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Rave Reviews on Repeat How Dune Vacation Rentals Earns Five Stars on 30-A b y D e n i s e K . J a m e s
W hen Bob Dickhaus and his wife built a new home along the beautiful Florida coast of 30-A 11 years ago, they didn’t realize, initially, that their second home would become their primary residence—and that a successful vacation rental business would follow closely behind. Today, Dune Vacation Rentals, based in picturesque Grayton Beach, garners repeated five-star reviews based on Bob and his team’s passionate attention to detail. A boutique vacation rental company, Dune Vacation Rentals employs a unique approach that results in ultimate owner and guest satisfaction—and their reviews and referrals prove it. An entrepreneur for 25 years, Dickhaus previ- ously worked with real estate companies, property management companies, and maintenance compa- nies, including serving as President of Johnson Controls, a global property management company. As he got to know the 30-A community, he discov- ered an intriguing truth about the area’s vacation rental companies: “I found that no one had done a great job with the maintenance on properties, reve- nues aside,” he says. With that observation, he realized his own maintenance expertise could help him optimally manage vacation rental properties, resulting in a stellar experience for both property owners as well as the vacationers. So, Dickhaus set about building a solid team based on the “strategy of being good
Dune Vacation Rentals Team
asset managers” and now has a company made up of 25 employees, half of whom are in the maintenance department. Being a good asset manager, by the way, extends far beyond each rental home having a working television and microwave—Dune Vacation Rentals ensures a completely fine-tuned experience, right down to the roof and the air conditioner. “We have people who can manage projects like painting, putting on roofs, decks, complete renovations, as well as preventative maintenance for the AC, for example,” Dickhaus says. “Smart owners appreciate this. We value professionalism, so we have high standards—we know people are looking for local providers, as well as professionalism.” One of the cornerstones of Dune Vacation Rentals is a business book called Raving Fans, written by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. The book echoes Dickhaus’s own beliefs that any successful business needs more than just a steady stream of customers—those
customers must become raving fans, who then share their memorable experiences with other future raving fans. Such is the case with owners who trust their homes to Dune Vacation Rentals; many live in other places and are confident in the team giving their property the ultimate care—which means more happy vacationers, and a better return on their investment. The beauty and desirability of 30-A draws a wide variety of owners, and Dune Vacation Rentals works with them all: from investors with multiple properties to families with second homes to football players, actors, and other entertainers, all who delight in having a home on the Florida coast. All have helped the company grow— many receive a lower commissions rate for spreading the word to other owners. “Most of our growth has come or- ganically through our satisfied owners,” Dickhaus ex- plains. “If we can satisfy the guest and get a five-star review, we focus on that experience. And with those five- star reviews, the home becomes more valuable because people look at reviews.”
As the owner of Dune Vacation Rentals, Dickhaus makes it his mission to relate to both the owners and the vacationers—both receive the best treatment. “I relate to the owners because I am one of them,” he says. “I understand how they think. When someone buys a multi-million-dollar home, they don’t want to turn it over to someone they can’t trust. We’ve focused on high- end homes, and these homes take a lot of work, but we would rather focus on them—because of that, we have high-end renters.” Though the business is booming, Dickhaus intends to keep the number of homes managed by Dune Property Rentals capped at 100, he says, to ensure quality over quantity. “We don’t want to become a bigger company,” he muses. “My experience from what I’ve seen is that you have to organize differently when you get too large. We want to stay at 100 homes or fewer and have everything be amazing.”
dunevacationrentals.com • (855) 813-3783
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