Shelly Bearden is a living testimonial to the importance of location in real estate. She and her husband, Rob, who joined The Bearden Brand in 2019 after a long career in banking, bought their current house knowing only the address and what it looked like on the outside. They weren’t even allowed inside until 11 days after going under contract.
“I thought, as long as there’s not a dead body in there, that is where I want to be. And maybe even if there is a dead body in there I’ll still buy it,” she said. “The house is never going to be perfect, even if you build it. When you find a good house in a great location, buy it.”
Shelly started in new home sales right out of college, after learning about the opportunity at a career fair her senior year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
“There were three cute girls in business suits and I asked them what they did for a living,” she said. “They said they sold real estate so I said, well, let’s talk about it!”
The self-motivation required for a career in real estate is in her bones: She grew up working in the retail stores her entrepreneurial parents owned: eel skin products, pink ice, knives — you name it.
“No one in my family sat still. Everyone was driven to get after it,” she said. “After my dad retired from retail, he became a realtor in Knoxville.”
Shelly is proud that her team is known for finding buyers a house before it hits the market and working with all price points in all parts of town.
“I love being able to say that I sold someone their first home, then the home where they had their babies and now their forever home,” she said. “It means a lot to me to start and end with the same client — knowing they trust you to go through the process again and again and again. The callbacks from clients I worked with 15 years ago are the most fun to get.”
Photos taken at 414 Lynnwood Boulevard, an active listing in Belle Meade.
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