By Misty Woodard

As a REALTOR®, my job is to be the agent for individuals in the purchase and sale of land and buildings. However, I would never define myself by what I do in selling real property. I am proud to be a third-generation REALTOR®, a friend and mentor who walks alongside clients in purchasing their largest financial asset, but more importantly, the place they build their hopes, love and dreams.

 

I am Misty Woodford, the current President of Williamson County Association of REALTORS®. As I stated before, I am a third-generation REALTOR®. I am also the widow of a residential contractor and fellow REALTOR®, Jeff Woodford, with JPWoodford & Co. We have helped people buy and sell many homes in the area and hung drywall, painted and remodeled even more of them. I am the mother to Lexi Kate, a sophomore at Battle Ground Academy; Sam, an eighth grader at Legacy Middle School; Bentley, a two-year-old Labradoodle; and Cutie, an eight-year-old Shipoo.

I am actively involved in the Preschool and High School ministries at Rolling Hills Community Church (RHCC) and serve on the RHCC Leadership Team. I have also volunteered many hours at my kids’ schools, serving as past PTO President or Leadership Team at Moore Elementary, Freedom Intermediate, Thompson’s Station Middle and Legacy Middle. 

 

I live in South Franklin near the Berry Farms area with my two kids and two dogs. I love living in this area because of the rolling hills and gorgeous sunsets I see off my front porch at night. The cows I hear in the morning and even the deer eating in my backyard garden remind me of growing up in a farming community in Western Kentucky. Yet, being less than five minutes from Publix, Chick Fil A, my favorite clothing boutique, the best Tito’s Margarita and the interstate provide us with many of the conveniences we have come to love and appreciate in middle Tennessee. And, I will argue with just about anyone that Franklin has the very best Main Street in the nation. I was born and raised in Kentucky, but my heart has absolutely found its home in Franklin, Tennessee.

I began my career in Tennessee residential real estate in 2007 after having my first child. I did not want to return full-time to my nonprofit job but also wanted to work and help support our family. Having a background in real estate, a love for investing in people and my husband owning a construction company, it was a natural progression. Once my kids were settled into school, I began diving into real estate full time and became involved in the Williamson County Association of REALTORS®(WCAR). I am a firm believer that I have a responsibility to give back to the industry and Association that has allowed me to provide an amazing life for my family.

WCAR is essentially a trade association for those who work in real estate in the area. REALTORS® must be members of a local association, agree to adhere to a Code of Ethics and invest in their continuing development. Many consumers do not often realize that most agents are about far more than selling houses. We are passionate philanthropists, involved in multiple aspects of our community, and generous in supporting the arts, school programs, animal shelters and charity organizations across the country. Through WCAR, we coordinate community service activities, such as: installing bike repair stations along riding trails in many of our public parks, delivering meals to first responders, having school clean up days and raising money to buy playground equipment at our local public schools. Through our Realtor Good Works Foundation, which is the charitable arm of WCAR, we raise over $20,000 each year to give scholarships to local high school students. We are also active community advocates involved in our local government and advocacy efforts. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) is one of the most effective advocacy organizations in the country, and the REALTOR Political Action Committee is one of the largest PACs in the nation. WCAR is important to our members as we help them advance their careers in real estate and equip them to serve their clients well. More importantly, WCAR is essential to the community because we support what makes Williamson County the best place to live. We are fighting for the private property rights of our neighbors daily. We are staying informed on what is going on with our local municipalities, county, state and nation regarding land development and restrictions, taxation and other legislation that may affect homeowners.

You may have noticed people moving to Williamson County and the Nashville area in droves. Why? Because the best-kept secret in the world got out. Not only is this a beautiful part of the country, but it is also a fabulous place to live and work. All of the inward migration has created an exciting housing market. For the first time, the average home sale price in Williamson County has stayed consistently above the $1 million mark for most of this year. But, as the country talks of inflation and tanking markets, what can we expect to happen here? Take a breath, folks. We are going to be okay. Is normalization happening in our industry? Yes. Are current interest rates affecting consumers’ ability to purchase? Of course. But, it is not time to panic. Just ask anyone who bought a home in the late 80s what a reasonable interest rate was. A balanced real estate market is considered to have a four to six-month supply of inventory. Williamson County has just under a two-month supply, creating a significant inventory shortage. Although we have seen average sales price increases yearly by over twenty percent, even a considerable slow down still makes real estate a wise investment. Because of Williamson, Inc.’s great work in recruiting headquarters and jobs to our area, we will continue to experience growth. Our location amid major interstate corridors, access to an international airport, vibrant rail system and water transportation will keep middle Tennessee above the bar of any economic decline that other areas see. We still have very stable industries, favorable tax structures, a financially stable local and state government, and the best school system in the state, all of which provide buffers for the housing market.

 

I am speaking for myself, but I would also be willing to say I speak for over seventy-five percent of the 3,200 REALTORS® in Williamson County. We are not out here selling houses to earn big commission checks. Instead, we are investing in the lives of our clients. Sometimes showing hundreds of properties over a series of years, all without getting paid, to find that one special place that meets the needs of the client we have come to love as part of our own family. We work a flexible job so we can commit to serving on boards and in organizations outside our day job to help make this community a place we all want to live and work. And we not only give generously of our time, but we also give of our money to support your kids’ school fundraisers, the Heritage Foundation or local churches and nonprofits that are doing good to help the people in our community. It is  more than houses. It is helping you find a home. And, we are blessed to walk in your journey and get compensated to do so.