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About Us
Kingston's Premiere Student Housing Company.
We make our Resident's lives easier so they can focus on achieving academic excellence. We take care of housing details, so they don't have to.
We design, build, renovate, and manage our properties. We work hard to ensure the comfort of our residents and to provide them convenient living environments for learning. We buy and build close to campus and amenities like grocery, coffee shops, drug stores, restaurants, and night life. Every Varsity Property is a maximum 15 minute walk to the heart of Queen's University’s Main Campus (Union & University Streets), allowing all Varsity Residents the convenience of short walks between home and school.
Our services are second to none. In suite housekeeping services are included within our rents. We shovel and sand walkways and plow driveways to make our residents life easier. We send weekly reminder emails for garbage and recycling collection days. We closely monitor our properties to pro-actively maintain them to the highest standard. If something breaks, our residents use our online work request platform to summon our fast and friendly service team and to track the status of their work request through to completion. We provide a constant flow of communication to our residents to keep them in the loop and follow up to assess their satisfaction with our work. We care to ask because we feel we're not done any work request until our residents are satisfied. Learn more about members of our Resident Services Team.
Our Mission
Support our Residents in their pursuit of academic excellence.
Our Vision
We aim to redefine the highest standards for quality and service in the Canadian student housing industry from coast to coast.
Our History
Varsity Properties was founded in 2003 by A.J. Keilty, a native of Kingston, Ontario who grew up in the hotel business. His parents still own and operate one of Ontario’s Fines Inns, The Gananoque Inn & Spa. It was while earning his Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Queen’s University’s School of Business that Mr. Keilty and several friends leased a typical 7 bedroom house in the Queen’s Student Village. While it was home to them, the place was a dump. The Landlord lived 3 hours away and was very slow to make repairs. Each January he looked for another home to move to, but each year was unable to find a suitably affordable, clean and well maintained properly close enough to campus.
(Right: A.J. Keilty - Commerce Boss, Frosh Week 1999)
He thought, “Why aren’t there better housing options for students?”
These frustrating experiences lead him to recognize an opportunity in the housing market. He decided to bring his understanding of the hospitality business to the student housing industry by founding Kingston's first rental property company that focused on providing resident services, rather than property management. Whereas a Property Management Company focuses on the needs of the owner, Varsity Properties provides services that focus on the needs of its residents.
8 years later Varsity Properties has grown its portfolio of Premium Student Homes to provide housing services to 252 residents in 18 buildings. The company has grown every year since its founding by adding new high quality properties in premium locations through acquisitions and new developments.
In 2009 Varsity Properties completed Liberty Terrace, a 3-storey building consisting of 12 luxury 1-bedroom suites, 2-bedroom suites and a spectacular roof top terrace. Varsity Properties also relocated its leasing and administrative offices to the ground floor of Liberty Terrace to provide residents easier access to services. It was a happy day for the Varsity team when their new logo and signage were first unveiled on the new store front leasing office.
In April 2010 Varsity Properties completed the total renovation of 311 Queen Street, a 4 storey, 14-suite building between Division & Barrie Streets. Starting in December 2009 the Varsity Properties team replaced lighting, carpet and repainted all common areas. Each of the 14 suites were upgraded with new building finishes to meet the Varsity standard for style and quality. Each suite features 2 large soaker tubs, stainless appliances, a dishwasher, granite counter tops, new light fixtures, dark wood floors and in-suite washer and dryer. This building was pre-leased to new Varsity Residents 4 month's prior to completion and occupancy. 311 Queen Street was the13th consecutive new Varsity Properties development or renovation that was delivered to our residents on time or ahead of schedule.
In August 2011 Varsity Properties completed the construction of its 14th development. Park Lane, a collection of 18 red brock townhouse suites, located a short 6 minutes walk from Stauffer Library is our largest project to date. We were sucessful in leasing the building a full 8-months prior to occupancy, and most importantly we again delivered occupancy to our residents on time.
Our Future
2012 is an exciting year for Varsity Properties. In early August 2011 we began construction on Albert Terrace Town Homes, a 30-Suite redbrick development at the corner of Albert and Princess. These townhomes feature rooftop terraces, designer kitchens, in-suite laundry and ample parking. Albert Terrace development is now available for rent for occupancy on September 1st, 2012.
For occupancy in September 2013 we are in the planning stages of Victoria View, a 10-unit redbrick town house development fronting on to Victoria Park and we are in the planning stages of a 27-unit town house development on Johnson Street. Finally, we are crafting plans for a multi-storey mixed use retail and residential development on in Williamsville on Princess Street targeted for completion in 2014.
To be updated on new developments or apartment availabilities or sublets visit www.VarsityVIP.com to create your own VarsityVIP profiles.
Jobs & Interships
So, if you read this far down the page you must be really interested in Real Estate or Varsity Properties or both! You might also be interested in working with Varsity Properties. That's great! We have opportunities that you may be interested in.
Summer Student Internship - Each summer we accept two summer students to join our internship program. At Varsity you can gain valuable experience and knowledge about working within the Real Estate industry. In 2009 Kia preformed a competitive analysis, designed a RFP and managed a web developer through to the completion of this website. In 2010 Sam designed a social marketing strategy, hooked us up with QR codes, and took world class photos of all our suites. In 2011 Ashley spent the summer refining our marketing plan, conducting competitive analysis, resident surveys, executed a social media strategy and at the end of the summer earned herself a full time job as a Resident Services Manager.
You may have a cool project you want to work on, or we may have something that needs attention. Either way if you're interested call us at 613-545-3322 or just send us an email Careers@VarsityProperties.com with your resume and cover letter. Thank you for reading.
