Excellent service and problem solving. The team took great care of our property and got a great tenant! Can recommend to the max!

this place is a joke, they dont have any form of online payment portal abd charge excessive fees for ach deposits, only form of payment besides paper money orders. they remind us of old school ludites with anything concerning paywalls and basic internet payment sevices. i hope the Company this "Women owned" Bis sold out to does a better job with payment options. ugh.... as far as managing at one point theynhad a bunch of clueless helpers but seems to have filtered them down to one clueless non paid worker. the owner is a very professonal person and takes care of biz, withthe exception of comments listed in this review. read more

***Distinct Management Rocks*** They were able to rent our home under extreme adverse conditions in less than a week. They are professional, reachable and very knowledgeable. Their best quality is they play by the rules and follow the law. This is extremely important for any landlord, but especially in our situation. I plan to bring them some sort of gift. Thank you guys again. read more

Distinct Property Management is excellent. Nora Brink is outstanding as a property manager. Prompt, professional, polite, and very knowledgeable of the real estate rental market. As a professional real estate agent in Silicon Valley I am who I hang with, and you are known by the company you keep and refer to. I have referred clients to her over the years without hesitation. I have been extremely happy with the service and professionalism. They do all the proper screening to bring a qualified responsible tenant to my clients Investments keeping my clients, rest assured, and confident that their investments will be well taken care of. This review is coming from a person who owns rental property and knows what to expect in a good company. I wish I could give them 10 stars. read more

Distinct Property Management feels like real white glove service at a very reasonable price. I've worked with 3 different property managers for my other properties and Nora and her team are by far the best. A lot of property management companies in my area are pretty well known and manage A LOT of properties in my area. However, when I read their reviews on Yelp, their service sounds terrible! They seem to overcharge home owners for poor services and rely only on brand name to get business. In contrast, Distinct Property Management felt like a breath of fresh air. After reading Distinct's solid reviews and after having an in depth conversation with Nora, I decided to take the leap. I'm so glad I did! Nora, Stacy, and her team are very professional and respond quickly whenever you have a question or need them! My tenant rental situation was quite challenging and this is why I hired a property manager. Nora was ready, prepared, and used her experience and expertise to manage the entire situation. It really took a weight off my shoulders. I'm very confident that few property managers would have been able to deal with this difficult situation. On top of handling the typical rental property operations (eg. maintenance, rental payments, etc), Nora adds a TON of value when things get hairy and complex! She was able to effectively handle aggressive neighbors/HOA and disruptive tenants. Upon move out, she did a comprehensive walk through with photos and gave me everything I needed to get the unit back to new. In a couple situations, I was out of the country and could not get to the unit. This required Nora's help, which was above and beyond our initial property management agreement. Nora gladly did an inspection highlighting issues where the building was not correctly painted and also let me borrow one of her lock boxes for several weeks so that I could send providers to the unit without me being there. She lent me her lockbox even after we were no longer working together and the tenants had already vacated. This kind of service is like no other! Distinct is just AWESOME! I look forward to working with Distinct and Nora once the unit is ready for rent again. I wholly recommend Distinct Property Management to my friends, family, and anyone who looking for someone to manage their property. read more

Nora and team have been responsive from our first meeting about renting and managing our Westside Santa Cruz home, our decision to have Distinct manage the rental and our confidence in them throughout the now several months' rental process. Nora and her team were professional in their approach to readying the home to rent, showing it and presenting us with qualified potential tenants. The process went smoothly and was undertaken during our summer of Covid-19! We are impressed and thankful for the thorough monthly owner payment and financial statements. We truly feel we have a partner for our home in Distinct Property Management! read more

Distinct Properties has been a REMARKABLE partner with our family and handling our Seabright property. Nora and team have been near immediate in response to our needs/questions, thorough and timely on communication with our tenants, and ALWAYS - ALWAYS working hard to ensure that our tenants interests and our families interests are in sync and positive. Our property has been in the family for over 50-yrs and we treasure our Summers in Seabright. The challenges with renting to UC Students for the school year could easily be overwhelming and stressful. Distinct, from their EXCEPTIONAL screening of students to their SERVICE focused approach, has put our family at ease and introduced us to new and impressive young student tenants ... year after year. THANKS !!!! read more

I don't write reviews often but when I do it's because there's an outstanding service or experience. Distinct more than met my expectations for finding a great tenants. Their communications were consistent, timely and transparent at all times. I wouldn't hesitate to work with them again. read more

This is a big Thank you to Nora and the team at Distinct Property Management for all they did in my recent rental transfer. It happened very quickly, yet they took care of all the major and minor needs in my new unit at the same time as taking care of my old unit with excellent and timely service persons. They were there to answer my many questions and concerns and even filled out the important HUD documents to make my move possible. Very professional and hard working team at DPM! Highly recommended! Thank you Distinct Property Management!! read more

I had an email back and forth with Nora, who showed us the video of the property and replied as if we could get the property. She then released more details and explained that we need 3 times the rent to even get the property! She read over the fact that we are students, and it led us to down a path that wasn't even paved in the first place. Better communication is needed from these realtors and good luck if you are a student looking to rent from them in Santa Cruz during these trying times. read more

As tenants of Distinct for several years we could not be happier. Kristi and Nora are very easy to work with, quick to respond and always very professional. Highly recommended! read more

Distinct Property Management is simply the best. We entrusted our home, when we had to move out of state for an extended period, to Nora and her team. They came through on every level. They took care of all the details and made sure that our home was well cared for. When things came up they were thorough and took care of everything. From start to finish, we couldn't have been happier. The entire team is knowledgeable and communicates effectively. We are very pleased. read more

I highly recommend Nora Brink and the team at Distinct Property Management. They have managed three multifamily properties for me. I have been impressed with the quality of their work. First, they have maintained an excellent level of service to the tenants.  They are highly responsive and efficient, getting the right job done cost effectively.  As always, it isn't just about the service level, but how the service is done, and their team has shown great EQ and built a warm rapport. Second, they have provided smart insights on rental increases, including where this might have risk in relation to rent control penalties, etc.  They know the tenants very well and their advice has been valuable. Third, they have been very effective in renting vacant units rapidly and getting in high quality tenants, both in terms of care and in terms of payment. Fourth, they have suggested ways to invest to enhance the value and rental rates on some of my properties.  They have suggested ways to change the business operation in ways that were more cost efficient. Fifth, reporting, financial information, and financial transactions have all been transparent and efficient. In sum, I really do recommend them highly and think it would be worth your time to consider them. Ken K read more

Nora is managing a property in Santa Cruz for me. Since I live on the Peninsula, I need someone who is 'full service'. Nora has helped fix up my rental, hiring and managing various people to spruce up the place. She got it in great condition and then found a renter right away! Nora is extremely easy to work with and very professional. She is organized and wonderful at communicating with her clients. Nora has done a great job and I give her my highest recommendation! read more

Nora and the Distinct team are a pleasure to work with! We have worked closely with Nora for five years; she was recommended to us by a friend. She brings exceptional organizational skills, expertise, and professionalism to everything she does and has helped us to find great renters. Nora is a brilliant problem solver and we appreciate her clear and direct communication. read more

Well, I am surprised to be the first negative review online. They have repeatedly failed in many ways to satisfy their obligations to our housing association. This management company has placed their own interests above those they were supposed to serve. They have neglected to uphold basic fundamental business ethics. Public shame here is appropriate and well deserved!. read more

I own a 3 bedroom townhome by UCSC and have had various college students living there for the past 4 years. Nora as my property manager has been extremely helpful and instrumental to deal with any issues that have been raised with my tenants. She is also a great communicator and always on top of any related matters for the upkeep of my property and my relationship with my happy tenants. I am really happy with my selection of her services and her agency and I highly recommend her if you are considering a well rounded and caring property manager. read more

Great company. We moved into a house they manage a few months ago. They are very straight forward to deal with and prompt in responding to requests and questions. Kristi is very personable and cheerful. They work to treat all parties fairly. read more

I have owned rental property in Santa Cruz for nearly 20 years. Initially, I performed all of my own landlord/property management duties. But after getting VERY badly burned by one spectacular fail (I didn't really know what I was doing with choosing tenants, and had just been lucky, until then), I decided to leave the property management to the professionals. I asked around for references, and did my own interviewing, and went with Nora and her team at Distinct. I am SO glad that I did. Over the years since then, I've been consistently impressed by their knowledge, professionalism, responsiveness, fair prices, competence, helpfulness, and decency. They have gone Above and Beyond on MANY occasions, and I couldn't be a happier customer. When a friend (who is a tenant in Santa Cruz) told me that she was unhappy with the (different) company who was managing her home, I suggested that she try and get her landlord to switch to using Distinct, and they did! I would recommend Distinct to any owner or renter: they simply do a _fantastic_ job, even when that's a hard thing to do. read more

I appreciate Stacy and the Team for the effective management of our HOA. They're a major improvement over our former manager!

I live in Scott's Valley @ the Hidden Oaks Condo's..Distinct Prop. mgmt. took the place of Remi as of March 1, 2016. I have been dealing with different issues at the condo for the last 2 yrs..off & on. All I can say is what a positive experience it has been working with Distinct Prop. Mgmt. since March 1. When I call & leave a vm or send an email I get responses very quickly. Kristi has been wonderful as well as Stacy, Nora, etc. They want issues dealt with just as quickly as I do! I can definately tell that they care and it shows. Thank you for being so hands-on ladies. :) read more

A LIFESAVER!! I am a rental property owner here in Santa Cruz and, seeing as I only have a few, I do my own maintenance/management. But there are times I need a Pro and Nora Brink of Distinct Property Mgmt is it!! She has found new tenants for me, run credit checks and all the lease paperwork and signing insuring I get solid people. I can count on her for good advice navigating all the CA Landlord/Tenant laws, too. All at a very fair price...actually, PRICELESS!! read more

Nora and her team are true professionals. We've rented a condo through Distinct for the past 5 years and I've always been impressed by how efficiently they deal with any issues that come up. I definitely recommend renting though Distinct Property Management. read more

I am a partner is a property managed by Distinct in Santa Cruz, and also frequently deal with another property manager as well (for my HOA as both a board member and a resident) and I am very, very happy with Distinct. read more

After many nightmare experiences with not-to-be-mentioned Santa Cruz property management companies, I've found a godsend in Nora Brink and Distinct Property Management. Her professionalism, knowledge, friendliness, insight, and reliability ensure that things run smoothly, my tenants are happy (Nora seems to find me the best tenants I've ever had) and my properties are in excellent hands. My only regret is that I did not use Nora sooner. Save yourself the heartache and use Distinct Property Management. read more

I am a director of a local Home Owners' Association. We switched to Distinct Property Management Company on November 1st after years of dissatisfaction and frustration with the previous company. I believe the main reason a change wasn't made before was the belief that any change would be long and difficult. This proved not to be the case. Once the previous property management company was informed of the change, they cooperated with Distinct with the transfer process without objection. Distinct handled the transfer professionally, just as they have with our business ever since. Distinct immediately notified owners of the change, setup the process for owners to pay their monthly dues, as well as produced a much more informational newsletter. Once Distinct started they were hit the road running with a series incidents that could have made anyone, throw in the towel. There was a series of underground leaks, a new one seeming to come up everyday somewhere in the complex, all of the decks in the complex needed painting, valves for water coming into the complex as too much pressure came in to the complex and an uncooperative owner was brought in line. The situations were resolved quickly. A new landscaper was brought in that responds to what the Board requests. Hiring Distinct was one of the best things this Board could have done for the Association. When there are rule violations identified they will be resolved. If there is a problem requiring a repair it can be assured it will be dealt with quickly and efficiently. They list of service providers they have use do great job at a reasonable cost. Distinct would help to any Home Owners' Association they work with. read more

Nora was really great to work with. Very nice and helpful. She worked around my schedule to show the place we were interested. She responds to emails / calls very fast. After viewing the place she worked late at night to approve the application. We saw the place, applied for it, and were approved the next day. Very fast and painless. Couldn't be happier with how she helped us out. read more

Renting from Distinct has been a pleasure. They are always quick to help with any issues (although issues are rare) and have a great streamlined system for paying rent and contacting them. Kristi has been extremely thorough with helping college students like myself adjust to off campus living. read more

Nora's professionalism and enthusiastic approach to her work is outstanding. She has helped me with several different property services, including finding a great Tennant for my downtown apartment. I will continue to use Nora for all my future management services. read more

Truly great service! Nora went above and beyond to help us find a tenant for our Santa Cruz home, and was an absolute pleasure to work with. Professional, friendly, hardworking, and extremely knowledgeable about the rental climate in Santa Cruz, Nora and her team at Distinct provided us with first-class service from start to finish. We really lucked out in finding Distinct, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for property management services in the area. read more

I was a Board Member when we hired Distinct Management Company for our senior complex two years ago. Sad to report, there were numerous problems with it. The first year Stacy mistakenly tried to send out a notice of approximately 20% dues increase to our HOA members after having assured us in a board meeting that no increase was necessary. No explanation where the figure even came from. The second year when Stacy was handling the election of our Bylaws and CC&Rs, she neglected to bring two of our voted ballots to the meeting to be counted, causing the election to fail, after many years of effort by our members and attorney. She called it "just a procedural error" yet it was a huge legal expense to our HOA. It did not seem possible in such a short period of time to have these and other serious problems occur when using a licensed management company. read more

Nora has helped us three times: once as a prospective tenant (she went out of her way to find us exactly what we were looking for, and was actually thrilled for us when we decided to purchase rather than rent and to do so through a different agent), and twice as our agent when we were seeking a new tenant for our condo. She is extremely diligent, very sensitive to our needs, and on both occasions found us wonderful tenants on very favorable terms. I cannot recommend her strongly enough. read more

We are a unique HOA, with many "out of the ordinary" needs. Our historic building is over 100 years old, with such challenges as antiquated plumbing, knob-and-tube fuse boxes, and insufficient reserves. We are grateful that Distinct was willing to take us on, and have been delighted and relieved to have their financial expertise, procedural recommendations, project management, follow-through, and can-do attitude in a complicated environment. Nora is prompt in responding, and eager to see projects to completion. You will not find a more meticulous bookkeeper than Rossana. They are always available, and they care. To us, caring means everything. read more

As a board member of the Casa La Familia HOA I have had the pleasure of working with Distinct (specifically Stacy and Nora)for the last year, and am looking forward to renewing our contract for the coming year. The level of service they provide is far beyond what I have experienced with previous property managers. Board packages are complete and on time, meetings move forward as smoothly as possible, questions and concerns are responded to timely, they are professional and calm even as stormy moments arise. Their knowledge of HOA issues is very helpful in making sure we are on time and accurate with all paperwork required by local, state and federal agencies. Best of all, I don't have to be a property manager! read more

Nora Brink, one of the co-founders of this business, was supposed to meet us ( a professional couple, without children or pets) to show a rental house. She was late, but the painter was there, so we walked through and waited for her out front. When she arrived, she seemed annoyed at having to be there. Then when she found out that we wanted a long-term rental and would be willing to buy the property, if we liked living there, she became positively rude! She took our financial information, including social security numbers, saying the application would be returned when the process was complete. She also said she would call us in 2-3 days to let us know the outcome. After we heard nothing for a week, I called her several times and finally reached her on her cell phone. Not only had she rented the property to another party, she claimed she no longer had our confidential financial data. No apologies for anything. We finally realized that it is NOT in her interest to rent to stable tenants --- she makes more money if the property is turned over more often. PROPERTY OWNER ALERT: this woman is NOT working FOR you! read more

Distinct. Great choice of name for a management company that is truly "distinctive." In Santa Cruz County they "stand out." Our HOA Board ought to know, as we've worked with several local companies over the years, and now, finally, we've found one that we can enthusiastically recommend. Everyone at Distinct, owners and staff alike, has proven to be responsive, knowledgeable about HOA law and finance, and dedicated to helping us find solutions that fit our particular needs. Go Distinct! read more

Nora assisted us with finding a renter for our home in Santa Cruz. She was very responsive, well organized and asked intelligent questions and supplied similar answers when needed. She is extremely professional and easy to work with. I couldn't have been happier with the experience. read more

I have been a condo owner 4 times and have never seen such a knowledgeable, professional, honest, experienced, management company! Nora handles our 20 unit property and is really wonderful to work with. She is very experienced, hands on, intelligent, and hard working. I live in this unit part time and knowing Nora is managing the property makes me worry free. I would highly recommend Distinct Property Management to anyone. read more

Distinct has been working with our HOA for the past 6 months and is certainly an upgrade from the service we received from a previous management company. Distinct is on top of all the issues we've had to deal with, from finding vendors, assisting with the review process, updating our CC&Rs, and dealing with those small nagging problems that crop up in any HOA. Any questions we've had have always been well researched and answered quickly. This is a good company to work with. read more

Distinct should actually get 10 stars. Distinct has very high standards and they do a wonderful job taking care of the many needs of our Coop. Not only have they satisfied their many obligations they have exceeded them. I beleive our mobile home park is very lucky to have Nora and her team as our management company. I have been on the board of directors of our mobilehome park for 11 of the 12 years we have owned our mobile home park as a Co-op HOA. When Distinct agreed to join us as our management company we were in great need. We had had the misfortune of a sub standard company that had not kept anything up to date. Nora and her team worked very hard to correct mistakes and complete tasks that had not been taken care of properly. They did this quickly and still got a website up with all of the information for the members and the board including financials, minutes from past meetings, and necessary forms, so our members could access information about our HQA online. Since Distinct took over our mobile home park we are in compliance with all of the agencies we are required to report to. Because of the agencies we are required to report to it is very complicated. Distinct does it right. Nora does a great job getting the agenda for our meetings to the members and the board along with the information the board needs in order to be prepared for our board of director meetings. She helps our meetings run smooth and on time. The accounting department completes our monthly and yearly financials correctly and in a timely manner. We receive information for our yearly budget and they take their time going over it with us for our understanding. We are required to approve it based on the information they give to us It is prepared and sent to the agencies required on time to be approved by the date due. It is always correct and This also keeps us in compliance. We have a very complicated HOA and Distinct has done a huge and wonderful job. I feel we are fortunate to have Distinct as our Management Company. I would choose them again. I highly recommend Distinct. Sincerely, Jill read more