Discovering Northwest Arkansas with Phillip Shepard of All Things NWA

Summary In this engaging episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell visits with Phillip Shepard, the visionary behind All Things NWA and a seasoned Realtor at Collier & Associates. Phillip brings more than a decade of real estate prowess to the table, passionately guiding people through the captivating landscape of Greater Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas. He explores the region's unique fusion of outdoor allure, bustling event scenes and tight-knit community, all set against a backdrop of a thriving business environment and abundant high-quality job opportunities. A champion of the area's blend of mid-sized city comfort and big-city amenities, Phillip proudly labels it as the best place to live, work and play in America. He recounts his own transition from Chicago, exploring numerous remarkable U.S. communities before identifying Northwest Arkansas as the ultimate locale. Throughout the conversation, Phillip sheds light on how the Greater Bentonville Area is drawing a diverse populace, fostering growth and entrepreneurship within a community fabric that's rich in collaboration and unity.  Thanks for tuning in! Show Notes Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs. (0:54) Introduction to Phillip Shepard (4:26) Phillip’s Relocation to NWA (7:06) The Status of NWA’s Residential Property Market (11:39) The Benefits of Living in the Greater Bentonville Area (19:27) NWA’s Big City Amenities (24:22) Upcoming Developments in the Greater Bentonville Area (28:13) Phillip’s #BecauseBentonville Story (31:44) Why Bentonville’s a Desirable Place to Live, Work and Play (42:27) Closing Question ‍Links James Bell  Bentonville Economic Development  Phillip Shepard All Things NWA All Things NWA YouTube Everything NWA Collier & Associates Quotes “In the scale of everything, Northwest Arkansas still is very affordable in comparison. Now, the asterisk there, is you can find cheaper housing in America, but the unique thing about this area is that you get all the benefits of a larger area but with affordable housing. It’s really hard to find that sweet balance between having an area where you can have a job, you can live, you can work, you can play all in NWA. But you can’t find that anywhere else in America and have that affordable housing aspect to it.” - Phillip Shepard,  (11:02) “...to talk about the perks of Bentonville. That’s just kind of baked into the cake of being so close to the downtown section, all the events, all the community, all the biking trails, all of the things that go on in Downtown Bentonville. It’s fantastic.” - Phillip Shepard, (12:57) “The fact the the Downtown [Bentonville] Area, which is very community focused, in a matter of months, can go from in one weekend, we can do farmers market, we can do a one hundred mile gravel race, we can do a 5k, we can do a Bentonville Film Festival, then an ice skating rink, and there’s a Bentonville Bike Fest happening. And it’s like how can so much happening in such a small area have such an impact and be done so well…you can leave the downtown square and come back the next day and it’s totally different. It’s an endless amount of stuff that only happens [in Bentonville].” - Phillip Shepard, (28:44) “From a cultural perspective, there’s something for everyone. And the things that Bentonville has been focusing on are things that are core to almost everyone. If you say what’s important to a family, I want to have great schools for my kids, check. What’s important for people that want to move here, jobs and a career path, check. What’s important for people that just want to retire, you have Bella Vista, check. What’s important for single people that want to start a new life and get a new community, check. So you can go down the list and [the Greater Bentonville Area] hits so many important things.” - Phillip Shepard, (32:33)