Key takeaways
What property managers can take from Morley’s approach
- Be a business partner, not a landlord. Morley says landlord and tenant success is codependent, so the job is to help tenants attract talent and do their best work.
- Turn obsolete space into amenities. At The Ampersand, Aspen replaced a dated conference centre and food court with a club-quality fitness centre and a tenant lounge with a bartender.
- Test new technology and expect some to fail. Aspen tries new products on its own buildings, and low-cost IoT sensors are giving it data on how each building runs.
- Remove friction for tenants. Mobile door access, licence plate recognition for parking, and in-app service requests make each day a little easier.
- Service is the next frontier. Anyone with money can copy amenities, but Morley believes treating tenants like hotel guests is what will set buildings apart.
About the guest
MB
Morley Barr
Senior Vice President, Real Estate Management, Aspen Properties
Morley leads real estate management at Aspen Properties, an owner, developer, and manager of commercial real estate in Calgary and Edmonton. He started in 1995 as a marketing coordinator at an Edmonton shopping centre, then worked at Cambridge Shopping Centres, Oxford Properties, and others before joining Aspen. He co-founded the tenant engagement app Caret and sits on the BOMA Edmonton board.
Episode summary
In this episode
Jared Sarbit records his first on-site episode at The Ampersand in downtown Calgary with Morley Barr, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Management at Aspen Properties. Morley started in 1995 as a marketing coordinator at an Edmonton mall and moved through retail and office roles across Canada before joining Aspen.
Morley explains why he wants Aspen to act as a strategic business partner to its tenants, how The Ampersand was transformed during the pandemic, and how being a local, flat organization keeps everyone aligned. He shares Aspen’s approach to testing technology, the story behind Caret, the tenant engagement app Aspen built and spun out, and how it adds value for owners and tenants.
He also covers trends in property management, the biggest operating costs in an office building, his advice for new property managers, and why he recommends Unreasonable Hospitality.
Chapters
- 0:00A first look at The Ampersand
- 1:02Introducing Morley Barr
- 1:26Who Aspen Properties is
- 2:04From marketing coordinator to senior vice president
- 4:33Being a business partner, not a landlord
- 6:31Turning a food court into amenities
- 9:01Operational efficiency and testing technology
- 10:31Staying aligned as a local company
- 13:45Innovation and IoT sensors
- 19:12Building the Caret tenant app
- 25:34How Caret adds value
- 27:49Trends in property management
- 32:22Advice for aspiring property managers
- 35:50Giving back through BOMA and Arts Commons
- 37:28The biggest operating expenses
- 40:10The property he would study
- 44:07Book recommendation: Unreasonable Hospitality
Jump to a chapter (17)
- 0:00A first look at The Ampersand
- 1:02Introducing Morley Barr
- 1:26Who Aspen Properties is
- 2:04From marketing coordinator to senior vice president
- 4:33Being a business partner, not a landlord
- 6:31Turning a food court into amenities
- 9:01Operational efficiency and testing technology
- 10:31Staying aligned as a local company
- 13:45Innovation and IoT sensors
- 19:12Building the Caret tenant app
- 25:34How Caret adds value
- 27:49Trends in property management
- 32:22Advice for aspiring property managers
- 35:50Giving back through BOMA and Arts Commons
- 37:28The biggest operating expenses
- 40:10The property he would study
- 44:07Book recommendation: Unreasonable Hospitality
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
Strategic business partner is exactly the right way… because the success is still codependent.
Morley BarrPlay from 5:36
You have to remember we promoted who you are into the role.
Morley BarrPlay from 33:09
…treat our tenants like guests and like customers and not like landlord tenants.
Morley BarrPlay from 32:14
Want your building to feel like a hotel?
We’ll walk your building with you and send a written cleaning scope and price. Free, no obligation.
Read the conversation
Full episode transcript
Show transcript
Paste the edited transcript here.
FAQ
Questions about this episode
What is The Ampersand in Calgary?
The Ampersand is a downtown Calgary office complex that Aspen Properties bought just before the pandemic. Aspen turned an old conference centre and food court into tenant amenities, including a club-quality fitness centre with a spin studio and a tenant lounge with a bartender.
What is the Caret tenant app?
Caret is a tenant engagement app that Aspen Properties developed and later spun out as its own company. Morley Barr says it handles mobile door access, amenity bookings, service requests, and preventative maintenance, and helps landlords understand how tenants use their buildings.
What are the biggest operating costs in an office building?
Morley says utilities are typically the largest operating expense, followed by cleaning and security. Aspen looks for practical efficiency gains that benefit tenants rather than spending on sustainability for appearance alone.
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