Black Rock Realty calls Saline County Home
May 14-20, 2018
By Becca Bona
The freedom that comes with owning and operating a boutique realty company inspired team members Michael Pendleton and Jonathan Elliott to take the plunge into opening Black Rock Realty.
Now in operation for a little over a month, the company gives the two family-men an opportunity to bond with their kids, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work hard. They take pride in being resilient and providing a one-stop real estate shop.
“Like my logo says on my card, call me for everything real estate related. We deal with everything – we do property management, we do new construction,” Elliottt said.
Pendleton agreed, “Instead of getting a sell and chasing that check, we’re actually working with our investors.”
Originally from East Texas, Elliott didn’t have Central Arkansas on his radar. In fact, he only discovered the area when his older brother moved to Arkansas via the air force.
“I met a woman, fell in love and had kids,” he said, pointing to starting a family as his main reason for settling down in the Natural State.
Elliott grew up working on a ranch and farm with a father who was a handworker and an entrepreneur. His father got into the car business and owned a few dealerships, which ensured Elliott would have some serious experience in sales.
“I started out in the car business, and was in that industry from about ten years,” he said. “I have over 20 plus years of experience in sales.”
He also spent time working for a company that specialized in building and designing homes before he left that arena to try his hand at real estate.
“I’ve been in real estate for five years now,” he said. “I got my broker’s license about a year ago and here I am, loving life.”
When Elliott first started out in real estate he was paired with Pendleton, because Elliott happened to join Pendleton’s father’s team. Pendleton, born and raised in Cabot, Ark., had ample experience working in construction, residential building, and water proofing until he realized he was ready for something new.
“I just got tired of doing the physical labor and thought I needed a change. I got into real estate about the same time as Jonathon did,” he said.
As he and Elliott were both the new kids on the block when starting out, they were paired together.
“Come to find out, we actually like each other,” Elliot said, laughing. They have carried that comradery into Black Rock Realty with Elliott acting as Principal Broker and Owner and Pendleton appointed as Team Leader.
The two came to Benton at different times, but love the area. Elliott originally relocated to Jacksonville, Ark., from Texas, but wanted better schools for his children. He’s impressed with what he sees these days, as he said, “I like living here in the Benton area because we’ve got around 36,000 people, but it doesn’t feel that. We still have the square and that small-town, laid back vibe. Now I really don’t need to leave because we’re lacking anything in the community. I might go to Little Rock for business once a month.”
Pendleton moved to Benton about three years ago largely to pursue his real estate career.
“Most of the business I do is down in this prime Benton/Little Rock area. I think it separates us from a lot of different Realtors, because we literally go everywhere – we don’t just construct our business in a specific area. I’ve got properties 25 minutes outside of Clinton, that’s two and a half hours away from here.”
Elliott and Pendleton both believe in the power of networking, as they are members of the South Central Arkansas Realtors Association (SCARA). Also, most of their business thus far has come from referrals.
Black Rock Realty has plans to bring on a few other Realtors, but the team plans to stay a small company.
“That’s what I want to start doing is giving back to the community … that’s part of mission,” said Elliott.
The two have found their calling, and like the Black Rock Realty logo, don’t have plans to go anywhere. Elliott explained, “It’s the top of a mountain where the snow has blown away, which is the bare rock that’s been up there for eons. […] To me it symbolizes strength and foundation – and just like that – we’re not going anywhere.”
Find the two on Facebook as they gear up to become a resilient part of Saline County.