Svet Pargov is an entrepreneur and business leader in the vacation rental industry. As the co-founder and owner of S&T Properties, Svet is passionate about delivering maximized client value through detail-oriented excellence.
After graduating from Queen’s University with a degree in accounting and business management, Pargov went on to work as a corporate tax accountant while studying at the Chartered Accountant School of Business (CASB), passing the UFE (Uniform Evaluation for Chartered Accountants) in 2015.
In April of 2015, Svet Pargov realized his lifelong dream of starting his own business. He launched S&T Properties, a full-service property management company specializing in Canadian Rocky Mountain vacation properties. S&T Properties connects vacation homeowners to Airbnb renters, assisting with comprehensive vacation and executive property management. Svet and the highly trained team at S&T Properties host hundreds of guests daily while optimizing variables to deliver the best return and easiest owner experience.
In his free time, Pargov plays weekly church basketball and participates in annual biking fundraisers for cancer research. He also enjoys cycling, hiking, and family gaming with his wife and three daughters.
Can you start by telling the readers a bit about yourself?
Yes, hello, I’m Svet Pargov, the CEO and co-founder of S&T Properties, a vacation property management company. I’m an entrepreneur at heart and someone who loves optimizing the returns for investors within the vacation rental market.
Great. So, what makes S&T Properties different than other companies in the vacation property management space?
Our focus at S&T Properties is on strong operations and optimized service. We look at the market, distill the information into the most important elements, and create policies and procedures to optimize the returns for our investors with that information.
How has S&T grown to become one of the largest short-term rental companies in Canada?
We have a big focus on our operations. If we are able to generate a better guest experience and better returns for our owners than what our competitors offer, we are able to grow, and clients give us a vote of confidence every time they select us. Guest experience and owner returns will continue to be our focus when we grow our business in the future.
What was the most important part of your professional journey?
At S&T Properties, we have a cultural commandment to learn from our mistakes. I think the most important part of my professional journey is learning from all my past actions and being able to pivot and adjust to the wisdom I have today.
What are the best and worst purchases you’ve ever made?
One of the best purchases I made is a vacation rental unit that we purchased. Our family enjoys staying there several times a year. My friends purchased units in the same complex and we often go together. The best part about it is that the unit is profitable when we are not using it and has appreciated substantially. One of the worst purchases I made is a long-term rental unit that I purchased before we started S&T Properties. Unlike the short term rental, it is overall a headache and doesn’t make any money.
What takes up too much of your time?
In my spare time, I enjoy cycling. I don’t know if it takes up too much of my time, but it helps me focus and keeps me fit.
What three pieces of advice would you give to college students/new startup business owners who want to become entrepreneurs?
Focus on adding value to people. The money you make will be proportional to the value you offer to other people.
Trust and reputation are the most valuable assets you’ll ever have in your life. Guard and nurture them carefully.
Life and business are marathons, not sprints. Take care of your health to go far.
Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?
My wife, Tina, who is not only my business partner but also juggles caring for our three daughters and managing the household. It was her idea to convert our long-term rental into an Airbnb, and I would never be able to do this business without her.
What drives you to keep going when it’s really tough?
I feel a sense of duty and responsibility to my investors, my guests, and my employees to do right by them. People’s livelihoods and retirement plans rely on us performing to the best of our ability, especially as people are entrusting us with their very expensive vacation property investments.
