Stevenson Bill
BROKER, PRESIDENT, AND FOUNDER OF SPOTLIGHT REALTY & THE MAN WHO TURNED DOWN TAYLOR SWIFT!
WRITTEN
BY
ELIZABETH MCCABE PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
FLAVI HUFF PHOTOGRAPHY
“The most exciting purpose for any business is to help others to thrive. So do that. It’s fun.”
When Bill Stevenson moved to North Carolina in the mid-1990s, his sights were set on earning an MBA at Duke University. He never imagined the path that lay ahead: a rollercoaster ride through the tech boom, economic downturns, and ultimately, a thriving real estate career—all while helping others fnd their footing along the way.
After completing his MBA, Bill joined IBM in the Triangle, where he worked for four years. “I loved North Carolina so much that I didn’t want to move,” he shares. Lured by the dot.com boom, he left IBM to chase his entrepreneurial dreams in marketing and technology.
Bill joined a tech startup with $140 million in venture capital. “We were building a platform to connect buyers, homebuilders, and subcontractors, but it was way before its time,” Bill recalls. Despite spending millions on marketing
and infrastructure, the company burned through its funding and ultimately went bankrupt.
“We blew it all in 18 months and had nothing to show for it,” he admits.
The dot-com implosion left Bill, then in his 30s, searching for work alongside thousands of others. The timing couldn’t have been worse: shortly after 9/11, jobs were scarce. For four years, Bill found himself underemployed while supporting a family of fve. “I went crawling back to IBM, and they took me in,” he shares. A year later, IBM sold the division he was part of to Lenovo, where he pitched himself as the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility. It was a dream job, but the 2008 fnancial crisis hit, leading to another layof.
“It’s not that I wasn’t good at my jobs—I just wasn’t good at fnding them,” Bill refects. After 60 interviews and only two ofers, he decided, “I want a job where the only person who can lay me of is me.”
In 2010, Bill entered the real estate industry. “I had been unemployed for six out of the past ten years and was in my mid-40s with a quartermillion dollars in debt,” he says. “That is not supposed to happen to a Duke MBA!” Real
estate became the lifeline that helped him rebuild. By 2018, he had paid of his debt and turned his focus to helping others. That’s how Spotlight Realty was born. “I wanted to create a place for people who needed a second chance, just like I did,” Bill explains. His team is built on a culture of support, serving agents who are hardworking and determined to succeed. “We’re not about enriching the rainmaker— we’re about serving our agents well,” he says.
One of Bill’s frst success stories is Dave Wylie, now Sales Manager at Spotlight Realty. “When I met Dave, he had completed one transaction in his frst year in real estate and was working nights at a bar he owned in Chapel Hill,” Bill recounts. “Fortunately for him, that one transaction was with me!” After joining Spotlight, Dave went from struggling to being one of the top agents in the area in a little more than a year.
Another inspiring tale involves a former dance major who was working in a warehouse. Bill recognized his potential, so invited him to join the team, helping him fnd success as an agent before transitioning to a career as a home inspector to better support his growing family. “A few of our agents even invested in his home inspection company to help him get started,” Bill shares. “Our culture is all about fnding determined people and giving them the tools to thrive, whatever it takes. Our agents are really bought into that.”
Today, Spotlight Realty boasts a team of 11 agents, two of whom are family members. “We have very
little turnover; usually if someone stays in real estate, they stay with our team,” Bill says proudly. Looking
ahead, he plans to grow the team to 20 or 25 agents while remaining selective about who joins. “We’re looking for people who need a little help to make a good living.”
Outside of real estate, Bill’s passion for music has been a constant. He started a music festival in 2005 to raise funds for women and children in Africa afected by AIDS. It was during this time that he famously turned down Taylor Swift, who was a teenager at the time. “Her agent called about performing at our festival. I’d never heard of her,” Bill laughs. “My daughter still hasn’t forgiven me.”
As Spotlight Realty continues to grow, Bill’s mission remains clear: to turn challenges into opportunities and help others build better lives. “Real estate helped me dig out of a hole,” he says. “Now, I want to help others do the same.”
What’s next for Bill? “We want to grow Spotlight Reality to 20-25 agents in the next couple of years, but we are very picky about who we bring in. After all, I’m the guy who turned down Taylor Swift.”
Now settled in North Carolina with his wife, three grown children, and four grandchildren, Bill is focused on family. “Life is good,” he smiles. Two of his grandchildren live within walking distance, and the other two are just a short drive away. Whether playing in his “Dad Band” with fanfavorite hits or mentoring his agents, Bill remains dedicated to helping others achieve their dreams.
Bill Stevenson (l) with Dave Wylie and Anna Scarboro (r)
OUR CULTURE IS ALL ABOUT FINDING DETERMINED PEOPLE AND GIVING THEM THE TOOLS TO WHATEVER IT TAKES. OUR AGENTS ARE REALLY BOUGHT INTO THAT.”
THRIVE,