Anchor NW Property Group is a family-owned property management company based in Portland, Oregon. Operating with a centralized model since inception, they manage 36 properties with over 2,200 units using a team of 25 maintenance technicians and 50+ total employees. Their pioneering approach to centralized operations has redefined industry standards for efficiency and service quality in multifamily property management, not to mention an impressive 90% staff retention rate.
Response times and resident satisfaction drive every maintenance decision at Anchor NW. When a water line needed immediate attention in a 300-unit building, 15 technicians arrived within 15 minutes, each equipped with building systems knowledge and the right tools. This rapid response flows from their centralized maintenance framework: specialized teams diagnose remotely, arrive with exact parts, and fix problems in one visit. At 170 units per technician with 24-hour response times, maintenance has not only become a cornerstone of the resident experience but also the number one driver of renewals.
“Anyone can achieve a 1:170 ratio if they're willing to let work orders sit for two weeks. The real challenge is maintaining those numbers while delivering 24-hour response times. Everything we do in maintenance drives renewals, and renewals are the number one driver of revenue in this industry.”
Jim Rostel
COO
Anchor NW Property Group
A pipe bursts in a 300-unit building at 2 AM. Within 15 minutes, 15 maintenance technicians arrive on-site – armed with real-time data about the building's systems and a clear response protocol. Sounds a lot like a utopian vision of multifamily maintenance, right? Wrong. It’s just another day at Anchor NW Property Group, where centralized maintenance has been at the core of operational excellence since its inception, driving an impressive 90% employee retention rate.
Operating across 36 properties with 25 technicians, Anchor NW continues to redefine what's possible in multifamily maintenance. While their recent 1:170 technician-to-unit ratio industry breakthrough has turned heads, the real story lies in how they've achieved these numbers while maintaining service excellence.
“Anyone can achieve a 1:170 ratio if they're willing to let work orders sit for two weeks. The real challenge is maintaining those numbers while delivering 24-hour response times,” explains Jim Rostel, COO at Anchor NW. “Everything we do in maintenance drives renewals, and renewals are the number one driver of revenue in this industry.”
“Anyone can achieve a 1:170 ratio if they're willing to let work orders sit for two weeks. The real challenge is maintaining those numbers while delivering 24-hour response times. Everything we do in maintenance drives renewals, and renewals are the number one driver of revenue in this industry.”
Jim Rostel
COO
Anchor NW Property Group
“Anyone can achieve a 1:170 ratio if they're willing to let work orders sit for two weeks. The real challenge is maintaining those numbers while delivering 24-hour response times. Everything we do in maintenance drives renewals, and renewals are the number one driver of revenue in this industry.”
Jim Rostel
COO
Anchor NW Property Group
Behind Anchor NW's rapid response capabilities is scheduling precision. “Our techs don't run their own schedules or cherry-pick work orders,” reveals Mylisa Rostel, CEO at Anchor NW. “The secret to our success is strategic scheduling. Every service call is systematically routed – from work order assignments to parts procurement – which really minimizes windshield time.”
Anchor NW has shown how their centralized command center has eliminated 85% of unnecessary site visits through route optimization and clear response priorities.
With operations streamlined, Anchor NW tackled their next challenge: the dreaded inspection process bottleneck. Without standardized protocols and real-time access to unit conditions, turns stalled, and quality faltered.
Enter HappyCo. “We cut inspection times from 90 minutes to 45 minutes per unit,” explains Mylisa. “More importantly, we eliminated the documentation bottleneck. We've tripled our monthly turns from 50 to 160 while maintaining our three-day standard.” The mobile platform enabled maintenance teams to begin turns immediately with detailed condition reports.
“With HappyCo, we cut inspection times from 90 minutes to 45 minutes per unit. More importantly, we eliminated the documentation bottleneck – tripling tripled our monthly turns from 50 to 160 while maintaining our three-day standard.”
Mylisa Rostel
CEO
Anchor NW Property Group
“With HappyCo, we cut inspection times from 90 minutes to 45 minutes per unit. More importantly, we eliminated the documentation bottleneck – tripling tripled our monthly turns from 50 to 160 while maintaining our three-day standard.”
Mylisa Rostel
CEO
Anchor NW Property Group
For Anchor NW, centralization required a rethinking of maintenance roles. Consider their approach to appliance repairs: Rather than calling vendors who charge hundreds per visit and take a week to complete repairs, their specialized in-house technicians diagnose issues remotely, arrive with the right parts, and complete repairs same-day.
“Traditional industry experience can actually hold you back,” Mylisa explains. “We need teams who understand that every maintenance decision affects NOI and how. That mindset can be a game-changer for both efficiency and quality.”
Anchor NW's partnership with HappyCo exemplifies how the right technology pushes centralized models forward. Mobile inspection capabilities weren’t just a missing link but a catalyst to building a more comprehensive system that transforms raw data into actionable insights.
“When you're processing 600-700 work orders monthly, what you do with that information becomes critical,” notes Mylisa.
“Data without context is just numbers on a page,” adds Jim. “We evaluate every metric within its operational context - from job complexity to technician experience levels - driving real improvements.”
Anchor NW's centralized model consistently delivers on key performance indicators. Their streamlined operation has cut turn cycles by 50%, reduced vendor reliance through specialized service teams, and maintains 24-hour response times across their 36-property portfolio. But the real metric that matters? A maintenance operation that directly drives asset value through resident satisfaction and retention.
“At the end of the day, maintenance isn't about ratios - it's about resident experience,” Jim concludes. “We want people to be happy, they want to like where they live, and we're responsive to their needs. When you build a system that delivers both efficiency and service excellence, renewals follow. That's how maintenance transforms from a cost center into a revenue driver.”
Please note that positions and personnel mentioned in our customer stories may change over time as individuals transition within or leave the company.
Mylisa is the Chief Executive Officer of Anchor NW Property Group, credited with developing the first fully centralized solution in multifamily management. Her hands-on experience in all facets of the business provides a strong foundation for her outstanding leadership. Mylisa currently leads a team of over 50 employees managing 36 properties.
Jim Rostel is the Chief Operating Officer for Anchor NW Property Group, overseeing the operational, managerial, sales, and support positions. During his time with Anchor NW, he has played an integral role in developing and implementing a centralized management system that aligns with the company's sales, marketing, and customer experience strategies.
Please note that positions and personnel mentioned in our customer stories may change over time as individuals transition within or leave the company.
www.portland-apartment-living.com
Anchor NW Property Group, a family-owned property management company based in Portland, Oregon, has achieved remarkable operational efficiencies by centralizing operations since day one. With a portfolio of 36 properties and over 2,200 units, Anchor NW has further streamlined its processes, improved efficiency, and enhanced the resident experience by tapping HappyCo.
