An unfilled niche in the real estate industry?! Explains Nick Calvi, “My wife and I were in between homes and in need of a comfortable furnished home for three to four months. We found the process to be very frustrating, calling and emailing owners and property managers, not getting any response. This created extra stress in an already very stressful time. We thought it should not be this hard to have a central website people could go to and find all the homes that fit their criteria, apply, book and pay online.”
So, in October 2018, Calvi founded Tweener Homes. The company is the first technology-based real estate brokerage with a sole purpose to offer a stress-free process for people to rent a furnished home and for people who want to rent out their furnished home — on a monthly basis.
Calvi was already well versed in the real estate industry as a licensed and experienced real estate agent. But to start Tweener Homes, he first needed to obtain a broker license. Next, having established his real estate brokerage with the Arizona Department of Real Estate and obtaining insurance coverage, the next challenge was marketing.
“Getting the word out on what we do is challenging,” Calvi says. He worked with a marketing and branding company on website, imaging and marketing collateral. “People need our service, but letting them know we are here and what we do is a challenge — having people believe in what your business is all about and how we can make their lives easier, better.” He focuses on meeting this challenge one person at a time, to “get the word out with what we do, and then execute.”
Shares Calvi, “After two years of laying the foundation for the business, I want progress and growth to happen quickly. I have a vision for where I want the company to be and want to wiggle my nose and make it all happen. Unfortunately, that only gives you a wrinkled nose! The best advice I was given was ‘enjoy the journey,’ which I keep reminding myself of every day.”
