Stephen Lovett

Chained to a desk? Hardly. Stephen Lovett feels at ease in the woods.

“I love hiking, nature and observing the wilderness,” Lovett said.

Funny enough, that extends even to Lovett’s career in the commercial real estate business.

It may sound far-fetched, but Lovett says his most favored moments at work are the times he gets to size up properties firsthand, getting into the field and walking the lines, observing and getting a feel for how the land works.

“I love going to a piece of property and figuring out the best use for the property,” Lovett said. “I like to figure out its highest and best use, and when that use will be feasible and how long it will take for that property to work for a potential client.”

And to think, Lovett was — at one point — headed for an accountant’s desk. That’s where Lovett saw himself upon entering the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

“I took an accounting class and found out that I hated bean-counting,” Lovett said. “It turns out what I love is problem-solving and matching that problem solving with helping people. I switched to real estate in college and fell in love with it.”

Already gifted with math, Lovett now combines that ability to crunch numbers with his love of the land, bringing all of his talents to bear for the Norton Agency’s commercial real estate division.

“The data and resources that Norton provides for us is incredible,” Lovett said. “It really gives us a big edge.”

Thanks to a tough economy, Lovett has made the most of every edge he can attain.

“When I started getting my feet wet the market was in the midst of a huge crash, but it actually helped that I had no prior experience at that point — I could come in and learn immediately instead of having to change how I did things,” Lovett said. “I’ve only really known the grind. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve learned it well.”

Lovett proved a fast study indeed, working his way to the top of Norton’s commercial division in sales.

“I really found my niche with working with residential developments — even the ones that were going bankrupt,” Lovett said. “I was working with several banks and institutional investors, and I was getting out there and pounding the pavement.”

Now that the real estate business is beginning to rebound, Lovett sees his job evolving, but it is a change and a challenge that he relishes.

Speaking of change, Lovett is about to experience a big one on a personal level as well, as he is getting married this summer.

A northeast Georgia native, whose family moved to coastal Georgia during his youth, Lovett is thrilled to be back among the Appalachian Mountains, though his treks have also taken him much further than his own backyard.

“I love to travel; I like to experience new cultures all around the United States,” said Lovett, who also professes a love of music and golf — though he rarely hits the links anymore. “I’m having too much fun in this market.”

Lovett also devotes time and money to aid lymphoma research.