Our History

Helen Adams Realty was founded over three decades ago in the growing city of Charlotte. Since its inception, the com­pany established a reputation for providing the highest level of personal service and real estate expertise. Today, the company is ranked as a Top 10 Real Estate Firm in the Nation for the delivery of exceptional customer service. Helen Adams Realty has become one of the most respected real estate brokerages in the region with office locations in Central, North and South Charlotte.

"I feel rewarded that I have been able to start a career and meet the competition head on as I have…I’m the eternal optimist. I believe there is something good in life for me to give and get. Now I have a better insight into what life’s all about. It has been an education, one that I value."
-Helen Adams Dec. 29, 1976

Helen Adams, a 6th generation Charlottean, founded her company over three decades ago in the growing city of Charlotte. Her achievements as an entrepreneur and commu­nity leader laid the foundation for a thriving, multi-office real estate business, and today she has become a role model for women throughout the Charlotte region. By her own description, Helen Adams was "like every other young mother in town" at the start of the 1970’s. "Back then I was in a housewife situation," she says. But after her marriage ended early in the decade she soon realized the challenges that lay ahead. "It was like starting life all over," said Helen. But as fate would have it, her life as an independent, accomplished woman was just beginning. In the 1970’s Char­lotte’s real estate market was moving towards an era of new growth and restoration. As a native Charlottean, Helen had developed an established network of friends and family, as well as a thorough knowledge of the Charlotte area. Helen had an inherent understanding of the most desirable properties and neighborhoods. This expertise helped launch her career. In the early 1970’s Helen opened a real estate office off of Providence Road in Myers Park. She was joined by colleagues Karen McRae, Ann Armstrong, Sharon Rountree and Anne Little, who formed the original Helen Adams Realty team. Some of the group’s first advertisements displayed the slogan, "We Love Our Work, We Know The Market, We Have The Contacts, We Can Close The Sale, Share Our Enthusiasm!". The team embraced this pledge as their busi­ness philosophy and began a journey towards remarkable success.

During the mid 70’s to mid 80’s Helen Adams sold the lion’s share of Charlotte’s finest homes. In the early 80’s, Helen Adams became one of the first Realtors in Charlotte to sell $1 million in residential real estate in one week. "Luxury" homes at the time were considered anything above $250,000-so a $1 million sale was quite rare, said Helen. In 1989, Helen was featured as Charlotte’s "Annual Top Ten Luxury Home Realtors" by CITI magazine, the premier real estate publication of the time. For a series of nine years in a row, Helen Adams received this Top Ten award until CITI magazine went out of publica­tion in the late 90’s. Helen’s son, Jeff Adams, joined the company in 1982. Jeff, who now serves as President of Helen Adams Realty, learned the business firsthand from his mother and the mem­bers of the original team. "We used to sit outside my mother’s office and listen to her negotiate a deal," said Jeff. "Her delivery was always eloquent and up-front. She had a great sense of timing, and she always knew how to put the deal together no matter the circumstances. As I think about it now, I realize that her intuition had a lot to do with her knowledge of the mar­ket and the strong relationships she developed with her clients. She had a passionate belief that she would make the deal happen in their best interests. She trusted her con­victions. Her clients knew this about her and believed in her advice." Jeff Adams bought the company in 1991 after Helen decided to retire. From the early 90’s to today the company has grown 6 fold and includes office locations in Central, North and South Charlotte. Although Helen Adams Realty has undergone tremendous growth, the company has not lost sight of its core values, instilled many years ago. Today, the company’s mission is to: "provide the highest level of personal service to our clients and agents."

After an outstanding career as an entrepreneur, Helen passed the torch down to her son, and the company has risen to become one of the most respected locally-owned real estate firms in the region. After three decades of success in Charlotte, Helen’s business philosophy lives on. "I was always at the mercy of doing things right," Helen says. Her legacy has become the vision and spirit of Helen Adams Realty.