Nearly a Century of Winston-Salem History
T.E. Johnson & Sons has been part of Winston-Salem's real estate story since 1928. Across five generations, the company has grown from a downtown real estate office into a modern property management firm while remaining rooted in the community it serves.
Our collection of photographs, newspaper announcements, directories, property signs, awards, and professional publications preserves more than company milestones. It also reflects the changing history of real estate and property management in Winston-Salem. The timeline below brings that history together in one continuous story.
Nearly a Century of Service and Leadership
Experience Before the Company Opened
When T.E. Johnson formally opened his own office in 1928, he was already an experienced real estate professional. His original announcement stated that he had nineteen years of practical experience handling residential and business rental property for individuals, corporations, and estates throughout Winston-Salem. That background placed property management at the center of the company from its beginning.
T.E. Johnson Opens His Real Estate Office
On Monday, April 2, 1928, T.E. Johnson opened a general real estate office on the second floor of the Woolworth Building in downtown Winston-Salem.
The business served clients with homes, building lots, business property, rentals, property management, and insurance. These early services established the broad real estate foundation that would support the company through successive generations.
The Business Expands Across Generations
Five years after opening, T.E. Johnson & Sons announced a new real estate sales department alongside its established rental and property management operation. The announcement described the company as one of the largest rental and property management businesses in the Twin City.
Ray B. Johnson and T.E. Johnson Jr. had joined their father after completing school and helped supervise the growing business. Jesse Z. Pfaff, who brought more than twenty years of local real estate experience, was selected to lead sales.
— From the company's 1933 announcement
A Sweet Piece of Winston-Salem History
Krispy Kreme founder Vernon C. Rudolph came to Winston-Salem looking for a place to begin producing and selling doughnuts. T.E. Johnson Realtors showed him a small storefront at 534 South Main Street, across from Salem Academy and College. The space measured approximately eighteen by sixty feet.
Rudolph rented the property and began producing yeast-raised doughnuts for wholesale delivery. The smell drew people passing by, and he soon began selling directly to customers. That storefront became the beginning of a company recognized around the world—and a memorable part of T.E. Johnson & Sons' connection to local business history.
Jesse Z. Pfaff Serves as Local REALTOR® President
Seven years after joining the company to lead its sales department, Jesse Z. Pfaff served as President of the local REALTOR® association. His service began a remarkable record of seven people associated with T.E. Johnson & Sons serving as the Association's president.
Ray B. Johnson Continues the Leadership Tradition
Ray B. Johnson, one of the founder's sons and an early member of the family business, served as President of the local REALTOR® association. His leadership reflected the company's growing involvement in the professional organizations shaping Winston-Salem real estate.
Professional and Civic Service Grow Together
Members of the Johnson family served Winston-Salem through both the real estate profession and civic leadership. Historical photographs document Phillip W. “Phil” Johnson Sr.'s public service with the Forsyth County Commissioners, reflecting the company's broader connection to the community.
Historic signs and directories also place the company at 200 West Third Street. The telephone number displayed as PArk 2-6133 later became 722-6133—the same familiar main number used today as 336-722-6133.
Paul R. Johnson Serves as Association President
Paul R. Johnson became the third person associated with T.E. Johnson & Sons to serve as President of the local REALTOR® association, continuing a pattern of professional service that would span generations.
From 200 West Third Street to West Fifth Street
The company's office and property signs became familiar sights in Winston-Salem. The materials below preserve the West Third Street location, the long-running telephone number, and the signs used to identify properties offered for sale or managed by T.E. Johnson & Sons. The company now operates from 920 West Fifth Street.
Helping Establish WSRAR's Property Management Division
In September 1976, the Property Management Division of the local REALTOR® association was formed to promote professional training and establish ethical standards for those managing residential, commercial, and industrial property. Phil Johnson Sr. of T.E. Johnson & Sons Realty was among its original officers and directors.
The new division emphasized professional rules of conduct, education, improved screening resources, lease compliance, and stronger management standards. Those priorities remain recognizable in the systems and responsibilities of professional property management today.
Phil Johnson Sr. Serves as Association President
Phillip W. “Phil” Johnson Sr. became the fourth person connected with T.E. Johnson & Sons to serve as President of the local REALTOR® association, adding professional leadership to his property management and civic service.
A Family Tradition of REALTOR® Leadership
Thomas F. Johnson became the fifth company-connected president of the local REALTOR® association. A newspaper account of his installation called the occasion “A Family Affair,” recognizing the generations of Johnson family leadership within the Association.
By this point, the company's service to the real estate profession extended across decades and included association leadership, property management standards, education, and community involvement.
Property Management Leadership Recognized
Phillip W. Johnson Jr.—known as Phillip and now the company's President—received WSRAR's Property Manager of the Year Award, recognizing his service and leadership within the local property management profession.
Cathy Robertson Named Property Manager of the Year
Cathy Robertson received WSRAR's Property Manager of the Year Award while serving as Vice President of T.E. Johnson & Sons. Her work would continue at the local and state levels through association leadership, property management advocacy, and professional education.
Local and State Leadership Continue
Phillip W. Johnson Jr. became the sixth person associated with the company to serve as WSRAR President.
During the same year, Cathy Robertson served as Chair of the North Carolina REALTORS® Property Management Division and received WSRAR's REALTOR® of the Year Award, reflecting the company's involvement beyond its own office at both the local and state levels.
Seven WSRAR Presidents Connected to One Company
When Cathy Robertson served as WSRAR President in 2023, she became the seventh person associated with T.E. Johnson & Sons to hold the office.
Also in 2023, Phillip served as Chair of the North Carolina REALTORS® Property Management Division and was named WSRAR's REALTOR® of the Year. Together, these milestones represent service to professional standards, education, advocacy, private-property rights, and the wider real estate community.
Statewide Service Recognized
Phillip received the NC REALTORS® President's Award for exceptional service and support. The recognition continued the company's long record of involvement in the organizations that support REALTORS®, property managers, property owners, and the communities they serve.
The Tools Have Changed. The Relationships Still Matter.
T.E. Johnson once conducted business from the Woolworth Building using telephone numbers with only a few digits. Today, our team uses online portals, electronic leases, digital property marketing, detailed accounting systems, and modern maintenance coordination to serve property owners and residents throughout the Winston-Salem area.
The company remains involved in the real estate and property management profession through local, state, and national organizations, continuing the service tradition documented throughout this timeline.
Technology has changed, but the importance of local knowledge, clear communication, professional responsibility, and lasting relationships has not. Nearly a century after its founding, T.E. Johnson & Sons continues to honor its history while preparing for the future of property management.
Preserving History Responsibly
Historical materials are presented to document the company's story and the development of the local real estate profession. T.E. Johnson & Sons' current services, advertising, application procedures, and property management practices are conducted in accordance with applicable Fair Housing requirements and Equal Housing Opportunity principles.
Meet the People Carrying the Tradition Forward
Five generations of history continue through the team serving property owners and residents today with local knowledge, professional care, and modern property management tools.
