PROFILEmiami had the opportunity to catch-up with Maty Beraja, Director of Operations at MAGASI, a family-run, full-service property management company specializing in multifamily, affordable housing, and hospitality management. As Director, Maty oversees all operational aspects of the company’s day-to-day operations. A Miami native, Maty has an MBA from the University of Miami; paired her work in local value-add projects, Maty understands how the Miami market works and matches that with her clients needs. We joined Maty at one of the short-term rental properties that she manages to get the background scoop on MAGASI.

PM: Introduce yourself and give us your background.

MB: My name is Maty Daniela Beraja and I am the Director of Operations for MAGASI – a family-run, full-service property management company specializing in multifamily, affordable housing, and hospitality management. I am a Miami native and graduated from the University of Miami, for both my undergraduate degree and accelerated MBA in Real Estate. I have over six years working in the multifamily and commercial real estate sector and now I work alongside my parents and sister at MAGASI.

PM: Tell us about your early real estate career.

MB: I went to college with a passion for both design and numbers – something I never imagined being able to combine into one profession. Coming from an entrepreneurial family in the healthcare industry that invested in multifamily properties, I became involved at an early age in the management, acquisitions, and value-add real estate sector. During my MBA summer internship at Lennar, I worked in San Francisco on multi-million-dollar adaptive reuse projects as a development analyst. Upon graduation I joined my family’s business and have grown MAGASI to what it is today, providing superior management services to our investor clients, institutional owners, and public municipalities.

PM: Tell us about MAGASI’s background and where the name comes from.

MB: MAGASI was founded by my parents and our company’s principals, Lisette and Victor Beraja. They created the word MAGASI, combining the names of their children – Maty, Gabriela, Sabrina and Isidoro – to form their first real estate LLC back in 1992. Thirty years later, MAGASI has grown to manage hundreds of units including market rate, short-term rental, and affordable senior housing in Miami Dade and surrounding counties.

PM: What services does MAGASI offer?

MB: Our property management services range from traditional multifamily, affordable housing, short-term rentals, and receivership. MAGASI works with a variety of clients – from first time and experienced real estate investors to institutional lenders, government entities, and luxury condo owners. Over the years, we have expanded our services to meet the needs of clients and offer everything from design and procurement to leasing and brokerage, acquisition analysis and due diligence, to property rehabilitation.

PM: As Director of Operations, what is your daily role in the company?

MB: I am involved in overseeing the entire operations for our corporate-owned and investor-owned portfolios. I love the flexibility my role has and the different skillsets it requires. Some days involve analyzing the performance of our properties with our team of managers and communicating with clients, while other days require higher-level thinking about the strategy and future of MAGASI.

PM: What are some of the ways that MAGASI provides value for their investor clients through property management?

MB: We provide value through our transparency, timeliness, and high degree of trust. We think of ourselves as having an institutional framework with a family-oriented approach. As real estate owners and operators for 30+ years, our perspective allows us to capitalize on value-add opportunities that the average investor wouldn’t think of, leading to better performance for the long-term. Our ability to execute quickly and remain true to our word is especially important to investors – now more than ever.

PM: What are some of the ways that MAGASI improves an investment property's performance over that of an owner operator?

MB: Our processes, policies, and people allow us to improve a property’s performance compared to a traditional owner operator. We have the existing infrastructure and relationships in place to stabilize properties in record time, incorporating modern design and services that residents desire. Owner-operators may often be complacent with the approach that “if something is working, don’t change it.” But in today’s fast-moving market, properties that do not advance to newer standards of functionality will fall behind. The ability to accommodate both long- and short-term renters can significantly improve a property's performance if done correctly. A typical owner-operator wouldn’t have the experience to convert a market rate unit into a fully-functioning Airbnb with a cleaning crew and 24/7 customer service in less than 2 weeks. Our approach to modernizing and improving assets attracts better tenants, higher rents, and increases performance.

PM: What are the keys to being a successful short-term rental operator in Miami?

MB: Our hospitality department is my personal favorite, by far! As five-star Superhosts with 100% response ratings and 0% cancellations, we’ve perfected our short-term management approach. We cater to clients by offering design, procurement, platform onboarding, booking management, concierge and cleaning services. The key to being a successful short-term rental operator is threefold: Accommodate, Anticipate, and Automate.

1. Accommodate all types of travelers from couples, families, digital nomads, medical tourists and weekend vacationers by providing essential household items, fast internet, and dedicated workspaces.

2. Anticipate your travelers’ needs and provide great customer service with 24/7 support to answer questions and provide recommendations.

3. Automate your listings with smart technology, key-less entry systems, and automated messaging to save time and improve travelers’ experiences.

PM: How have you seen rising prices change the market?

MB: Rising prices are leading to a rapid demand west of Miami’s coastline into surrounding cities and neighborhoods like Little Havana, Hialeah, and Westchester as renters can no longer afford places like Brickell, Downtown, and Edgewater. I know many cases of young professional renters in their 20s-30s that are unable to sustain the hikes due to such high demand. We’ve also seen a new sector of demand for mid-term renters, staying between 3 to 8 months in a fully furnished unit. Many of these renters sold their home while the price was high and now need a place to stay in the meantime. Others need a shorter, more flexible option while finding a permanent stay as they figure out a new work or living situation.

PM: Where have you seen greater client growth, the short-term rental market or the multifamily market?

MB: Both client sectors are growing rapidly. We have seen high growth in client investors from other US markets like California, New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Chicago coming to Miami and in need of a local, professional management company. The same holds true for investors from Latin America looking for bilingual management services, which MAGASI offers. We are uniquely positioned to offer clients both long- and short-term management services, benefiting from the upside in hospitality rates, yet hedging against a future correction.

PM: Is MAGASI looking to add any new markets or services in the near future? What ways is MAGASI looking to grow?

MB: MAGASI has grown tremendously over the last 2-3 years, catering to every type of investor from professional athletes, family trusts, municipalities, to business owners, doctors, and lawyers looking to diversify their assets. Our services have grown as we cater to every client’s needs from design to construction management and brokerage. I see MAGASI diving deeper into these service lines and forging stronger partnerships with big players in the market. Our clients are travelling farther north and west up the coast of Florida and MAGASI is there to continue providing our services.

PM: How has Miami changed since you started in the real estate industry?

MB: I distinctly remember entering the real estate industry with a college professor telling me it was a crazy idea to major in Real Estate, just as the market was recovering around 2012. But I was young and confident in Miami’s future as a hub for travelers and a desirable place to live and work. New Class A projects have raised the bar and transformed Miami’s reputation into the ultimate city to live, work, and travel. We’ve seen new product categories like co-living, apartment hotels built for short-term rentals, and even mixed-income buildings expand into the market. The massive investment in Miami’s infrastructure – highways, roads, high-speed rail, the Underline, etc. - will catapult the real estate market even further.

PM: Since you grew up in Miami what are some of your favorite restaurants in the area?

MB: The Miami restaurant scene has really elevated itself in the last two years with restauranteurs coming from all over the country, but my heart remains with those restaurants that have grown with Miami. I remember eating vegan carrot cake at the first Pura Vida in South Beach almost every weekend, well before they opened their tenth location to date. I have also loved watching Mister01 quickly expand throughout the market. At the end of the day, I’ll take any excuse to eat some great sushi, from a casual night at Matsuri to an elevated evening at Kuro at the Hard Rock Hotel. Some new restaurants that I’m fond of are MILA and Abbale Televivian Kitchen.

PM: What does the future look like for MAGASI?

MB: The future of MAGASI is extremely bright. We pride ourselves on our humble beginnings and are continuing to grow our team, portfolio of clients, and project pipeline. You will be seeing big things from MAGASI as we expand into development and we look forward to partnering with even more businesses, municipalities, and professionals in the real estate sector to make Miami the best place to live, work, and create.