to help and support others. Having a background in private market real estate, it always felt like there was something missing and being able to help people find affordable housing options is very fulfilling.
What is a typical day like for you? Every day at Echo is different and you don’t always know what to expect at times, so I always have to be on my toes ready for the unexpected. A typical day would involve liaising with tenants and rectifying any issues that they may experience during their tenancy. I also assist with the leasing process from start to end to ensure that tenants are guided step by step from when they first enquire about the property all the way up until the day they move out. When I’m out in the field, I’ll generally be completing condition reports, meeting with tradies,
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showing through developers as well as conducting an occasional open home.
What is your favourite thing about working for EchoRealty? I enjoy lots of things about working for EchoRealty but it’s hard to nail them down to just one so here are a few. I love providing affordable housing to our essential workers. Since I deal with people such as nurses, police officers and support workers on a daily basis, it is very satisfying to help these people out who are already such giving members of the community. One other thing I enjoy about my job is helping tenants who may have been experiencing financial struggles when they first leased a property and seeing their progression and growth. It’s such a good feeling seeing people reach their goals and see individuals even purchase their own properties which is fantastic. It’s always great when tenants are appreciative of the services that we provide, and they are truly grateful for our efforts. I also enjoy working with such a great team of individuals. The Echo team is the best mix of people that I have experienced within a workplace.
SUPPORT OVER CHRISTMAS We understand that Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, both financially and emotionally. There is a wide range of support services available if you need to access them. It is OK to ask for help and we encourage you all to check out the list below. Ask Izzy: askizzy.org.au Ask Izzy provides information on a variety of services that are available locally including accommodation, food, domestic violence, support and counselling, drugs and alcohol, employment, legal support and more.
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au Beyond Blue offers free telephone and online counselling services open 24/7 for everyone in Australia. Beyond Blue also offers an online chat function through their WebChat Support Service.
Lifeline: 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au, or text 0477 131 114 Lifeline provides Australians with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Kids Helpline:1800 551 800, kidshelpline.com.au Kids Helpline is a free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason.
What inspires you? There are a lot of things and people that inspire me in my life. I’m mainly inspired from people that dedicate their lives to achieving hard and what some people may view as impossible goals. I’ve always looked up to elite athletes, particularly those in the endurance scene for running, cycling and swimming, hence why I work towards completing triathlons. Seeing footage of people such as Team Hoyt is such a true inspiration to me, and it goes to show that humans truly have unlimited potential. I also, can’t forget my parents who have always supported me even when my goals and ambitions might be a bit crazy at times, so a big shout out to my parents!
Food and financial assistance: Salvation Army: 1800 722 363 Food hamper and gift assistance: https://www.salvationarmy.org. au/christmas/need-help-this-christmas/food-hamper-and-giftassistance/
Financial Assistance Salvation Army: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/need-help/financialassistance/ St Vincent De Paul: 13 18 12 https://www.vinnies.org.au/findhelp
Review our service
ACCESS TO YOUR TENANT PORTAL As a client of EchoRealty, you have access to our Information Management System portal. The portal provides you with 24x7 online access to important information about your tenancy. Features include: •
Secure access to your information
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Accessible 24/7 from anywhere
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Customer-centric with an organized communication system
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Access your tenant portal via web browser or via app
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Did you know you’re able to review our service online? We encourage you all to take a minute to give us a review or a shoutout to your favourite employee! We’d really appreciate it.
New maintenance & status requests including image download to support your request
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Access to upcoming events
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Access to your most recent receipts
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Rental information
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Ability to update your personal information
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Ability to retrieve your username and password access, or change your password
From Henry “I recently started renting for the first time and I was quite
Please contact your Property Manager for information and login
unfamiliar with the procedures. However, Carol and Francesco
details to access this online portal, or contact us by phoning
at EchoRealty were incredibly kind and patient with me
1800 693 246 or emailing info@echorealty.com.au.
throughout the process. Their guidance and support made
To visit your tenant portal visit: echorealty.com.au/tenancy-
a significant difference, and I’m truly grateful for their assistance.
information/tenant-portal/
Thanks a lot for your excellent service.”
HOW TO REQUEST A REPAIR Do you know how to request repairs or maintenance for your
From Dat “We very much appreciate the Affordable Housing Program. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to Ms Natasha and all the staff at EchoRealty for their professional services during our stay in Epping. Wishing you all the best.”
rental property? For urgent repairs, call your state’s EchoRealty contact center (numbers listed below). If you’re in NSW, please call 1800 693 246 If you’re located in Victoria, call 1800 324 684 If you’re in the ACT, please call 1800 324 622
From Valeria “My family has been very lucky to experience the affordable housing scheme through the guidance of Carol. She has been very responsive and helpful through the last three years. Thank you Carol and the team at EchoRealty for the great speedy communication.”
REPAIR REQUEST PROCESS Once received by EchoRealty, your repair request will then be passed along to your landlord or strata manager (if you have one) for their approval. Once approved, the repairs will be arranged. Urgent repairs Examples of urgent repairs include: gas leaks, sewer blockages, hot water not working, complete power failure, electrical danger (such as exposed wires, water leaking through
We would love your feedback! If you would like to share any feedback or simply shoutout to any of the EchoRealty team for their services.
the lights or power points), roof damage that allows water to get into the property, and waterlogged carpet. If you have an urgent repair request, please call the EchoRealty call centre number for your state (listed above) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note that if your repair is arranged out of hours but is not deemed urgent by EchoRealty, you could be
We encourage you to scan the QR code or email us: ihear@echorealty.com.au
charged for the repairs. For further information about urgent repairs, please visit: echorealty.com.au
If you, or a family member or friend, are interested in our properties, please contact us by emailing info@echorealty.com.au. You can find more available properties at: echorealty.com.au