Today we’d like to introduce you to Edwin Tatum.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
DETATE really started out of necessity than my desire to be a builder. I was struggling emotionally when I entered the industry because I just suffered a career ending injury to my professional basketball career. I wanted to do something to numb the pain but also look for replacement income since I had to find a new career. A friend introduced me to wholesaling properties and I immediately “fell in love” as it were. This segued into fix/flip and ultimately more substantial development transactions as I gained exposure and experience.
As I traversed the real estate landscape, I noticed how few homes were built with modern and contemporary design. The homes that were built that way had an overwhelming flow – nobody knew who built it. There wasn’t anything the average consumer to look at the connect this beautiful art with a brand. I found this to be an incredible opportunity to create a brand following, but also construct “art” people can live in. When one considers 90% of homes in the South, Midwest, and Southeast are traditionally designed, my thesis gained momentum.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not. The entrepreneur’s road is filled with hazy fog, dense trees, obscure trajectories, and pervasive landmines. I aim not to be hyperbolic, but to authentically share that it’s not sunshine and daffodils. I ask myself quite often why I nominated myself for this level of stress and suffering. The levels of suffering are polynomial in nature, so its difficult to pinpoint one thing.
A couple of factors that proved to be difficult is there aren’t many developers in Dallas, or the country, that are the minority and it’s even less that are millennial – so there were cultural and age headwinds I had to navigate. Last, but certainly not least, was lack of capital. While many entrepreneurs face this obstacle, it’s especially tough in my industry because real estate is so capital intensive. Coming from the entertainment industry, I didn’t have the head start to build relationships with people who possessed said capital; hence my reason for pursuing my Executive MBA @ SMU.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the DETATE story. Tell us more about the business.
I like to say we are a builder of art people get to live in! We exclusively focus on modern design (innovative considering my earlier point) and we invest heavily in tech, consumer interface and manufacturing advantages. There are three principles our organization stands on that feed all the rest – Design, Innovation and obsessive customer centricity or customer delight.
I’m most proud of our pursuit to give back and our commitment to diversity. All of these are advantages that make us different, especially from a diversity standpoint. Allowing more inclusive environments for women and minorities to lead brings intellectual advantages not truly seen in our industry – allowing us to resonate more with our consumers since both segments truly hold a majority worldwide.
Pricing:
- The NEO will cost consumers 250-500k while the PHOENIX will cost 500K-2M+. This is relative because the main driver of price is where you want to live, and land values aren’t consistent across geographical areas.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1920 McKinney Ave., 7th floor Dallas, TX 75201
- Website: http://www.detate.com/
- Phone: 972-316-9505
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detatepropertygroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/detatepropertygroup/
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