Member Spotlight: Crown Capital Properties

Briefly introduce our membership to Crown Capital Properties.

Crown Capital Properties is an all-women development company focused on building better communities by working in collaboration with municipalities to make a positive impact on housing needs. We look at development from a holistic perspective creating win-wins for our investors, for the community, and for the tenants occupying our buildings. We support a network of like-minded women and men looking to build financial freedom with Real Estate investing through our close partnership with the Women’s Real Estate Network.

What interesting projects are on the go with Crown Capital Properties?

We are currently going through the rezoning process on an acreage of land in Campbell River and have worked with the city and our partners to create a great plan for a 12 Townhouse development featuring lock off suites. This concept is new to the municipality, and they have been very forward thinking in rezoning process realizing that this type of housing concept addresses the “missing middle” of homeowners and support those who can’t afford a single-family home, those who need to house young or elderly family members or young families that need the rental support to offset housing costs. The property is very close to North Island College and creates an opportunity for future owners to rent as student housing. We also have a holding property in Esquimalt that sits within the high-density zoning of the Townships OCP. Currently the property provides safe and affordable housing for 4 families. The future of the site is dependent on negotiations with the township however the goal is to create a multi family affordable rental building to contribute to the renewal of the area.

What do you love most about working within the Capital Region?

There’s no doubt about it that Vancouver Island is one of the most spectacular places on the planet with the capital region being diverse and interesting economically and geographically. It certainly helps to be working in a region that isn’t covered in snow for a good part of the year! And there seems to be so much opportunity here we just need to get out of our own way let things happen let creativity grow and support innovation especially when it comes to housing and affordability! There are many things to love about living and working here. For us over the last few years it has to be working with so many of the amazing women and men in strong leadership positions throughout the region. We’re looking forward to making an impact over the next few years working alongside so many impactful people.

When you’re not working, what are your favourite activities in and around the municipality you live in?

We spend as much time as we can on the water…paddle boarding, kayaking, boating and swimming. We also enjoy hiking, yoga, golfing, exploring our beautiful Island, and getting together for happy hour at our local pubs.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

Through the Women’s Real Estate Network, we have met many incredible, like-minded women and we are looking to collaborate and purchase a mansion together for retirement…will it be on the gorge waterway, Portugal or in Mexico???

What 2023 UDI event are you most looking forward to attending?

It is fantastic that UDI offers such a diverse selection of educational events and courses. We really enjoy attending the in person monthly luncheon’s as we always get so much value from the guest speakers and enjoy the networking component. We plan to attend the development tour if it is brought back this year and enjoy the social gatherings as we can connect with other fellow UDI members. We also need to sharpen our golf skills and plan to join the golf clinic.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

It’s going to be a challenging year… 2023 is when we will all need to use the best of the intentions in our community to support each other. Kindness, generosity, creativity, collaboration, ‘win-win’ situations, thoughtfulness, and more than ever before, lifting each other up.

Finally, the team at Crown Capital Properties are excited to introduce their landscape design affiliate, Begum Eryilmaz, founder of Oasis Landscape Design. Locally owned and operated in Victoria B.C., Begum and her team specialize in designing beautiful and vibrant outdoor living spaces.

Begum is a world renowned landscape designer from Europe who offers a global perspective of garden design with both modern and traditional touches. She believes that dramatic and sculptural landscaping should tell a story and add value to architectural projects. Begum, along with her professional team have completed numerous local and international projects.

The team’s objective is to work with their clients to create a functional landscape design plan that is tailored to their specific lifestyle needs and desires.

Begum highlights the value and importance of roof top gardens and vertical gardens within the new landscape design approach. Their work runs the gamut from small residential to large commercial projects locally and abroad, partnering with several leading architectural firms and developers.

She has completed a number of successful projects on Vancouver Island in partnership  with local architectural companies. It is inspiring to see how local firms are open to global concepts.

To view some of Begum’s projects please visit Oasis Landscape Design

Meet the Crown Capital Properties Team

Cheri Crause
Cheri has been a realtor with Royal LePage Coast Capital since 2007 with a background in financial planning
and taxation. Her and her spouse became developers in 2014 with purpose-built apartment buildings. She
holds a seat in the Chariman’s Club with Royal Lepage National being in the top 1% of agents in Canada. She is
team lead of a group of 4 realtors. She has 7 lovely people that call her grandma.

Laurie Finnigan
Laurie has spent most of her career in the financial services and real estate industry. She is a visionary entrepreneur, a connector, and an avid real estate investor. After residing in the Caribbean for eight years she discovered her passion for real estate development when she worked for a large developer in the role of manager of sales and marketing. Over the past few years, she has been learning the ropes in the development industry with her savvy partners at Crown Capital Properties. Laurie is currently the vice chair on the board at the Greater Victoria Housing Society and is passionate about contributing and giving back to the community.

Liza Rogers
Liza Rogers is a real estate investor, property developer, and founder of the Women’s Real Estate Network, a BC-based social enterprise focused on creating community and collaboration. She has 25 years experience in global tourism and events, including management of international vacation properties. Liza is a visionary who excels at attracting financial partners! Currently she’s working on projects that respect wild spaces and biodiversity, preserve multi-family character homes, and advocate for and invest in cohousing/coliving initiatives. Her approach to real estate investing emphasizes the importance of teams and partnerships in enhancing social, cultural, and environmental values in our communities. Her passion is bringing a holistic lens to her work and being an example that wealth isn’t just about money.

Joan Probert
Joan has been an avid real estate investor over the last decade and has been successful in generating wealth in real estate investments both in Canada and the US. Over the last 5 years, Joan has taken her passion for real estate and has joined a number of real estate investing, training and networking groups including Keyspire, The Women’s Real Estate Network and The Real Estate Investment Network. Joan has also attended Mobile Home Park University and has a respected industry education on how to purchase and hold mobile home park assets throughout the US and Canada. Currently, Joan owns both privately and in partnership over 20 doors on Vancouver Island that encompass all types of real estate investments including land development, multi family rental properties, recreation rental property, single family homes and AirBnB operations.