Brian Kelly is a Chattanooga, TN/GA broker with PREMIERE Group at REAL Broker, serving buyers and sellers throughout the greater Chattanooga area.

Growing Up in Signal Mountain - Brian grew up in the Signal Mountain community. He's married to his high school sweetheart, and is a proud father, and grand "Poppy." 

Real estate runs in the family — his parents were real estate brokers and business owners who taught him the value of hard work early. As a boy, wanting a bike, he was handed boxes of commercial-grade freezer bags to sell door to door instead of the cash. His first afternoon out netted zero sales and a thunderstorm. He kept at it — every bag eventually sold, a blue Schwinn ten-speed earned, and neighbors calling back a year later for more.

Vanderbilt and the Army - Brian graduated from Red Bank High School and earned an ROTC scholarship to Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering. He graduated, joined the Army, and married Mary Dee — all in the same week. He went on to serve eight years in the Army Reserves, including deployment during Desert Storm with the 2369th Signal Detachment.

Finding His Path - After the Army, Brian worked for Ernst & Young in Nashville in a manufacturing systems consulting group, focused on project planning, inventory controls, and MRP systems. He loved the work, but the travel — leaving home Sunday night and returning late Friday — wasn't sustainable for him.

Building PREMIERE's Foundation - Following Desert Storm and the birth of his son, Brian moved his family back to Chattanooga, where his parents were building a residential real estate brokerage. He spent 20 years with the company, running its operations from 2001 to 2008 — a period when the business grew to 14 offices, several hundred agents, and more than $20 million in gross commissions, along with affiliated mortgage, title, and insurance divisions.

A Season That Changed Everything - In the years that followed, Brian faced his own battle with cancer — a season that reshaped how he thought about time, priorities, and what truly matters.  Right before COVID reached Chattanooga, a friend gave him a yellow Labrador puppy. That dog became far more than a pet — their long walks together became a kind of therapy, steadying Brian through treatment and recovery, and reinforcing a simple truth he still carries into every client relationship: presence and gratitude matter more than being busy.

PREMIERE Group at REAL Broker Today - Brian leads PREMIERE Group at REAL Broker — a business built around following God's direction toward a life of balance, relationships, and genuine service rather than constant busyness and achievement. Most of Brian's business comes from past clients and word-of-mouth referrals, a reflection of the trust he works to earn with every family he serves.

1. Ready to buy or sell a home in Chattanooga? Reach out to Brian directly at Brian@BrianRKelly.com.