Keynotes by Casago

Steve V2: Welcome to Keynotes, a
podcast just for Casago homeowners.

This is where we explore how to get
the most out of your relationship with

Casago, learn tips and tricks on how
to make more income with your property,

and learn a little bit about the short
term rental industry along the way.

I've been a vacation rental nerd since
my 20s, and the team has finally let

me have this podcast so I can share
everything I've learned with you.

I'm your host, Steve Schwab,
and this is Keynotes.

Hey, welcome to Keynotes.

I'm your host, Steve Schwab.

Today, I'm with Tim Smith, the
owner of Casago in New Smyrna Beach.

We're going to be talking a little bit
about his philosophies on hospitality,

property management and homeowners.

Tim, welcome to the show.

Tim, tell me a little bit
about your background.

How did you end up getting
into property management?

Speaker 2: Uh, by chance, of
course, I had several businesses

over the years, sold them.

I had just sold a business and came to
new Smyrna beach to buy a vacation home.

Uh, well, it was March 13th of 2020.

And so it wasn't time to go back
to New York city at that point

with COVID just sitting in.

So I ended up moving in, had the
opportunity for folks that already had a

business there, they were ready to sell.

And I was ready to move on to
the next adventure, I guess.

Ended up purchasing it, and
uh, that was my entryway.

What did you do before
you moved to New Smyrna?

So I was doing consulting
for a software company.

Steve V2: Yeah.

What kind of consulting, like sales or?

Sales and implementing for Salesforce.

com software.

Okay, cool.

So you know a lot about
CRMs and contacting people

and keeping relationships.

I think so.

Yeah, yeah, I think you do too.

Tim, tell me a little bit about what
you do there in New Smyrna with Consago.

Speaker 2: Well, we
have a two fold mission.

The primary mission is to work with the
owner to achieve their particular goals.

And I've learned even just in the short
time that everybody has different goals.

And so we have that mission.

Part of that mission is making sure that
the guest has a great experience and

then that just naturally pleases, it
gets the results we want for the owners.

Steve V2: Yeah.

Speaker 2: But our goal is just primarily
whatever that is, let's make that

Steve V2: happen for them.

That's great.

And tell me a little bit
about your personal approach

when it comes to hospitality.

I think the key to hospitality

Speaker 2: is keeping in mind that It's
like they're actually in your house.

For some people it is.

You own the house also and so you're,
you're the host, but for us it's, we

like to say southern hospitality, which
we are born and raised in the South.

It just comes natural, I guess,
or it's beat into you either way.

And so we, we want to treat it
like they are a guest in our home.

They're coming in.

What can we do to make them comfortable?

How do we treat them like family?

Yeah,

Steve V2: yeah, that's a great approach.

And what makes Casago different
than the other property management

companies in New Smyrna?

Speaker 2: Well, I think part of it is
that we do, we have a newer approach.

Right?

The company technically has been around
for years, but by me purchasing it and

sometimes not knowing what you're getting
into allows you to have a different look.

You know, you take all the things
we've done over the different careers

I've had, And you look at it from
that window, you actually can bring

a fresh approach to that owner.

You're not afraid of change because
the whole thing is a change.

Yeah.

And so a lot of existing companies will
stay doing what they've done because it's

always worked and that's human nature.

Sure.

But I think with.

anything anymore in industry or
business, you have to always be thinking,

what can I do different and better?

Right.

Yeah.

Don't

Steve V2: fight last year's wars.

Right.

Right.

Yeah.

So, you know, something that's
in Casago is this thing that's

called the owner centric approach.

Can you tell me a little bit about
what that means and what it means to

you and maybe how you implement that?

Speaker 2: I think the key with owner
centric is keeping in mind that they are,

um, the reason you even have a business.

They've trusted you with, for
many of them, it might be their

second most valuable asset
other than their primary home.

Uh, in our market, it's
never their primary.

And so they've trusted you with that.

So keeping that as the centerpiece or the
centric piece is the key to the success.

But part of that does start, like I said,
where it's, what does it mean for them?

We have owners that it's all about.

I've got to make money.

I just have to pay it.

I can't keep it up
unless you make me money.

We have others that
they're fine with that.

They're not worried about the money,
but they worried about the maintenance.

Are you taking care of my property?

Is the right person
staying in my property?

How are you treating my, my baby,
my family home a month a year?

And so just by keeping that
focus, then we continue.

To try to do the right thing to make
sure that that particular need is met.

Steve V2: Yeah,

Speaker 2: it sounds like you
take a real personal approach.

I do.

I think part of it is I just
always have in business.

I take it personal, but the property I
purchased when I moved to New Smyrna is in

a building where we have 40 other owners.

So it is personal because I'm gonna see
them downstairs or I'm gonna see them

next door at the bar or whatever else.

It is personal.

Steve V2: Yeah.

You being the local boots on the
ground, the owner of the company,

I think that's so powerful for your
homeowners and for your guests as well.

Because when somebody has a
problem, the buck stops with you.

You know, they don't have to call some
other city or some corporate office

somewhere or whatever that looks like.

They get to talk to the guy in charge.

And that's pretty amazing.

It

Speaker 2: is.

We've heard people, you know, why you?

Well, it because it is me because
I am here because if I don't do

a great job when you are in town,
I'm going to see you in the hall.

or at the local restaurant, and
you can hold me accountable.

Yeah.

Steve V2: Yeah, there's almost a
little bit of social pressure there,

on top of the business pressure, right?

What are some practical ways
that you make the homeowners feel

like they're the top priority?

Speaker 2: Well, first off,
constant communication.

We keep them informed, not just
about the industry and about what's

specific to our market, but about their
property, what's going on in that area,

what's going on with the business.

Everything.

We let them know that when we have not
necessarily done a great job for that

month, what we're doing to change it.

Steve V2: Right.

Speaker 2: So it said open,
we're in this together.

How do we, you know,
make that happen for you?

That it is a partnership.

I'm not a business without you.

So how do we keep that going?

Open and constant communication, I
think solves a whole lot of challenges.

Then the other thing is that
the guest isn't always right.

Let's make sure it's the
right guest in that property.

And if they're not, or they're going
to mistreat the property, or they're

putting too many people in it because
it's spring break, you owe it to that

owner to fulfill the commitment you
made to take care of their property.

And you may upset that guest.

You may get a bad review for
that particular situation, but

it is the right thing to do.

Steve V2: Yeah.

We owe it to the guests to give
them a great hospitality experience.

However, our true priority and our
feduciary . Is to be the stewards

of that homeowner's property, right?

Right.

And so when we have great hospitality,
we're serving the owner well.

We're being owner centric, but the
higher standard is being the steward

of their property in their absence.

I think that you're hitting right on that.

I think that's amazing.

Speaker 2: And if we look at it, like
I said, where hospitality is treating

it like they're coming into your
home, there are some people Either

you wouldn't let in in the first place
or you realize we're not the best for

each other and you ask them to move on.

Steve V2: Yeah.

Yeah.

There's some people that I wouldn't
leave alone in my house because I'd

be afraid to be going through my
sock drawer when I wasn't there.

Right.

And those are not the kind of people
we want in our homeowners places.

Right.

Yeah.

Do you have a memorable story
with a homeowner that highlights

why maybe a homeowner would think
about choosing you in your market?

Speaker 2: I think probably the
best one is after Hurricane Ian.

We had a very powerful storm come
through in the particular building

that we manage a lot of units.

There was water in every unit.

But I made sure that I was there,
immediately went into every unit, got

the team mobilized to get in each unit,
clean it up, protect any further damage.

Made sure that we had the
right folks there on, on site

immediately for remediation.

And by doing that and constantly, like,
not emails, texting, calling every

single owner all day long for, you
know, the next week, really, to keep

them apprised of what was going on.

Most of our owners live.

up north or out west.

And so I think that really, I
know that it made a difference to

them because they appreciated it.

And other owners came to us
because they're like, Oh wait,

you were actually there doing it.

Steve V2: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Boots on the ground.

As you said, we literally had boots
because there was water everywhere.

Steve V2: Yeah.

I mean, what a great example of, like
you said, boots on the ground, but

making sure that you're taking care
of their property in their absence.

Right.

I mean, At the end of the day,
one of the highest value, uh, as

a property manager is being the
homeowner's advocate in their absence.

Yeah.

Doing what the homeowner
would do if they were there.

And obviously you nailed that.

That's, that's fantastic.

So Tim, what would you say to
anybody who's a potential homeowner

who's considering coming to Casago
for their property management

Speaker 2: needs?

I think to begin with, if somebody
was interested in working with

us, my question is always why?

What about the current situation?

Uh, or the current company you're
with or how you're doing it yourself.

What about that bothers you?

Because if it's something that we would
do anyway, let's save the time, you know,

and not try to promise them something
that, you know, isn't going to happen or

is still the same way that we would do it.

Uh, at the same time, the why lets
me know what does pertain to them.

We have owners now that have never
rented before and they're coming

to us because we Insurance, taxes,
assessments, et cetera, are happening.

And so they need to know that we
can make them some money, but more

importantly, protect that property.

Hold on to it when they're not there.

Make it, you know, they don't come
back in six months and it's destroyed.

So it's really finding
out why is the first step.

And then from there, I can show
them examples of what we've done

to meet that particular why.

To go in and promise or not even
promise, but to tell a story about

something that doesn't matter to
them isn't really fair to them.

Right?

And so I want to find out
what it is that you need.

Can we meet that need?

And then here's what we've done
to meet the need in the past, or

here's what we're working on to
make that happen in the future.

And you can.

Ride along with me to make that happen
or, um, when we've shown you, then

you'll come back or you'll come to us.

Steve V2: Yeah.

Building expectations.

At the beginning of a relationship always
creates much longer lasting relationships.

For sure.

It sounds like exactly what you're doing.

Tim, if somebody's interested in
having you manage their property in

New Smyrna, how would they reach out to

Speaker 2: you?

The best way is probably
the email, tim at casagocv.

com Or give me a call or text 407 797

Steve V2: 7150.

Tim, thanks so much
for coming on the show.

It's always so much fun to
see you and talk to you.

Appreciate you being here
and we'll talk to you soon.

Thanks for having me.