Broker Byron Kelly says half of his childhood memories revolve around real estate – including those surrounding family vacations. The son of two brokers, he recalls sitting in the back seat of the family vehicle, clutching his suitcase and demanding his parents leave town. For them, the final hours before starting a break were a whirlwind of phone calls, trips to the office and feverish minutes at a copy machine.
“If you want to triple your business, then plan a trip, and two days before you leave, you’ll get really busy,” he says.
So when the time for Kelley to make his own way in the world arrived, he made a beeline away from real estate. After a brief courtship with academia at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, he also left his home of Signal Mountain and moved to the west coast.
“I wanted to get as far away from Chattanooga and real estate as possible,” he says.
Ten years, 10 jobs and one college degree in geography later, he returned to Tennessee, ready to embrace the family business.
“I made sure I understood myself before I came back,” he says.
Kelley and his wife were planning to move overseas, but when 9/11 happened, they decided to stay stateside. He was OK with their choice, as his hometown had gone through a transformation as well.
“When I left, the Tennessee Aquarium was open, and that was it. Ten years later, Chattanooga was a brand new city. It was vibrant. Family brought us back, but our love of this city has kept us here,” he says.
Over the last decade, Kelly has worked his way through the ranks to become managing broker of the Riverfront office of Prudential Realty Center, which his parents, Ben and Karen, own. Although he’s the man in charge, he still does deals here and there to stay current.
“We believe in a working broker because you have to know the needs of your agents. If I’m to understand how the mortgage industry is pushing deals down the road, then I need to be in the thick of things,” he says.
Kelly has worked hard to establish his own identity in the company. He didn’t want his peers to think of him as “Ben and Kelly’s son,” but as “Byron Kelly, managing broker.” To earn their respect, he’s developed a “compendium of knowledge” he now shares with his agents.
“There are people here who cut my hair when I was a kid. When you hang around the legends long enough, you learn things,” he says.
One thing Kelly has learned is the burden that comes with being a broker. His position gives him a bird’s eye view of the branch at which he works, and reveals challenges in need of a solution, such as the diminishing number of agents. While he seems too laid back to let the issue keep him up nights, it does weigh on his mind.
“We have about 30 agents,” he says, wincing.
The solution to shoring up his cadre of Realtors is simple: he wants to create the office of the future.
“The last few years have been hard on the industry. Our job is to begin thinking about how we’re going to respond. For me, the challenge lies in creating opportunities that will allow agents to have the kinds of careers our legends have had – careers that span 30 years or more,” he says.
He picks up a drawing of his vision as realized by his 4-year-old daughter, Harper. Sketched in messy lines and loops on a piece of orange construction paper, its most prominent feature is the play room in which the young girl will spend her time when she goes to the office with her dad. While sloppy, the drawing makes an elegant point: the office of the future is about making the Riverfront branch an ideal place to be.
“How we use our square footage is important. Every bit of it needs to be productive. If it isn’t, then it’s a resource drain,” he says.
Kelly wants to create an office where it’s a pleasure for agents and clients to meet and do business. He also wants to encourage collaboration between agents. And he wants to build a relaxing environment in which agents can work without the noisy distractions of a home office.
“We’ll need to strike a balance. Collaboration can be loud, but we also need tranquility,” he says.
Kelly is getting help creating his office of the future. Brookfield, which purchased Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services last year, is spending money to create a technologically cutting-edge company. Kelly is excited about what this means for his agents. “Technology has changed the industry. It’s changed the dynamic between agents and clients. And our tools are getting better month by month,” he says.
In addition to his role as managing broker, Kelly is an active member of his professional community. His current roles include secretary treasurer of the Multiple Listing Service and member of the board of the Greater Chattanooga Area of Realtors.
When Kelly isn’t working, he’s either setting up house at the North Chattanooga home into which he and his family recently moved or relaxing. He and his wife and kids like being outdoors, especially when it involves swimming, hiking, or creek walking on their property in the Sequatchie Valley. Kelly also frequents the Tremont Tavern, where he picks up his Realtor gossip, and takes advantage of opportunities to enjoy local food and music.
Ten years, two kids and two houses later, Kelly is glad he moved back to Chattanooga and took a job in real estate. Although his office is still working its way out of the rough patch the industry has experienced, he’s bullish on the market and sees good things happening over the next few years. He’s also grateful for the life real estate has afforded him.
“If it weren’t for real estate, I wouldn’t be living in a house I love, I wouldn’t be collaborating with this group of amazing professionals and I wouldn’t still be learning from the people who taught me about life when I was young. I’ve never been happier.”