Keith Smith

Keith Smith, owner of YES Realty Partners, is committed to creating permanently affordable housing for people from all walks of life and empowering families to build generational wealth. In 2024, as chair of the Piedmont Community Land Trust and co-chair of the Regional Housing Partnership, Smith helped make homeownership a reality for dozens of families who had thought it was out of reach.

Recognizing the need for a collaborative approach to address the housing affordability crisis and produce lasting change, he developed the Land Trust model and the “Four Pillars of Housing Affordability,” which involved local governments, the private sector, nonprofit housing organizations and communities being served.

Due to the success of those initiatives, local governments and organizations across the U.S. have asked Smith for help implementing similar models in their communities.

“My ‘why’ is pretty simple: Every day, I get to wake up and help people with one of the basic needs for their journey around the sun—shelter,” says Smith. “But it’s more than just a roof—it’s about creating a space where families can grow, feel secure and build their futures. Being part of that is incredibly rewarding, and it’s what drives me every single day.”