inKLine Media

By Sachiko Cheng

Serena Estates. (Photo by Rose Marina)

Few places in SL offer the unique combination of serenity and community. Serena Estates is one of those places.

Launched in December of 2006, the same year SL’s first millionaire was profiled in BusinessWeek, Serena Estates was founded by Novellium Siddeley, and continues to operate today under Novellium and his CEO Kayla Kaminski.

When you look closely at real estate agencies in SL, you will see some common patterns: Agencies that charge a high premium for land with little prims, lands that charge a very low price and don’t stay in business for long, and lands that may seem nice but may not have the best customer service. Serena Has managed to avoid these traps.

Even with 180 sims, Serena still manages to stay small enough in the real estate industry to be able to give their residents the attention and care that they deserve. Dealing with Serena managers, their connections with their tenants is apparent, and so are the fruits of that connection: Their thriving and loyal resident base. Despite the ups and downs and shrinkage of the SL real estate market, Serena has managed to maintain their relations with their residents.

Living in Serena is a learning experience for both residents and management as well. Residents learn that where they live is more about their enjoyment than their wallet. According to CEO Kayla Kaminski when asked what she’s learned, “I have learned to appreciate how global the world really is and I’ve learned a lot about the different cultures of people from all over the grid and seeing how much in common we really all have! I’ve become more sensitive to how I interact with people especially when communicating with them. Words are very powerful and people react differently. I’ve learned to choose mine very carefully!”