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Yost & Little Realty celebrates its 80th anniversary

By Cindy Hodnett
HomePlace Writer

Back in the days before the Great Depression, a beloved community leader decided to open a real-estate company. His name was Elmer D. Yost, and in 1928, he was the executive director of the YMCA when he decided to switch careers and start a new venture, Dixie Realty & Loan. Undeterred by the challenging financial environment of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Yost continued to build his company, and he eventually created an organization that continues to serve the Triad community eight decades after its inception.

“My father started Dixie Realty & Loan during the Depression, and then my brother-in-law, Ford Little, came in to work for the company, and the name was changed to Yost & Little Realty,” said Eddie Yost. “When I finished up at Duke, I came to work for my father, and when my son graduated from Carolina, he came here to work, as did Dean Little, Ford’s son, after graduating from North Carolina State University. So I guess you could say we have the ACC [Atlantic Coast Conference] well-represented.”

Today, Yost & Little Realty is making plans for an 80th anniversary celebration. With six Yost & Little offices in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Jamestown, and more than 170 agents and staff members, the company has come a long way since those early Depression-era days, and Eddie Yost attributes the positive growth to a longstanding commitment to clients and to a favorable Triad real-estate market.

“We have been very fortunate to enjoy controlled growth in Guilford County, and we have expanded to serve our markets in Winston-Salem and High Point,” he said. “We are very optimistic about this area, and we’re confident that in the next 10 years, this is going to be one of the premier areas for companies to locate.”

Yost & Little representatives state that the average sales price of a Y&L listing is $230,201. Agents averaged $3.9 million in sales volume in 2006, and Yost & Little has a strong market share among properties priced at $500,000 and up.

“I take great pride in helping to bring Yost & Little to the Winston-Salem market,” said Y&L’s John-Mark Mitchell. “Since opening our office on Country Club Road in December 2007, we have exceeded our company goals in all company aspects. It is exciting to be a part of a name that is so well-established in the entire Triad.”

When asked to comment on the continued success of Yost & Little Realty, Dean Little attributed it to several factors.

“We also pride ourselves on being locally owned with the roots of all the owners being in this area, and thus, we are totally committed to this area and giving back to it,” Little said. “We have always been willing to adapt to the many changes in our industry and have been committed to stay at the forefront of technology by giving our agents an infrastructure that allows them to be the best they can be.

“We have always made decisions looking out for the best interest of our clients,” Little said. “We try to be sensitive to their needs, whether they are on the buying end or selling a home, and this has translated to a strong following over the years with loyal clients. A company is only as good as its agents, and we feel like we have had and still have the best group of agents in the marketplace. We are extremely proud of every one of them and what they do for the company.”

For more information on Yost & Little Realty, call 336-768-1928 or 888-695-3670. Yost & Little Realty is at 4505 Country Club Road, Suite 200, in Winston-Salem.