Newport Beach Vacation Properties (NBVP), a premier vacation property management company in Newport Beach and a branch of Balboa Realty, has announced the acquisition of Burr White Realty.
This transaction more than doubles NBVP’s vacation property portfolio, making it the largest vacation property management company in Newport Beach and one of the largest in Orange County.
Burr White was founded in 1967 and is the longest continuously operated vacation rental management company in Orange County. The transaction value was not disclosed.
“This is a really exciting time for us because we have an opportunity to modernize the Burr White portfolio and bring these great units up to the luxury standard that vacation guests expect in Newport Beach,” said Aaron Batley, co-founder of Newport Beach Vacation Properties. “Both of these companies are rooted in small, family business and strong relationships, and we’re excited to put them together to take the standard of vacation rental management in Newport Beach to new heights.”
This merger makes NBVP the largest vacation property manager in Newport with more than 150 vacation homes managed, which is greater than the occupancy of a 600-room hotel. Newport Beach Vacation Properties now also has the highest reservation counts and annual dollar volume of any vacation property manager in the city.
Separately, the addition of the Burr White’s long-term management portfolio makes NBVP’s sister company Balboa Realty one of the largest third-party property management companies in the county with more than 600 additional residential units under management.
“My brother Alex and I started Balboa Realty more than 17 years ago, following in the footsteps of our father who bought Burr White from the founding White family in 1997,” said Batley. “We had some new ideas for the business, and instead of implementing them in his business, he suggested we start our own in friendly competition. We learned a lot from him, but we also had a vision for ourselves. We re-branded the vacation management arm of the business in 2014 as Newport Beach Vacation Properties and have kept it and Balboa Realty’s brand identities separate. Now that we’ve acquired Burr White from our father, we will infuse our modern standards and use of technology into that portfolio, while folding the properties into our businesses.”
The team at Newport Beach Vacation Properties manages its properties with a hospitality approach, rather than a realtor’s sales approach. This infuses a focus on the vacation guest experience at the property, which in turn supports revenue generation for the property owner.
One example is NBVP recently launched a partnership program with Duffy Electric Boats, where property owners can pay a subscription fee to offer NBVP guests renting their homes, a free or discounted Duffy cruise during their stay.
“Our dad’s dream was to get to 1,000 units under management, and we’re getting close,” said Batley. “We’re honoring the great work he’s done, the innovative work we’ve done, and the spectacular properties under our management.”
Craig Batley, the Batley patriarch, together with Joan Trout purchased Burr White Realty from the White family in 1997. They began with a few dozen properties under management and through acquisitions and natural growth, became the largest vacation rental manager in Newport Beach by 2001. Burr White kept that title up until 2022 when some local competitors finally eclipsed them.
The early days at Burr White were during a time of adapting and growing with new innovations. Under Craig Batley’s leadership, Burr White was the first vacation manager in Newport with a website (1998), the first to make professional cleaning service a standard rather than allow guests to clean units themselves (1998), the first to have vacation management software (1999), the first company to have two Balboa Peninsula office locations (2001), the first to accept credit cards (2003), and the first to have a standardized full laundry service for every guest through Bungalow Basics, Aaron Batley and his brother Alex’s first local business (2006).
“Burr White has weathered nearly 60 years of real estate cycles,” said Batley. “We’re proud to carry the torch forward, continue being a first-mover in the market, and strengthen our great partnership with the city and our clients. There are no hotels on the sand in Newport, and few in Orange County. The homes in our portfolio offer vacationers a unique way to experience the city on a relaxing beach getaway right on the sand in Newport Beach.”
Newport Beach Vacation Properties was founded in 2007 by brothers Aaron and Alex Batley. Arthur Dorr was made a partner in 2014. The trio grew up in Newport Beach and have been a part of the fabric of the city for their entire lives. All three spent many years working for the City of Newport Beach as ocean lifeguards. The murals on both the Burr White and Balboa Realty buildings (designed by Alex himself) reflect this infusion of love of their city into their business.
While short-term lodging and “AIRBNB” have had some negative connotations over the years, the partners’ love and understanding of Newport Beach helps them maintain a strict and orderly rental program that respects the home, the neighborhood and the city.
Newport Beach Vacation Properties manages one of the largest portfolios of short-term rental properties in Orange County with a team of 20 local experts and dedicated staff. For more information, please visit: https://www.nbvacation.com/ or visit one of their three office locations on the Balboa Peninsula.
