In 1952 Wilbur (W.C.) Winstead and R.C. Baughman formed Baughman and Winstead as a partnership to develop subdivisions and build homes. When Mississippi began licensing real estate agents in 1954, W.C. Winstead was the 200th broker.
In 1965 the partnership was dissolved and W.C. Winstead, along with his wife, Thellis, who had obtained her real estate sales license in 1962, formed Winstead Realty Company and continued to build, develop and broker homes.
Terry Winstead joined the firm in 1978 and obtained his broker’s license in 1979. Thellis obtained her broker’s license in 1972 and served as principal broker for a number of years, enabling W.C. to concentrate on building and development. Tony Winstead joined the firm in 1988, after obtaining his broker’s license, and became principal broker in 2000.
Among them, the Winsteads have held the presidency of the Meridian Board of Realtors five terms, and seven times Winsteads have received or shared the Realtor of the year award.
Winstead Realty has seen Meridian, and the country, go through good times and bad, recessions and expansions, but through it all, we have endeavored to have a business based on providing fair and honest service to the public. We have been blessed with wonderful salespeople and staff, and we have been fortunate to have worked as a family. We hope that our greatest accomplishments have been our reputation, as a family business, and the friends we have acquired through our years of service.
Becoming a Realtor
Actually, to become a Realtor, you first have to obtain a real estate license. There are two license categories: sales and broker. A person with a sales license is only allowed to work through a broker, and each real estate company in Mississippi is required to have only one principal broker. You can have a broker’s license and work through another broker; several of our agents at Winstead Realty have their broker’s licenses. The National Association of Realtors is a trade organization. You can be a licensed real estate agent and not be a Realtor, but most real estate agents in Meridian are Realtors and there are many benefits to Realtor membership. See information about a career in real estate.
A Career in Real Estate
To obtain a sales license you have to complete two pre-license educational courses, pass a background check and pass an exam, which has two components: state and local. You must pass each component. To obtain a broker’s license you have to have either four courses and a year’s experience as a salesperson or five courses, and you have to pass a two-part state exam, again with national and state components. Terry Winstead teaches pre-license courses at MCC, at night, and has for over 30 years. Call Terry at 601.483.4563 for more information.