ENRG Spotlight: John Bennett – Strategy, Service & Staying True to His Roots

John Bennett

This Employee Spotlight features John Bennett, affectionately known as JB, who serves as our Chief Strategy Officer at ENRG Realty. With a career that blends tech innovation, hands-on leadership, and humble beginnings, JB brings a unique mix of grit and grace to ENRG’s executive team and to the real estate world at large.

From Central Illinois to C-Suite

JB’s journey began far from the boardroom. Raised on a family farm in central Illinois, on land that’s been in his family for over 200 years, JB learned early what it meant to work with his hands. From carpentry to welding, those farm-born skills shaped his practical approach to problem solving.

By 22, he had bought his first home, quickly becoming the go-to handyman in his neighborhood. He didn’t just fix things. He built trust, relationships, and a love for real estate that would eventually shape his career.

Tech Meets Real Estate

JB’s first major leap into the industry came when he co-founded a digital advertising software company. One of its core markets? Real estate. The software validated website clicks for agents and brokerages, ensuring transparency in pay-per-click campaigns. That experience showed him how technology could empower real estate professionals.

Later, he designed and helped build his family home in Texas, an early taste of the renovation work he’d later come to love.

Coaching Agents & Building Brokerages

JB officially entered the brokerage world as VP of Agent Development at a boutique firm in Austin, where he trained agents on everything from recruiting to P&Ls. He later took on the role of remote business manager, effectively a fractional COO, for a national boutique brokerage. There, he guided indie teams through operational strategy, offering best practices without top-down mandates.

When the pandemic hit, JB transitioned to the company’s enterprise division where he spearheaded market expansion in Arizona and Colorado, targeting $100M+ brokerages to establish anchor offices from scratch.

A Handyman’s Return to Service

In 2023, after years of strategic leadership, JB returned to his roots. He launched a renovation business, delighting homeowners with custom improvements to their most personal asset: their home. “There’s nothing more fulfilling,” he says, “than seeing a client light up after a space has been transformed.”

He considers those days, filled with honest work, grateful clients, and real impact, among the most joyful in his career.

Meeting the Nobles, Joining ENRG

In March 2024, JB met Peter and Erinn Nobel during their Austin roadshow. A friend introduced them. “I hadn’t heard much about ENRG,” JB admits. “But after one meeting, I trusted them. I believed in them.”

By the third meeting that weekend, JB was ready to sign on. He now serves on the executive team alongside Peter (CEO), Erinn (CCO),  and Karen Wheeler (CFO), helping guide ENRG Realty’s strategic future.

On Culture, Leadership & Trust

When asked what stands out most about his journey, JB doesn’t mention a title or a transaction. Instead, he speaks of servant leadership, belonging, and authenticity.

“Real estate is noisy right now,” he says. “People want to feel heard. They want to belong. And they want to be celebrated.” For JB, leadership means listening, asking “How can I help?” and acting on the answer.

He sees ENRG as a culture of abundance, where information is shared freely, not guarded as power. “Gatekeeping is toxic,” he adds. “We want a brokerage where knowledge is communal and growth is collective.”

Advice for Prospective Agents

JB envisions ENRG as a home for agents at every stage, offering what he calls “three swim lanes”:

  1. Solo Agent Lane – For agents who thrive independently.
  2. Team Lane – For those who want to collaborate or grow into team leaders.
  3. Indie Lane (Coming Soon) – A white-label path for existing small brokerages that want autonomy with full back-office support from ENRG.

 

“No matter your goals, we’ve built a lane for you,” JB says. “And we want ENRG to be the last brokerage you’ll ever need.”

Looking Ahead

When asked about his proudest accomplishment, JB is quick to say: “I don’t think I’ve achieved it yet.” He believes that his legacy will be tied to the impact ENRG makes over the next 5 to 10 years and how we grow together.

Until then, he’ll keep showing up with humility, purpose, and that same farm-boy work ethic that’s been with him since day one.

To learn more about what we have to offer, visit enrg.realty today.

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