Okay so I usually avoid paying for services I don't need, and I thought I could get away with "for rent by owner" style renting through CL and other boards. I was trying to rent out my semi-luxury Vancouver condo but finding a good tenant turned out to be very hard. 5 Star tenants are not nearly as plentiful as tire-kickers who just waste your time. After losing two months rent I decided to try a professional property management firm. I had a business card from Orca Realty - Michael - from when I was renting a unit in the Wall Center.. so I gave him a call to see if they could help. Michael and Petr were awesome, and cool guys! They helped me to create a list of similar homes with the same statistics, and break down the similarities between them and mine. We looked over all the details such as amenities, parking, storage, neighborhood. As my condo is in downtown Vancouver, I can get decent rent . Another benefit of using Orca was they already had a large pool of AAA renters to look over, they get a lot of LUXURY houses in West Vancouver, so they know a lot of high profile renters etc. Long story short I signed over my condo to them and BOOM in 1 month they had it rented for me, with the extra parking spot. I travel a lot, so they can deal with tenant issues for me. Yeah it costs more, but it's worth it and these guys will go the extra mile for you. read more

Orca Realty Property Management - Front of their offices in West Vancouver right across from Starbucks - Property Management Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Orca was horrible to deal with. Communication was extremely sparse, and getting a phone call from the real estate agent managing the property was impossible. We were told we were accepted and even congratulated, only to be told the next day that we were declined. Truly an awful experience... very unprofessional and disappointing for a real estate agency. read more

Things started out great, quick response to my initial inquiry - a thorough video breaking down the market - but once they sent me a contract to sign, I had a few questions about the contract for clarification. A week went by and 3 follow ups and they just ghosted me. Seems like these guys just expect you to blindly sign their contract without question or they will turf you. I am not a big corporation but a person who needs to rent out my current condo to move to be closer to family. read more

I was a landlord reference. The company texted me late at night on November 11 indicating that they needed an immediate response to the reference as that was the only thing holding up the acceptance of the tenants. I immediately responded with a glowing review. As it turns out, before I had even responded, the tenants had received an acceptance email from orca. Three days after they had initially applied and viewed the unit. Two days later, orca continued to ask for information to finalize the tenancy, and then suddenly decided that the tenant was declined, despite having received all the appropriate references for income, and previous tenancy. The fact that they are so disorganized that they are urgently requesting responses on a stat holiday at night, indicating that the tenants success is hinging on my response, telling the tenants that they are accepted, and then changing that decision two days later without any conversation or explanation is extremely unprofessional. My guess is this a one person show and they really have no sense of order or professionalism. They are playing with lives and creating significant stress that could simply be resolved by due process. I would never use them to list my property and if you don't have to use them to find a rental, I would strongly encourage avoiding them. terrible!!! read more

Terrible business. I am both a landlord and a tenant. As a tenant I have had terrible experience with setting up appointments on what seemed to be fake vacancy ads. Failed appointments one after another. Just wonder how do they manage to work with landlords if they cannot retain prospective tenants. Miserable response time, auto generated texts,... read more

I had a zoom meeting with Michael Welsh and first thing I noticed he isn't making any eye contact while talking to me. He looks uninterested and talked about the capital gain and taxes involved in renting a property which we are quite aware of. I might not be the first person to rent out home I guess. all I could hear in his voice and conversation is negativity regarding renting the place we live in. "it's old, there are other places newer for tenants to rent etc etc" . So guys, if you happen to have a zoom meeting with Michael, cancel it if you are brown. read more

I was not happy with the work they did for me. They did not return my calls or give me a clear answer in regards to my request. I had to give up on their services. read more

During my search for a rental property in North Vancouver I encountered a few properties "managed" by Orca. I was extremely disappointed with their complete and utter lack of professionalism. The employee showing one property couldn't answer basic questions about the property such as the maintenance of appliances, hot water heater, etc. My phone calls weren't answered and voice mails weren't returned. I had a showing at a house scheduled and the agent didn't show up. Searching for and finding a rental in this market is difficult as it is. Throw in unreliable people who don't have the common courtesy to return phone calls or show up just adds to the challenge. I won't be seeking out any properties managed by Orca in the future or recommending them to others. read more

brutally unprofessional. I was led to believe there was one tenant upstairs when I moved in. There was a second tenant, the owner. Her tiny Suite was directly above my bedroom. I was led to believe there was one suite above me, not two. The owner lived in the suite over my bedroom often on the entire time I occupied the suite. I don't been explaining to me I would not have occupied the suite in the first place. Orca are very good at collecting rent. Automated system that works quite well for them. That's where the good news ends. In my experience, for example if you need the heater repaired, They're slow to respond, then tell you what you want to hear, then don't do anything, then only respond ultimately when you threaten to bring in the repair guy and bill them for it. 3* in winter 4 days no heat. classy. There was a dryer vent issue in that my dryer wouldn't dry in a reasonable amount of time. it would look like it was plugged or damaged or something. I asked orca rep to review this, as it was a shared vent that I had no access to to see and maybe fix. Six months later it's not touched. Are you going to detail but let's just say that they said the right things and did absolutely nothing. Not only that but as I leave that suite the orca rep decided that the dryer vent was my responsibility somehow even though I have no access to repair it or to clean it or to fix it or whatever because it goes through two suites. So they're attempting to get me to pay via my damage deposit which is significant. These kind of tactics are predatory and may be illegal. I'll look into it when I see my final report. these are a few small examples. many many more in my experience with these unprofessional people. Do yourself a favor and avoid Orca if you value things like quiet enjoyment, heat, a laundry that work. They delay, delay until you leave. Then will attempt to make you pay for owners responsibility repairs that they have deflected and avoided the entire tenancy. The goal seems to extract your entire deposit using any means necessary. Avoid if at all possible Orca realty. read more

Applied for an apartment through them, took all our information including wanting proof of paystubs and never heard back from them after they said they would get back to me in 2 days. read more

Amazing service. Very professional. They took the time to answer all my questions and I felt very at ease using their service. I would not hesitate to use them again. They deserve 5 STARS!!! read more

I had a terrible experience with their property management. They received my money each month without doing proper management. I received back my home with damaged walls, floor and broken cabinets. The guy was renting my place to Airbnb without my consent and Orca was not supervising or managing my property. They had a really rude behaviour at the end when I asked them why they did not manage my property well. read more

Judy of ORCA provides fantastic service. She is good as liaison between tenant and landlord, and alway has prompt response to enquiry.

It's interesting to see that Orca only has 2.5 stars because there was one really great employee, and then there are a lot of poor reviews from both owners and renters. The following is my review: We have been renting a property managed by Orca for the past 3.5 years. It seems like they take good care of you if you're the home owner, but not if you're the renter. The owners of the house had to hound Orca to ensure that repairs were done swiftly. Otherwise, things get dragged out. The stove needed replacing. The owners purchased a new one and had Orca arrange to have it delivered. The new stove got delivered but not installed, AND Orca did not arrange to have the old stove removed. The owners arranged to have that done the following day. The owners went away for 6 weeks. Prior to their departure, they emailed orca (cc.d us) to simply go ahead and fix any repair that is under $500, that there was no need to contact them as they could be out of reach at times. The dishwasher needed a minor repair that was under $500. Orca emailed the owners! I would be annoyed if I were the owner if I gave explicit instructions to just fix it. It's just incompetence. Last summer, Orca emailed requesting that we voluntarily increase our rent by 75% so that the owners can pay their mortgage. I expect a management company to be able to advise the owners of what's realistic and what's not, and how wrong it is to ask such a thing. They then issued an eviction notice which we challenged. This could have been avoided had Orca been more strategic in advising their clients (the owners). Moreover, they advised the owners that the property's market rental value is $4600. This is a house (1000 sq ft) with use of the front yard only. Owners are in the back in their laneway house. The house has not been updated since the early 2000s. It's comfortable but nothing fancy. You can rent a much nicer and bigger house with access to both the front and back yard for that price. Why? Maybe because the property manager has never been to the house! Afrooz took over the property. Never visited, never did an annual check. I am not sure that this person is capable of doing.... I should also add that the tenant previous to us damaged a number of things in the suite but the property manager at the time returned his full damage deposit before even checking the suite. The owners were quite miffed about that. All in all, I would recommend that owners and renters alike should avoid working with Orca. read more

was not happy to put in 2 weeks of efforts into getting my application approved for rental then was told that is was it approved. after the 2 weeks of effort they changed to a different tenant and felt like i was being strung along until they could finalize someone else. In my my experience felt it was really unprofessional and would not recommend this company . read more

We booked an appointment with one of their agents to view a rental property. We confirmed with them the day before the time and she agreed. My wife and I took time out of our work day to go see the place only for her not to show up. So we wasted a bunch of time. We tried calling the agent but the number she provided didn't even work... very unprofessional. read more

Been engaged (I'm a customer but does not feel like it) with Orca for five years, Orca is the most incompetent business I've ever dealt with, it's systemic throughout. Every encounter is mind boggling so ridiculous and if you are the landlord you are fine but the renters are beneath them. read more

Great company, very helpful in finding a place in a very competitive market for tenants. Would definitely rent with them again!!

Never available to respond. Everybody said that and I was not believing it till I started to look for a house to rent. If you are looking to save your time, choose anywhere else other than Orca. read more

Unresponsive property managers. They don't clean rental properties professionally before possession or do the basic repairs. Don't rent from them unless you want to incur cleaning and repair costs for your entire tenancy. read more

I was disappointed with my experience with Orca Realty. After offering me an apartment viewing, they didn't send me a confirmation email until four days later and ten minutes before the viewing time- despite my response before the requested deadline. When I arrived at the viewing I was called and informed that the space had already been rented. I took the morning off work and spent money and time to make it to my viewing only to be disappointed by their miscommunication. However, Kim on the phone did apologize, which I appreciated. read more

Smooth process to find, inquire, and sign a rental unit ideal for our family. Samantha and Song very friendly and helpful answering our questions and concerns. read more

I have worked with Orca for over 10 years and they have continued to always provide my customers fantastic service. They never fail to take care of not only the owners but the tenants as well. They try their best given the tight rental market. Thank you to all the staff for all the hard work you do. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. I currently rent from Orca they are honestly the worst property management company I have ever dealt with. To get an appointment to see the property I currently rent I had to follow up with them no less than 5 times and almost had to extend my previous lease another month because they were so slow to show the property and finalize the paperwork because they couldn't get a hold of the property owner. Part of our tenancy agreement stipulates they maintain the property, which only happens if I request it. In the last year and a half we have had four different property managers, only one of which was effective at communicating with us (bring back Diane!). Lastly, multiple times I have had to forward communications in order to receive the correct credit we were owed on rent due to poor management. If you find a property you love that requires minimal involvement on Orca's part, then go for it but if you're on the fence in any way shape or form my advise to you is STAY AWAY! Horrible service... read more

Had a great experience narrowing down some options for a new apartment. Samantha was super helpful and accommodating for my work schedule. Made this stressful process an easy one! Highly recommend. read more

I've contacted this company often about rentals and often the person responding does not have correct or up to date information. I've been given the run-around via email with multiple employees and never got an answer to my inquiry. read more

I was very interested in a rental apartment advertised by Kim Villagonzalo (the address was a building I like). Kim could not provide any information, photos, or floorplan of the property. She would only book a showing, not answer any of my very basic questions (e.g., is there a balcony). This seemed like a HUGE red flag for the type of property management and responsiveness that Orca provides. RUN!!!!! read more

They found great tenants for my condo. They were thorough and efficient. I highly recommend them.

While I am certain Orca takes care of their owners, who provide income, the same cannot be said for the rental properties they manage. Expect to be completely on your own or faced with incompetence, if there are any issues in your rental unit. Training in client relationships would be prudent to this company. read more

Posted a suite for rent, with a great view and a new reno. Three groups of people came to view it, and it was a totally different suite, on the OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING. NO RENO. Orca Realty doesn't deserve anyone's trust or business. Stay away. read more

I am writing this review to congratulate Orca realty on the caliber of their agents Sascha Fexer and Joshua Jacob. Over the years we have bought and sold many properties, with rentals along the way. On several of these transactions we have acted independently but we realized quickly on our foray into the Vancouver market that a professional pre-screen would be essential. Sascha was our first point of contact with Orca, which we selected based on the prevalence of signage. His remarkable people skills kept us moving forward and committed to work with Orca even when the first option did not materialize. He kept sending us alternate options, more concerned to find us a good home than that it be one of his own listings per se. Then he found us one that was seemingly perfect and he arranged for Joshua to give us a tour via FaceTime as there was no hope of applying in time otherwise. Sascha and Joshua did a seamless transition, working together so that we would not have to start all over again from scratch. Like Sascha, Joshua maintained the balance of pushing for enough information to satisfy the property owners, while politely acknowledging that this can be quite challenging for people who have always been owners themselves. I am beyond relieved to say that it all seems to be working out beautifully, as together, they earned the confidence and trust of both halves of this leasing equation. read more

As a landlord, Petr was pushy. Very slow to respond to repairs in the unit. We were paying 3500 a month and having to wait a couple of weeks before someone visited the unit to begin repairs. At the end of our initial lease, he was combing over everything with a fine tooth comb, even after we'd paid a maid service for 6 hours to clean the unit at our exit. We are glad we no longer have to deal with Orca. There are much better landlords out there. If you rent, avoid Orca. read more

Looking for a condo in DT Vancouver has been super hard , but Samantha at Orca Realty really made looking for one a headache free process . I would highly recommend this company, thank you Orca Realty! read more

Samantha was great to work with. She went out of her way to show me different rentals and was quick to make things happen.I will definitely work with her again in the future. read more

We highly recommend the services of Orca Realty. They responded to our inquiry immediately on a weekend, and were highly responsive to our requests. They found us a tenant within a few days for top dollar, and have continued to provide excellent service. Pamela & Mario G. read more

Terrible experience with Orca. I own several properties and I wanted tenant placement for 1 year terms. Peter at Orca assured me they would check the tenants references and provide good long term tenants. What I got were lowlifes and none of them stayed long. Just long enough to trash my properties. I was told by Peter that Orca would only had short term applicants but they would place them until a long term tenant applied. That never happened. Each 2 to 3 month placement cost a half month rent and it was obvious no vetting occurred. I spent a small fortune repairing the damage and when I complained that Orca was not honoring their contract. Peter the manager said too bad for me, if i didnt like it I could go elsewhere. Avoid these crooks. read more

I would avoid renting from this company at all costs - they will do whatever they need to squeeze your deposit and delay repairs. The property manager is extremely unprofessional and wasn't able to get requests done in a timely manner and would often tell you to communicate with Strata even though tenants who are renting are not allowed to. Every bit of communication is combative and she makes you feel that you should be grateful that she did her job. Massive lesson learned - they represent the landlord and their obscure requests and will take their sweet time with repairs but will force your hand at the time of move out. I had read horrible reviews but decided to sign a lease anyways since I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I regretted the tenancy the entire time. Save your efforts and take your money elsewhere. You're better off renting from an owner or through a building with a property manager. read more

Orca Realty was great - Samantha responded quickly to our requests and gave me lots of info about Vancouver. I landed in Vancouver on a Monday, was scheduled for several viewings the next day, and I was able to secure a home the following day. Thank you Orca read more

Orca was consistent in disappointing us. They committed to renting our home by June and didn't find a tenant until mid August. I had to redo the listing myself as the photos left out the best features of the house and the description was in such poor english it was hard to understand. Communication was hit and miss. We finally asked them to commit to responding to us within 48 hours which was not always achievable. The move out was a fiasco. The tenant was late moving out and left our home in terrible condition. Many broken or missing objects, dents and tears in the drywall and dirty. It took Orca 8 days to organize having someone come in and clean our home. read more

was recommended this company to have my home leased . Samantha was great to work with