How Emily Watson Turned Home Remodeling Into a Full-Service Real Estate Empire

Emily Watson (00:00)
It’s actually, feel like I got into it by accident, but I owned a vacation rental company a million years ago, got a lot of contacts, got super interested in design, making really like when you’re prepping a home to be on the rental market, you’re looking at all the things from like, is it efficient? Is everything updated? Is it pretty? Is it comfortable? And so I would have to look at properties for clients through that lens. And so

Right before COVID, I decided to go into interior design, which the timing was like.

totally amazing. couldn’t have planned it better, but ended up resigning from my position as, you know, doing property management, did online courses during COVID, got my license in design. Also around the same time bought my first foreclosure, which was all I could afford. That was my first house, did a lot of the work myself.

Michelle Kesil (02:33)
Hey everybody, welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m your host, Michelle Kesil. Today I’m joined by someone I’m looking forward to chatting with, Emily Watson, who is owning a residential home remodeling and construction service in the Charleston area. So really excited to have you here today, Emily.

Emily Watson (02:55)
Thank you, I’m excited to be here.

Michelle Kesil (02:56)
Perfect, let’s dive in. First off, for those not familiar with you and your world, can you share what your main focus is these days?

Emily Watson (03:04)
Sure, so I am mainly in residential home remodels, taking a client’s vision, design, hopes, dreams, and then managing the whole project from start to finish.

Michelle Kesil (03:14)
And how did you get into that?

Emily Watson (03:16)
It’s actually, feel like I got into it by accident, but I owned a vacation rental company a million years ago, got a lot of contacts, got super interested in design, making really like when you’re prepping a home to be on the rental market, you’re looking at all the things from like, is it efficient? Is everything updated? Is it pretty? Is it comfortable? And so I would have to look at properties for clients through that lens. And so

Right before COVID, I decided to go into interior design, which the timing was like.

totally amazing. couldn’t have planned it better, but ended up resigning from my position as, you know, doing property management, did online courses during COVID, got my license in design. Also around the same time bought my first foreclosure, which was all I could afford. That was my first house, did a lot of the work myself.

⁓ And then sort of by accident just got really interested in it, made a lot of contacts and then started

I could do this for other people instead of just myself. So started doing it for clients back in 2018-19. Really sort of decided I wanted to go bigger and got my builder’s license last year and it’s been growing sort of like word of mouth. I don’t even advertise. It’s been really a cool experience, but growing organically over the years.

Michelle Kesil (04:48)
Awesome. And so what have been some of the main keys that have allowed your business to be able to grow and run successfully?

Emily Watson (04:57)
I honestly think it’s a people business at the end of the day. feel like people come to me with a set of dreams. come with a budget. They come with like unrealistic expectations and realistic expectations. And it takes understanding them, hearing them, knowing what their goals and dreams are and being able to relate to them and them trusting me. feel like that’s a huge part of it.

also communicating really clearly and being super organized with purchasing and timelines and updating them every step of the way so that they’re involved in the process so they have ownership in it. ⁓ But really I think connecting with the people and the clients is probably the biggest key to my success.

Michelle Kesil (06:32)
And what are some of the things that differentiate you from similar businesses or competitors?

Emily Watson (06:40)
I think one of the big obvious ones is that I’m a female. I don’t know many other female builders or contractors and I really love it. Like I love the, you know, I know a lot of designers that are females, which I do that part too, but I really like the nitty gritty construction side of things. I like the logistical side of things. ⁓ So I think that’s a huge one. And then also, you know, when a client comes to me to be able to

sell the job, organize all the paperwork, manage the budget, do all the marketing, ⁓ design it and then implement it well. You know, I think it’s hard to find one company that does design just as much as they do like the actual building process. So that’s probably pretty unique to me.

Michelle Kesil (07:29)
What have been some challenges or obstacles that you’ve overcome in this role?

Emily Watson (07:36)
Probably the biggest challenge would be because I do all of it in house. I am very present on every job. so, being

five places at once, making every client feel valued and important. It is a lot of work, a lot of emotional energy. so being able to delegate has been hard for me because I like to be a part of everything. I like to be on the job sites. I like to be communicating with clients. I like to be picking out fixtures.

So I think the hardest part for me is actually delegating and trusting that it will happen even if I’m not intimately involved in every single detail of it.

Michelle Kesil (08:13)
Yeah, and do you have a team or a support?

Emily Watson (08:17)
Yes, I’ve got an assistant. She’s amazing. She like finishes my sentences for me. She’s wonderful. and then I have a set of guys that do like all of my sub trades are the same guys. have them all in every job. There’s a huge level of respect going both ways there. You know, I think the hardest thing in construction and why I kind of got into it back when I was in the rental world was

contractors and subcontractors notoriously don’t respond. And so, you know, I’ve got a group of guys that are super responsive, very, you know, they’re clean, they say nice things. They’re not like showing up smoking cigarettes and stuff like that. So managing a clean job site is important to me. So all of my guys are fantastic. They really are amazing. And I have them on every job that I work.

Michelle Kesil (09:07)
What have been some of your favorite type of experiences or creations that you’ve got to work on in this role?

Emily Watson (09:18)
Well, I just did a from the ground up new build, which what was unique about it was it was a circular house. So when I said yes to it, I was like, this is a little scary, but I’m also not going to say no just because I’m scared. So it was super unique and working with the clients to pick out exactly what they wanted. When they

would come and see it at the end of the day, they would call me in tears. They’re like, we love it so much. So they were so excited and being able to witness somebody see something that they’ve always dreamed about or saved so much money for and seeing it come to life is every time I’m like, that’s why I do this.

Michelle Kesil (10:32)
Absolutely. And what are you most focused on solving or scaling to next?

Emily Watson (10:38)
So I want to, so as I mentioned, I’m a home builder and I renovate and I have a team of people. And so I really want to be able to.

grow to the point where I have several teams working on different jobs and scaling to where I’m not the project manager and the owner and the designer, know, like my dream, truly my 10 year goal, because I do have a broker in charge license back from the realist or from the rental world. I do have a design degree. have the builder’s license. so really within my brand, I would love to have like,

I sell your house to you. I renovate your house. We put it on the rental market or we sell it as a flip, you know, to have all of that in-house, whether it’s with investors or to be able to have a whole team of people that’s like, I’ve got a real estate branch and I’ve got a design team and I’ve got the home builder team, you know, would be really, really cool. That’s my dream.

Michelle Kesil (11:36)
Yeah, amazing. And are there any opportunities that you are excited about currently?

Emily Watson (11:42)
So one that’s coming up is a really, it’s a, an area in Mount Pleasant where it’s called the vault and it’s like you buy basically this vault. It’s a metal siding box basically and up fit it for, it’s like a luxury car holder. So I have a client who has nine sports cars like Lamborghinis, Porsches.

and I’m going to upfit it to have a bathroom, a lounge, a golf simulator, and then nine car lifts. Like it’s going to be amazing. So I’m really excited. I’ve looked at, you know, his vision and working through the budget right now. And it really is like, I never would have picked that for myself, but it’s a super unique, cool project for sure.

Michelle Kesil (12:32)
Yeah, absolutely. And so what have been some of the learning curves that you’ve had to evolve and yeah, understand.

Emily Watson (12:41)
Yeah, so when I started, really, it was more of a passion project and it didn’t, I only, the only experience I had was doing it for myself, you know, in my own foreclosure that I bought and fixed up myself and did a lot of the work myself. And so going from, you know, a self-made construction girl to now like a licensed builder, there’s a lot of…

details and information that I had to learn a lot of trial and error, lot of learning from mistakes and losing money or eating the cost of something because it was something I didn’t know to include in a budget. But I would say probably the level of knowledge that I have to have. I surround myself with people who specialize in specific areas and they’re so good at what they do. But ultimately I’m responsible for a project. So really growing in my knowledge has been a key

goal of mine.

Michelle Kesil (13:34)
Is there any advice you’d give to someone that’s wanting to get into this industry?

Emily Watson (13:39)
Yeah, I mean, if you think it, you can do it. You know, I fell into this world by accident and I love it so much and I’m super passionate about it. And so, you know, I think if you can believe that you have, you’re certified, you’re qualified to do something, you absolutely can. It’s like manifesting. You have a dream, you have a desire and bringing it into, to fruition is really like anybody can do it. If I could do it, anybody could do it.

Michelle Kesil (14:07)
Yeah. And are you planning to expand into any other markets?

Emily Watson (14:14)
You know, I thought about like the Greenville area or Charlotte area. It’s so beautiful. And I think it’s really growing in those areas. It’s a different vibe altogether. but I would love to be able to scale to the point where I can grow into other, other areas for sure.

Michelle Kesil (15:10)
Yeah, absolutely. And what have been some unexpected processes or things that you had to learn in this role?

Emily Watson (15:20)
I would say probably the level that I get super close with my clients, like we sit at the kitchen table and talk about their dreams for the job, but then it turns into a relationship where, you know, it’s an understanding of who they are as a person. and so the learning curve of like,

befriending the client, but keeping that professional relationship is difficult for me because I’m like, once you know me, I’m all in, you know, I’m like, this is my life story. I’ll tell you everything about me. And so the learning curve of like finding that balance of I love you and I want your project to be successful, but also having boundaries with the client until we’re done, then we can be friends. But you know, that’s, that’s a big, a big one that I have to work on consistently.

Michelle Kesil (16:10)
Yeah, and what types of projects are like the most common things people come to you for?

Emily Watson (16:17)
So I do a ton of kitchens and bathrooms. Like people come to me with the bougiest bathroom ideas ever that I’m like, that’s fun. Let’s do it. know? But yeah, tons of kitchen and baths. I’m doing a deck right now. And then I mentioned that vault project. So I’ve got like, I’ll do anything that come, you know, under the home renovation scope, but I do a lot of kitchens.

Michelle Kesil (16:42)
Yeah, and what’s the craziest or most out there project you’ve done?

Emily Watson (16:47)
Probably that round house. That was crazy. mean, everybody that came in to do like my shower glass guy was like, this would be a lot easier if your walls were straight. I’m like, yeah, I know, but they’re not so figured out, you know? So it’s just like the closets when I had to design the shelves, I was like drawing a triangular space that I had to, you know, make shelves fit in there. So that was probably the most out of the box. I would have people drive by and text me like, I just passed that house you’re building. So super cool, but very, very,

challenging and unique for sure.

Michelle Kesil (17:19)
Yeah, are you in creating like the whole process with like the architecture through finish?

Emily Watson (17:26)
Yes, so I do from the second I get a phone call, know, can you come look at renovating blah, blah, blah.

I meet with the client and then from that point I take it from start to finish. meet with the architect, I get plans drawn up, I do material takeoffs, I write up the budget, I write out the very detailed scope, I send everything to the client. I manage the contracts and paperwork, I do all of my own marketing on, mainly Instagram is my biggest, that’s where most of my clients come from, or word of mouth.

Yeah, I manage everything from architecture to picking out fixtures finishes to implementing it.

Michelle Kesil (18:09)
Yeah, amazing.

Emily Watson (18:10)
It’s really cool.

Michelle Kesil (18:11)
Yeah, absolutely. And where do you see this company going or growing into?

Emily Watson (18:19)
I mean, I think if I could dream it into existence, really would love to have, I used to joke like I want to build an empire, but truly I want a place, I have a heart for really women in particular, but people who believe that they can do something. I want to create a space where like,

people who are excited to grow, I have a company that can bring you in. Like whether it’s having the real estate branch or the vacation rental branch or, you know, having those opportunities within my business where people can come in and like we share ideas and we brainstorm and we.

throw spaghetti on the wall and see what sticks. You know, I love community and I love working closely with people. I would love to have my team of contractors, all my subs on staff. Like I would love to be to the level where I’ve got, you know, this umbrella company that in-house has, you know, the in-house plumber, the in-house electrician. I’ve got the real estate, the rentals, the design. So that’s really where I would love to be within the next 10 years.

years.

Michelle Kesil (19:30)
Perfect. Thank you for sharing all of that.

Emily Watson (19:33)
Of course.

Michelle Kesil (19:34)
Well, before we wrap up here, if someone wants to reach out, connect, and learn more, where can people find you?

Emily Watson (19:41)
So my website is thiswholehouse.com and then my Instagram is this_whole_house. And that’s where, you know, I’ve got all my work, all my stories every day are on job sites so they can see what exactly what I do every single day.

Michelle Kesil (20:00)
Perfect, well appreciate your time and your story. Thank you so much for being here.

Emily Watson (20:05)
Thank you, this was awesome.

Michelle Kesil (20:06)
Of course and for the listeners tuning in, if you got value, make sure you have subscribed. We’ve got more conversations with operators like Emily who are building real businesses. And we’ll see you on the next episode.