Freeman-Webb Company announced Thursday that longtime president and CEO William H. Freeman (commonly known as Bill) is the Nashville-based real estate investment company he helped found 44 years ago. He announced that he would step down from the management team of the management company.
His son Bob Freeman has been named his successor, and Matt Olson has been promoted from vice president of acquisitions to chief operating officer.
“I truly believe that we cannot leave our company in any larger hands,” Bill Freeman said in a news release about the leadership change.
“The years I have spent here have been amazing, and I want Bob and Matt to experience the same satisfaction. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do.”
Bill Freeman’s 50-year career began when he earned his real estate license at age 16. He co-founded his Freeman Webb Company with Jimmy Webb in 1979. Mr. Webb passed away in 2019 after a battle with cancer.
Freeman Webb Company is valued at $3.2 billion.
About Bill Freeman’s successful real estate career
Bill Freeman enrolled in a three-year Real Estate Agents Association course at just 14 years old. He was the youngest participant in the country. From the income he earned as a lineman (refueling planes and ground service equipment), he bought his first property at the age of 16, eventually making his $80,000 profit.
This first real estate transaction ignited his lifelong ambitions in the industry.
The partnership between Freeman and Webb created what is now the largest apartment owner and operator in the Middle East Tennessee region. Freeman Webb is also known as the developer of his GOLD LEED certified Class A office building, the first in Tennessee. The company’s portfolio includes his 17,364 homes across the Southeast.