In this special edition of our “Spotlight on Exceptional Property Managers'' series, presented by Casago, we sit down with Stacy Wesson of Casago Cascara Vacations. Stacy shares her stories and experience in the industry running the family business in Sun River, Oregon that joined forces with Casago in April of 2022.
The story of Cascara Vacations for Stacy is one that begins in her early childhood. Her parents opened the business when she was only 5 years old, so she’s seen the evolution of every aspect of the business - and now holds the title of General Manager.
Stacy’s leadership philosophy, which she has honed since for the entirety of her career, revolves around accountability and decision making on all levels. She’s a huge believer in letting employees make their own calls, as long as they have a reason behind those decisions. Those reasons are then used to refine their individual approach to best match the day-to-day of a vacation rental business.
Being part of a vacation rental community, Stacy is not impervious to the everlasting issue of bad regulations, which are often caused by unhappy locals. In her case, she’s noticed that only about 4% of their community are pot stirrers that blow issues out of proportion, and her solution is to proactively work with the Homeowners Association to display the steps that Cascara takes to ensure the best possible relationship between the homeowners and the vacation rental clients
Stacy’s strategy to avoid further turmoil involves a mix of both new technological advancements and an old school boots on the ground approach. The technology side involves improvements such as guest screening via Guest Ranger and NoiseAware Sensors, and the other side is all about getting the fundamentals right - being available 7 days a week, proactive communication with the homeowners, and further investments into education to help shine a light on the difference between their business and the way Airbnb operates.
A little over a year ago, Stacy joined forces with Casago to help streamline the business operations of Cascara Vacations. After 10 years in the industry, Stacy was feeling a bit frustrated with how the local business scene had evolved. New players were arriving in their local market and bullying them with aggressive, high-roller tactics, so a decision was made to get external help.
What really helped kickstart the partnership was the non-corporate, human-centric approach of Steve Schwab, CEO of Casago, and the rest of the Casago team. In Stacy’s own words, the approach that Casago took both during the sales process and in the following day-to-day operations since the start of the partnership, has returned her joy for the vacation rental business.
Now, she’s seeing huge improvements in aspects such as new technology implementation, vendor selection and competitive analysis. Being part of a community of vacation rental professionals that are all working towards a common goal has been a game changer for their business, and has led Cascara Vacations to see more positive reviews, avoid turmoil with homeowners, and bring solidarity to their internal team through the positive impact seen in their day-to-day operations.
Check out the full episode to learn more tips & tricks on how to make your vacation rental business more streamlined and efficient!
This episode is brought to you by Casago, Guest Ranger, and Good Neighbor Tech.
Visit AlexAndAnniesList.com to view our top picks for the best suppliers in vacation rental technology and services.
Special thanks to Rev & Research for being the presenting sponsor of Alex & Annie’s List.
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