Arizona Experience Since 1998

Built through changing markets. Grounded in proven values.

AZ Realty & Rentals is led by longtime business partners and friends Chris Smith and Jay Warren—Arizona real-estate professionals who have built companies, served clients and navigated every kind of market together.

Experienced leadership. Personal accountability.

How It Started

From the golf course to Arizona real estate.

Chris Smith and Jay Warren met in 1998 while working as assistant golf professionals at The Golf Club at Vistoso in Oro Valley. They quickly recognized the same work ethic, entrepreneurial drive and belief that exceptional service begins with listening.

In 2000, the friends became business partners and founded Tucson & Scottsdale Golf Vacations. The company combined Arizona hospitality, destination marketing and personal service for golfers visiting from around the country.

When clients began asking for help purchasing homes, locating investment properties and managing Arizona real estate, the opportunity was clear. In 2004, Chris and Jay founded Mountain Vista Real Estate, expanding into residential sales, vacation rentals, leasing and property management.

Both are devoted family men. Their families grew alongside their businesses, and the values that sustained both—integrity, commitment, accountability and trust—remain central to AZ Realty & Rentals today.

1998 A professional friendship begins at The Golf Club at Vistoso.

2000 Tucson & Scottsdale Golf Vacations is founded.

2004 Mountain Vista Real Estate opens its doors.

2008–2012 The business navigates the housing crash and long recovery.

2017 The brokerage is acquired by a national real-estate company.

2020–TODAY The team adapts through pandemic disruption, inventory shortages and rapid rate changes.

AZ Realty and Rentals business partners Chris Smith and Jay Warren — Business partners and longtime friends Chris Smith and Jay Warren—more than 25 years after first working together in Oro Valley.

Why AZ Realty & Rentals Exists

Modern tools. Old-fashioned accountability.

We watched calls go unanswered, clients get trapped behind automated systems and personal responsibility give way to generic replies. Arizona property owners deserve better. We embrace technology when it improves service—but it will never replace a real conversation, sound judgment or a professional who takes responsibility.

We answer the phone—not AI.

We listen before we advise.

We tell clients what they need to know.

We own problems and pursue solutions.

We treat every property like an investment and a home.

“Our clients benefit from all of our experience—the victories, the challenges and every lesson earned along the way.”

Experience Tested in the Real World

Over more than 25 years, we have worked through booming economies, the housing crash, the long recovery, changing lending environments, a global pandemic, historic inventory shortages and sharp interest-rate shifts.

We did not merely study those markets. We operated businesses, represented clients and managed properties through them. That experience helps us remain steady, resourceful and candid—regardless of what the market is doing.

Experienced, Local Leadership

Meet the business partners behind the company.

More than 25 years in business together reflects a proven formula: communicate honestly, honor your commitments, adapt when conditions change and never lose sight of the client.

Partner | U.S. Navy Veteran

Chris Smith

A Tucson resident since 1972, Chris brings extensive experience in real-estate sales, property management, investment properties, vacation rentals, hospitality and marketing. He proudly served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Midway during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Fiery Vigil, earning multiple medals before completing his bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University. The discipline, responsibility and service-first mindset developed in the Navy continue to shape how Chris leads and serves clients today.

Partner & Designated Broker

Jay Warren

Jay moved to Arizona in 1995 after graduating from Hampden-Sydney College and has built his professional life here ever since. As Designated Broker, he provides thoughtful leadership, brokerage oversight and a steady hand in the complex decisions involved in real estate and property management. Jay shares Chris’s belief that trust is earned through straight answers, consistent follow-through and doing the right thing—even when it is not the easiest thing.

What 25+ Years in Business Says

Proven through every market.

We are proud of the companies we have built, but even more proud of the reputation behind them.

We kept our word. We adapted our strategy. We made difficult decisions when the market demanded them, and we remained accountable to the clients who placed their confidence in us.

Going the extra mile is not an upgrade or a marketing slogan. It is the standard we expect from ourselves.

Put Our Experience to Work

You should know who is managing your investment.

Whether you own one Arizona rental home or are building a portfolio, we would be honored to learn about your property, understand your goals and show you what responsive, experienced management should feel like.

Request a Free Rental Analysis Call or Text 520-820-9253