Five Nashville real estate professionals – Jenni Barnett, Scott Cornett, Dawne Davis, Matt Ligon and Danny Anderson– have joined forces to launch Onward Real Estate.
Onward will be led by Barnett, who has nearly three decades of experience in real estate, including as CFO and COO at Parks Realty and its subsidiaries for nearly 25 years.
“At Onward, our clients are our neighbors, and we are committed to their success.” said Barnett.
Barnett is a real estate industry veteran with experience managing rapid growth. In her previous role, she spearheaded the expansion of multiple service lines and brands for Parks which became one of the largest residential real estate firms in Tennessee. Barnett won the Nashville Business Journal’s chief financial officer of the year award in 2013 and was an honoree in 2021.
Cornett will lead the company’s Nashville office. He most recently served as a principal broker and partner with Parks, where he led the agency’s Gulch and Broadwest offices. Cornett, who has nearly 20 years of experience, was named Nashville’s Best REALTOR® in 2021 by Nashville Lifestyles. Before working in real estate, Cornett spent more than 10 years in music industry marketing and sales.
“At Onward, we believe in serving our clients by helping them find their dream home and making the process of buying or selling as stress-free as possible,” said Cornett. “Our team will use our deep networks, understanding of the market and long-established relationships with developers and lenders to make sure our clients have every possible advantage.”
Davis will lead the company’s Murfreesboro office. She most recently was a principal broker and partner with Parks overseeing their Murfreesboro operations. She has been a realtor for 20 years and has extensive experience in Williamson and Rutherford County real estate. Davis has served as treasurer and vice president of Tennessee REALTORS® and as a director for the Williamson County Association of REALTORS®.
Ligon, a lifelong Franklin resident, will lead Onward’s Williamson County office. Most recently, Ligon, who has more than 30 years of Williamson County real estate experience, was principal broker for Parks in Franklin. Ligon is an active member of the Williamson County Association of REALTORS®, a member of the Franklin Noon Rotary Club, serves on the Board of Trust at Battle Ground Academy and has served in key roles that have directly resulted in strengthening the Franklin community.
Anderson will lead community relations and engagement for Onward in Williamson County and most recently served as a broker at Parks on Main in Franklin and Parks in Leipers Fork. With more than 42 years of experience, Anderson specializes in historic properties in Williamson County. He has served as the president of the Williamson County Association of REALTORS® and on the boards of RealTracs and Studio Tenn. Anderson served on the Development Services Committee of Franklin and Franklin’s Historic Zoning Commission. Anderson was also president of the Heritage Foundation and of Carnton Plantation. He currently serves on the Williamson County Industrial Board.
Local real estate icons Bob and Marie Parks are principals and senior advisors at Onward and bring decades of experience to their roles. Bob Parks founded Bob Parks Realty in 1975 and, along with Marie Parks, grew the company to 850 agents and 10 offices across Middle Tennessee.
“Over more than four decades we created a company that put our agents first,” said Bob Parks. “Onward, with Jenni at the helm and support from Scott, Dawne, Matt and Danny, Marie and I will focus on taking care of our agents and instilling the workplace culture that has been our trademark since our first estate office opened in Murfreesboro in 1975.”
Onward Real Estate is opening three offices with its Nashville office at The Malin in Wedgewood Houston and offices in Williamson and Rutherford Counties.
“Our team is proud to specialize in Middle Tennessee, from the heart of downtown to Murfreesboro, Franklin and beyond,” said Barnett. “Our first offices are strategically located to be as convenient and central as possible to our agents and customers.”
For more information, visit onwardre.com.
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