In this episode, Jeff sits down with Savannah Pope, a Coldwell Banker real estate broker in Asheville, North Carolina, to explore how her marketing degree from Western Carolina University has shaped a seven-year career rooted in new construction and residential sales. Savannah shares how a senior-year internship at a boutique Asheville brokerage unexpectedly launched her into the industry, and why leaning into digital marketing — particularly Instagram and Facebook — has become her signature edge in a market that’s rebalancing after Hurricane Helene.
Jeff and Savannah also dig into the state of the Asheville market heading into 2026, including why inventory is loosening, how recent interest rate dips have re-energized both buyers and sellers, and what the short-term rental landscape looks like after years of rapid growth. The conversation closes with practical, encouraging advice for newer agents on getting started with video, pushing past on-camera discomfort, and why showing up as a real person — not a “real estate robot” — is the fastest path to genuine connection and referrals.
About the host:
Jeff Hamm is a real estate broker with Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate, serving Lake Norman & Charlotte, North Carolina and Banner Elk, North Carolina. He specializes in luxury, waterfront, mountain, and investment property, with a focus on buyer representation. He is also the founder and host of The Best of LKN and Banner Elk Living.
Learn more and contact Jeff:
LKNreal.com
BannerElkLiving.com
Jeff Hamm is a North Carolina real estate broker with Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate, serving two of the state’s most sought-after markets: Lake Norman and Banner Elk and the greater High Country. He specializes in luxury and second-home property, from Lake Norman’s waterfront, golf, and lakefront communities to High Country communities including The Lodges at Eagles Nest, Elk River Club, Farm at Banner Elk, Diamond Creek, and Echota. He also works with buyers of condominiums, homes in active adult and family-friendly neighborhoods, and short-term rental and investment properties. His focus is buyer representation, where his relationships with each region’s top listing brokers, builders, and designers give his clients a measurable edge.
Jeff is also the founder and host of two local media platforms, The Best of LKN (since 2020) and Banner Elk Living. Each includes a podcast and newsletter that spotlight the area’s most admired small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs. He publishes the annual Lake Norman Visitors Guide and Banner Elk Guide, produces regular market reports for both regions, and hosts The Best of Lake Norman Business Network and the Banner Elk Business Network.