ARKANSAS BLACK HISTORY // Realty
Sandstone real estate group
Faulkner County’s First, Only, & Largest Full-Service, Minority-Owned Real Estate CompanY
Disparity among the African American homeownership rate vs. Non-Hispanic White homeownership rate is attributed to a number of historical and modern-day factors – from decades of discrimination against Blacks in employment, education, housing, and other areas to predatory lending practices and implicit bias from real estate agents. Greg Hunt – the first African American male real estate broker/owner in Faulkner County – had a vision to change this. He served in leadership roles such as the Faulkner County Board of Realtors President and Vice Chairman of the Arkansas Minority Business Advisory Council, among many others. He was also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. He is also a founder of Sandstone Real Estate Group.
Like Hunt, Forrest City native Korry “KG” Garrett didn’t know much about real estate when he entered the profession but has successfully grown a thriving company. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Arkansas Association of Realtist. His years in the industry and experiences have set him as the 2024 Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee President – the second African American to hold the position. In addition to this, Garrett is a husband, father, and member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Hunt and Garrett attended the University of Central Arkansas together but never really knew each other. They generally just hung with their fraternity brothers since they were in two different fraternities. However, the two men formally met when Garrett’s wife suggested they use Hunt as their realtor, which resulted in the Garretts buying their first home from Hunt in 2001. The two men socialized a lot more after that and became good friends.
Garrett and his family moved to Dallas but returned to Conway shortly after. In 2006, Hunt and Garrett crossed paths at a local gas station. Through a conversation, Hunt asked Garrett to work with him at the real estate company he was working for at the time, where they worked together for two years.
Like Hunt, Forrest City native Korry “KG” Garrett didn’t know much about real estate when he entered the profession but has successfully grown a thriving company. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Arkansas Association of Realtist. His years in the industry and experiences have set him as the 2024 Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee President – the second African American to hold the position. In addition to this, Garrett is a husband, father, and member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Hunt and Garrett attended the University of Central Arkansas together but never really knew each other. They generally just hung with their fraternity brothers since they were in two different fraternities. However, the two men formally met when Garrett’s wife suggested they use Hunt as their realtor, which resulted in the Garretts buying their first home from Hunt in 2001. The two men socialized a lot more after that and became good friends.
Garrett and his family moved to Dallas but returned to Conway shortly after. In 2006, Hunt and Garrett crossed paths at a local gas station. Through a conversation, Hunt asked Garrett to work with him at the real estate company he was working for at the time, where they worked together for two years.
“We are committed to building communities through Education & Training!”
- Greg Hunt
SANDSTONE
 l to r—Greg Hunt and Korry Garrett, founders of Sandstone Real Estate Group
In 2008, the two men left the company they were working for and created Sandstone Real Estate Group. During a nationwide housing crisis in America, they became the first, only, and largest full-service, minority-owned real estate company in Faulkner County. This made the company’s initial start harder than a normal, ideal start of a real estate company, so they worked to create a recruiting formula.
Although formal education is not a requirement to become a real estate agent, Hunt and Garrett made it their company’s priority. The two men established the slogan “A Smart Choice For Real Estate” to portray their educational approach to real estate, and it became their recruiting formula. Their first two agents were Jamille Thomas and Denise Perry – both full-time schoolteachers. From there, Hunt and Garrett continued to recruit in the education sectors, as well as outside of it, with a high preference for those with a formal college education. Hunt and Garrett made it the company’s business to serve the community through real estate education and provided direct support to educators, students, and schools. They hosted realty seminars, school-related events, and community fundraisers. The proceeds benefitted the students, the teachers, and the school. Their support efforts reciprocated many relationships and significant trust between the company, agents, and clients. Hunt and Garrett wanted their company’s agents to be diverse from its conception, but because of the uncertainties of the real estate industry and the company’s lack of credibility at that time, it remained all Black until 2012, when Kara Bloomfield joined the team. Because of her extensive experience in the industry, she was able to share her expertise with the other agents and add additional trust and recognition to Sandstone. As the company’s agents learned and implemented, Sandstone Real Estate Group grew in the number of agents, sales volume, and familiarity. The company has remained ranked in the TOP 10 of Sales in Faulkner County in the running with big industry names, such as ReMax, ERA, and Coldwell Banker. Momentum was building for Sandstone, and then Hunt was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014. Garrett transitioned into a sole-leadership position for the company, unaware that this would be his permanent role. Approximately nine months after his diagnosis, Greg Hunt passed from the disease in 2015 at 38 years old. His thumbprint permeates Faulkner County’s realty industry and will last for years to come. His leadership and community involvement awarded several acknowledgments, including Arkansas Business’ 40 Under 40, Outstanding Small Business of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for the Northwestern Mutual-Gainor District Office Diversity in Business, and the first African American to become a multi-million dollar producer in Faulkner County real estate. 
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” CENTURY 21
Sandstone Real Estate Group continued on Garrett’s leadership and did not miss a beat. He became the new Principal Broker and acquired a contractor’s license to expand his scope of services for clients. Sales volume continued to increase, and the team grew stronger than ever.
Various franchises consistently reached out, suggesting that Sandstone franchise with them. The propositions usually and essentially asked Sandstone Real Estate Group to hand over their control. National real estate giant Century 21 was among those initial franchise offers; however, their second attempt in 2020 was fueled by addressing the lack of real estate company ownership by Black people in America and was partnered with an initiative to build the Black homeownership rates across the county. The second offer was more respectful of what Hunt and Garrett had established. Instead of trying to take over complete control of Sandstone as before, Century 21 offered to leave Garrett in charge to run the company how he chose if he joined, making him the first African American in Arkansas to own a real estate franchise. Garrett weighed the pros and cons of the offer in comparison to Sandstone’s status and the industry’s trajectory concerning the impact of technology across the world. He believed the move would help Sandstone stay current and reputable and agreed to the franchise, officially becoming Century 21 Sandstone Real Estate Group in May 2021. In 2022, they opened an additional office in Little Rock to accommodate their growth of agents and staff. “Helping people buy homes that they can build memories, traditions, and wealth in, all at the same time.” TODAY
Today, Century 21 Sandstone Real Estate Group is Arkansas's Top Producing black-owned real estate firm. They are still a full-service real estate firm that offers residential, commercial, and consulting services throughout the state, whose sales have continued to double or triple year after year. They now have a highly diverse team of 28 real estate agents and are a driving force in Faulkner, Pulaski, and Jefferson Counties’ real estate market, ranking #10 out of 16 Arkansas Century 21 franchises.
The company’s educational formula and efforts are still the cornerstones. They collaborate with banks and other leaders to provide in-person educational workshops at both locations and virtual workshops via Facebook Live and Zoom. In addition, agents Denise Perry and Jamille Thomas are working on a 3-year revitalization project with the Pine Street Community. This community once bustled with Conway’s Black residents, with much of its property purchased by Black people. Over the years, people have moved away or passed on, leaving their properties vacant, condemned, unkept, and at the mercy of the city. The team is working with property owners – or their kin – of vacant homes and lots to make updated and proper arrangements in an effort to revitalize the Pine Street Community. The company’s triumphs and endeavors can be credited to Garrett’s leadership, underlined by the establishing contributions of Greg Hunt. Garrett has worked in every position in the business, from agent to director of operations, executive broker, principal broker, and owner. He carries a wealth of information on company management and transactions for the Century 21 Sandstone Real Estate Group family. |
C21 REG’s Milestones 2009 - AWARD: Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Minority Business of the Year 2010 - Business Feature: AR Democrat-Gazette (Breaking The Mold In The Real Estate Industry – Young, Black, Real Estate Business Owners) - Conway 2025 Strategic Plan Steering Committee - AR Certified Minority Business Enterprise 2011 - AWARD: AR Business 40 Under 40: Greg Hunt - SREG Community Programs: Feature Teacher, Class Cash & Comm. Impact Awards - Launch of Conway Minority Business Association (CMBA) | Greg Hunt Chair - Sandstone posts 60% increase in Sales since 2009 2012 - AWARD: AR Business 40 Under 40: Korry Garrett - AWARD: Women on the Move: Jamille Rogers Thomas (presented by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.) - Exclusively marketed The Gardens at Southridge Subdivision for Salter Construction - Veterans Day Open House 2013 - AWARD: John T. Thornton Bigger & Better Business Memorial Award (presented by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.) - UCA Black Alumni Chapter Charter Members: Greg Hunt and Korry Garrett 2014 - Greek Exchange (Minority Housing Initiative) - AWARD: Minority Outstanding Business of the Year (presented by the Minority Enterprise Development) 2017 - AWARD: Young Business Leader of the Year: Jamille Rogers Thomas (presented by Conway Area Chamber of Commerce) 2018 - Korry Garrett: Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors - Korry Garrett becomes President of the AR Association of Realtist AWARD: UCA Arkansas Alumni Service Award: Greg Hunt 2019 - Denise Perry (Executive Broker) becomes 1st African American woman to serve on the Conway Corporation Board of Directors - Ranked among the Top 10 Real Estate Firms in Faulkner Co. with $23Mil in Sales 2020 - Purchase of new office building - Business Feature: North Metro Business Journal - AWARD: Outstanding Woman in Business: Denise Perry (presented by Conway Area Chamber of Commerce) 2022 - AWARD: AR Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year - AWARD: Conway Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Small Business of the Year - Opened 2nd office location in Little Rock 2024 Korry Garrett will serve as President of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee 
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