Agents on the Move - Brady Anderson and Brennan Williams

Proper Grounds

Brady Anderson and Brennan Williams

Written by Susan Marquez

Photography by Abe Draper Photography

Brady Anderson and Brennan Williams started business together after a chance meeting. “I met Brennan through real estate,” says Brady. “I had a house listed for sale and he brought a client to tour the house. We talked business throughout the transaction and thought we could probably go somewhere with this.”

Brady Anderson and Brennan Williams

Brady was working in real estate part-time. Born and raised in Tupelo, Brady moved around the state a good bit due to his dad being in the military. “We moved to Brandon when I was 15 and I fell in love with it. I never wanted to leave!” When he was a junior in high school, Brady started work in a law firm. When he graduated from Brandon High School, his senior class had a “Project Graduation” night. “We stayed out all night, and I got home at 7:30 am and went to work full time that same day at 8:00 am.” He started as a paralegal, then worked his way to law firm administrator. “In 2015, my boss talked about retiring and, at age 19, I had just purchased my first house. Mitsy Merritt was my friend and real estate agent and she talked me into going into real estate.” Brady started taking real estate classes in 2015, got his license and went to work with The McCaughan Company in Brandon. “Then my boss at the law firm decided not to retire, so I had two careers.” He went on to get his broker’s license in April 2021.

Brady Anderson

Brennan grew up in Pisgah and graduated high school in 2010, a year early. After high school, he attended Ole Miss. One side of his family was in the medical field and the other was in real estate. “I was torn between the two career paths but decided I wanted to go into the medical field,” says Brennan. He went to nursing school at The University of Mississippi Medical Center and graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in 2014. After working for a year, he went to nurse practitioner school and graduated in 2017. “I have a dual master’s degree in advanced pediatric nursing. “I worked in the pediatric intensive care unit for nine years.” In December 2021, Brennan and his wife had their first child. “My wife is also a Nurse Practitioner at the Children’s Hospital in the ER,” says Brennan. “Both of us had demanding schedules that changed regularly. I made the decision to leave the ICU and work in the ER, so we worked together.”

Brennan Williams

Brennan’s mother and grandmother have been real estate agents for as long as Brennan can remember. “I always loved it. I used to go on showings with my mom and I have always shared her passion for real estate.” He got his license in 2019 and worked with his mom. Then he met Brady. “We had a similar mindset. We developed a strong friendship and a strong business bond.”

Brady and Brennan began purchasing investment properties. Brady and his wife purchased a children’s clothing store in downtown Brandon called Southern Raised. “There was a vacancy in the building we were in and we began thinking about what we could do with it because we both loved downtown so much. Neither of us had a broker’s license at the time, so we decided to open a men’s clothing store called The Wilander.”

Brady and Brennan both backed away from full-time at their jobs and opened their brokerage, Proper Grounds, in August 2021. “We went on the hunt for office space and somewhere to call home before we started to recruit any agents,” says Brady. In April 2022, they took possession of a space in downtown Brandon. “We renovated and moved in around August 2022, and now we have seven agents working with us.”

Both guys left their full-time jobs. Brennan still works PRN (as needed). “I think I enjoy real estate so much because, at the hospital, I was inside four walls all day for extremely long shifts. In real estate, I have an opportunity to tap into the business world and the creative world. I love interacting with others.” Working in an ER, Brennan was around people in crisis. In real estate, he is helping people who are excited about buying a home. “It’s life-changing for people,” says Brennan. “I am a problem solver by nature and I can use those skills in real estate.”

Brady says he learned when shopping for his first home that he liked house shopping. Now he does just that for others. “I love finding the right home for my clients.” He also enjoys the freedom real estate has afforded him. “I am no longer stuck in an office, and I have time to spend with my family. Real estate is not easy work – you must always be available. But it’s worth it. I get to meet new people and hear their stories and help them find their dream home.”

Brady and Molly

Brennan and Emileigh

Brady and Brennan spend a lot of time together, even outside of work. “Our families are close.” Brady married his wife, Molly, in November 2013. They have two children: an almost-five year-old (Sutton) and a two-year-old (Wesson). “I spend a lot of time taking Sutton to extra-curricular activities.” Brady and Molly are expecting baby number three in September.

Brennan and his wife, Emileigh, have one daughter, Eleanor, who was born in December 2022. “Our families are close,” says Brennan. “The business relationship that started this all has really brought our families together. I love seeing our kids grow up together.” They love to vacation in Orange Beach, so much so that the company got licensed in Baldwin County, Alabama, and now services clients in that area as well. “And in our spare time, we open more businesses,” laughs Brady.