Brokers and Agents

Colby J. Henson grew up in Dunwoody, GA, from a third generation real estate and land development family. He formally received his real estate license in 2002, after what seemed a lifetime of real estate education and training from his father and grandfather. Entering his real estate career with a start in the sales and marketing department with Coldwell Banker in Atlanta, he moved on to the leadership development training program at Coldwell Banker in an effort to obtain the knowledge and methodology used in managing a Coldwell Banker brokerage office. An offer was made by a very reputable local developer and builder to start and manage a start-up real estate brokerage company, Red Oak Realty, that would manage and broker the homes built by W&H Properties / Red Oak Construction and their affiliated companies. This proved to be a great challenge and opportunity to build a new company, recruit sales associates and operate a real estate brokerage. This decision proved to be a great success with over $161,000,000 worth of real estate brokerage transactions from mid-2004 - 2011.

In 2008, as the market was facing serious foreclosure default in the residential homes market, we started to see many opportunities to provide valuable brokerage services to our banking partners and investor relationships. The relationships formed in the lot and land brokerage business aligned us to provide this valuable home brokerage component to aid an ailing home market and its investors. Our efforts continue as we provide OREO representation throughout our affiliated companies, home brokerage, land brokerage, and developed lot brokerage alliance.

As the market improved after the housing recession, Red Oak and its affiliated companies surged forward and rebranded their company, Fortress Builders, and their marketing arm, Fortress Real Estate, to continue the efforts of building new homes and neighborhoods in Metropolitan Atlanta. Helping to navigate through the market, we were able to build out approximately 600 homes during the downturn and keep our relationships with the banks and lending institutions. Today, we are currently developing new lots and acquiring land for further development of new neighborhoods and communities to serve the growing population in Metro Atlanta. 

Colby remains active in the local Cobb County community currently serving on the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art Board of Directors and having served on the Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, Executive Committee, as Marketing & Communications Chair and Strategic Planning Committee member. He is an active member in the Atlanta and Cobb Boards of REALTORS®, having served on the Governmental Affairs and Fundraising Committee, Leadership Development Graduate, Young Council of REALTORS®, Grievance Committee, past Chair, and currently serving on the Professional Standards Committee.

In his free time, Colby enjoys traveling, hunting, and fishing. Colby his wife, Chelsea, and one daughter, Jayden, reside in the City of Marietta, Georgia, USA. 

William H. (“Skip”) Harper, Jr. is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He began his real estate career in 1985 with Property Systems Corporation. He is a licensed broker in Georgia and a longtime member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors.

Mr. Harper possesses a thorough knowledge of all aspects of land brokerage, zoning and entitlement, site evaluation, development, construction, financing, marketing, and management. He has successfully negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions throughout the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, as well as having developed over thirty condominium, townhome and single family communities. Throughout his career, he has focused primarily on raw land and developed residential lot deals.

Mr. Harper is active in his community and has served in leadership positions on the boards of two local banks, Cobb Wellstar Hospice, Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, Feed the Hungry Foundation, and the Rotary Club of North Cobb. He and his wife of 23 years, Jeanine, are members of the First United Methodist Church in Marietta, where he currently serves on the Finance Committee. They reside in Marietta, and have three adult daughters.