Life & Work with Jennifer Knolton of West Tennessee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Knolton.

Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From being a young adult with no clue what to do with my life, I found myself at the City of Jackson Police Department. As a single mother trying to figure out how to raise my son alone, the security of the job is what kept me there.

For 30 years—through lots of changes—it put food on the table, clothes on our backs, and kept the lights on. I knew I would never get rich, but as long as I had a consistent paycheck, I stayed.

Fast forward to the COVID era and with my son grown, I began focusing on things that offered more fulfillment than just security. At first, I balked at the idea of a “sales” career. I talked with a few close friends but mostly kept my thoughts to myself. I didn’t see Real Estate as a service path at that time.

When I finally decided to take the plunge, I was actually able to see the potential this change had to help me reach the goals I was setting for myself. When I shifted my mindset and focused on how I could serve people and help them reach their goals through my hard work and dedication, I realized—it wasn’t just a “sales” job.

I’m now going into my fourth year, and I love this path. The personal growth I’ve experienced on this journey has been nothing short of amazing. The leap of faith I took at 52 years old was scary as hell—and now, just a short time later, I’m preparing to take another big leap.

I’m getting ready to relocate to the Middle Tennessee area! I’ve lived in West Tennessee my whole life, so starting over in a new location at 55 is both super frightening and incredibly exciting.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The initial career change was anything but smooth. Coming from a very structured and scheduled background to being self-employed was strange, to say the least. I knew that as long as I had written instructions, I could usually learn how to do just about anything. But Real Estate? It changes with every client and every property.

I still feel terrible for my first clients. Almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong during their transaction. We limped through the process—with me grinning the whole way, thinking I was doing a decent job. It wasn’t until about five months later, after several more transactions under my belt, that I realized just how poorly I had handled it. There were so many things I could have done better to make the experience smoother for them.

Thankfully, we all survived—and in the end, they got what they wanted.

That first year, I tried to do everything. I called it my “throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks” phase. As the market began to slow during the holidays, I realized I couldn’t keep being all things to all people. If I did, I knew I’d eventually burn out.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I finally decided I needed to narrow my focus and find the area where I could best serve, I turned to a dear friend who had also changed career paths post-COVID. She had left a successful photography business to open a marketing firm, and she pushed me to answer the tough questions that would point me in the right direction—like, “Who is your ideal client?”

From there, it became clear: I should focus on clients like me—people navigating downsizing, caring for aging parents, handling family estates, and investing in real estate for long-term, stable income.

With that in mind, I started connecting with other service providers whose work goes hand-in-hand with these types of real estate transactions. Having that kind of network readily available makes me something of a one-stop shop for my clients.

Whether it’s understanding the process of selling a home in probate, connecting clients with financial planners who can help diversify their investments, or using the equity from a downsize to fund travel or even a vacation home—I want to be a resource beyond just buying or selling.

I truly believe that being able to offer this kind of value sets me apart from most.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My tenacity. I will stay after something until it gets done.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jksells731.com
• Instagram: @jksells731
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jksells731
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jksells731
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jksells731