Call it the Oscars of the Fayetteville business community.
And the award, as the Hollywood presenters like to say, goes to …
“When I started looking at all the people who have received it, I was kind of shocked to be among the names,” said Jimmy Townsend. The 79-year-old was honored with the Realtor’s Cup at the Greater Fayetteville Chamber Annual Awards held Thursday at the Cape Fear Valley Health Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience Institute.
Townsend, who founded Townsend Real Estate in 1983, said he was taken aback when last year’s recipient, Suzanne Pennink, called his name in front of more than 400 business leaders and guests at the Ellison Auditorium.
“I just didn’t know what to say,” Townsend said Monday, reflecting on the award.
While Townsend finds himself at a loss for words, others will tell you the Realtor’s Cup is a deserving honor for the local real estate businessman.
Real Estate and Beyond
“The Realtor’s Cup is one of the most prestigious awards the Greater Fayetteville Chamber gives, and Jimmy is so worthy of this award,” said Nat Robertson, the chamber president and chief executive officer. “The Longleaf Pine Realtors partners with the chamber to recognize someone in the community who has made an impact economically, civically and culturally.
“Through his four decades in business, Jimmy Townsend has made so many contributions to Cumberland County’s real estate and business community.
“Jimmy has been an active member of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber since 1983 and has served in a number of capacities with our organization,” said Robertson, a former Fayetteville mayor from 2013-2017. “If you look up community service in the dictionary, Jimmy Townsend’s picture should accompany his accomplishments.”
Mike Berk, chief executive officer for Longleaf Pines Realtors, said Townsend is deserving.
“Jimmy Townsend was selected as our Realtor’s Cup Award recipient because he represents the very best of what it means to be a realtor—professional excellence, steady leadership and a deep commitment to serving others,” Berk said. “He’s been in real estate since 1983, and over the decades, he’s earned a reputation for humility, integrity and showing up consistently for clients, colleagues and our community. He didn’t just succeed in the industry. He helped strengthen it.
“Within Longleaf Pine Realtors, Jimmy has been a leader for years. He served as president in 2003 and continued to take on leadership roles at the state and national level through committee service. He’s also been a steadfast advocate for private property rights and homeownership, not just in words, but through action and involvement.
“And beyond real estate, Jimmy’s commitment to community outreach is extensive. He’s supported and served through initiatives and organizations such as the Teddy Bear Drive for Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, and leadership roles with Cape Fear Valley Health, Methodist University, the Greater Fayetteville Chamber (Military Affairs), and more. The list truly goes on.
“When we look at this award, we’re asking: ‘Who has led by example and helped make our community a better place to live and call home?’” Berk said. “This year, that answer was clear. Jimmy Townsend is a leader, an advocate and a servant-hearted professional, and we’re proud to recognize him as our recipient for the Realtor’s Cup.”
Townsend now finds himself in something of a select “Who’s Who” of community leaders who have left their mark on Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the Cape Fear region. Past recipients include Mary Lynn McCree Bryan (2016); Gen. James J. Lindsey (2013); Ralph Huff (2010); Olga “Bo” Thorpe (2009); William T. Brown (2006); Tony Chavonne (2001); state Sen. Tony Rand (1999); Mayor J.L. Dawkins (1998); James D. “Brownie” McLeod (1997); Ramon Yarborough (1994); J.P. Riddle (1993); Albert McCauley (1992); Lucile W. Hutaff (1989); John “Bill” Hurley (1988); John W. Hinsdale (1983); Dohn Broadwell (1979); J. Bernard Stein (1968); Edwin N. Brower (1964); I.B. Julian (1962); and Pennink.
“I was very happy to present Jimmy the Realtor’s Cup award,” said Pennink, broker and owner of Coldwell Banker Advantage, along with Ralph Huff. “Jimmy and I started our real estate businesses around the same time. We have been competitors and friends for almost 50 years. He has been a trusted partner for me and all the real estate agents in what was the Fayetteville Area Association of Realtors and now Longleaf Pines Real Estate Association.
“He has given selflessly of his time to make things better for all of us in the business and has maintained the high standards for Townsend Real Estate for all these years. He has been pivotal in helping the state and national Realtors Association solve problems and move them forward as well.
“We have another thing in common in that our grown children are involved with the real estate and mortgage business, which is very special to both of us,” Pennink said. “Jimmy is very deserving of this award, and I was proud to be the one to announce it to him and the chamber members at the awards event.”
Following in a Father’s Footsteps
For Vance and Alex Townsend, seeing their father accept the Realtor’s Cup was what both describe as a poignant moment.
“Watching my father receive the Realtor’s Cup at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce annual dinner was incredibly meaningful to me,” said Vance Townsend, 45, now president and general manager of Townsend Real Estate. “Not just as his son, but as someone who has worked alongside him for 21 years and witnessed the journey firsthand.
“For 42 years, he has built Townsend Real Estate from the ground up. Over more than five decades in business, he sacrificed countless hours away from home to create something lasting -not just a company, but a reputation. What makes this award so special is that it recognizes what I’ve always known about him … his integrity. He is the most honest person I know. He has always done the right thing, even when it wasn’t the easiest or most beneficial decision for himself. In an industry where reputation is everything, he chose character over convenience every time.
“This award reflects how deeply respected he is in this community, and that respect was earned the hard way – through consistency, hard work and service,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud to call him my father, my mentor and the example I try to follow every day.”
Alex Townsend, 38, oversees property management and the commercial division for Townsend Real Estate.
“Learning from my dad was a big reason that I moved back to Fayetteville,” he said. “I wanted to learn how to do business from him. He is the most selfless person that I know, so to see him recognized was very special for me. He was raised in Laurinburg, worked undesirable jobs growing up and even hitch-hiked to go to and from home from East Carolina University when in college. To see how far he’s come and to get that recognition means a lot to me. I am really happy for him.”
An Award to Share
Jimmy Townsend grew up in Laurinburg, the older of two sons born to the late A.V. Townsend and Mable Townsend. His father worked as a salesperson at Luter Packing Co. in what today is Smithfield Foods. His mother was a registered nurse.
He graduated from East Carolina University in 1969, served a U.S. Navy hitch, and found his way to Fayetteville in 1971. He worked 10 years with Adams Real Estate before founding Townsend Real Estate and recruited young agents such as Elaine Lewis, Linda Clark, and the late Joyce Register to sell homes in Fayetteville.
“Joyce was my first agent,” he said about Register, the sunrise-to-sundown home seller who died at age 76 on June 22, 2016.
Townsend had a knack for luring real estate sales agents to his business. He said the Realtor’s Cup is an honor to be shared with all of his employees, present and past.
“Elaine Lewis was one of my first agents, too,” he said. “Judy Capps has been with me 30 years. Chandra Kerr has been our office manager for 30-plus years. And if I didn’t have Vance and Alex. It’s our whole staff.”
Dellmarie Pittman was the top sales agent in 2025 for the business.
“I have worked with Townsend Real Estate for 16 years as a realtor,” she said. “It was an easy choice years ago. I recognized that Jimmy Townsend is a man of integrity, faith and extensive knowledge of the real estate industry. It has been a pleasure to work and grow my business with him and Townsend Real Estate.”
The 2026 Realtor’s Cup may carry Jimmy Townsend’s name, but Townsend will tell you without hesitation, “It’s all of us.”
Epilogue
Jimmy Townsend says he is a blessed man. When he’s not overseeing his business, you’ll find him sending personalized Christmas, Veterans Day, and birthday cards to friends throughout Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Some 400 of his friends this week will find their mailboxes filled with a reminder to turn their clocks forward Sunday for daylight saving time, and you’ll not want to be late for church.
“I’m humbled for this award, and I thank God for allowing me to be in business and to own a business here in Fayetteville,” he said. “I love Fayetteville. Fayetteville is just a good place to live and to raise a family. It’s just a place of good people, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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