A New Generation of Leaders Emerges at Helen Adams Realty – Charlotte Magazine

For the past five decades, the story of Helen Adams Realty has been intertwined with the trajectory of Charlotte itself. And as the firm has innovated and serviced the ever-changing needs of its clients during that time, family and community have always been at the center of its efforts.

You’ll find a literal example of that ethos in the company’s latest leadership shift: Helen’s son, Jeff, recently stepped into the role of CEO, and a third generation of family members, Frank Adams and Rebecca Adams Starrs, are now co-presidents of Helen Adams Realty. This means, remarkably, that the company is now led by 8th-generation Charlotteans as it nears its 50th anniversary next year. “Our dad raised us to be good stewards of the firm’s legacy,” Frank Adams says. “We work every day to uphold our mission to be the best possible business partners to our agents so that they can provide the highest level of service to our clients.”

The firm, founded by Charlottean Helen Adams in 1975 alongside four female colleagues, emerged when the city had a fraction of its current population and homes. Since then, under Jeff’s leadership that began in 1991, a single office that started the company has grown to four dedicated locations across the region—Elizabeth, Ballantyne, Lake Norman, and Fort Mill; likewise, a handful of agents has grown to more than 240. Charlotte has boomed and sprawled, and so has Helen Adams Realty.

The firm’s new co-presidents build upon the sterling reputation that’s followed the Helen Adams Realty name over the years. Since 2006, the company has surveyed every client after each transaction—learning that 79% of its business comes from repeat and referral clients. Eighteen years after starting that process, Helen Adams Realty’s word-of-mouth following, like the Adams name itself, has remained prominent in Charlotte real estate. “Our agents have hyper-local knowledge and expertise and do an incredible job earning the trust of their clients year in and year out,” Rebecca Starrs added. “Our value as their business partner is to support them as much as possible through our in-house marketing agency, robust technology platform, outstanding administrative functions, and affiliated services for mortgage, title, and insurance.”

Amid those milestones, the firm has enriched the surrounding community and, in the process, honored its founder. Upon Helen’s passing in 2015, the company started a permanent endowment at UNC Charlotte that provides “merit-based scholarships to incoming freshmen from the Charlotte area and towards the community to which we feel inherently bound.” That investment in Charlotte’s future has enriched the education of many students, with one recipient sharing this: “Your generosity has made such a positive impact on my life, and allowed me to spend time studying abroad, volunteering in my community, and researching. I am continuing to pursue a degree in biology, and have recently added chemistry as a second major. Without your support, my college experience would not be nearly as enriching.”

The Adams Family.

As of 2024, Charlotte’s real estate market recently ranked 2nd among large cities across the U.S., so the city’s growth is showing no signs of ceasing. Likewise, Starrs and (Frank) Adams plan on continuing to follow suit—while maintaining the qualities which Helen Adams imbued nearly 50 years ago. “My mother always believed in building relationships before anything else, and that’s what we’re here to continue,” says Jeff Adams. “We’re grateful to be in Charlotte and to have had the support of our community for so many years. We’ll keep pushing forward while staying true to the family-first foundation that’s gotten us this far.”