Hatteras Realty’s Relaunch

An Iconic Island Brand Returns to Local Hands

By Ann Wood

After more than a decade of corporate ownership and consolidation under national brands, one of Hatteras Island’s most trusted names is returning to its roots.

On November 1, 2025, Hatteras Realty, the company founded in 1982 by the late Stewart Couch and long known for its community spirit and down-to-earth service, was relaunched under local management. For islanders, homeowners, and longtime staff, it feels like a homecoming.

A Brand Built on Island Values

Stewart Couch was more than a business owner; he was a Hatteras Island native whose life was intertwined with the community he served.

Born and raised in Buxton, Stewart grew Hatteras Realty from a modest local office into one of the island’s most respected property management companies. He did this by following his founding principle of prioritizing service first. Stewart made sure that his company served the community by sponsoring local events, supporting school programs, and non-profit organizations, advocating for beach access, and celebrating the island’s way of life.

When he passed away suddenly in 2012, the island mourned a beloved leader.

Stewart Couch built Hatteras Realty on the belief that strong communities and strong businesses go hand in hand—a philosophy that guides the company as they reignite the brand values.

From Local Management to Corporate Consolidation

Following Stewart’s passing, Hatteras Realty was sold to Wyndham Vacation Rentals in 2014, marking its first transition to corporate ownership.

In 2019, Vacasa purchased Hatteras Realty from Wyndham and two years later, Vacasa expanded its reach by acquiring Outer Beaches Realty, another long-established and well-respected Hatteras Island company.

By mid-2022, the two legacy brands, both pillars of the Hatteras Island rental market for decades, were merged under the Vacasa name. The move marked the end of two locally founded brands whose identities were deeply tied to community and service.

As operations became centralized under corporate management, much of the decision-making, from marketing and pricing to guest and owner communications, shifted away from the local teams. Policies and pricing strategies were designed from a national perspective, often without an understanding of Hatteras Island’s unique seasonality, weather, or traveler behavior. Homeowners began to notice that their contract terms and rental rates no longer reflected local market conditions, and guests could sense the difference too.

When a guest called about a hot tub that wasn’t working or an air conditioner that failed mid-week, they often reached a call center hundreds of miles away—speaking with someone who had never seen the home or understood the local service-vendor relationships.

Without that local knowledge directing decisions, relationships that had been built over years began to fray. The “local touch” that defined Hatteras Realty and Outer Beaches Realty was missing, and for many on the island, it felt like the soul of the businesses had been lost.

2025: An Iconic Brand Returns to Its Roots

In early 2025, Casago, a national vacation rental franchising company, acquired Vacasa, introducing a model built on local ownership and on-the-ground management. By midyear, a North Carolina investor purchased the Hatteras Island franchise and made a defining choice: to bring back the iconic Hatteras Realty name, and with it, the local control that once defined it. From pricing and policy to guest and homeowner care, decisions are once again being made by people who live and work on the island.
The company officially relaunched on November 1st, 2025, and two weeks later, the community gathered to celebrate.

A Welcome Homecoming

On November 13th, the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hatteras Realty’s Avon office to officially launch the brand’s return to local hands.

The event drew a warm crowd composed of staff, homeowners, community members, and island leaders—many of whom had deep roots with the company going back decades. Guests enjoyed Crazy Johnny’s barbecue and live music by Micah Iverson, while kids played on the on-site playground and climbed the Avon Fire Department’s ladder truck parked out front for the event, creating the kind of laid-back, welcoming atmosphere that felt true to the island spirit.

Dustin James, Hatteras Realty’s General Manager, who lives in Frisco and coaches his kids’ sports teams, spoke about what it means to have local leadership shaping the company’s direction once again.

The Hatteras Realty team rejoices as they cut the Chamber of Commerce ribbon, marking the comeback of local leadership at the iconic brand.

“For the first time in years, the people making decisions about Hatteras Realty are the same ones standing in line at the grocery store, cheering at the ballfield, and walking the same beaches as our guests,” James said. “That local connection matters. It means every choice we make about staffing, maintenance, or guest care is rooted in experience gained from working on the island and in the community.”

In Dustin’s speech, he thanked his staff for their “adaptability and dedication to homeowners and guests through years of change and challenge”, crediting their “commitment and heart” for what carried the company forward.

Danny Couch, former Dare County Commissioner, longtime Hatteras Realty sales broker and staff member, and Stewart Couch’s brother, also addressed the crowd, reflecting on his brother’s legacy and what it means to see the company return home.

“Two critical parts of Hatteras Realty’s success were the ability to be relevant locally, and to establish sustainable relationships,” Couch said. “Civic involvement was a great source of pride for the home folks, and it invited homeowners and guests to feel part of the larger Hatteras Island family. Stewart would be over the moon and on cloud nine that the legacy and dream are front and center again.”

Dennis Robinson, Chair of the Dare County Tourism Board, and Chief Technology Officer at Midgett Realty, a fellow locally owned company on Hatteras Island, was also in attendance. When asked about the changes at the neighboring brand, he said, “When management decisions are made by people who live here, everyone benefits. It raises the level of professionalism island wide. When one brand returns to its roots, it lifts expectations for all of us. Rising tides really do lift all ships.”

Why Local Matters

Stewart believed that a company’s greatest investment was in its people. That spirit continues today, reminding the island that when businesses are locally led, they don’t just create jobs—they nurture livelihoods, strengthen community bonds, and reinvest in the place they call home.

For homeowners and guests, this relaunch represents a return to management decisions based on personal knowledge of their homes and the unique qualities of the island on which they sit.

For employees, it marks the return of leadership that values loyalty, fairness, and community engagement.

And for residents, it reaffirms the role of business as a neighbor, investing in schools, sponsoring events, and serving the island that supports it.

“Every time a local company invests back into this community, whether it’s through sponsorships, better staff opportunities, or just doing business face-to-face, it reinforces what makes Hatteras special,” James says. “It’s good for property owners, it’s good for visitors, and it’s good for all of us who call this place home.”

Author: Ann Wood