---
title: "Middle Tennessee Brokerage Joins Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/b3a29e9d-284c-475b-a355-74ffce3875c3
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20240222_middle_tennessee_brokerage_joins_better_homes_and_gardens_real_estate.html
category: "Real estate"
industry: "Business Services"
segment: "Real estate"
published: 2024-02-22T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T20:00:46.536Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1486406146926-c627a92ad1ab?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Middle Tennessee Brokerage Joins Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

**TL;DR:** A Middle Tennessee brokerage has joined Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, expanding its service area in the region. The brokerage is led by six principals, including Melissa Sterling, who serves as principal broker.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2024-02-22. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20240222_middle_tennessee_brokerage_joins_better_homes_and_gardens_real_estate.html).*

## Story

At the helm are six lifelong Volunteers, Melissa Sterling, who serves as principal broker, Jeff Hicks, David Bradford, Jordan Cooper, Reed Emerson and Leigh Kelly, a silent partner. The team’s professional experience includes management positions at the local, national and international scale, as well as decades of hyperlocal sales experience.

Under their leadership, the brokerage benefits from a family-like, person-centric company culture that allows agents to shine. The company’s local roots are a major part of the firm’s identity, as community residents recognize the brokerage’s affiliated agents as local experts in the nuanced history of the region’s market.

Many of the firm’s relationships are tied to local non-profit organizations. The company is a proud supporter of the Shelbyville Habitat for Humanity, the Veterans Council of Bedford County, the First Choice Pregnancy Counseling Center, Nourish Foodbank, and the Bedford County Early Head Start and Wartrace Head Start children’s program.

Shelbyville is known for its tight-knit, family-friendly atmosphere. The town exudes southern charm at a low cost of living with multiple major industries fueling the local economy, including manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. Located in the heart of Middle Tennessee, many properties are situated on large tracts of land with plenty of space, which is attractive to potential residents of all ages.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Business Services (sector)
- Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC (company)
- real estate franchise (topic)
- brokerage expansion (topic)
- local community involvement (topic)
- Middle Tennessee (location)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20240222_middle_tennessee_brokerage_joins_better_homes_and_gardens_real_estate.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/b3a29e9d-284c-475b-a355-74ffce3875c3).