Sponsor Spotlight: Adam Dickinson Realty

We love to highlight when one of our partners is doing something cool and extraordinary in the community, and Adam Dickinson Realty is doing just that! Adam and his team are the team behind the listing of one of the hottest houses on the market in Durham, the “Bull Durham House.”

The property is one of the oldest homes in the city, and was famously featured in the popular baseball movie, “Bull Durham,” which was shot in Durham and premiered at the Carolina Theatre 36 years ago!

Tell us about listing the “Bull Durham House”- what is the story behind the iconic property?

It’s a really special house, a unique intersection of history and pop culture. It’s one of the oldest houses in Durham built by one of the area’s leading citizens of the late 19th and early 20th century, Judge James Manning.  As Annie’s house in Bull Durham, it’s the location for some pretty special movie moments and plays a part in what has made the Durham Bulls one of the most successful teams in all of minor league baseball. When I was interviewing with the sellers, my experience selling more historic homes in the walkable neighborhoods of Durham than any other agent over the past decade was a huge factor.  My full appreciation of just how special the house is and my ability to market it well and generate and sustain really positive press exposure in the People, New York Times, NPR, WUNC Radio, WRAL-TV, and Mix 101.5 was big part of ensuring my clients got a sales price commensurate with how special the home is. I especially enjoyed reenacting the famous Crash & Annie dance scene with Bryan Lord on WRAL.  Even while working hard for my clients and creating great results, retaining a sense of humor is key, and Bryan really brought that out of me.

As such a treasured home for so many reasons, I wanted to figure out a way to share it broadly with the people of Durham while still safeguarding my clients privacy. I pitched the sellers the idea of a tour co-hosted by Preservation Durham and the Durham Arts Guild.  They agreed I could do it after they moved out, and so we hosted the tour on June 8th.  A few hundred people came out over the course of the day, including Elizabeth Owen, who had seen the piece of WRAL.  Her family had owned the property from 1945 until 1989 or so, including the time when they were filming in the house. She had incredible stories, and photos filling in a big gap in the history of the home. She was there all day talking to people, and it was just an incredible, authentic, enjoyable experience, befitting of such an amazing home.

Why did you decide to start Adam Dickinson Realty Group and what has been the best part of it for you?

The best part of being a real estate broker is that I get to help people make good decisions about their home, which is often their biggest single financial asset, and also a huge part of their identity and sense of self and of belonging to a community. As such my approach is not about “the sale”, but about relationships and anticipating needs, and being helpful however I can. I spend weeks or months helping my sellers get their house ready, and am very hands-on in order to help maximize their sales price and minimize their stress. For as long as my buyers own their homes, I’m always available to answer questions, and provide referrals to plumbers, electricians, HVAC companies, whatever they need to protect & increase the value of their home, and make it safe & comfortable for their families. As a team we at The Adam Dickinson Realty Group can do even more of that to help more people, and also focus more on giving back to the community which has been so kind to us all both personally and professionally.  We sponsor 5 or 6 of non-profit fundraisers per year including at the Carolina Theatre, Durham Public Schools, MeFine Foundation, the LIFESkills Foundation, Animal Protection Society of Durham, Durham Arts Guild, YMCA of the Triangle and Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.

I started as a broker In 2009, at a time that the real estate market was in rough shape nationwide. The type of real estate development work that I had been doing for the previous four years, creating sustainable neighborhoods, was incredibly challenging and rewarding work, but I was traveling a lot.  Also, it takes years of work and lots of money spent in designing, zoning approvals, infrastructure construction, etc. before houses could be built and sold, or apartments or retail tenants could move in.

So in 2009, with a new baby boy at home and with most development projects on pause, I knew I wanted to be home more and have a flexible schedule. I began to consider getting my real estate license. I didn’t see myself as a “sales person”, but thought that I could offer insight and perspective that would be very valuable to people who were buying and selling homes.

I also knew I wanted to work with Julian Culton, who was our broker when we came to Durham and struck me as an honest, straight shooter who put his clients first. This aligned with where I saw myself as a broker. Two years after that, Julian, four other brokers, and I co-founded 501 Realty together, which has become Nest Realty.  The Adam Dickinson Realty Group is a team of closely aligned agents operating under the Nest Realty brand out of our offices at 308 W Main St.

How long have you lived in Durham and what do you love most about being here?

My wife Susan and I came to Durham in 2003  to attend Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.  We expected that after we earned our MBAs in 2 years, we’d head back to Philadelphia, but then I got an opportunity to work in sustainable real estate development with a firm based here in Durham. Even 20 years ago, the area had lots to offer, with really good food at places like Nana’s, Foursquare, Magnolia Grill, and Another Thyme, and live performances at Duke, UNC, and at the Carolina Theatre. The first time we went to the movies here it was at the Carolina Theatre because we missed the Ritz Theatres in Philadelphia, which had very similar film offerings. In 2004, we got a tour of American Tobacco with Architect Eddie Belk, and had a sense that bigger and really cool things were on their way to happening in Durham, so we decided to stay.  We’re so glad we did!

Describe your Bull City dream day?

Breakfast with the family at Elmo’s, where all four of my kids have grown up. Then a walk to the Farmer’s Market. Back home for some quiet time, and to recharge for an afternoon at the Duke Faculty Club Pool, where we’d meet families and friends who my kids swim with (go Aqua Devils!). Get the kids home and fed, and then Susan and I go out for drinks and dinner at Alley 26, Kingfisher, M Sushi, or bite at the Counting House to check out the art in the 21C Hotel.  Then a comedy show at the Carolina Theatre. Perhaps we’d have energy for one more drink after, but most likely we’re headed home (luckily only about a half mile away) to bed at that point!

How did you get involved with the Carolina Theatre and what is your favorite theater memory?

I was invited to sponsor the first Dancing with the Carolina Stars, by Ashley Pierracini, a  dear friend of ours. I also agreed to be a judge for the performances which has been a lot of fun over the past 3 years. Getting to be on stage and make people laugh and adding a little something to the effort that the stars and their dance partners put in has been a real joy.

Certainly my favorite performance was seeing Dave Chappelle.  He’s one of the true greats of comedy, and to see him in an intimate venue like the Carolina Theatre was a real treat.