From Selling Homes to Preserving Independence: How a Real Estate Broker Is Helping Fort Myers Seniors Age in Place With TruBlue Home Service Ally Franchise

For 14 years, Zach Staruch has worked in real estate, helping clients find homes in Southwest Florida. But over time, he kept seeing the other side of that journey: retirees who had built lives in Florida reluctantly selling their homes and moving back up North when maintaining a house on their own became too difficult. The most common request from his real estate clients remained, “Do you know a good handyman?” Staruch began to see an opportunity to help people stay in the homes and communities they had chosen.

That opportunity led Staruch to TruBlue Home Service Ally, whose combination of handyman services, ongoing home maintenance and aging-in-place modifications addressed needs he was already seeing among his clients. An experienced entrepreneur, Staruch also knew he tended to reinvent processes himself. This time, he deliberately chose an established franchise system to follow rather than spend years building one from scratch.

The mission was personal, too. Staruch had watched his parents and in-laws deal with aging, health struggles and falls, and his mother, who lived independently in the Cayman Islands before her recent death, was exactly the kind of person he believes could have benefited from TruBlue’s services. By combining his real estate expertise with TruBlue’s home services model, Staruch is giving local families a single, dependable resource to help retirees remain independent, with long-term plans to expand into contiguous territories across Southwest Florida.

Staruch sat down with 1851 Franchise to discuss how his real estate career led him to TruBlue and why helping seniors remain safely at home has become a personal mission. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story in one sentence.

Zach Staruch: I’m a longtime real estate broker who kept seeing seniors forced to leave Florida because they couldn't manage their homes alone, so I launched TruBlue to give them a trusted partner so they can stay independent.

1851: What was happening in your life that made you realize it was time to make a change?

Staruch: Working in real estate for 14 years, the number one question clients always ask is, "Do you know a good handyman?" But the bigger issue I saw was how many people retire to Florida and then, as they age, realize they can't manage living alone anymore. They say, "I have to sell my home and move back up to Ohio or Michigan." Nobody wants to move back up North in January, but they feel forced to because that's where their support system is. Real estate and home maintenance are completely complementary, and I wanted to build something that actually helps people stay here longer.

1851: Why did you choose this franchise over every other opportunity?

Staruch: The senior safety mission hit close to home. Growing up, your parents feel larger than life, but as time goes on, you see them age and realize they aren't invincible. My in-laws live about an hour north of us, and seeing them deal with falls made the need for home safety very real. My own mom, who passed away recently, lived in the Cayman Islands, geographically close but hard to reach quickly, and she would have been the exact candidate for this service. Seeing firsthand how many seniors move out when they don't want to made TruBlue's focus completely click for me.

1851: What is it really like owning a TruBlue Home Service Ally franchise?

Staruch: I haven't had a W-2 corporate job in a long time, so I'm used to working for myself. One of my faults in the past was saying, "Corporate wants it done this way, but I can do it better my way." Buying into a franchise meant teaching myself a new mindset. TruBlue has around 160 locations and a proven playbook, so my job is to actually follow their system. When people offer unsolicited advice, I tell them, "No, I am doing what corporate says." Following their framework and being able to call other franchisees across Florida who are boots on the ground has made the whole process much smoother.

1851: How has owning this franchise changed your life?

Staruch: Outside of losing a little sleep during the launch phase, it gives me a real purpose. In real estate, I always saw people packing up and leaving. Now, I can actually help them extend their stay here. Nobody wants to go back to Wisconsin in January, so if I can help them extend their snowbird experience, stay with their local friends longer and keep year-round residents in the homes they've lived in for decades, everyone can be happy.

1851: If your best friend had enough money to buy this franchise tomorrow, what would you tell them?

Staruch: I'd tell them to go for it. Any time you invest significant money into building a business, you're going to question things and lose sleep. That’s just entrepreneurship. But I have zero regrets. I'm a big fan of the model, and my long-term goal is already set on acquiring additional contiguous territories right here in Southwest Florida.

1851: What's the one thing you wish someone had told you before you bought this franchise?

Staruch: Whenever anyone sells you anything, a car, a house or a business concept, they naturally highlight the good stuff. It's easy to focus on the ideal scenario and overlook the day-to-day grind. You're definitely going to put in the work, and it's never as effortless as it looks on paper. But the demand is real, the purpose is there, and I’m really glad I made the move.

About TruBlue Home Service Ally:

TruBlue Home Service Ally® provides a unique and affordable approach to helping busy adults and seniors live a worry-free life by offering trustworthy handyman, home maintenance and senior modification services. Helping you maintain your home both inside and out, TruBlue’s services include handyman projects and to-do list chores, preventive home maintenance programs, kitchen and bath remodels, seasonal work and senior modification services, all handled by professional, bonded and insured Tru-Pro® Technicians. TruBlue franchise owners are required to complete senior home safety certification programs through the NAHB and Age Safe America. As certified specialists, TruBlue franchisees are able to perform aging-in-place home safety assessments and can make recommended safety modifications as needed.