Vacasa has acquired Outer Beaches Realty on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. According to the Outer Banks’ Island Free Press (IFP), plans are in the works to combine Outer Beaches Realty and Hatteras Realty in 2022, creating the largest vacation rental provider on Hatteras Island. Hatteras Realty was acquired by Vacasa in 2019 as part of the Wyndham Vacation Rentals portfolio. Amy Helle will remain as director of operations for Coastal North Carolina, and Outer Beaches Realty’s Kelly Wilson will serve as senior general manager.
According to Helle, there are no plans for layoffs, although some Outer Beaches team members may be asked to take on new roles.
Outer Beaches Realty was acquired 35 years ago by Alex Risser, who also served as president of the Vacation Rental Management Association from 2008 to 2011. At its height, the company managed over 500 vacation rentals in the Hatteras area. At the time of sale, Outer Beaches was managing just under 400 units.
“It’s not an easy decision to sell a business, especially one that’s been such a big part of my family, but I’m confident in the partner I chose to take the reins,” Risser told IFP. “I chose Vacasa because they share the same values and mission as Outer Beaches Realty and understand the importance of caring for three customers: homeowners, guests, and team members. I understand the perception that Vacasa is a national company—and they are—but they operate at the local level, too, with local teams who are a part of this community.”
According to IFP, Outer Beaches Realty and Hatteras Realty currently both have offices in the Tri-villages, Avon, and Hatteras village, and the final decision on which three office locations will be maintained has not yet been made.
“Our goal is to maintain consistency for each of our customers where it matters, but also present new opportunities, resources, and value to the bottom line that only a company of Vacasa’s scale can,” stated Risser. “Whether it’s career progression for our employees or stronger marketing and technology tools for homeowners, I believe this will open up new doors.”
Erin, I had the same exact same problem getting in a condo at a company they had recently purchaed in Orange Beach (Meyer Vacation Rentals).
In the past I had a great experience with Outer Beaches, but from 2020-2021 I stayed with them 3 times and there were cleanliness and other issues each time. Now that they’ve been acquired by Vacasa, that’s the final nail in the coffin for me. I stayed in a Vacasa property in another state and it was a nightmare. We arrived and the keycode did not work. I was on hold for over an hour with their ridiculous nationwide 1-800 number. Then it took another hour for a maintenance person to come out to let us in. The unit was FILTHY. After driving for hours with a small child, it was an overall nightmare. I will never stay in a Vacasa property again. There was no compensation for any of this, though I called their nightmare customer service again to tell them about the state of the home.