Updated on September 17, 2022
True North Property Management in Traverse City, Michigan is one of the brightest stars pointing the way towards opportunity in the vacation rental industry amidst the global pandemic; offering not only an alternative perspective, but also kindness and compassion.
Christian Gissing, True North CEO, said he knows a lot of friends in the vacation rental industry who’ve completely shut down during this time. “ We decided as a company to accept that it will be a bit of a struggle for a year. But we know as long as we can break even, we’re good. So we’re pretty grateful.”
Keeping Traverse City Jobs Intact
Once he came to terms with the viability of his own business, Christian began to look at how he could help others. The first step: Keeping his staff employed. At the outset, this was a slightly sensitive challenge for True North, as there were initially regulations in place keeping people from working. But Christian said he’s actually been able to give his staff more hours than normal.
“I told myself I’m going to look at this as an opportunity. I won’t let it get on top of me. No matter what happens—I’ll find the good in it.” He saw it as a chance to sit back and look at his business as a whole, asking How can I improve?
As a result of his willingness to pivot, he first invested time in creating more online automation for his business. Next, Stay at Home orders allowed Christian and his True North staff the long-overdue downtime they needed to make checklists of every single property, evaluating maintenance needs and identifying repairs.
He told his property owners that it was the perfect opportunity to make updates. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Christian said he’s grateful that all of his owners really believe in True North—and in him as the leader of the company. “They know I have their best interest in my mind and heart. ‘Whatever you think needs to be done, do it,’ they told me.”
So Christian put his housekeepers to work. Doing updates. Making paint touch-ups. Adding new fixtures. Getting properties ready for when Michigan tourism is back in business.
Housing Local Families
When the chaos created by the pandemic resulted in the displacement of locals living in a soon-to-be foreclosed hotel, Christian saw it as another opportunity to help. “This hotel was their residence. There were multiple families. And we’d had lots of cancellations, so we were in a position to help,” he said.
Christian said the hotel foreclosed due to the pandemic. True North began to receive lots of calls from families looking for somewhere to stay. Some of them were related to the foreclosure. Other calls were from folks who were either self-quarantined or had fallen out of a relationship because they couldn’t handle being at home with their partner 24 hours/day.
Ultimately, he and his team offered a deeply discounted monthly rate to seven Traverse City families and couples. In order to accommodate longer-term stays through the summer, Christian said there were several instances he asked previously booked guests to relocate to a different property. “Most of them said yes. It worked out really well. We’re trying to accommodate everyone the best we can.”
“Many of the True North property owners preferred booking someone long term versus having multiple guests coming in and out of their home at this time,” Christian said.
“The owners would have made a lot more charging a nightly rate. With this they’re doing something philanthropic. And it helps to reduce the spread. It was nice to see they wanted to do that.”
The Nonessential Becomes Essential
Christian is also thinking about the future beyond the pandemic. When the coronavirus became a global crisis, Christian was in Bali. After witnessing firsthand the traveler’s experience there, he’s now translating the Balinese way into his own business. “They put so much thought into the guest experience.”
Christian began re-creating this experience by connecting with local flower shops in Traverse City. Going forward, his cleaning staff will leave fresh flowers for guests. Along with this, there will also be a personal note, scrawled on recycled paper. “We’re reminding guests to be happy. Take a breath.”
It’s these non-essential but meaningful acts of kindness that remind us now more than ever how essential vacations are to our quality of life. “There are a lot of little things I’m excited about. It made a difference for me in Bali. I’m excited to see how people respond to that here.”
Christian added that he hopes people begin to acknowledge the significance of nature with more regularity. “The world. The animals. Our planet is getting a huge break right now.”
“I really feel it’s an opportunity. I wish I could spread that more,” he said. “It’s always about what you focus on. There’s always an opportunity if you see it.”
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