4410 Soper Ave
The Greater Nashville Realtors, once known as the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, is more than 130 years old and is the largest trade association in the city with 6,500-plus members.
The organization is led by Jarron Springer, who serves as CEO and manages a staff of some 16 employees. The group is charged with four fundamental services: professional development, communication, legislative involvement and ensuring its members adhere to the Code of Ethics.
The association has a board of directors consisting of 20 volunteer members, and the president of that board works with Springer in appointing chairpersons to the 14 various committees, working with local, state and federal elected officials in safeguarding home ownership and all of the complex challenges that homeowners face.
The Greater Nashville Realtors are aligned with the Tennessee Realtors and the National Association of Realtors, and this year the National Association of Realtors presented all Realtors with the most immense challenge in its history with its proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit.
The settlement proposed by the NAR call for it to pay $418 million while leaving 93 of the larger companies to pay millions more, with Berkshire Hathaway paying $250 million, Compass paying $57.5 million, Redfin $9.15 million and 90 other companies throwing money into the pot.
The changes in agent compensation and disclosure are at the foundation of the claim, and never have issues around a lawsuit been as misunderstood and misconstrued as these with misreporting and rumors flying rampant.
There to lead the Greater Nashville Realtors through this most challenging gauntlet was the 2024 president, Kevin Wilson. The road to presidency usually follows a path that begins with being elected to the board followed by years on the executive committee and then acceptance of the position of secretary-treasurer, followed by president-elect and, ultimately, the presidency.
The association could not have had a better person to lead it through the maze of attacks and accusations than Wilson, and his background groomed him for this role.
Born outside of Edmonton, Kentucky – population 1,048 with one traffic light – Wilson enlisted in the United States Navy two months after turning 18 and left for basic training the summer after graduating high school. He served on active duty in Rota, Spain, during the first Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm. He was never near direct conflict during his time in the military, but being a member of the armed forces during a time of war gave him a unique perspective and respect for what it means to serve.
Wilson served on active duty from 1988-1992 and as a member of the Navy Reserves for the following two years. During his time in the Reserves, he attended the University of San Diego, later completing a degree at Belmont University.
Before being licensed as a Realtor, he spent more than a decade in boutique and big-box retail management. Wilson was licensed in 2008 and baptized by fire, becoming a Realtor at the beginning of the Great Recession.
In 2017 he served on Professional Standards Committee and was selected as a member of Tennessee Realtors Leadership Academy later that year.
In 2019, he was elected to the board of directors, co-chaired the RPAC committee, served as liaison to the YPN Council and was a member of the Greater Nashville Leadership Academy. Five years later, he became president and had the plate of litigious goulash served him, which he has handled dutifully and remarkably well.
Wilson’s attitude toward the situation is that “The circumstances around the NAR settlement certainly brought challenges for members and leadership alike. But it has also brought opportunity.
“I am so grateful for the time that I have had with brokers and members talking about the path forward in the coming months and years. Although not ideal, it is times like these where members look to the association for clarity and direction. It has been my greatest honor to be able to lead through this time.”
Sale of the Week
Oak Hill real estate continues to post enormous sales figures, and last week was no exception with 4410 Soper Avenue closing for $3.8 million after Kristie Gogo of the ever-expanding Compass RE listed the property for $3.9 million. The demand for the area is so profound that the home sold in 16 days.
In order to gain such a significant number, houses must offer extravagance. The Soper house proves itself super with a swimming pool, three-car garage, 6,015 square feet and a 600-bottle wine cellar.
Wine rooms with that capacity are seldom in the Nashville area. If the buyer has a wine collection that includes 600 bottles, a place to safely store them would be worth as much as the 600 bottles. The collection alone could be $100,000. In that case this vintage 2024 home would be a necessity.
Debra Beagle of Gary Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage was the sommelier/Realtor representing the buyer of the winner cellar with five bedrooms and four and a-half bathrooms attached.
Richard Courtney is a licensed real estate broker with Fridrich & Clark Realty, LLC ad can be reached at [email protected].