United Country Real Estate has been blessed with a series of strong, dedicated and hard-working leaders with an unparalleled vision for innovation and an unrelenting heart for sustaining tradition.
Lou Francis, Carl and Chris Hopkins previously owned and operated the entirety of the United Country business. They have guided the foundation and the direction of the company, achieving the title of the leader in land sales and continuing the culture of innovation and stewardship.
Carl & Chris Hopkins – Former Owners of United Country Real Estate
What do you guys think were some of the reasons that United Country made it 100 years?
If someone from Fayetteville, Arkansas wants to talk to the president, they can and feel like they’ve been heard. United Country offers a great service, but if you don’t have that personal connection there, at least half the value is that. In the rural areas, the agents are out there doing their thing, trying to sell the seller on why we’re such a great company. And if we have to, the agent can all the home office and whatever it is they need, we can help them. We have always tried to do that. The agents, they were the most important people, you know, without them, we don’t have anything.
Any words of advice or any final parting words to feed to the next generation of United Country?
In your career, you just don’t give up. Persistence is a huge part of it. We believed in the company and refused to give up when it got challenging. We think that you tweak it, move forward, and should always be open to new ideas and new things.
The family culture is real. Believe in these people and want to help them all. Protect that because it is really important to keep the company going in an honest way. Be pure and honest and keep moving forward. There will be mistakes, but move on. You make friends for life at United Country.
Lou Francis – Former Owner of United Country Real Estate
What do you think makes United Country unique?
What makes the company unique is relationships, personal friendships. I sat across the desk from countless hundreds of franchisees at their office locations over the years. We’d meet them all at the franchise orientation, but you really didn’t get to know them until you sat across from their desk and talked.
In my farewell address to the company at a convention, I remember saying to Dan [Duffy, UCRE’s current owner], man, I love what you’re doing. I love the direction of the company. But never ever forget that the number one asset of the organization is sitting in the seats of the banquet room.
How would you describe United Country to a property owner?
If you’re presenting to a property owner in the 60s, it would be different than today with electronic marketing and everything else that happens. But in my era, the difference between us was if you list with someone else, they’re going to put a sign in the property and maybe an ad in the paper. And then we would lay out all of our marketing tools; the catalogs and the brochures and all the things and the confidential list. The difference was marketing.
Do you have any words of advice you see related or business and life related or anything for anyone?
Love God, love your family, and love what you do.
The Legacy of United Country Leaders
The entire United Country community, past, present and future, owes their success to the vision and innovation of Lou Francis, Carl and Chris Hopkins.
Carl and Chris Hopkins helped steer United Country through decades of growth and change while never losing sight of the company’s family-first culture. As owners, they prioritized listening to agents, ensuring their team was valued, supported and well-equipped to succeed in their markets. Their persistence, openness to new ideas and belief in building lifelong relationships became pillars of their leadership – a legacy that has been passed down from leader to leader.
Lou Francis played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s transition into the contemporary era. His leadership style emphasized the importance of creating authentic connections and investing in the people that make up a company. He believes that the strength of United Country wasn’t simply the winning marketing program, but those who carried out advertising strategies every day. His approach combined vision with humility, reminding future leaders that success ultimately depends on the individuals who make up United Country.