About Us
Our
Story
Hi, we’re Al & Elissa, a husband-and-wife team based in beautiful Orange County, California. Our story began in Dubai in 2014, where we fell in love and married just 8 months later to the song “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit. We’ve been happily married for 10 years and have two beautiful young girls. Our deep passion for family travel drives us to use our love of exploring new places and our personal experiences to ensure that families and travelers feel right at home in our vacation rentals.
Rather Be Properties started with just the two of us and has since grown into a thriving, family-operated Short-Term Rental Management Company. We are dedicated to maximizing each property’s booking potential while providing exceptional 5-star service and consistently meeting and exceeding guest expectations.
WHAT MAKES US
Unique?
What makes us unique is our commitment to stocking our homes with everything you could need when traveling with children. As parents ourselves, we understand the importance of arriving at a vacation rental where everything is ready for families, including cribs, toys, books, games, and hours of entertainment. We also cater to “adults-only” vacations, helping with the planning of adventures such as skiing, snowboarding, boating, off-roading, or even epic bachelorette parties in Palm Springs.
Our company, which started with just Al and Elissa, has now expanded to include a dedicated team of 10 full-time professionals. This team consists of a guest communications group of former Airbnb employees, IT and bookkeeping experts, and a full design team. Our design division, Rather Be Design, handles all of our design needs. You can learn more about our design services at Rather Be Design.
AL
FINANCING & CONTRACTS
-
Al has had an extensive background in residential real estate over the last decade. He has been Nationally Recognized as one of the Top 1% of Mortgage Loan Originators in the United States every year since 2015.
-
Over the last few years, he has expanded his expertise into residential real estate wholesaling and flipping, long-term real estate acquisitions, apartment syndications, private equity, and now of course parlaying into the Short-Term Rental space.
-
Al’s passion for numbers, business execution, growth, and giving back has supported him in his growth in business.
-
This has translated very well to Rather Be Properties as he focuses his skillsets on strategic growth, investor relations, and vertical integration.
ELISSA
TEAM & GUEST COMMUNICATION
- Elissa has over 10 years experience in the 5 star hospitality industry.
- She has worked in some of the finest 5 diamond resorts in the world including Hayman Island, The One & Only Great Barrier Reef Australia and Atlantis The Palm Dubai.
- She primarily worked with a passion for team training and development.
- She has extensive knowledge and patience when it comes to communication and exceeding guests expectations.
PLEASE REACH OUT WITH ANY QUESTIONS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HOSTING YOU!
Al, Elissa & The Rather Be Team
