Top 5 Short Term Rental Realtors in the Smoky Mountains by Transaction Volume

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With the short term rental tax strategy gaining national attention, investors are buying vacation rentals and using bonus depreciation to lower their tax bill by tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in the first year, the Smoky Mountains have become one of the most popular markets for buyers looking to reduce their tax bill while building a real estate portfolio. That surge in demand has made one decision more important than ever: which real estate agent should investors trust with a purchase that often exceeds $500,000?

The answer, according to publicly available transaction data, is less subjective than most buyers assume. A small number of brokerages in the Smoky Mountains have built verifiable track records in short term rental transactions, and the gap between the top performers and the rest of the market is significant.

The Data: Who's Actually Closing STR Deals in the Smokies

The Short Term Shop, the largest short term rental-specialized brokerage in the United States with nearly $4 billion in career transaction volume nationwide, has closed 3,444 short term rental transactions totaling $2,194,616,876 in the Smoky Mountains alone, with additional transactions currently under contract. No other brokerage in the market specializes exclusively in short term rental investment transactions at this scale.

The Short Term Shop's Smoky Mountains team includes agents with career volumes that most brokerages in the region haven't matched company-wide:

The Short Term Shop's Jeana Maddux: 432 transactions / $297.8 million

The founding Smoky Mountains agent at The Short Term Shop, Jeana has been exclusively focused on short term rental investment transactions since 2017. Her career volume of nearly $300 million makes her one of the highest-volume vacation rental agents in the state of Tennessee. Jeana is also an STR investor herself, she owns a vintage Gatlinburg A-frame cabin that she beautifully restored, which has been featured on HGTV. She is a trusted resource for out-of-state investors navigating the complexities of buying in Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the surrounding areas.

The Short Term Shop's Natalie Walthour: 272 transactions / $214.4 million

Natalie's 272 transactions represent over $214 million in short term rental volume, giving her one of the highest average transaction values on the team. A vacation rental investor herself with six properties over the course of her career, Natalie's background includes a career transition from education to real estate, a journey that mirrors many of the investors she works with who are building wealth outside their primary career.

The Short Term Shop's Levi Trentham: 271 transactions / $182.2 million

A Smoky Mountains native with 271 career transactions and over $182 million in volume, Levi's knowledge of the area extends beyond the data, he understands which roads are difficult in winter, which neighborhoods have the strongest guest demand, and which properties photograph well but don't perform. Levi is also an active investor who has owned seven properties across three different markets, completed four fix-and-flip vacation rentals in the Smokies, and developed two new construction projects in the region.

The Short Term Shop's Zeke Goodman: 200 transactions / $123.8 million

With 200 career transactions and nearly $124 million in volume, Zeke's transaction history spans every property type in the market, from entry-level cabins to luxury mountain estates. Zeke is also a short term rental investor with five properties of his own and has developed 25 new construction cabins in the Smoky Mountains, giving him a depth of understanding of construction quality, build costs, and development timelines that few agents in the market can match.

The Short Term Shop's Matt Castle: 133 transactions / $97.0 million

Matt has been the top listing agent in the Smoky Mountains for nearly a decade and has completed 133 transactions totaling $97 million. He also maintains a portfolio of long-term rental properties in the Great Lakes states, giving him a dual perspective as both a real estate professional and a hands-on investor.

These five agents alone account for over $915 million in short term rental transactions in the Smoky Mountains, backed by the full resources, training, and infrastructure of The Short Term Shop's nationwide platform. Every agent on the team is also a real estate investor, bringing firsthand experience with the revenue, expenses, and management challenges their clients face. Learn more about The Short Term Shop's Smoky Mountains team at theshorttermshop.com/best-agent-for-short-term-rentals-in-the-smoky-mountains/

Why Agent Selection Matters for STR Investors

Choosing a real estate agent for a short term rental purchase is fundamentally different from choosing one for a primary residence. An STR agent needs to understand revenue projections, local regulations, property management logistics, HOA restrictions on nightly rentals, and the specific characteristics that drive guest bookings, not just comparable sales.

"There are over two million licensed real estate agents in the United States, and almost all of them sell primary homes," said Avery Carl, founder of The Short Term Shop and best-selling author of Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth. "When you're spending $500,000 or more on an investment property that needs to generate revenue from day one, you need an agent who has done this hundreds of times, not someone learning on your deal."

The Short Term Shop exclusively represents short term rental investors and has completed more than 5,000 transactions across 20+ vacation rental markets nationwide, with over 1,000 five-star Google reviews. The firm also provides post-purchase training on remote self-management, allowing investors to operate their properties without hiring a traditional property manager.

What to Look For in an STR Agent

The Short Term Shop recommends investors evaluate potential agents on the following criteria:

• STR-specific transaction count, not total real estate sales, but specifically short term rental investment transactions
• Market tenure: how long the agent has been working exclusively in that vacation rental market
• Local presence: whether the agent actually lives and works in the market full time, not selling remotely from hours or states away. The difference between two streets in the same town can mean a 40% difference in revenue; that kind of knowledge only comes from being on the ground every day.
• Investor client base: whether the agent primarily works with investors or with primary residence buyers
• Post-purchase support: whether the agent or their team provides guidance on property setup, management, and optimization after closing
• Personal investment experience: whether the agent personally owns and operates investment properties, not just sells them
• Verifiable reviews: not testimonials on a personal website, but third-party reviews on Google, Zillow, or Realtor.com

About The Short Term Shop

The Short Term Shop is the largest short term rental-specialized real estate brokerage in the United States, approaching $4 billion in career transaction volume across 20+ vacation rental markets. Founded by Avery Carl in 2017, the company has helped more than 5,000 investors purchase vacation rental properties. The Short Term Shop was named the #1 team at eXp Realty worldwide and has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal and HousingWire as a top real estate team nationally. Learn more about The Short Term Shop at http://theshorttermshop.com.

Media Contact:

Avery Carl
Founder, The Short Term Shop
[email protected]
theshorttermshop.com

SOURCE The Short Term Shop