Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC has announced the affiliation of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills based in Hickory, North Carolina. The brokerage serves the Foothills region in the western part of the state, including Hickory, Newton, Conover, Granite Falls, Taylorsville, Maiden, Sherrills Ford, Hudson, Lenoir, Morganton, Valdese and Drexel.
The firm is owned and operated by Mike and Kathleen Kelly. Mike entered the real estate industry in 2006 after being in retail management and real estate investing; Kathleen followed in 2009 from a career in education. The following year, the couple founded their own independent firm, which has since grown to over 30 agents.
“Kathleen and I both believe one of the core tenets of being successful is never settling,” said Mike. “The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s motto ‘Be Better’ perfectly aligns with that philosophy. Our affiliation with the brand will not only elevate our reputation and increase our visibility, but it will also provide tools, technology and resources to help our affiliated agents become more successful.”
The Kellys plan to increase agent productivity by tapping into the BHGRE brand’s business-building resources, such as the learning platform Be Better University. They also intend to expand the firm’s service area through strategic mergers and acquisitions.
“While we have maintained our size and position over the last few years, we have not been able to move the needle on growth,” said Kathleen. “We realized we needed to think differently about the business and find some help bringing our business to the next level. The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand is a natural fit for Hickory’s historic neighborhoods and high-end lake homes, where design and craftsmanship are woven into the fabric of life.”
When it comes to reaching customers, the firm will be using PinPoint, a BHGRE tool that taps into consumer behavior data from Better Homes & Gardens magazine and its publisher Dotdash Meredith’s customer database. The firm says it will further enhance its social media presence with the brand’s digital marketing resources and assets. Mike also produces The Real Hickory Podcast, a monthly program that focuses on the people and events of the town with a real estate slant.
“Mike and Kathleen have done a tremendous job fostering a service-driven culture that prioritizes the needs of its clients beyond the homebuying and selling process,” said Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “As a new member of the Better Home and Gardens Real Estate family, the firm and its affiliated agents will have access to state-of-the-art technology, marketing resources and extensive learning opportunities to help drive continued growth. We’re excited to affiliate with Mike and Kathleen to help them realize their goal of becoming a regional brokerage in the foothills of western North Carolina.”
For more information, visit www.bhgre.com.
