Relationship Building Drives Scout Holdings Group Business

At Scout Holdings Group, we have always benefitted from advice from many business leaders. Our best lesson—one that we firmly believe in—is that investment businesses are built on community relationships. Mentorships, peers, strong tenant partnerships: our founder and CEO Jamie Carr has long understood that these connections are pivotal for propelling business growth. 

In fact, it’s due in part to the mentorship of Germantown, Tenn.-based real estate investor John Trezevant that Carr’s first steps in the sector were strong. In the beginning, Trezevant would spend hours discussing business with her, pouring over documents of ideas and plans. 

“We were in totally different stages of our lives and careers, but he still dedicated time to teach me. It was really cool to learn from somebody who’s had as much success as he’s had,” she said. “He’s been instrumental in getting me to think bigger.”

For Carr, that relationship helped to show her that no one in this business works alone. “If we’re successful, it’s partly because there was someone to show us how to be or helped us in a moment when we needed it.”

One recent example is Scout Holdings Group’s acquisition of an established BankPlus property in Oxford, Miss., in 2022. Located on the town’s historic town square, the building had numerous advantages, including a central, high-traffic and charming location, and the solid reputation of BankPlus. So, when Carr learned that the building would soon go on the market, she quickly reached out to the property’s realtor, who she had worked with previously. 

Because of their history, the realtor knew she was fair, trustworthy and a good partner. After naming her price, they moved forward with the sale. A result of Carr’s reputation, this situation is fairly common.

“At this point, 80% of what I’ve bought has been because of a relationship,” Carr said. “People know I believe in carrying out contracts, doing what I say I’m going to do and being fair, and that’s the kind of person they want to do business with.”

Maintaining healthy relationships with business partners, stakeholders and peers is just as critical to Carr as establishing them. “Business relationships shouldn’t be one-time things,” she said. “They are ongoing investments. You nurture them.”