Holly Keiter is not just a tenant at the 11 E. Forsyth loft apartments — she’s the property manager who witnesses, first hand, the evolution of a part of downtown Jacksonville. And though the building is still in its early stages of leasing, Keiter said the best is yet to come.
WHERE’S SHE FROM?
Keiter, 26, is a native of Fernandina Beach. She had been working with Galex Realty Group — formerly Vestcor Realty — for three and half years in St. Augustine before she was offered the job at 11 E. She started in early March. “It’s been really exciting,” she said. “I jumped at the chance to be at the forefront of this new movement downtown. There is always going to be some apprehension associated with jumping into a new market, but we have been getting some great response. You really just need a good marketing plan.”
WHAT DOES A PROPERTY
MANAGER DO?
“Basically I look after the best interests of my tenants,” she said. “I oversee all aspects of the property from move-ins to marketing to collecting the rent.” Keiter also has two leasing agents and a maintenance supervisor working under her.
SPARE TIME
“I like to read, go to the beach and shop,” said Keiter. “Oh, I also like to ride my motorcycle.” Keiter rides a yellow Suzuki GSXR.
LAST GOOD BOOK
SHE READ
“Dead Aim” by Iris Johannsen. “It’s a romantic suspense novel,” she said.
LIVING DOWNTOWN
“I really like it, actually,” she said. “It will be more exciting when we start getting more of a night life down here, but it’s awesome living right in the hub of everything. If I get hungry, I can just walk up the street. And in five years, I’m sure there will be a lot more shopping and dining options. The Super Bowl will, obviously, have a huge impact as well.”
ANY MORE TRENDS
DOWN TOWN?
“I look forward to seeing the restoration of more older buildings like what we’ve done here,” said Keiter. “There are so many to work with down here.”
ROLE MODELS
“I’d have to say my parents. They’ve been together for 28 years and they provided me with a high level of stability that I’ve wanted to establish for myself. They’re a team and I admire that.”
HEALTHY COMPETITION
With other residential properties coming online like the Knight Building Lofts, Berkman Plaza and, in the not-too-distant-future, the Shipyards, Keiter said she isn’t worried about what role they’ll play in 11 E.’s success. “I’m not concerned because I think we have a very unique project here in that we’ve taken an old building and restored it,” she said. “The lobby, alone, is just so overwhelming when you walk in. We’ve really only just started and we’re already doing really well. I don’t see other properties as a threat. I see them as healthy competition. There’s a great market here and I think there’s enough people to go around.”
BEST PART
OF HER JOB
“That’s easy,” said Keiter. “I love the people here and I love that I’m able to interact with them on a daily basis. I was really surprised at the quality of tenants we’re seeing. It’s been awesome.”
... AND THE WORST PART
“This job is definitely demanding on your time. Sometimes you want to be able to provide more of your services to your tenants but you just can’t. There aren’t enough hours in the day.”
DO YOU
LIKE YOUR JOB?
“I love my job.”
— by J. Brooks Terry