Meet Kelly Barnes

Kelly Barnes has always known she wanted to be in a helping profession. Her first professional aspiration was to become a dental hygienist, and she later went back to college to become a healthcare worker — proof that her desire to serve has always been high. Yet, Kelly has found her place in the real estate industry, first as a mortgage broker and later as a real estate broker. 

Real estate has proven to be the perfect fit for Kelly, allowing her to combine her passion for service with her go-getter attitude and sales skills. 

The Path Home

Kelly began her career as a mortgage lender in 2001. As a 21-year-old college student, she followed her instincts and left Edison Community College to enter the lending business. 

I was attending to a patient and would always speak with his mother, who was a mortgage broker.

“I wanted to be a dental hygienist and I was working as an orthodontist’s assistant,” Kelly remembers. “I was seeing a boy and would always speak with her mom, who was a mortgage broker. After talking to her, I realized that her work really inspired me. So I took a chance. I got licensed, left the orthodontic industry, and started working in lending.”

Kelly’s gut decision proved to be a choice rooted in wisdom. By 2004, she became the principal mortgage broker at her own office. Things were looking up until the market crashed a few years later, causing Kelly to rethink her path. She returned to health care again but decided it wasn’t a good fit. So, Kelly got her real estate license in 2014 after a stint in health and life insurance. She opened the Realty Executives of Southwest Florida office two years later.

“In lending, there was always a challenge. Trying to help people who have to overcome challenges is what I love,” Kelly shares. “So in 2014, when I returned to real estate, it was a perfect fit. It was always my passion.”

Realty Executives of Southwest Florida

Today, Kelly leads a team of 17 agents. In 2023, she closed $13 million individually. She prides herself on her expertise, presence, and commitment.

“People want to work here because of the help and guidance I give. I'm always available. I'm eager to teach people. I don't push people off on other agents,” Kelly shares. “People come here for the knowledge we have. I have a mortgage background, as well as being a licensed mortgage broker currently and working for America’s Mortgage Lender. We hold training every week to teach new agents the processes and steps. We have coaching. We have the systems agents need. I’m honest. I’m loyal. People know I have their best interest at heart and that I'll fight for them. I do the very best job I can.”

Kelly is also grateful for the efforts of her team; without each of them, she wouldn’t have achieved such a high level of success. 

"My team of agents has gotten our office where it is today, and without the help and dedication from everyone, this wouldn’t be possible,” she says.

Alongside Realty Executives of Southwest Florida, Kelly runs several other businesses. She owns a building and construction company, a beauty salon (Edge Salon and Suites), 15 rental properties, and the commercial building where her office is. Running multiple businesses requires a lot from her, but with her organized, driven approach, she’s proven she’s up for the challenge.

Kelly is proud of the work she’s accomplished. While she’d like to add a few more agents to the team, becoming a large brokerage isn’t her ultimate goal. She just wants to see her agents and clients thrive.

“I want people to remember that I was always there to help them. I want to see people grow and succeed. I want to be known as a hard-working person who would do anything for anybody.”

Beyond Real Estate

Kelly and her fiance, Pete, enjoy fishing, hunting, and relaxing at their house in Islamorada. Kelly’s son, Blake, is entering his senior year of high school. “I was born and raised in Fort Myers, and I grew up on Old Olga Rd. in the Alva/Buckingham area. My mom has lived on that street since she was 7, and she's 78 this year. I still live right near that street. It’s a blessing to be here.”