Carl Dismukes
of Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC
Publicado en:
November 24, 2022
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by IAHSP®
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P. Gracias por tomarse el tiempo de sentarse con nosotros para compartir su historia con nuestros lectores. ¿Puede comenzar compartiendo un poco sobre usted y su empresa?
I have been a creative professional for all of my career... graphic designer, art director, creative director and brand manager. Now as owner of Coastal Stagedesigns, I’m able to put my creative side to work with my business side to bring Home Staging to a part of the country that had little or no home staging resources.
P. Todos tienen una historia sobre cómo comenzaron, ¿cuál fue la inspiración o el catalizador para que usted comenzara su negocio?
In 2016, my corporate job gave me the option to either relocate to headquarters in New Jersey or take a package. I had been working full time remote from my home in Panama City Beach, Florida for several years and chose to stay. I was then faced with how to reinvent myself within a resort community where there was virtually no corporate presence. Initially, I got my real estate license, but on my first day with my new broker, I asked about how to pursue staging. Within a few months I got my ASP RE to start staging my own listings. Then in October of 2018, I took the full ASP course and opened my company. Then one week later, on October 10, Hurricane Michael devastated my beloved community and at that time, no one cared about how nicely staged a home was. They just wanted a roof over their heads. I spent the next several months helping local residents find homes, sell their damaged home and move on with life. But out of the devastation rose an opportunity to give those homes new life and to sell at the highest price. The company took off working with investors who were flipping houses and with homeowners who were ready to move on after repairing their homes.
P. ¿Qué servicios ofrecen? ¿Y por qué eligió ofrecer esos servicios en particular?
Though I have provided occupied staging for my own real estate customers, my core business is vacant staging... it's where my passion is. However, as I mentioned, I live in a resort area with probably as many short-term rental units as full-time residences. Out-of-state investors were seeing the staged properties and asking to purchase the contents for setting up as a rental. Savvy investors were also looking for help with updating their units or furnishing vacant units. Earlier this year I introduced "Curated Furnishing Packages." We provide turnkey furnishings to those investors to set up the properties to attract renters at the highest rate and to gain 5-star ratings.
P. ¿Alguna vez tuvo un proyecto o cliente en el que todo iba mal o el proyecto era un desafío? ¿Puede compartir sobre ese momento y cómo encontró una solución o superó el desafío?
An out-of-state investor who knew the value of staging called one day from my Google listing to have me look at a property he had bought to fix up and flip. It had been on the market for a couple of months with little or no activity. When I arrived there was a dumpster sitting in the front yard, the yard was knee high in grass and weeds, there was no real estate sign anywhere and the inside was a mess. I worked with him to clean up the yard and do some landscaping and had the inside cleared out and cleaned. I got it staged and immediately the listing agent was getting calls after we finally got him to put up a sign. But he was still falling down on the job, not following up with buyer's agents or the owner. Eventually the owner asked me to take on the listing. I don't normally do anything to compete with the listing agent, but in this instance, I felt the agent had done such a poor job of representing the seller that I agreed to take it on. Partnering with other agents from my office, we did some clever marketing and within two weeks we were under contract. And the buyers bought the furnishings to set up as an Airbnb. I have since done other projects with the investor and I feel I have a long-term repeat client.
marcas que todo home stager debe conocer
P. Dirigir un negocio no siempre es fácil. ¿Qué ha aprendido sobre usted y su negocio desde que lanzó su empresa?
I can't do it alone. But finding the right people I can trust isn't easy. I have had to put the effort into finding the right people so that I can let go and depend on them to do what is needed. There have been a number of false starts with folks who just didn't work out, but I have been incredibly lucky to pull together a team that allows me to focus on the parts of the business that are more critical.
P. Todos hemos tenido un empleado o un cliente que hace que lo que estamos haciendo valga la pena. ¿Puede compartir con nosotros una historia sobre un empleado, proveedor o cliente que realmente lo haya impactado y tocado su corazón?
I don't know where I would be today without my warehouse manager, Aaron. My business is relatively small compared to some of my IAHSP friends, so I don't have the luxury of having full-time employees. Struggling with either hiring movers for each installation or having my own staff, Aaron came along at just the right time. He also runs his own landscape business, but always makes time with his employees to take care of stagings and destagings. We have come to "share a brain," being able to make decisions without even having to speak it. His wife also helps from time to time with projects. They have become that kind of family that we all create around ourselves.
P. Si pudiera retroceder en el tiempo y darse algunos consejos sobre cómo administrar o hacer crecer su negocio, ¿qué consejo se daría a sí mismo?
Be open to anything. Opportunities present themselves in the most unusual way. Have the foresight to see those positive opportunities and act on them.
P. Si un cliente potencial estuviera leyendo este artículo en este momento, ¿qué le diría sobre usted, su equipo o su negocio que lo convencería de elegir su empresa?
Coastal Stagedesigns is a multi-award-winning company with the experience to make your home sell faster and for more money. And our statistics prove it. Check out our website for reviews and a portfolio of work. We take pride in the attention to detail that we bring to each and every project.
P. ¿Cuál es un hecho sobre usted o su negocio que la mayoría de la gente podría no saber?
In addition to home staging services, we also offer “Curated Furnishing Packages.” With these services, we design a unique, but affordable furnishing package for short term rentals. With Panama City Beach being located on the Gulf of Mexico, there’s a huge need to update older houses and condos to appeal to today’s short-term rental market. Today’s families are more sophisticated and are looking for a vacation spot that fulfills their expectations of a luxury holiday. We provide these services usually in less than 3 weeks with unique and stylish furniture and accessories.
P. ¿Hacia dónde ve su negocio en los próximos 5 o 10 años?
Grow! Grow! Grow! We are ever expanding and I see a full-time staff for both the staging part of the business as well as the furnishing arm.
P. Fue genial sentarme con usted para aprender más sobre usted y su empresa. ¿Cómo pueden las personas obtener más información sobre usted y su empresa?
Visit our website at coastalstagedesigns.com, interact with me at facebook.com/carl.dismukes7 or facebook.com/coastalstagedesigns. And call me any time at 850-896-1900.
P. ¡Muchas gracias por compartir su historia con los artículos de IASHP!
Thanks for talking with me, Joseph! It has been a pleasure.
