Jessica Koltun loves demolition. She rarely misses the day when it’s time to knock down walls and rip out drywall.
“It’s probably my favorite part of the job,” she joked. “Everything after that is just madness and crazy.”
Managing that madness and craziness is what Koltun does best. On New Year’s Day 2017 she founded Demo Dallas, a company that provides turnkey real estate, design, and construction services. Depending on her client’s needs, she may handle part or all of those responsibilities on any given project.
A Michigan native who spent time in California and Las Vegas, Koltun moved to Dallas two and a half years ago after earning her real estate license. She is currently an agent for The Associates, where she closed more than $1 million in investment deals last month.
“My background is in interior design and luxury remodels,” she said. “I really wanted to get involved in real estate because I have a passion for it and I was doing so much work in remodels.”
Koltun describes here design style as “country contemporary” (trademark pending). It combines modern finish-outs and materials with country elements like wood accents, modern lanterns, and unique lighting.
“We are in Texas so I wanted to stay true to that country element that we have here but also make it more updated and current to what we want in Dallas, so we blend it with contemporary style,’ she said.
During the early days of her business, she found herself unsatisfied with some of the general contractors that she worked with. When she interviewed others, their pricing was often outrageous. Her solution? Handle the responsibilities herself.
“Being a woman in this industry, especially construction, is very challenging,” Koltun said. “You get a lot of misinformation, overcharges, and people trying to take advantage of you.”
These days, Koltun typically handles four to six projects at a time. She works on both her own properties and those owned by investors that she works with. Going forward her goal is to continue to garner more attention and earn bigger jobs. She will soon begin work on a large Highland Park home that will be one of her biggest projects to date.
She also hopes to show others out there looking for something more than their day jobs how real estate investing is both rewarding and fun.
“Every single day there’s a challenge and a surprise,” she said. “The only thing that I know to be true in this industry is to expect the unexpected.”
