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| photography by Kevin Hunter Marple |
Say you’re in the market for a new house and the only tools you have at your disposal are the Internet and your car. You’re never going to know about homes such as 3617 Lexington Ave. in Highland Park. A “For Sale” sign on a $10 million home is apparently gauche. And surf all you like. You won’t find any information about the stone and stucco manse on the web. So unless you have an agent who knows that Emily Price Carrigan is the lady to call about this particular home, you’ll never see the five animal skulls mounted near the 20-foot ceilings. You’ll never have the chance to admire the elaborate Italian rug in the great room. And you’ll never have the opportunity to ponder why the television in the living room is so small. (Answer: state-of-the-art media room in the basement.)
On a recent Thursday, 25 local real estate agents exchanged pleasantries under the watchful eyes of those five animal skulls. Ms. Price Carrigan, clad in a lace blouse, her dark hair bobbed to perfection, played hostess. She greeted colleagues at the door, offering them coffee and guiding them into the palatial living room. Some took their seats on the massive leather couches; others pulled in chairs to form a semi-circle. The agents began discussing market trends and client needs. Nicky Sheets mentioned that he had a buyer who needed to unload a house in Palm Springs. David Nichols apologized profusely when his cell phone rang (and rang). Madeline Jobst toyed with her pleated skirt as she pleaded for help finding a $750,000 to $1 million house on an acre or so.
This sort of meeting is not unusual. Agents meet all the time. But most groups don’t assemble in the living room of a $10 million home. Few agents have clients who are actively looking to rent something in the $6,000-$10,000 range. And we’re willing to bet even fewer groups employ a PR person.
Not so for the Masters of Residential Real Estate, a club that not only employs a PR person, but also was started by one. In 1996, Betty Spining, a petite blonde who makes wearing white pants seem like a great idea, decided to put a group of high-end agents together. She invited 25 salespeople from a variety of real estate companies to join. Ten years later, all but two of the original still attend monthly meetings. The club has members whose names you’ve seen on signage throughout the Park Cities and Preston Hollow: Doris Jacobs, Eleanor Mowery Sheets, Ellen Terry. But high-profile names alone do not score an invite. Each member of this elite group has sold a minimum of 20 million-dollar-plus homes.
Real estate agents are a lot like lawyers: everybody scoffs until they need one. But often, you do. Consider the ubiquitous MLS. Agents are constantly keeping ahead of it, holding new listings from MLS for a spell—the “hip pockets.” In what has become a fairly common practice, many agents hold off on formally listing a property. Instead, they get the word out about these hidden treasures to a select group of agents who have qualified, motivated buyers. Best-case scenario, the house sells before it ever hits MLS.
And, likewise, if you need to move your $10 million home in a hurry, you need people such as Joan Eleazer or Susie Ryan. They act as gatekeepers, getting the right people in to check out the product. And, more important, they keep the wrong people out. Because, let’s face it, the last thing anyone wants is to have an unqualified buyer (the “lookey loo”) traipsing through his home, admiring rugs and criticizing television choices.
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| TOP DOGS: To get into the Masters of Residential Real Estate, you need to have sold at least 20 million-dollar-plus homes. Photo courtesy of the Masters of Residential Real Estate |
The Masters have been around the block. They’ve been able to stay solvent during the brutal spells the Dallas market has experienced. So, if they insist that the market is strong, you believe them. Maybe it seems surprising when they state that Dallas is becoming popular with second home buyers. You also learn that there will apparently never be enough land in Highland Park. That all empty nesters want to live in Caruth Place. That sellers are now calling builders directly and are very likely leaving money on the table because they aren’t represented by an agent. And that a great many homes are selling without ever formally hitting the market. You also realize that everyone in the room has sold to one another, and in one case, two agents made a deal site unseen.
The Masters, much like everyone else in their industry, are fighting to stay relevant. And in a day and age when the average buyer can plug into what’s available in the market in 2.2 seconds via the Internet, it can be hard to justify paying out a 6 percent commission.The Masters should rest easy for the time being, though. Because much like computers, these salespeople are able to spit out information at a ridiculous pace. Doris Jacobs can tell you all about a three-story, 9,268-square-foot home she has listed on Lakeside Drive, with six bedrooms and eight and a half baths. It has a three-car garage. It’s pier and beam. It has a heated lap pool and spa. It’s in Highland Park ISD. She uses no notes, pauses, or “ums.” And no computer can tell you how much money it’s going to take to get something “updated,” whom you should hire to do the work, the name of the family that lived there before the current owners, how many times it’s been under contract, and the word on the street as to why it keeps falling out.
INSIDE INFORMATION ASIDE, WHO DOESN’T like being chauffeured around town in a fancy car? The Masters are part of that rare breed that can talk, point, and navigate the 7-series BMW quite nicely. An agent is always on call—willing to leave the dinner party to show a house to a buyer who just really needs to see it “one more time.” And don’t let the Theory suits and the Jimmy Choos fool you. The Masters aren’t afraid to scrap on a client’s behalf. So, technology isn’t going to put these people out of business until somehow the iMac can engage in hand-to-hand combat to negotiate the fate of those curtains that neither the buyer nor the seller can live without.
How We Did It
To determine this year’s list of the Best Real Estate Agents in Dallas, D Magazine formed a partnership with Crescendo Business Services, an independent research and services firm. Crescendo mailed nearly 15,000 nomination ballots to area residents who had recently purchased homes. An additional 250 ballots were sent to mortgage and title companies.
Recipients were asked to nominate only real estate agents whom they knew through personal experience and to evaluate them based upon nine criteria: customer service, communication, finding the right home, integrity, negotiation, marketing the home, market knowledge, closing preparation, and overall satisfaction. Only original ballots that were returned in their specially designed envelopes were accepted, and Crescendo checked each nominee against the Texas State Real Estate Commission database to make certain that licenses were up to date and the agent had no disciplinary action.
A blue-ribbon panel of local industry experts—realty company executives, professional and trade association officers, and others directly involved in housing-related businesses—reviewed the list before it was finalized. Although panelists’ comments were incorporated into the final score, safeguards were built into the review process to reduce the ability of panel members to influence the composition of the final list on the basis of company affiliation. The resulting list of Best Real Estate Agents in Dallas is an elite group, representing slightly more than 1 percent of licensed agents in the Dallas area.
| Rob Adair Ellen Terry, Realtors Park CitiesSandi Alexander RE/MAX Premier Group Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Southlake, Carrollton Beth Applegate RE/MAX Premier Group Plano John Applegate Michael Askins Cindy Baglietto Arlene Balady Laura Barnett Cathy Orr Barton Eva Bauer Jeff Bentley John R. “Rick” Berrier Joseph Bixby Susan Blackburn Jeff Brand Susan Bratton Kathy Brewer Audrey Brock Mike Brodie John Brosius Bud Bush David Bush Paul Bush Paula Byland Mark Cain Tony Caliendo Ned Cammack Anthony Campagna Charles Carneal Paul Carper Kay Cheek Jeff Coats Mary Anne Collins Lee Conte-Vaughn Terry Cook C.J. Culpepper Marsha Cummings Diane Daniel Sally Darnall Roxanne DeBerry Lisa DeNardo Nancy Dennis Rose Deschenes Claire Dewar Yolanda Dittmar Keith Dobbs Sandy Donsky Pam Dickey Downing Andrew Eads Sheri Eddleman Bernice Edelman Joan Eleazer Karen Estes Patti Dee Flanders Bobbie Flynn J.L. Forke Vicki Foster Karen Fry Kaye Geiser Susie Germany Connie Goodrich Andrea Gray Kristen Greenberg Scott Greenberg Paulette Greene Suzi Greenman Jami Greenville David Griffin Sharon Hagen Bettie Hager Ann Hardin Carleen Hardin Dan Harker Ken Harrell Barry Harrington Suzanne Harrington Juli Harrison Mary Beth Harrison Gaynelle Henger Ann Henry Julie Henry Kathy Hewitt Christopher Hickman Linda Jordan Hobbs Barry Hoffer Carole Hoffman Carole Hogg Carla Hollis Diana Holmes Ben Hook Dee Hughes Jane S. Idzi Scott Jackson Doris Jacobs Jeff C. Jacobs Suzanne Jernigan Sally Jillson Madeline Jobst Gayle Johansen Carmen Jones Michelle Musick Jones Pete Kerrigan Rusty Ketz Carol King-Ringo Lori Kircher Diana Kopecky David Kraft Gaylan Kraft Robert Kucharski Nora Ling Lane Barbara Lee Stewart Lee Stuart E. Lee Alan Levy Britt Lopez Ray Mach Jerry Madison Betty Magee Lindy Mahoney Joyce Malamis Marche Ann Mann Patricia Manos Marty Marks Julie Marshall Ken Martin | Erin Mathews Briggs Freeman Real Estate Brokerage Park CitiesTravis Mathews Briggs Freeman Real Estate Brokerage Park CitiesJennifer McAloon RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs Collin County Shelli McBrayer Carole McBride Holly McCutchin Linda McMahon Sandra Melmed Susan Melnick Gerry Mezera Jennifer Miller Martha Miller Rosanne Messineo Mills Brady Moore Mechelle Moore Joanne Morris Tessa Mays Mosteller Kate Mote Vickie Mox Carole Mulligan Debbie Murray Holly Neal Bill Nelson David Nichols Ginger Nobles Kelly Nolan Ann Nolen Nicholas Nordman Sharon Ann Nordman Libby Norwood Cindy O’Gorman Mary O’Keefe Dell Ann Osborn Greg Pape Dave Perry-Miller Maribeth Messineo Peters Janine Phillips Roger Pickett Stephanie Pinkston Judy Pittman John Powell Paul Powell Frank Purcell Mary Pyland Ralph Randall Mayo Redpath Pam Reed Rachel Reed Lillie Reibold Dawn Rejebian J.R. Reves Burton Rhodes Tom Rhodes Jr. Gena Richards Jan Richey Tonya Riggs Penny Rivenbark Gerald Robertson Jennifer Robertson Martha Robertson Tom Robertson Donna Robichaux Rose Robinson Emily Farris Rogers Vicky Ruch Nancy Russell Peter Ryan Suzanne Ryan Elissa Sabel Hanne Sagalowsky Rand Sale Stephan Schrenkeisen Richard Schwiner Carol Scott Meredith Drees Sepehri Judy Sessions Eleanor Mowery Sheets Nicky Sheets Margaret Sherlock Debbie Sherrington Bill Shields Cheryl Drane Skipworth Kathy Slaughter Jeanne Kuhn Slay Lori Sparks Kristi Stansell Jan Stell Ann Stewart Margaret Stoneburner Eve Sullivan Roxann Taylor Ellen Terry Roger Thedford Don Thomas Tommy Thomas Tiffany Touchstone Donna Trayler Cammy Turgon Bruce Umstead Jan Van Note Lotz Barbara Van Poole Van Vanaman Fred Villa Cindy Vincent Ronnie Vokolek Lori Ward Brenda Washington Patty Watkinson Connie Weaver John C. Weber Kay Weeks Nancy White Doug Wieser Jeanne Wieser Jennifer Wieser Karen Wilkerson Mary Beth Williams Shirley Williams Judy Willingham Philip Michael Wilson Verna Wilson Kelley S. Winsor Terry Witt Lois Woodward Judith Wright Lisa Wyatt Darin T. Yocum Bev Young Lillie Young Mary Jane Young |
