Sara Smiddy

For almost 20 years, Sara Smiddy has provided the guidance necessary to help her clients build a better life.

As a counselor at the drug and alcohol treatment center Cornerstone of Recovery, located in Blount County’s Louisville community, she’s dedicated her career to helping individuals who come to the facility at their lowest point find meaning, value and serenity in a process that’s often confusing and intimidating. Now, almost 20 years later, she’s putting those same traits to work in real estate.

It’s a decision born of personal experience and a desire to use her talents to assist a broader client base, she says.

“I’ve bought and sold around eight houses over the course of adulthood, but despite that experience, I was always anxious throughout the process,” she says. “As a Type A personality, I felt like I needed to understand it better, so I began researching everything about it to stay better informed.”

What she discovered, she adds, was a passion for a new opportunity that would allow her to expand on the experience as a mentor in the recovery field and apply it to the world of real estate. As someone with an intimate understanding of how overwhelming such major life decisions can be, Sara has a remarkable ability to find the calm in the eye of the storm. Her innate ability to serve as both a guide, a cheerleader and a determined advocate for those embarking on a journey of recovery translate well into the real estate market, where home buyers need someone on their side who is both fierce and enthusiastic.

“I know firsthand that no matter whether it’s the first house or the 10^th, it’s still important as the realtor to be attentive and responsive to my clients,” she says. “One of the biggest tools we have as a counselor is the ability to help our clients see the bigger picture — what the goal is, and what steps need to be taken to get to where they want to be. It’s a very similar process to buying a home, and as someone who’s done that on multiple occasions, I look forward to putting my experience to work on behalf of those who trust me with this very big decision!”

A native of Portsmouth, Ohio, Sara moved to East Tennessee in 2004. Her husband, Andrew, is a project manager for The Hollingsworth Company, an industrial development firm. Her daughter, Makenzie, is a junior at Maryville High School, and her son, Mason, is an eighth grader at Maryville Junior High. In her spare time, she enjoys CrossFit, supporting Mason’s burgeoning baseball career and working with Makenzie on college preparation.

It's a full and busy life, one that she feels will be made even more complete with an opportunity to help other families fulfill their real estate needs.

“I remember the first time we closed on buying a home and how monumental it felt to get through a process that at first felt so stressful,” she says. “If I can help my clients feel that same sense of achievement without all of the added stress, then I can’t think of anything more satisfying. I love the opportunity to be a part of changing people’s lives, and I look forward to working with prospective homebuyers who need a realtor to help them do just that.”