Bobby Sisk's hobby turns into new business

Even as a kid growing up in Arkansas, Bobby Sisk was interested in real estate.

“My grandmother would get me notepads and I would draw house plans. Books and books of them.”

Sisk, who spent 11 years as a reporter at WCNC (Channel 36) and anchored the 5:30 p.m. newscast, left the station at the end of June for a career in home design.

He has started his own company, Bobby Sisk Design, which will specialize in interior decorating.

Sisk says he fell into the business. A few years ago, a friend in real estate sought his help in decorating vacant property to make it more appealing to potential buyers.

Sisk had a flair for the work and eventually wound up with a small warehouse in South End packed with furnishings.

Spiffing up property is a smart move in today’s real estate market, he says, and the investment can pay off in sales.

“Your goal is to sell it in a timely fashion and get the most amount of money, and this can help you. And the cost of services like this is often a lot cheaper that a cost reduction.

“And it’s a lot of fun. I’m having a blast doing it.”

At WCNC, Sisk developed a niche beat loosely based on “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” in which he would take viewers into high-end homes, some for sale in the millions of dollars.

Sisk says he will continue writing his Sunday column for job-hunters in the Observer’s business section.

This story was originally published July 6, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bobby Sisk's hobby turns into new business."