REA is thrilled to annouce that Katie Zanone will be taking over the role of Principal Broker at our Farragut branch! 

Steve Fogarty, our longtime Farragut broker, has made the decision to transition the Principal Broker role at our Farragut office to the very talented Katie Zanone. Steve will continue to lead REA on the Executive team and be available to all agents. Steve has always been a formidable icon in the real estate industry in East Tennessee. Along with leading the company as President for the last 25 years, he has been the Principal Broker at the Bearden office (now West Hills) and, most recently, at the Farragut office. 

"Katie has long be prepared for this role, and I couldn't be more excited for her to take on this responsibility at the Farragut office," stated Justin Bailey, CEO.

From creating the HUB and Agent Assist to the countless number of projects she's launched at REA, Katie knows REA inside and out. If you think about her time at Agent Assist alone, Katie has reviewed, prepared, and consulted on more than four thousand contracts, often working on seventy to eighty deals at one time. 

Congrats, Katie! 

March 2025- Realty Executives Associates is proud to announce the promotion of Kyle Basila to Vice President, Head of Brand and Operations at REA. 

From leading communication efforts and marketing as Director of Communications to now overseeing brand strategy and operational excellence, Kyle continues to shape REA's vision with creativity, clarity, and commitment.

Kyle started at REA in the fall of 2020, and stepped into his Director role in 2021. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Kyle played a key role in REA's robust communcation campaigns involving the NAR settlement. Kyle was named a 2025 RisMedia National Newsmaker, serves on the Dogwood Arts board of directors, and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. 

Kyle will contiue to lead our internal marketing deparment, while also crafting our brand on the East TN and national level. His new role will consist of higher leadership, and the firm is excited to see the bold ideas he will bring to the table.

Congrats, Kyle!  

Tennessee Smokies Announces Partnership With Realty Executives

Knoxville, TN —  August 12, 2024 — Realty Executives, a leading real estate firm in East Tennessee, is excited to announce its newest sports affiliation with the Tennessee Smokies, East TN's Minor League Baseball team. This strategic alliance marks the second professional sports team affiliation for Realty Executives, reinforcing its commitment to local sports and community engagement.

Starting this season, Realty Executives will be an official partner of the Tennessee Smokies. The Tennessee Smokies are set to play their future seasons at the new mixed-use stadium in Downtown Knoxville. This move is expected to draw more fans and community members to downtown events, benefiting local businesses and enhancing community spirit.

"Realty Executives has always believed in the power of community. Our partnership with the Tennessee Smokies represents that," said Justin Bailey, CEO of Realty Executives. "This collaboration is not just about placing our name alongside the Smokies but about making a positive impact in the community that we serve."

Realty Executives partnership with the Tennessee Smokies will include various collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing the fan experience and engaging the community through baseball. 

"It’s an exciting time for Knoxville sports, and we are proud to be a part of it,” stated Bailey. 

Media Inquiries:

Kyle Basila (Kyle@RealtyExecutives.com)

Realty Executives in Knoxville is the #1 local real estate company and the 47th largest in the entire nation (out of over 350,000) Source:RISMedia. Justin Bailey is the CEO of the network, which includes 1,000 agents and 18 offices. 

Moments That Made Her with Chris Hauck- Realty Executives West Hills

Welcome to this month's edition of our Moments That Made Her blog, where we learn more about the moments that impacted successful women within our brokerage. This month, we get to hear from Chris Hauck, a top agent based out of our West Hills office.

Robert Dawson (Dawson Ford Garby Realtors), my agent in VA who became a dear friend.  We spent so many months looking for the right house. I pushed him, he pushed me. When I made the decision to move back to Knoxville he declared that my next move was real estate.  He persisted. And I am so glad he did! 

 

My idol growing up was my Aunt Lily - she was an amazing woman who took control of her life and made it fabulous.  After a divorce in the 1940s, she moved to LA with two small children and a dream.  She became executive assistant to the president of IBM on the west coast with two assistants of her own and an amazing office overlooking Marina Del Ray. Eventually remarrying, they lived in Bird Land (in the Hollywood Hills) during the week and in Carmel on the weekends. In retirement, she embraced art and became a fabulous painter, teaching special classes at ULCA periodically. I had a front row seat to her curiosity about life, constant growth, and love of all things beautiful

Curious, Change agent, Goal-oriented 

5. Looking back, what is your favorite real estate memory or moment?

I LOVE change and embrace it with enthusiasm while most fear and avoid it.  My favorite real estate moments are when a client has faced a BIG transition and comes out on the other side stronger and more confident.  It is extremely important to me to provide support and resources to help them succeed. That is why I renew my license every two years!

5. What advice would you give other agents in this industry?

a) Build relationships with your clients. Stay in contact with them - really connect to build a business that will sustain you.

b) Resist fads and jumping on every bandwagon out there.  Decide WHO you are and embrace it. Your clients will know you're genuine and will support you!

c) PARTICIPATE - get to know a great circle of agents in the market. Attend company functions, KAAR events, participate in committees, etc. It will make your business so much easier to navigate when you know who is submitting an offer on your listing

d) Be the agent who other agents love to work with! Answer phone calls, emails, texts. Some of my best referral partners are former Realtors!

e) Take time to breathe and enjoy this amazing profession. 

 

Chris Hauck | May 2023 | cbhauck@aol.com | 124 N Winston Road Knoxville, TN 37919

Defining Why with Hank Fennell- Realty Executives Farragut

Welcome to this month's edition of our Defining Why blog, where we peel back the layers of our top agents and learn more about why drives them. This month, we sat down with Hank Fennell, Realtor with REA.

I got my real estate license because I was already doing association (neighborhood) management and figured it would pair well with it. I also knew real estate would be a more fun and fulfilling personal interaction! Real estate is also very flexible and brings along many other opportunities that other careers just provide.  

I really enjoy working with friends and referrals to help navigate through the buying or selling process. I believe in real estate and am passionate about it, and love spreading that passion to others. It's been fun to see clients, friends, and family pursue their own goals in real estate - whether it's because they have become agents themselves or it's because they've started to build their own real estate portfolio to use as an investment vehicle for passive income.

 

I'm a very competitive person, so I always find myself trying to surpass my sales number from the year before, but I don't intentionally or specifically challenge myself other than that. I feel that if you treat people right, you will always have enough business coming your way anyway! 

Intentionally schedule time with friends and family in advance. We all have enough things to do that if we aren't intentional with relationships, they will get pushed to the side more often than not. 

 

Hank Fennell | April 2023 | hank@fennellpm.com | 10255 Kingston Pike