Annie Bryant Peterson created a legacy through hard work, integrity, and building relationships in the community. Discover the start of Bryant Real Estate on Wrightsville Beach, a family-run business filled with history.
Arriving in Wrightsville Beach
Annie Bryant Peterson first arrived on Wrightsville Beach with her family at the age of 5. by way of the trolley. She immediately fell in love with the town and the beach. She continued to vacation here with her family through all of her childhood. As she grew, she continued to spend her summers on Wrightsville Beach, and then one summer she could not bring herself to leave. It was 1941, and Annie took a job working at the Wrightsville Beach Post Office. On her days off, she answered the phone for Joe Stone, a local builder. While working for Joe, she spent a majority of her time making arrangements between her friends who owned cottages, and friends looking to rent. After some time, Joe suggested Annie get her real estate license. And she did just that.
Opening Bryant Real Estate
In 1952, Annie Bryant Peterson opened Bryant Real Estate, complete with a sign she painted herself. A single woman starting her own company was rare in the 1950s, but Annie created a legacy through hard work, integrity, and building relationships with owners and tenants.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Annie pioneered the Wrightsville Beach real estate industry. She was willing to take the risk to purchase houses, duplexes, and triplexes for $1,000 and $2,000 down, and rent them out to make the payments. She amassed a portfolio of several properties on Wrightsville Beach, and in 1972 opened the Silver Gull Motel, a 32 room motel with kitchenettes - the first one of its kind. She continued to grow the market in Wrightsville Beach, while advocating for the community and working hard to preserve the beach and rebuild dunes. This "Give More" mentality by Annie has become a cornerstone of operations for Bryant Real Estate - as they continue to give back to the community in every way possible.
In 1979 Annie's nephew, Bob Bryant, joined the company as a sales agent. His background included a degree in Math and Math Education with a minor in Computer Science and Physics from Florida State University, teaching, and sales for IBM. Although new to the area, he was very familiar with Wrightsville Beach from vacationing here every summer as a child and doing odd jobs for the company like maintenance, painting, and even cleaning houses.
Years of Continued Growth for Bryant Real Estate
From 1978 to 1983 Bob's primary role in the company was sales. From 1983 to 1986 Bob worked with a development company to whom he sold the north end of Shell Island, primarily Cordgrass Bay, Duneridge Estates, and Duneridge Condominiums. He returned to Bryant Real Estate in 1986 as a partner in the business. He was very active in the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors, serving on almost every board and acting as president in 1987. He was the founder and president of the Wilmington Realtors Foundation, an organization created to give back to the community. In 1990 and 91 he was the Regional Vice President of the North Carolina Association of Realtors and headed up the Professional Standards Committee for the state.
As Bob began to slowly step away, he passed the torch to hits sons Mark and Jason. Mark started out with Bryant at the age of 14, working during summer vacations. He graduated from Appalachian State University and has worked in all facets of Bryant Real Estate, serving as Owner Operator.
Jason Bryant, Bob's youngest son, joined the company in 2015. Jason holds an Engineering degree from Purdue, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He worked for GE for over seven years, and McKinsey & Company for three years. Jason has taken his background in engineering and consulting to improve operations and make positive transformations at Bryant Real Estate as the Owner and President.
Together with Mark's background in real estate and Jason's business and operational expertise, they are the third generation of Bryants to run the business. They continue to carry on the values and principals that founded this great company. They will always focus keeping Bryant Real Estate a family company - whether you are a a client, owner, guest, tenant, or employee, you are part of the Bryant Real Estate family.
