SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sierra Vista Realty has been helping families find homes in Cochise County for 65 years, making it one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Sierra Vista.
Beth Hughes now runs the agency her father, Bob Watkins, opened in 1960. She took over after he died in 2013, determined to continue his legacy of excellence.
"I want to keep going and going forward, but I absolutely will not fail my father. So that's my, probably my biggest motivation," Hughes said.
The business operates from the historic Carmichael house, one of the first structures built in Sierra Vista. For more than six decades, this building has served as the agency's home base.
Hughes credits her father's work ethic for shaping the company's values and her approach to business.
"He didn't accept not doing the best you could do, and is working as hard as you possibly could work. That's what he expected, and that's what he taught," Hughes said.
The current housing market has slowed since the surge in 2021, but Sierra Vista Realty continues to see steady business. According to the Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group, 381 homes were sold in Cochise County, representing a 6% decrease from the second quarter of 2024.
Despite the market changes, Hughes says their business remains consistent.
"Our flow is pretty even. Like we have people moving in, we have people moving out," Hughes said.
Realtor Iwona Snyder attributes the steady activity to the area's transient community, which creates ongoing demand for housing services.
"It's more of an even market. Sometimes we talk about being a buyer's market or a seller's market, both the buyer and the seller are very realistic," Snyder said.
The agency's founding principle continues to guide their work today. Watkins' original logo read "customer's satisfaction is our first consideration," a motto that Hughes says still defines their approach.
"His first logo was a customer's satisfaction is our first consideration. I'm like, wow, that's really long, but it pretty much wraps us up. It's the people you know, that's why we've been here so long, is that you know people are supportive," Hughes said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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