Pleasanton, CA — March 17, 2020 — NextHome is pleased to announce the newest addition to the franchise, NextHome On The Lake, based in Greensboro, Georgia. The brokerage represents the seventh office location opened in Georgia for the NextHome franchise.
Conveniently located halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, Greensboro is a small town filled with local southern charm. The brokerage is owned by 40-plus-year real estate veteran Jo Jones. From her centrally located office in Greensboro, Jo and her team of professional agents can serve clients across Greensboro, Madison, Eatonton, and Milledgeville in the four counties of Greene, Morgan, Putnam, and Baldwin.
Jo began her real estate career in the early 1980s, buying and then renting homes in Arlington, Texas. Eventually, she began working with Prudential Properties in Greensboro where she stayed for a year and a half. Her career then transitioned to another large, franchised brokerage before Jo settled in with a small independent office in Greensboro.
After several years of selling success, Jo opened her own brokerage in 2011 – Jo Jones & Company. The office filled the needs of a niche market in Greensboro, providing unparalleled service for short term vacation rentals.
By this time, Jo’s daughter, Tiffany, had joined the real estate industry and the mother and daughter duo began exclusively serving vacation rental owners.
“No one in the area had done much with the vacation rental business when we came in, organized the process, and became the biggest vacation rental business in a very short time,” Jo said.
This focus ended up being a savvy business maneuver at a time when the industry was riddled with foreclosures and homeowners struggled through The Great Recession.
“People were at risk of losing their homes, but we knew that this was a stunning, high-end, resort area with a lot of second and third homes, beautiful lake and golf retreats, and so much natural beauty it will take your breath away,” Jo recalled. “So we offered homeowners a way to cut expenses and create income without losing their homes. We knew when the market turned for the better these owners would become our sellers because of the wonderful relationship we had created with them.”
On the flip side, because a lot of people didn’t have the means to go on lavish vacations during the Great Recession, the concept of the “staycation” gained steam.
“The locals in the surrounding bigger cities, like Atlanta and Augusta, know and love this area, so we became the “go-to” staycation spot for Georgia,” Jo said. “Those guests became our buyers when the market turned positive again.”
In 2015 Jo and Tiffany divided the company with Tiffany assuming ownership of the short-term vacation rental business, rebranding to St James Vacation Homes. Jo retained the sales and long-term rentals. Even today the companies are exclusive partners to one another. In essence, the family owns all three pieces of an extremely robust real estate market.
After weathering the housing downturn, Jo knew it was time to take her marketing strategy to the next level.
“My weakness as an independent brokerage was robust marketing,” Jo said. “Anyone who owns an independent will tell you that it is a real struggle. I was really looking for someone who excelled in marketing.”
While researching real estate marketing online, Jo discovered NextHome’s mascot Luke.
“I’m a huge dog lover and that really got me looking at the franchise,” Jo recalled. “Luke caught my attention, but the rest of the tools and support that NextHome offered really pulled me in. NextHome made it so easy – it was exactly what I was looking for.”
Today, Jo is setting NextHome On The Lake apart by focusing on two specific aspects of the Lake County real estate economy – sales and long-term vacation rentals.
“My goal is to create great relationships, give everybody exceptional service, and let things go from there,” Jo said. “We don’t have to be the biggest, we just need to be the best.”
When she isn’t focused on her clients, Jo is known for her love of animals. She regularly rescues stray and abandoned dogs on the side of the road and currently resides with seven of them. She is an annual premier sponsor of the Mansfield Oil Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Jo has been married to her husband Jim for 44 years and together they have three daughters.
Please join us in congratulating Jo on the opening of NextHome On the Lake in Greensboro, Georgia!
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.