UC Legends: Strong Leadership & Strong Relationships - Carl & Chris Hopkins and Lou Francis

United Country Real Estate's century of success was not built on marketing innovation alone. It was a process and a culture forged by leaders with vision, grit and a deep commitment to their communities. Among these leaders who shaped the company's legacy are Carl and Chris Hopkins and Lou Francis. As former United Country owners, their leadership has carried the business through decades of transformation while protecting the values that set the company apart in the first place.

Relationships Built on Trust

Carl and Chris Hopkins credit much of United Country's strength to the way leadership connected personally with its people. "If someone from Fayetteville, Arkansas wants to talk the president, they can and feel like they've been heard," they explained. "United Country offers a great service, but if you don't have that personal connection there, at least half the value is that. In the rural areas, the agents are out there doing their thing, trying to sell the seller on why we're such a great company. The agent can call the home office and whatever it is they need, we can help them."

This testimony echoes the sentiment agents report after working with United Country for some time. Many real estate professionals that make up the community detail the connections they have built with executives have had many a significant difference for them in their marketing, helping them display both their national reach and local expertise to clients. "We have always tried to do that. The agents, they were the most important people. Without them, we don't have anything," they said.

That philosophy carried through in their leadership style. By putting agents first, Carl and Chris created a culture of trust and support - one where every person felt valued.

Persistence & A Culture of Trust

When asked what advice they would give to the next generation, the Hopkins' response reflected the values that sustained their tenure: persistence, innovation and authenticity. "In your career, you just don't give up. Persistence is a huge part of it. We believed in the company and refused to give up when it got challenging."

For them, leadership was also about protecting the company's culture of integrity. "The family culture is real. Believe in these people and want to help them all. Protect that because it is really important to keep the company going in an honest way. Be pure and honest and keep moving forward. There will be mistakes, but move on. You make friends for life at United Country."

Leading with Vision

Lou Francis brought his own brand of leadership to United Country, rooted in personal connection and humility. "What makes the company unique is relationships and personal friendships. I sat across the desk from countless hundreds of franchisees at their office locations over the years. We'd meet them all at the franchise orientation, but you really didn't get to know them until you sat across from their desk and talked."

That personal investment in relationships is what Francis considered the company's greatest strength. In this farewell address, he reminded leaders of the true heart of the organization. "I remember saying to Dan [Duffy, UCRE's current CEO and owner], man, I love what you're doing. I love the direction of the company. But never ever forget that the number one asset of the organization is sitting in the seats of the banquet room."

Innovation in Marketing

Francis also emphasized the many ways United Country differentiated itself in the marketplace through its forward-thinking marketing resources. "If you're presenting to a property owner in the 60s, it would be different than today with electronic marketing and everything else that happens. But in my era, the difference between us was if you list with someone else, they're going to put a sign in the property and maybe an ad in the paper. And then we would lay out all of our marketing tools; the catalogs and the brochures and all the things and the confidential list. The difference was marketing."

A Legacy of Leadership

Together, Carl and Chris Hopkins and Lou Francis helped define what leadership means at United Country Real Estate. They placed relationships over transactions, persistence over setbacks and integrity over shortcuts. Their vision shaped not only a company that has defied markets and thrived for a century, but they also built a culture that continues to guide the next generation of leaders.

The United Country community, past, present and future, owes its enduring success to leaders like the Hopkins and Francis, who proved that strong leadership truly do make a strong company. Hear more from Lou Francis, Carl and Chris Hopkins by reading the full interview here and learn more about how United Country has innovated over the last century.