Pleasanton, CA — April 16, 2020 — NextHome is pleased to announce the newest addition to the franchise, NextHome Assurance Realty, based in Jacksonville, Florida. The brokerage represents the 71st office location opened in Florida for the NextHome franchise and the 459th NextHome office opened nationally.
NextHome Assurance Realty will serve residential, commercial, and multi-family clients across northern Florida including Duvall, Clay, and St. John’s counties.
NextHome Assurance Realty is owned by Andrew Bell, a Florida native who has been helping area buyers and sellers since 2003.
“Jacksonville is a wonderfully unique city,” Andrew said. “I am thrilled to be able to serve clients here.”
Andrew began his career in the mortgage business in 2003, and in 2005 he was recruited to open a new title company office in Jacksonville. During that time, Andrew was recognized for his outstanding work by the Northeast Florida Association of REALTORS®. In 2007, he was named Business Partner of the Year and in 2009 he was recognized as Affiliate of the Year.
After seven years in the mortgage and title industry, Andrew obtained his real estate license and transitioned to real estate sales, working with a regional independent brokerage.
As a dedicated full-time father, Andrew spent his first years in real estate sales balancing his career progress with his kid’s needs. As his children grew, so did Andrew’s business.
In 2014, he began training, then became an assistant manager, and then manager.
When he started in leadership, the brokerage had about 30 agents. In November 2019, it had grown to 45 agents. In addition, the brokerage began a real estate school and Andrew was tasked with building out the material and training.
Although he loved his job, the long hours and demands on his family life began to wear on Andrew.
“I began to miss the flexibility that came with sales,” Andrew said. “My kids, although they were older, were also home on their own during the summers and that was difficult for me.”
Andrew began to mull over how he could both build his career and find time for his family.
Then, a good friend told Andrew she was ready to convert her independent brokerage into a NextHome franchise.
“I told her that was the dumbest thing you could do,” Andrew recalled with a smile. “It all seemed too good to be true.”
Soon, NextHome Arrowsmith Realty in Apopka, Florida thrived under the direction of Natalie Arrowsmith and Andrew began to think NextHome might be a good option for him too.
“I reached out to Natalie and asked if she was happy with the decision she made,” Andrew said. “She said yes and that she had just signed her five-year commitment.”
After talking with other friends who had joined NextHome, Andrew knew he had found the right opportunity.
“The difference with NextHome is that it gives you the flexibility to operate as an independent, but with the support of a franchise,” Andrew said. “That was huge for me.”
Today, Andrew is using NextHome’s flexibility and support to provide superior client experiences.
“Buying a home is typically the single most expensive transaction that someone will make in their lifetime, and that experience leaves a lasting impression – positive or negative,” Andrew said. “With my background working in the title business, I’m able to provide my clients with a well-rounded experience and give them understanding through every single step.”
Andrew has spent more than a decade serving and leading in various state and local organizations. He has been actively involved with the Women’s Council of REALTORS® Florida since 2006, and in 2019 Andrew became the organization’s first and only male president. In addition, NextHome Assurance Realty is a proud supporter of In The Pink – an association that helps women struggling with cancer.
Andrew will celebrate 19 years of marriage this April with his wife Kristy. Together, they are the proud parents of two girls and one boy. Their oldest daughter, Anna-Marie Ashley, passed away as a prematurely-born infant; she would be 17 this year. The Bell’s second child, Katlynn, is 14 and their son, Andrew William, is 11.
“Losing a child, and realizing how precious that time with them is, really changed how I approach life,” Andrew said. “Making money is important, but my true richness comes from my family.”
Please join us in congratulating Andrew on the opening of NextHome Assurance Realty in Jacksonville, Florida!
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.