Pleasanton, CA— December 29, 2015 — NextHome is proud to announce our newest addition to the franchise, NextHome Custom Realty. This is the franchise’s 2nd brokerage in the state of Kentucky.
Owned and operated by 27-year real estate veteran, Carol Smith, the Frankfort-based brokerage will provide residential real estate sales to the cities of Frankfort, Georgetown, Versailles, Lawrenceburg, Midway and the remainder of Franklin County. Carol’s husband, Garth Vinson, will be working along side her in running the brokerage.
Carol started her real estate career in 1988 with a local Lexington commercial brokerage, The Webb Company. A year later, she moved her focus towards rental units as the manager of a property management company. Her property management portfolio included two large apartment complexes that exceeded 500 units.
While the real estate business was doing very well for Carol, the stress of managing hundred of units, rent collection, and evictions took its toll. Feeling frustrated and burned out, she walked away from the business in 1999 to pursue other passions.
In 1999, she started a retail business with a friend called Lucky Horseshoe Saddlery. The business did well and allowed her the flexibility she always wanted in a career. She helped grow the business and sold her shares of the company in 2002.
After selling the retail business, Carol started a career with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and was promoted to Operations Branch Manager due to her incredible work ethic. Over the next 13 years, Carol worked at some of the highest levels in state government. It was there that she would meet her future husband, Garth. The couple married in 2010.
A true entrepreneur, Carol began having the urge to return to real estate, but this time on her terms.
At the end of 2013, with Garth’s support, Carol returned to real estate as a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Preferred Realty. In 2014, her first full year back, she sold $3,000,000 in volume. Quite a feat considering the average sales price per home was $150,000. In 2015, Carol doubled the amount to $6,000,000 in volume.
Going back to that entrepreneur spirit of hers, Carol knew that if there were ever a time to open her own brokerage, now would be the time.
The couple considered adding a franchise brand to their new brokerage and was contacted by several companies who were interested in bringing them on board as a franchisee. Carol and Garth found the NextHome franchise through a random post that came through on her social media feed.
“We looked at what NextHome had to offer their franchisees and loved the technology that was offered,” recalls Carol. “Add in our local market knowledge and we think we have a brokerage that both clients and agents would want to work with.”
“In the time I have spent with Carol and Garth, I can tell you they are a passionate team that will bring huge value to their community,” said NextHome’s Vice President of Business Development, Imran Poladi. “To have a NextHome franchise in the state capitol represented by Carol and Garth, really is an exciting time for our company.”
When not selling real estate, the couple loves to travel.
Embracing diversity and introducing new experiences to their daughter, seventeen-year-old Cassidy, is incredibly important to them. They often travel as a family and have visited countries such as Honduras, Belize, and most recently the Dominican Republic.
“It’s very important for us as parents to expose our family to the diversity of cultures and customs of various countries,” said Garth.
Please join us in welcoming Carol and Garth and NextHome Custom Realty to the NextHome family!
Interested in being a part of the NextHome Real Estate Franchise? Contact VP of Sales Charis Moreno at Charis@NextHome.com.
Each office is an independently owned and operated business.