One visionary saw a niche in the real estate industry and took a different route to build his business through passion, persistence, and a sharp eye for opportunity. While others pivot to starting real estate teams after years of grinding to exhaustion, Tyler Coon of Savvy STR Agents found his calling early and has doubled down since.
Founded in 2019, Savvy specializes in one thing: helping clients discover and invest in profitable short-term rentals (STR). Today, the firm has grown to have agents across the U.S., from the Carolinas to California, making it one of the nation’s leading agencies focused on STR investing.
Back in 2020, amid the uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic, Coon began working with a doctor who wanted to relocate to Asheville. Plans changed, and together they started searching for short-term rental investments instead. That search quickly became a passion. “I fell in love with the process. Running the numbers, looking for value-add opportunities,” he shares. “Especially in Asheville, where there weren’t many turnkey options, we had to find the diamond in the rough and make them shine.”
While most agents in his market were focused on traditional real estate, Coon saw a gap. He realized not many in the region were truly specializing in STRs. So, he proposed to his business partner that they shift their entire model, and got a negative response. “He told me it would never work. It’s too niche, too risky,” he recalls. Fast forward to today: Savvy is one of the top-producing real estate agent companies in North Carolina, thanks to Coon, and has grown into a nationwide force.
What makes Coon’s story especially unique is that he didn’t start Savvy to escape the grind; he thrives in it. Despite leading a multi-state team, he’s still personally closing deals. “In this industry, a lot of people grind until they burn out, and then they build a team to step away. That’s not me,” he says. “I’m in it because I love it. And because I’m in the field, I know the numbers inside and out, may it be what the properties cost, what they make, or how to optimize them. That’s what sets us apart.”
Coon’s journey hasn’t just been about volume; it’s been about building a better experience. By 2022, as the white-hot STR market cooled, many clients from the boom years started needing help. Not just buying properties, but operating them. “We realized we needed to show up better after the sale,” Coon says. “So we doubled down on post-close support.”
That shift included hiring more staff, creating message groups for clients to share local recommendations, and even visiting properties after they launch as STRs. It wasn’t just about being helpful; it was about creating a community. And it worked.
This commitment to community and support has created a powerful referral engine, helping Savvy maintain strong sales even during market slowdowns. “By focusing on relationships, my clients talk about me, refer me, and I do just as much business with less hustle.”
Among the many standout listings Savvy has taken on is the Mirror Hotels, a striking architectural project and one of the highest-grossing Indiegogo campaigns in its category. “These are the types of listings that excite me,” he says. “They’re different, they push boundaries, and they bring in high ROI for our clients.”
Furthermore, recognizing the information gap many aspiring STR investors face, Coon recently published a guidebook – How To Sell Your Short Term Rental For More Money – to help demystify the process. “We’ve literally written the book on how to do this,” he says. The book joins a growing library of educational resources Savvy STR provides to empower its community of investors, many of whom are first-timers. “There’s this belief that you have to choose between scale and service. But we’ve proven you can treat clients with respect, give them the tools they need, and still build a business that performs.”
Truly, Savvy STR Agents isn’t just a real estate company; it’s a movement within the investment community. A reminder that when you lead with passion, build real relationships, and embrace the details, success follows.
And for Tyler Coon, the treasure hunt continues.
