Today we’d like to introduce you to Garren Washington.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey started with real estate.
I have always been drawn to ownership, cash flow, and the idea of building something that could create long-term financial freedom. Real estate made sense to me because it was tangible. You could see it, improve it, operate it, and over time, build real wealth through it.
I began in real estate around 2015 and spent years learning the business from the ground up. I worked with buyers, sellers, investors, and property owners, which gave me a strong understanding of how real estate decisions are made. I learned what makes a property valuable, what makes a deal risky, and how people think when they are buying, selling, renting, or investing.
That experience became the foundation for everything I would build later.
Over time, I became less interested in simply helping other people buy and sell real estate, and more interested in owning and operating income-producing assets myself. I wanted to move from commissions and transactions into ownership, cash flow, and business building.
That led me into corporate housing.
In 2020, I acquired Norton Property Services, a furnished housing and corporate housing company serving the Raleigh-Durham-Cary market. At the time, I saw an opportunity to take a real estate-based business and improve it through better operations, better marketing, better systems, and a stronger guest experience.
Corporate housing appealed to me because it sat at the intersection of real estate, hospitality, and business operations. It was not just about renting apartments. It was about solving real problems for people who needed temporary, high-quality housing.
Our clients include people relocating to the Triangle, families waiting for a home to close, business travelers, medical professionals, construction teams, insurance displacement clients, and companies that need flexible furnished housing for employees.
I quickly realized that corporate housing could produce stronger income than traditional long-term rentals, but it also required a higher level of service and execution. Guests expected clean, well-furnished properties, fast communication, smooth move-ins, reliable utilities, and a professional experience from start to finish.
So I focused on improving the business.
I worked on better systems, stronger operations, clearer communication, better listings, and a more professional brand. I looked for ways to automate what could be automated while still keeping the human touch where it mattered. The goal was simple: create a business that delivered a 5-star experience for guests while also producing strong returns.
Norton Property Services grew into a corporate housing company with a portfolio of furnished units across the Triangle. The business operates through a mix of arbitrage leases and owner-managed properties, allowing us to serve clients who need flexible, move-in-ready housing without the hassle of furniture, utilities, or long-term commitments.
Along the way, I learned an important lesson: real estate income is only as good as the operations behind it.
A property can be in a great location and still underperform if the marketing is weak, the pricing is off, the guest experience is poor, or the systems are not built to scale. That lesson shaped the way I look at every investment today.
I do not just look at the asset. I look at the business model around the asset.
That mindset also led me to broader investing.
I became more interested in acquiring cash-flowing assets, improving operations, and building long-term wealth through businesses connected to real estate. My investing philosophy became more focused: buy or control assets that produce income, improve them through better systems and management, and hold or reposition them based on long-term value.
I also learned what does and does not fit my long-term strategy.
Not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Some businesses can make money but require too much owner involvement. Some assets look good on paper but do not align with the future I want to build. Over time, I became clearer that my focus should be on real estate projects, cash-flowing assets, and businesses where operations, technology, and ownership can work together.
Today, my work is centered on growing Norton Property Services, improving its systems, expanding its reach, and building a stronger real estate investment platform. I am focused on furnished housing, corporate housing, property operations, owner partnerships, and other opportunities where real estate can produce reliable income.
My goal is not just to own properties.
My goal is to build durable, cash-flowing assets that give me more control over my time, more freedom in my life, and more ability to make smart long-term moves.
I started in real estate because I saw the power of ownership.
I got into corporate housing because I saw a gap in the market and a better way to serve people who needed flexible housing.
I continue investing because I believe the combination of real estate, operations, and smart business systems is one of the best paths to long-term wealth.
That is the story so far.
And I still feel like I am just getting started.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The beginning was not glamorous.
Before real estate became a business for me, it was a risk. I quit my 9-to-5 job, although truthfully it felt more like a 7-to-7, with only about six months of living expenses saved. I made the decision to get my real estate license and go all in.
For three months, I went to real estate school after work. I was working long days, then going straight to class at night, trying to learn a new industry while still keeping up with my current responsibilities. Eventually, I finished the coursework and passed the real estate exam.
At the time, I believed that getting licensed would be the hardest part.
I was wrong.
Like many new agents, I underestimated how long it would take to make my first sale. I had the license, the ambition, and the work ethic, but deals did not come quickly. The bills started piling up. I had to do BPOs, broker price opinions, just to keep the lights on and stay in the game.
That first year tested me.
I put about 25,000 miles on my car driving to properties, chasing opportunities, learning neighborhoods, completing BPOs, meeting people, and trying to create momentum. There were plenty of moments where it would have been easier to go back to a steady paycheck.
But I kept going.
After about a year, I finally made my first sale. Then, in that same month, I made my second sale.
That changed everything for me.
Those two sales verified what I believed from the beginning: this could work. I was not crazy for taking the risk. I just needed enough time, enough discipline, and enough consistency for the work to start compounding.
After that, the floodgates opened.
The struggle at the beginning taught me lessons I still carry today. It taught me that business rarely moves as fast as you want it to in the beginning. It taught me that cash flow matters. It taught me that persistence is not motivational talk; it is what keeps you alive when the results have not caught up to the work yet.
Most importantly, it taught me that ownership and freedom come with a cost.
For me, that cost was long days, uncertainty, unpaid work, miles on the car, bills piling up, and a year of wondering when the breakthrough would come.
But once it came, I knew I was on the right path.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Norton Property Services is a corporate housing and furnished rental company serving the Raleigh, Durham, and Cary area. We specialize in fully furnished, move-in-ready housing for people who need something more flexible than a traditional lease but more comfortable and professional than a hotel.
We serve a wide range of clients, including relocating professionals, corporate travelers, insurance-displaced families, medical professionals, construction teams, government workers, and people who need temporary housing during life transitions. Our goal is simple: make temporary housing feel stable, comfortable, and easy.
What sets us apart is the level of care we put into both the property and the guest experience. We are not just handing someone keys to a furnished apartment. We are creating a complete housing solution. Our homes include furniture, utilities, internet, kitchen essentials, linens, and the practical details people need to live comfortably from day one.
We are also local. That matters. We understand the Triangle market, the neighborhoods, the commute patterns, and what guests actually need when they are staying here for a few months. Because we are not a massive national platform, we can offer a more personal, responsive experience.
Brand-wise, I am most proud that Norton Property Services has become known for professionalism, quality, and reliability. We want guests, property owners, and corporate clients to feel like they are dealing with a company that takes the details seriously. Clean homes, clear communication, fast responses, and a smooth process are core to who we are.
At the heart of the brand is trust. Whether someone is relocating for work, recovering after a home disaster, managing a construction project, or helping an employee find housing, we want Norton Property Services to be the company they can count on.
We do not just provide furnished rentals. We provide peace of mind during a time when people need housing to be one less thing to worry about.
How do you think about luck?
I do believe luck plays a role in business, but I do not think luck is completely random.
A lot of what people call luck is really the result of hard work meeting opportunity. You have to put yourself in position long enough for something good to happen. That means showing up when things are slow, making calls when nobody is responding, doing the unglamorous work, and staying consistent before the results are obvious.
When I look back, I can point to moments that felt lucky. But those moments usually came after months or years of work that no one saw. The first real estate sale felt like luck, but it came after a year of learning, making mistakes, and trying to stay in the business. Opportunities showed up because I was still there when they came.
So yes, I believe in luck.
But I believe you create more of it by working hard, staying ready, building relationships, taking calculated risks, and refusing to quit too early. That is where luck starts to look less like chance and more like preparation finally getting its moment.
Pricing:
- Fully Furnished 1 Bedroom – $2700/mo
- Fully Furnished 2 Bedroom – $3300/mo
- Fully Furnished 3 Bedroom – $3750/mo
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nortonpropertyservices.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norton_property/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Norton-Property-Services-103836268188222
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrenwashington/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/norton-property-services-cary-4
- Other: https://sites.google.com/nortonpropertyservices.com/nps-referral-program/home
