Katelyn Jenkins’ path into real estate began at Appalachian State University. Like many college students, she wasn’t clear on her career path; she eventually elected to study public relations with a minor in Spanish. During her time as a student, she accepted a part-time job as an apartment leasing agent. Unbeknownst to Katelyn, this would be the first step toward a fulfilling career in real estate.

 

By the time she graduated from Appalachian State in 2018, Katelyn had fallen in love with the mountains. She wasn’t ready to return home, so she landed work as a real estate paralegal at a Boone attorney's office.

 

“I was excited for the opportunity to learn something new. I loved meeting new people from all over the world who shared the same love for the North Carolina mountains as I did. I'm a people person, and I can talk to anyone, so I decided this was a great first full-time job opportunity,” Katelyn reflects.

 

Over the next three years, Katelyn was immersed in the inner workings of real estate transactions from a legal standpoint. She helped people buy and sell homes while learning about financing and cash purchases, estate sales, refinances, HELOCs, 1031 exchanges, and seller document preparation.

 

“I got my hands in every little bit of it,” she explains.

 

Katelyn decided to return home to Browns Summit in the fall of 2020, where she landed a position as an administrative assistant for an Allen Tate REALTOR®. That eventually led her into real estate sales.

 

“The more I worked as an assistant, the more I felt like I was capable of managing my own business. So I got licensed in June 2021, breaking out on my own and giving it a shot.”

 

Katelyn has now been selling real estate for nearly two years. In 2022, her first full year in the business, she closed $6 million. She’s overcome the fear of starting her own business, achieving more success than she dreamed by caring for her clients and putting in the daily work.

 

“When I started out, I was scared to death. I worried, ‘Am I making a mistake? Can I do this by myself?’ Then I thought, ‘I'm just going to go all in and see what happens.’ I started this career path on my own, and I've helped way more people than I ever anticipated,” Katelyn says proudly. “I’ve had success because I'm personable with my clients. I'm not just here to sell them a house or put a sign in their yard. I care about who they are as a person. I ask meaningful questions, and I dig into motivations. I want folks to feel comfortable, confident, and educated about these life-changing decisions they are making.”

 

Now that her real estate career is off the ground, Katelyn is looking forward to broadening her horizons. She’s begun working with investors and doing land deals in addition to selling single-family homes.

 

Outside work, Katelyn enjoys traveling with her boyfriend, Bryce, and their two dogs, Ansley and Lady. She also enjoys baking, cooking, live music, hiking, fishing, hunting, and kayaking. Although she takes regular trips to the mountains, she’s happy to be back in her old stomping grounds of Browns Summit.

 

“I was sad to leave the mountains. I’d been there for six years and built a life there. But when I returned home, I started reconnecting with people I hadn't talked to in years. I’m close to my family, and now I have two little nephews that I get to watch grow up. I didn't anticipate making new friends back in my hometown, but I've made new connections, rekindled old ones, and discovered new parts of the Triad that I've never seen or experienced before. Real estate has really refueled my love for this place.

 

“Now, as a REALTOR®, I get to show people why this is such an awesome place to live. I'm really excited to be here.”

 

 

“I pour 100% of myself into nurturing meaningful relationships. People tell me the little stuff that matters to them, and I listen. I'm always trying to make somebody's day better. I'm a caregiver by heart. I love taking care of people and going the extra mile to show them they’re important to me.”