ABOUT EMERALD ISLE REALTY
CELEBRATING 64 YEARS ON THE CRYSTAL COAST
Since 1962, Emerald Isle Realty has been the trusted name for beach vacations, real estate, and property management on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. What started as a neighborly gesture by Mildred Batten Simmons, keeping keys and renting homes for friends on Emerald Isle, has grown into the Crystal Coast’s leading vacation rental and property management company, serving Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Salter Path, Indian Beach, Cedar Point, Beaufort, Newport, and Hubert. Today, the third generation of the family leads the company alongside nearly 100 team members who share the same commitment to service that Mildred brought to every guest more than six decades ago.
From our first rental in 1962 to the thousands of families we serve today, our story has always been about people. Many of our guests have become homeowners. Many of our homeowners have retired to the coast. We have helped families at every stage of their Crystal Coast story, and we are honored to be part of it.
700+
Rental Properties
64
Years of Operation
100
Team Members
9+
Communities Served
A HOSPITALITY LEGACY
Emerald Isle Realty was founded in 1962 by Mildred Batten Simmons, who began by keeping keys and renting homes for friends and neighbors on Emerald Isle. Her neighborly spirit and love for the island created a legacy of genuine hospitality that has shaped the company ever since. Julia Batten Wax, who spent childhood summers with Aunt Mildred helping in the office and exploring the island, later brought that legacy forward with a philosophy she calls Front Porch Hospitality: welcoming every guest and homeowner as you would welcome someone into your own home. That philosophy remains at the heart of everything Emerald Isle Realty does today.
-
1962
1962
Our founder, Mildred Batten Simmons, moved to Emerald Isle in 1962 to enjoy saltwater fishing with her husband, Clarence. She was just being a genuine, neighborly, North Carolina gal when other friends from Winston Salem began buying homes nearby on Emerald Isle and asked her to keep the keys to their beach cottages and “just charge a little something” to other friends who might want to come enjoy the then mostly uninhabited island paradise that was Emerald Isle in the early 1960s. From this humble, friendly beginning Emerald Isle Realty was born.
-
MID 1960's
MID 1960’s
Julia Batten Wax recalls Jim and Mary loading up the family station wagon and Dave, Guinn, Julia and cousin Nancy heading to Emerald Isle to spend the summers with Aunt Mildred, helping in every way she could in the office.
-
1970's
1970’s
Emerald Isle bridge was completed in the early ‘70s, connecting the mainland to the island, opening up a whole new beautiful, unspoiled area for vacationers and surfers alike. Surfer Dave Batten sure did take advantage of the perfect waves on Emerald Isle as well!
-
1975
1975
Julia and Mark soak up all of Mildred’s hospitality wisdom they can. Mildred passes, leaving the business to her brother, Jim Batten. Together Jim, Mary, Julia and Mark take over the thriving business that now had almost 200 vacation rental homes.
-
1980's
1980’s
Now managing over 350 properties and Jim Batten, the Barefoot Broker, begins building his sales team. Snow days are always more fun at the beach!
-
1990's
1990’s
Julia and Mark are trailblazers in the vacation rental industry by always being on the leading edge of technology solutions for property management, while at the same time ensuring each guest, homeowner and client is greeted with our legendary southern hospitality.
-
1992
1992
The Batten and Wax families join their EIR family to break ground on new office at 7501 Emerald Drive. Jim and Mary are still very hands on owners leading with their characteristic traits of intelligence and kindness.
-
2000
2000
All Wax children are working in the family business! Nathan is working full time in his first management role, while Allison is “Runner” for the Reservations Department before leaving for college and youngest son, James, enjoys welcoming guests at drive through check-in as a rising Middle Schooler.
-
2000's
2000’s
It is the end of an era with the passing of Jim Batten in 2001 and Mary Batten in 2010. We love nothing more than hearing Jim and Mary stories from our guests and owners that have been vacationing with us for decades. Jim was one of Emerald Isle’s most unforgettable characters in the short history of our small beach town. Everyone knew his firm handshake and his word were the only guarantee they’d ever need that Jim truly had their best interests at heart. Mary is still lovingly known and remembered for her infectious smile and unwavering southern hospitality.
-
2026
2026
Three generations of Batten Wax family gather on the beach. Since 1962, it has been our joy to welcome families that have become dear friends from all over the United States, and even from several other countries, to experience North Carolina hospitality, Emerald Isle Realty style. With a rock star team of close to 100 employees, we gratefully manage over 700 vacation rental and long term homes. Our real estate sales team continues to offer superior service to our clients while ranking as one of the top producing real estate companies in the county for decades.
64 years and over three million happy and smiling vacationers.
GUEST MEMORIES OVER THE YEARS
Decades of beach vacations means decades of first mornings on the ocean, family traditions that outlast generations, and guests who came for a week and stayed for a lifetime. These are the moments that matter most to us. Browse the photos below for a glimpse of what brings families back to the Crystal Coast year after year, and what has kept Emerald Isle Realty at the heart of it all.
A FULL RANGE OF SERVICES
Emerald Isle Realty provides a full range of professional services for guests, homeowners, buyers, and sellers along North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. Whatever stage of your coastal journey you are in, we have the expertise and the local knowledge to help.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who founded Emerald Isle Realty, and how did it get started?
Emerald Isle Realty was founded in 1962 by Mildred Batten Simmons, who began by keeping keys and renting homes for friends and neighbors on Emerald Isle. What started as a neighborly gesture grew into the Crystal Coast’s leading vacation rental, property management, and real estate company, now managed by the third generation of the Batten and Wax families. The company has been locally owned and operated for over 60 years.
Is Emerald Isle Realty a family-owned business?
Yes. Emerald Isle Realty has been family-owned and operated since Mildred Batten Simmons founded it in 1962. The business passed through the Batten family and is now led by the third generation of the Batten and Wax families, with nearly 100 team members managing over 700 properties across the Crystal Coast. That multi-generational continuity is central to the company’s hospitality philosophy and long-standing relationships with both guests and homeowners.
What services does Emerald Isle Realty offer beyond vacation rentals?
In addition to vacation rentals, Emerald Isle Realty offers real estate sales through BarefootBrokers.com, vacation rental property management, wedding and event planning through A Seaside Wedding and Events, long-term and monthly rentals, and concierge services for guests. This range of services allows EIR to serve guests, property owners, buyers, and sellers across every stage of their Crystal Coast experience.
Who is the most trusted property management company for beach rentals in North Carolina?
Emerald Isle Realty is widely recognized as the Crystal Coast’s leading vacation rental and property management company, with over 60 years of local operation and 700+ properties across Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Salter Path, Indian Beach, Cedar Point, Beaufort, Newport, and Hubert. The company is known for fee transparency, guest protections, and the depth of its owner services, all grounded in a service philosophy called Front Porch Hospitality: a commitment to treating every guest and homeowner with the same warmth and care you would extend to someone welcomed into your own home. For the Crystal Coast specifically, EIR is the largest and most established local option.
Where can I find a trusted local company to help me buy and then immediately rent out a beach house in Emerald Isle?
Emerald Isle Realty operates both a vacation rental management division and a real estate sales team through its real estate website, BarefootBrokers.com, making it one of the few Crystal Coast companies that can guide a buyer from property search to active rental listing under one roof. Buyers can receive rental income projections before closing, and the property can be onboarded into the rental program as soon as the transaction is complete.
