Today we’d like to introduce you to Kortney Wilson.
Hi Kortney, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has never really followed a straight line, which I’ve come to realize is probably the most consistent thing about it.
I moved to Nashville from Canada in 1998 with a record deal and a dream of making it in country music. I was young, ambitious, and convinced I knew exactly what my life was going to look like. Nashville had other plans for me.
Music eventually led to television, and somewhere along the way, my former husband and I started buying houses, renovating them and selling them. At first, it was simply a way to make a little extra money, but I quickly realized how much I loved it. I loved walking into a house that other people had written off and being able to see what it could be. I loved the design, the construction, the negotiation and, probably most of all, the transformation.
That eventually became the foundation for Masters of Flip, which followed us renovating and flipping homes here in Nashville. The show opened an entirely new chapter for me and eventually led to other television projects focused on renovation, design and helping families create homes that better fit their lives.
After years of buying, renovating and selling my own properties, becoming a licensed real estate agent felt like a very natural progression. I had spent years looking at houses through the eyes of an investor, designer, renovator and homeowner, and I realized that experience gave me a very different perspective when helping clients buy and sell.
Today, I lead the Kortney Wilson Group with eXp Realty here in Nashville. My business has grown to include everything from first-time buyers and traditional residential real estate to luxury properties, investment opportunities and our Sports & Entertainment Division, where I’m able to draw on nearly three decades of relationships and experience in Nashville to help clients who often have unique needs around privacy, relocation and lifestyle.
Television is still a big part of my life, too. My latest series, Life Is Messy, feels especially appropriate because life is messy—and mine certainly hasn’t unfolded according to the original plan. There have been career pivots, businesses, houses, television shows, successes, failures, a divorce, raising three kids, starting over and building a new life.
But I think all of those chapters have made me better at what I do today.
Real estate is ultimately about people. A house might be the transaction, but there is almost always a bigger life story happening around it—a marriage, a divorce, a new baby, a new job, an investment, an empty nest, a fresh start. I understand that in a very personal way.
I came to Nashville almost 30 years ago thinking I was coming here to make music. I never could have predicted that I would end up flipping houses on television, designing homes, building businesses and eventually helping other people find their place in this city. But that’s probably my favorite part of the story: I didn’t end up exactly where I planned. I ended up somewhere that fits me even better.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not! And I’m not sure I’d trust anyone who says theirs has been!
I’ve had some incredible opportunities, but there have been plenty of seasons where I had absolutely no idea what was coming next. The entertainment industry teaches you very quickly that success can be fleeting. You can have a record deal, a television show or a great opportunity one year and be wondering what you’re going to do next the following year. Learning not to attach my identity to any one job or title has probably been one of my biggest lessons.
Personally, I’ve also had to rebuild my life in ways I never anticipated. I went through a very public divorce after a long marriage while raising three kids and trying to figure out what the next version of my career—and honestly, myself—was going to look like. There were moments when starting over felt incredibly daunting.
Real estate and renovating haven’t always been smooth either. People see the finished houses on television, but they don’t necessarily see the deals that don’t work, budgets that get blown, construction surprises hiding behind walls, changing markets, or the risk involved when your own money is on the line. I’ve made mistakes, lost money, trusted the wrong people and learned some lessons the expensive way.
But I think those experiences are also a huge part of what I bring to my real estate clients today. I understand that buying or selling a home is rarely just about a house. Sometimes it represents a new beginning, sometimes an ending, and sometimes a financial decision that feels terrifying. I’ve been on many sides of those moments myself.
If there’s a common thread through my career, it’s probably reinvention. I’ve learned that you don’t have to have the next ten years figured out. Sometimes you just have to be willing to take what you learned from the last chapter and use it to build the next one. And, in my experience, some of the chapters I never planned for have turned out to be the best ones.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Today, my primary business is the Kortney Wilson Group with eXp Realty, and while we are a full-service residential real estate team, I think what sets us apart is that we approach real estate as much more than simply buying and selling houses.
After nearly three decades in Nashville—and years spent renovating, flipping, designing and investing in homes—I bring a different lens to the process. I can walk into a property and help a buyer see what it could become, what changes are worth making and, equally important, when something simply isn’t worth the investment. For sellers, my television and design background plays a huge role in how we prepare, position and market a home. Sometimes a few smart decisions can completely change the way buyers perceive a property.
One of the areas I’m especially excited about is our Sports & Entertainment Division, which was created to serve professional athletes, entertainers and other clients whose real estate needs often extend well beyond finding a house. Coming from the entertainment industry myself, I understand the need for discretion, privacy, unpredictable schedules and having people around you whom you can trust.
Relocation is a big part of that business as well. I’ve lived in Nashville since 1998, so my value isn’t simply knowing neighborhoods and property values—it’s knowing the city and the people in it. When someone is relocating here, particularly for a team, production, tour or career opportunity, they may need everything from a home and schools to contractors, designers, household help, childcare, restaurants or someone who can get a television mounted and the refrigerator stocked before they arrive. My goal is to become their Nashville connection. If I don’t personally know the answer, chances are I know someone who does.
That concierge-style approach isn’t limited to celebrity clients. We try to bring that same level of service and resourcefulness to everyone we work with, whether someone is purchasing their first home, selling a luxury property, relocating a family or looking for an investment opportunity.
Brand-wise, I’m probably most proud that everything I do has grown fairly organically from the life I’ve actually lived. Music led to television. Television led to renovating and design. Renovating led to real estate and investing. And nearly 30 years of living and working in Nashville created a network that has become one of the greatest resources I can offer my clients.
Ultimately, I want people to know that when they work with us, they aren’t just getting someone to unlock doors or put a sign in the yard. They’re getting experience in real estate, renovation, design, marketing and Nashville itself – and a team that understands that finding the right home is often only one piece of making a life here.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’ve had really good luck, really bad luck, and enough questionable decisions to know the difference! I absolutely believe luck opens doors, but you still have to be willing to walk through them and then work your butt off once you’re inside. Some of my biggest “bad luck” moments have actually forced me to pivot in ways I never would have chosen, and somehow those pivots have led to some of the best chapters of my life. So at this point, I try not to judge my luck too quickly!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/THEKORTNEYWILSONGROUP and https://www.instagram.com/allthingskortneywilson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKortneyWilsonGroup
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allthingskortneywilson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheKortneyWilsonGroup and https://www.youtube.com/@allthingskortneywilson
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kortney-wilson-exp-realty-franklin
