Beth Townsend is a Co-owner of McKee Properties and a Broker for the company since 1993.
As a co-founder of McKee Properties, along with the late A. William McKee and his sister Ann McKee Austin, Beth has played a significant role in the history of the company. Her involvement includes many of William McKee’s development projects, including Cedar Creek Club, the Snowbird community, and as a land planner for the residential side of Wade Hampton Golf Club, home to the award-winning Tom Fazio golf course.
At a Glance
- Consistently ranked as a Top Performer on the Plateau
- Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida
- “Mom” to boxer Jolene
Consistently a top-ranked Broker, she has been a real estate professional for 30 years. Beth is a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) with GUILD ELITE™ recognition.
With a Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Florida, Beth is able to give unique expertise on large-acreage development parcels as well as historic estates and homes in the area’s finest private communities.
A career highlight was her five-year involvement with family landowners who assembled specialists to create a conservation easement protecting more than 600 acres of land close to the center of Cashiers. Portions of the adjoining 400 +/- acres have been successfully marketed and sold through Beth.
Get to Know Beth
What is your favorite thing about the Cashiers area?
I was born in Florida — beautiful, sand beaches on the west coast — and yet, I am a mountain girl at heart. What I love most about Cashiers is the natural environment here. I love getting lost in the woods, following old animal trails, finding relics from days past, and recognizing some subtle change in landscapes that tell of how the land was previously used or appreciated. Even though I am selling current, habitable, developed places, my personal true love of this area is about the undisturbed, unexplored raw beauty here.
Of what moment in your real estate career are you most proud?
Two moments: The creation of Snowbird and Webb Lake conservation easement projects — low density, environmentally aware, thousands of acres of beautiful land that was delivered to hands that would care for it.
What is one of your favorite Cashiers-area memories or traditions?
Memory: As a child, I would come to High Hampton for the summer (then Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Years, then Easter). I loved driving up to High Hampton, turning into the main entry and almost immediately smelling the old boxwoods, hearing Crosby Stills Nash and Young in the “teen room,” and driving shotgun to Burrell’s place, where we were really too young to be, but in those days, well… Tradition: The annual Christmas Party hosted by a family with now three generations of family to celebrate with.
What is something folks might not know about you?
I learned how to run a chainsaw out of necessity while “pioneering” on the farm in the 1980s, and am very proficient at it!
Client Testimonials
“We have worked with many real estate agents over the years and I can’t say enough about the professional service provided to us throughout the process by Beth Townsend. She represented us buying homes in downtown Highlands as well as High Hampton and I would highly recommend her to anyone. Not only was she adept at presenting us with homes that met our very specific criteria, but she was also a stellar negotiator and ensured that we got the best possible deal. Beth is easy to communicate with, knows her market intimately and helped to shepherd us through the entire closing process. Thank you for everything, Beth.”
—Bill & Misty B.
“Beth Townsend had become a friend of ours in Cashiers, where we had a home. We knew of her reputation as an excellent realtor. When we decided to sell, we immediately called Beth. No time was lost in listing the property. Beth, and her assistant Clay, listened carefully to our questions and suggestions, noting everything in detail. Very complimentary photographs and an attractive listing of the property was sent out to the media. It took one week to sell the house! Beth’s reputation in Cashiers is well known. She is extremely active in the community. She knows everything there is to know about the area, and her advertising with McKee Properties reaches far and wide. We are a family of top realtors, thirty five years and still active, so we can appreciate all that Beth has done for us to get a quick sale with the right price. And, she is still our good friend!!!!”
—CHERI & CHIPPER A.
“Having worked for 25 years as a top producing Realtor for one of the two most prestigious real estate firms in Houston, I always found it rewarding to receive appreciation and thanks from my clients both buyers and sellers. Being on the other end of the transaction as a buyer myself in North Carolina was a novel experience. Beth Townsend knows the market inside out, she listens, she wants to help you find or sell your home in the most efficient way possible. In my case, she found the house of my dreams which checked every box on my wish list except for one thing; it had no flowing water on the property. Within two weeks of signing the contract with the seller for the house, she investigated the contiguous property which had a branch flowing through it, contacted the owners and persuaded them to sell. I closed both transactions back-to-back. I have my “forever” house with all that I dreamt of. To say that Beth was proactive is an understatement; she is determined, capable, and she cares about her clients. This is one excellent Realtor describing from personal experience another excellent Realtor.”
—Joyce T.
“Beth was wonderful to work with as a buyer’s agent. I initially engaged her to help me evaluate a property that was off-market. She did a thorough job and provided the info I needed to determine the asking price was too high. Then she found me a much better property at a reasonable price. Beth was always responsive and in command of the process all the way to, and beyond, closing. I would definitely work with Beth again and value her expertise and judgement.”
—Gary D.
“We have purchased and sold homes with Beth Townsend at McKee Properties. Her local knowledge and expertise were extremely helpful. She is thorough, detail oriented, very creative and flexible. Above all else she is a wonderful person who I would highly recommend to any of my friends.”
—Jenny B.
“We met Beth in 2019 when she helped us find and purchase a special cottage at Wade Hampton Golf Club. Beth spent time getting to know us, sharing the history of the area, great hikes and favorite eateries. We grew to love the area too and realized we needed a slightly larger home. We reached out again to Beth who soon found a perfect next home for our family. Beth then listed and put under contract our old cottage within 48 hours. Beth was more than helpful with both negotiating and working through the purchases and closings we’ve had over the past several years. She has since helped multiple friends find homes in the western North Carolina Mountains, too. You have the very best there is when you are working with Beth Townsend!”
—Carolyn & Kevin K.
“When the decision was made to buy a home in the Cashiers area, we went online to begin our real estate search, and as luck would have it, our first call was to Beth Townsend. Immediately, she began lining up homes for us to see based on our wants and needs, and those of our 3 dogs. Thanks to her hard work and guidance, within a few weeks we had signed a contract on our beautiful new mountain home. Beth goes beyond just being a realtor. We have found her to be a loved and respected member of the community. With her extensive knowledge and active involvement in the area, we had no doubt that she was working in our best interests to not just sell us a house, but to welcome us to her beloved hometown. We will be forever grateful that we made the call to her that day, because through Beth we found more than just a beautiful home, we found a friend as well.”
—Kelly D.
“It is with great pleasure (after a wonderful sale result) that I write to applaud the work of the entire McKee Properties team and acknowledge, in particular, Beth Townsend as a very talented, knowledgeable and hard-working (as in never stops) Broker. Her ability to act, react and constantly address the particular situation is outstanding and truly unique in the field.
Our home in High Hampton had been listed unsuccessfully and at the end of that agency agreement we engaged Beth and the McKee firm. Within 10 days of our signing, we had a beautiful brochure that was bright and attractive with a well composed message and was well circulated. It received nice compliments from even the non-buyers.
The greatest difference in the use of McKee was the interaction with the area’s brokerage community. Due to Beth’s extensive experience and visibility in the brokerage community, she was able to have numerous showings and interaction through other agencies.
Beth was willing to use creative marketing methods and was in command of good ideas. This was the key to our quick sales agreement signing and sale that was closed in less than three months from agency start to finish.
The result was fine and we are very pleased; but, most of all, we loved the feeling of being in good hands throughout.”
—Tom B.
“We have had two real estate transactions with Beth Townsend to date, with another (hopefully!) in the near future. On a buying side, Beth was quick to understand our unique needs and desires, and because of her expansive market knowledge, hone in and accurately lead us to agreeable selections. Our time is always valued. From a selling side, Beth is creative and as hard-working a real estate professional as either of us has ever known. We are certain that Beth will expose our property to every single prospective buyer. Both of us are licensed, career-long real estate sales professionals, so we know a talent when we see it. Beth Townsend’s reputation first lead us to her, but her performance and success in meeting our needs has earned her our loyalty — now and as long as we live in western North Carolina.”
—Pete R. & Cathy L.
“It was an emotional time for the whole family, since we were selling the mountain house we had enjoyed together for nearly 30 years. Even though we all agreed the time had come, the decision was not easily made.
All of the agents we interviewed were top-notch, but Beth distinguished herself through both her knowledge of the market and through her ability to “connect” with us and adjust her approach to our situation. Beth and her assistant Clay worked hard behind the scenes, but could not have been more available and attentive to our needs.
A full-price offer, after only a few weeks on the market, helped affirm we had made the right decision. Not only did Beth help sell our house, she helped us reach closure and transition to the next chapter in our lives with grace. Thank you Beth. We are grateful for your service.”
—John D.
“From the very start, Beth explained the process and provided realistic expectations through thoughtful and detailed pricing analysis. Her experience and knowledge made the process of selling our home much easier. And her calm demeanor helped us through closing.
Unlike most real estate companies that put the house in the MLS and shove the key in a lockbox, McKee is structured to provide real concierge service. With Beth as our agent, she provided the overall experience and guidance. But Beth has a team of dedicated assistants that add the concierge touch. Her licensed assistant, Clay Cantler, was assigned to our house sale. Clay demonstrated strong business and project management skills throughout the process. He coordinated multiple contractor activities to achieve a successful close while demonstrating a professional demeanor throughout. And either Clay or Beth were present for every client showing, inspection, and contractor visit.
It was a pleasure to work with Beth and Clay!”
—Steve & Kathy K.