Through the series, “Under Our Roof,” we will tap into how Anywhere employees have achieved their dreams of homeownership or are making their mark in the world of real estate.
Prepare to gain a sneak peek into the entrepreneurial spirit, creative approach, and strategic mindset of your colleagues. So, open your front door, and prepare to be inspired and entertained. If you’re interested in participating in this series or have questions about the home buying or selling process, please contact Denisha Keaton.
Meet Amory Wooden, Short Term Rental Host, House Flipper, and Chief Marketing Officer of Anywhere Brands
One of the most dynamic and innovative marketing professionals in the business world today – Amory Wooden is the Chief Marketing Officer of Anywhere Brands. She has over 15 years of experience in the industry and has established herself as a visionary leader who knows how to create compelling campaigns that resonate with her target audience. From developing breakthrough strategies to executing award-winning campaigns, Amory has a reputation for pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo.
Additionally, Amory uses her artful eye and creative strategies when flipping houses and preparing her units for short-term rentals. It’s family pass time for Amory, her husband, and even their tiny humans.
Q: How did you get started with short-term rental hosting and house flipping?
A: When my husband and I first met, we both talked about how we would love to flip houses and have an investment property business one day. We approach the work from two very different angles:
My husband works in commercial real estate, so he has spent years projecting the value of properties based on income from tenants as well as maintenance, insurance, tax, and mortgage costs. From a residential perspective, he is also knowledgeable about short- and long-term gains taxes and historic tax credits (we’ve done several landmarked properties).
I focus on the other side of the project: the neighborhood, future development in that area and of course the house itself! I love walking into a home – many were in VERY bad shape – and envisioning what it can become. I work very closely with our architect and construction crew to realize my vision.
Q: How long have you been flipping homes?
A: My husband and I started our first flip almost 9 years ago. I remember the year because I was pregnant with our twins. Many wise friends had told us never to purchase a home when pregnant because you can make some emotionally driven decisions. But that is just what we did! I brought the twins as tiny infants to the job-site every day of my maternity leave. Our first flip was a family endeavor, and that continued over the years.
Q: Where does your design inspiration come from when preparing your rentals and flips?
A: I spend a lot of time on both Instagram and Pinterest and read a lot of design publications like Architectural Digest, My Domaine, Clevel, Dwell, and more. I scroll Instagram daily (of course) to stay up on trends and be inspired. When we are starting a new project though, I go to Pinterest and save hundreds of images in various folders. I usually start with the overall vision for the property, then create separate folders for each room. It’s truly my favorite part of the project.
Q: Looking back, what was a huge mistake you made in the home flipping journey and what did you learn from it?
A: The budget you build at the start is the *best case scenario* – always build a lot of buffer.
Q: What has been the most rewarding and the most challenging aspect of your real estate journey?
A: Every project has had a ton of ups and downs, but our last project was incredibly challenging. We closed on our Ft Green home one month before Covid hit. That house was literally falling down, the bank had deemed it uninhabitable. And due to Covid, the DOB had shut down – which meant no permits, construction was prohibited in the city, and we had this house that was costing us money every month that we could not start working on. It ended up taking us 9 months to get permits to start construction, which meant the house was sitting empty and I was having daily calls with my construction crew asking them to please stick with us. I was afraid they’d take a new job.
We did finally finish the house, 1.5 years later, and it’s beautiful. While it was supposed to be our family’s dream house, we ended up having our 4th child during this period and moved out to the suburbs. Not our plan by any means! But we are very happy out in the suburbs, and it was kismet because a former renter and now friend of ours, is living in the Ft Green house.
Q: How does your role as CMO for Anywhere Brands influence how you take on projects?
A: Now that I spend so much time with our brokers and agents, I have so much more appreciation for the work they do every day. And specifically with marketing. I’ve spent hundreds of hours with agents through our flipping journey, but I never realized the breadth of tools, products and services they can utilize. Nor did I realize how much time and energy intensive it is to learn and utilize them. Having seen both sides – the clients + showings and the backend – I am truly motivated to help agents streamline their experience with marketing tools so they can spend less time on the backend and more time and energy focused on their clients and homes.
For photos of Amory’s projects, please visit This Wooden House.
