James Ha is with us today at the Western Canada Apartment Investment Conference in Edmonton. He is the President of Boardwalk REIT, which has 70% of its residential properties located in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

With western provinces having gone through a very difficult time just a few years ago, James and his team have used that knowledge to navigate the current environment. We hear about what Boardwalk is working towards right now, such as improving renter experience and getting a stronger foothold in their most desirable markets.

Topics covered include:

• What the team at Boardwalk learned during the 2016/2017 economic downturn in Western Canada.
  
• Increased energy costs and why these might benefit renters in Alberta.
  
• The best part about having a portfolio with large exposure to Western Canada.
  
• Opportunities to greatly improve the resident experience using proptech.
  
• Why Boardwalk’s occupancy actually improved during the pandemic.
  
• The potential of cryptocurrency being used as rental payment.
  
• A deeper overview of Boardwalk’s portfolio and their current target markets.
  
• Partnerships that Boardwalk is involved with.
  
• Why Boardwalk is engaged in a stock buyback.
  
• Challenges with interest rates.
  
• Incentives that were used to fill vacancies.
  
• Balancing purchasing opportunities with investor expectations.
  

More about our guest….

James Ha, since joining Boardwalk in 2007, has assumed a myriad of leadership roles and responsibilities ranging from: finance, treasury, capital markets, investor relations, acquisitions, investments, strategic partnerships, revenue optimization and corporate strategy, all of which have played a significant role in Boardwalk’s overall success and growth. Serving as Boardwalk REIT’s President, James is responsible for the execution of the organization’s strategy, driving operational and financial performance, providing leadership to Boardwalk’s Team of Associates, delivering service to Resident Members, and ensuring stewardship for all other stakeholders.

James holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Calgary, and prior to his appointment of President, served as Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations of the Trust.    

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