Jimmy Simmons has spent nearly half a century helping Bedford County families achieve the American dream. Long before the growth, the subdivisions, and the new businesses, Simmons was selling the land on which they would one day be built. As a realtor, broker, auctioneer, and the patriarch of Simmons Realty, he has become a vital part of Bedford County’s story — not just through the homes his team has sold, but through the generations he has guided along the way.
Simmons graduated from Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS) in 1967 and married his wife, Melissa, 56 years ago, on Sept. 11, 1970. He served in the Tennessee National Guard from 1969 to 1975 and has been a real estate agent and broker since 1976. Melissa retired from Duck River Electric. They were blessed with three children — Angi, Joey, and Josh — and five grandchildren. Most of them live and work in Bedford County, except their granddaughter, Zoe, and their grandson, Gage. Zoe moved to Colorado Springs with her husband, Jordon, who works for the Space Force, and Gage works for Vanderbilt-Harton in Tullahoma. Angi and her husband, Cort Huffman, are Zoe and Gage’s parents.
Their sons, Joey and Josh, along with Josh’s wife, Carrie Brooke, and Jimmy Simmons, make up Simmons Realty. Josh and Joey were very close growing up and attended Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) together. This close bond carries into their work as general contractors and real estate agents.
Joey is married to Amanda, who teaches at Community Elementary School, and they have two children, Jada and Avery. Josh and Carrie Brooke have one son, Nate, who is 17.
Although Jimmy has been selling real estate for five decades, he isn’t interested in slowing down anytime soon. “When I stay home more than two or three days, I am bored to tears,” he said. “My only hobbies are watching my grandsons, Avery and Nate, play baseball, and watching my granddaughter, Jada, who performs with the Midstate Cloggers. We are a very tight-knit family. In fact, there’s nothing better than all of us working together.”
Jimmy began his real estate career with Nelson Realty. He then worked with Coldwell Banker Segroves Nelson Realty and later Keller Williams Shelbyville before teaming up with Heritage Realty. Finally, in 2020, he opened Simmons Realty. The office is now located near the heart of the historic Shelbyville square at 104 E. Depot St., Suite 100.
Jimmy said, “I kind of fell into real estate. I had tried selling life insurance and used cars, but that didn’t work. I have a degree from MTSU in political science, so I considered law school, but I knew I wouldn’t have been very good at it. There is something I am good at — talking. I enjoy talking to people. I like getting to know them. So real estate came naturally to me. Lately, I try to listen more.”
When it comes to selling real estate, a lot has changed over the years. Back in the early 1980s, a real estate contract consisted of a single sheet of paper. “My buyer or seller could sign the agreement on the hood of my car,” Jimmy said. Today, a contract can be up to 30 pages. “I stay up to date on changes made each year to the sales agreement. As a broker, several things have gotten easier. When I started, we didn’t have MLS listings. When a buyer wanted to purchase a home, I called every realtor in that area to ask what they had available. Today, we have virtual offices and the ability to e-sign contracts. We also can upload videos and pictures, provide virtual tours of our listings, and even ‘dollhouse views,’ where interested buyers can click on a photo and see every room before ever stepping foot inside the home.”
He’s also watched as the community has shifted.
“Shelbyville used to be a real farming community,” Jimmy said. “I grew up in Southside in the suburbs, and now there are so many new subdivisions and commercial properties. Although the community has grown and changed over the years, we are still a welcoming community. We have one of the most beautiful areas in the country, and we have more to offer than a lot of people think. There are lakes and farmland, and as citizens of Bedford County, it’s our job to take care of it.”
Over the years, Jimmy has earned numerous awards, including Realtor of the Year from the Bedford County Board of Realtors. He served as president of the Bedford County Board of Realtors in 1990, an organization he helped establish in the mid-1980s. He has also been involved with the Shelbyville Lions Club and the Rotary Club and has served as president of the chamber of commerce and the SCHS Quarterback Club.
“When you are a real estate agent, people often ask, ‘What is your specialty?’ Our license allows us to sell homes, land, commercial property, and conduct auctions. My sons are general contractors who specialize in new construction and investment properties. The American dream is still open to everyone. With a lot of hard work, it can still be achieved.”
He and his wife occasionally ask themselves, “How did we get here?”
Jimmy said, “The answer is only by God’s grace and by giving God all the glory. We are not perfect at all, but we are blessed.”
Of course, they also have help from their other knowledgeable agents — Ted Birtcil, Brandon Heath, and Terri and Donna Davis. GN
