Meet Ben Bahorich | Engineer & Owner of Owl House Properties

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Bahorich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It all started when I got “kicked off” campus before my Junior Year at Rice. I graduated from Rice University with my degree in mechanical engineering in 2010, I’m also an alumnus of Will Rice College – WILL RICE WILL SWEEP! During my time at Rice, I garnered this passion to develop and manage the best homes and apartments within walking distance of Rice. During my Junior Year, I was  living off-campus on Bolsover Street cramming for Mech-E finals into the wee hours of the night. I loved Bolsover because I could get to class in 3 minutes. No joke – I used to hop on my bike and clock my time from my door to my classroom seat. After graduating. When my wife, Alyssa, accepted a position in Houston, we moved back to where it all began and lived on Bolsover Street again while renting part of our home out to Rice students. Alyssa and I even had our first child in that Bolsover home. That’s when my passion became a reality, and I’ve been working hard to develop the best off-campus housing in the Rice area ever since.

Up until late 2018, we were still living on Bolsover and managing a few properties, and then in 2019, we expanded significantly by adding more properties in hopes of making a difference by filling the gap of a lack of high-quality off-campus housing designed for Rice students

What should our readers know about your business?
Property management is a challenging and relational business!. Since we cater to predominately university students living by themselves for the first time, we have regular opportunities to serve our residents through mentoring, if you will, on the challenges of apartment care and independent living. The ability to relate and educate is the basis from which we scout, train, and season our team members. So, building a stellar customer service team was a challenge that we recognized early and work to master every day. One of our company’s mottos that we strive to live out is “We are here for you!”. And we truly mean that! I’ve learned a lot about setting good boundaries. Boundaries are challenging – running a small business can consume you to the point of overshadowing other responsibilities and passions. I’m a people-pleaser so my natural tendency is to say yes and jump on it even when the more appropriate response is no or not right now. I love having my hand in all aspects of the business, but it can be overwhelming. So the most difficult decisions have been figuring out who needs to be in what position and letting them run with it. Letting go of responsibility frees me up, but I have to trust my team to follow through.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, man! Houston is definitely a city filled with delicious food and coffee shops. We’d probably start out in Rice Village, grab some food from Hungry’s and then head to Herman park to explore, and see the zoo, and the gardens. I’m also a musician, so I’d definitely be taking my best friend to check out White Oak Music Hall.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our A-class team! Without our team, our company would not have been able to grow and have the success we have experienced. They have been able to rise above and beyond every challenge, obstacle,
and adversity. Their steadfastness in not compromising our service standards aimed at
perfection has been the prime factor in helping our company thrive.

Website: https://owlhouseproperties.com/, https://www.nestondryden.com/

Instagram: @thenestondrydenapartments