Our Company

Who We Are

Herenton Homes, LLC is a full service vertically integrated residential Real Estate company that is licensed to operate in Tennessee and Mississippi. With an emphasis on affordable housing in the greater Memphis area, we specialize in New Construction, Existing Residential Sales and Residential Development. Due to the high demand for rentals in this area, we also offer Property Management and Property Investments services.

Herenton Homes was founded by Willie Herenton, CEO, and Michael Gray, Principal Broker and Managing Partner. These men have over 60 years combined in the real estate industry and both have spent a lifetime serving the public. Herenton Homes affords them the opportunity to continue their commitment to developing our communities by increasing home ownership. Joined by a team of equally committed and passionate agents, the founders will leverage their vast industry networks to ensure their clients and the company succeed together.

The Vision

Herenton Homes is a trusted, full service residential real estate firm committed to enriching lives and communities through homeownership. We strive to provide service in the most efficient and caring manner to secure affordable housing for our clients.

The Mission

Build stronger communities through home ownership, "Where We Succeed Together!

Dr. Willie W. Herenton CEO / Owner

Dr. Willie W. Herenton is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and a product of the public school system, where he served as superintendent of schools for twelve years. A graduate of LeMoyne College and Memphis State University, he acquired his Ph.D. degree from Southern Illinois University. In addition, he was the longest serving Mayor of the City of Memphis, TN.

His professional experiences include, but are not limited to, classroom teacher, principal, instructor at Southern Illinois University and deputy superintendent of the Memphis City School system. In 1973, he was selected as one of the ten minority school administrators, nationwide, to participate in the Rockefeller Foundation’s Superintendency Training Program. As a Rockefeller Fellow, he served internships in the offices of the superintendent of Baltimore Public Schools and the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Additional professional activities include serving as adjunct professor at Memphis State University and visiting professor at Kansas State University in the areas of education, administration, curriculum and instruction. He has received numerous awards for outstanding service in education, including an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Rhodes College and an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Christian Brothers College. LeMoyne-Owen College presented him with the Alumnus of the Year award in 1976. He was selected in 1980, 1984 and 1987 as one of the Top 100 School Executives in the United States and Canada by Executive Educator, a professional journal. He was recipient of the 1986 Humanitarian of the Year award presented by the Memphis Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Greater Memphis State, Incorporated selected Dr. Herenton for the 1987 Educator of the Year award. The Distinguished Alumni award from Memphis State University was presented to Dr. Herenton in 1989. The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Incorporated selected Dr. Herenton as one of the ten national recipients of the 1988 Horatio Alger award. He was inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. American City & County Magazine named him the 2002 Municipal Leader of the year. He is a past member of the American Association of School Administrators and the American Management Association. He has served on the national board of directors of the Urban League, Junior Achievement and the national executive board of the National Conference of Christian and Jews. Dr. Herenton has served on several corporate boards including The Promus Companies Incorporated and First Tennessee National Corporation. He has devoted time to many civic and service organizations such as the March of Dimes, the United Way, the Rotary Club, the Boy Scouts and the Economic Club of Memphis.

Michael Gray Principal Broker / Owner | License ID: TN 257893

Honesty, loyalty, integrity, transparency, and unparalleled standards are just some qualities that describe Michael A. Gray. Michael is no stranger to this community! He is a Memphis native who graduated from Hamilton High School and served his country for six years in the US Army. Michael is a retired City of Memphis Administrator with over 30 years of service, twenty-five of those years he served as a Commissioned Police Officer. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from LeMoyne-Owen College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Michael also attained a Master of Arts degree with a concentration in Crisis Management from the University of Memphis and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

Michael spent the last 30 years acquiring in-depth knowledge about residential real estate. He is honored to have served on numerous Boards, including the Memphis and Shelby County Land Use & Control Board, Vice Chairman of the Board for W.E.B. DuBois Consortium of Charter Schools, Inc., Treasurer of the Board for SEPTA - Shelby County Regional Special Education PTA, and Trustee of New Sardis Baptist Church. Michael holds numerous real estate licenses in Tennessee and Mississippi, as well as 14 certifications and designations from the Memphis Association of Realtors, the Tennessee Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors, and is a Master Graduate of the Realtor Institute. Michael is also a Graduate of the 2018 class of Leadership Memphis and the 2022 class of Leadership MAAR (Memphis Association of Realtors). Additionally, Michael is a Licensed Instructor with the Tennessee Real Estate Commission.

Currently, as the Principal Broker/ Co-Owner of Herenton Homes, LLC, Michael applies his vast knowledge managing Associate Brokers, Investment Services, and Educational Development while assisting potential agents to pass the real estate exam. He is joined by a team of equally committed and enthusiastic agents, where he leverages his extensive industry networks to ensure our clients and the company succeed together. Michael lives his life daily on 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, “Praying that God will enlarge his territory so that he may be a Blessing to others. Michael resides in Collierville, Tennessee, with his wife, Bernadette, and daughter, Tera, who has been on the Autism spectrum for 19 years. Michael has three daughters, three grandsons, and two granddaughters.