l o c a l b u s i n e s s
Renting Sunshine 30-A’s Oversee Rentals keeps it simple—and successful b y C a r o l B a d a r a c c o P a d g e t t
W ord of mouth is a potent marketing strategy for Andrew Hock and Michael B. Emerick, business partners, brokers, and owners of Oversee Rentals. The 10-year-old company’s vacation rentals are sprinkled around the WaterColor, Blue Mountain, Seagrove, and Seacrest communities, where they pull in over 3,000 reservation groups per year of repeat vacationers and newcomers to the area. A large part of the company’s success is that Emerick and Hock have taken the business stance of putting their customers’ comfort, convenience, and overall experiences above everything else. As one homeowner whose property is offered for rent by Oversee Rentals, Jen Brown, puts it, “Each and every one who represents Oversee … is like family and cares for our home in a top-notch manner.” Part of the co-owners’ formula for success is that they don’t own any of the homes they rent. And Emerick notes, “We also do not do guarantees, which is where a rental company guarantees a homeowner a certain amount of income for the year, and then keeps any money made above that guarantee.” The reasoning? “If a renter is looking for a home, it’s more lucrative for a company that does guarantees to direct them to a home with a guarantee, and not to the home without a guarantee. We believe that by not owning our own rental homes and by not doing guarantees that we’re treating all of our homeowners equally,” says Emerick. If a business is only as successful as the foundation on which it’s built, it appears that Emerick and Hock set themselves up for success early on. They met at Lindenwood University in St. Louis, where each had been recruited to play volleyball, and they struck up a friendship right away. “Andrew’s undergrad was in marketing and mine was in finance,” Emerick says. “Following the four-year undergraduate program, we both did the one-year accelerated master’s program and received our MBAs.” Throughout the fast-paced MBA program, the friends worked together on a business plan for Oversee Rentals. With classes at night, daily volleyball practices, and matches all across the U.S., the business partners were more than ready to hit the beach when they graduated. Emerick and Hock headed straight to 30-A and started their business by taking a first small step, with just one property. “Our first home was actually my mother and father’s home in WaterColor,” Emerick says. Right then they settled on the approach that Oversee
Michael B. Emerick and Andrew Hock
Rentals would take with its customers. “We decided that our business model would be would be to have small, local offices, all within a few miles of the homes we manage, with year-round staff that are responsible for those homes.” Putting this straightforward, personal approach into play at the start meant that Oversee’s guests and homeowners would get consistent, reliable service from Day One. It’s a strategy that paid off. “We now have 135 homes, and we attribute ninety-five percent of our growth to word of mouth, which our business model naturally supports.” Emerick’s also quick to note that Oversee’s staff is behind its success as much as anything. “We have an incredible team that works hard every day to provide consistently excellent service, to communicate clearly and regularly with everyone we work with, and to happily put our clients first.” This commitment to sound business principles helped put it in a strong position to weather the storm of COVID-19. The company has made adjustments to help keep guests and staff safe, such as how they transfer and store linens, supplying extra masks and disinfectants for cleaning staff, having its guest services teams work from home, and providing contactless interactions for guests. Even with all the extra work that the coronavirus brings to businesses in the hospitality industry, the co-
owners—both now married and with a child in the picture or on the way—are willing to take on even more for an issue they hold close to their hearts: protecting the environment. Their big goal heading toward 2021 is to cut down on their use of plastics. “We love where we live, so we’re going to shift some of our processes to help preserve our beautiful beaches and local wildlife,” says Emerick. One of Oversee’s first moves toward that goal will be making sure that the amenities left for guests—like shampoo and conditioner bottles—are made from a recyclable straw material that is manufactured with 25% less plastic. The pair is also taking on another business venture: buying into 30A Local Properties, a real estate company. Emerick says he and Hock will work on that business but not compete with its agents in any way. Ever keeping their eyes on customers’ best interests and experiences, Emerick notes, “We now have an avenue to help renters at Oversee if they’re looking for real estate, by directing them to the talented agents at 30A Local Properties.”
Oversee Rentals: 1231 Co Rd 283 S, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459, (888) 290-3489 • www.oversee.us • @overseerentals
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