North DFW Real Producers - January 2019

NORTH DFW

I N F O R M I N G

A N D

I N S P I R I N G

R E A L

E S TAT E

A G E N T S

DEE EVANS, EBBY HALLIDAY REALTORS Extraordinary Care

RISING STAR ERIC MEDDERS

NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS LAUNCH PARTY RECAP

HEAD TURNER NINA BHANOT PARTNER SPOTLIGHT ELITE INSPECTION

Photography by: Photography By Spross

JANUARY 2019

Featured In:

2 • January 2019

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TA BLE OF

CONTENTS 06

09

10

Index Index of of Trusted Trusted Partners Partners

Publisher’s Note

Tips Head From the Turner: Top Nina Bhanot

14

18

22

CCAR: In The Know

Rising Star: Eric Medders

26 16

20 33

24 34

Partner Spotlight: Elite Inspection

Sponsor Launch Spotlight Party Photography Recap

By Spross

Rising Events Star Calendar - Sakina Ismaelbay

Cover FAQ About Story: This Dee Magazine Evans

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MEET THE NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS TEAM

Jordan Espeseth

Missy Kremer

Zach Cohen

Publisher

Editor

Writer

Gary Petty

Zach Spross

Scott Peek

Michelle Deisler

Photographer/Writer

Videographer/ Photographer

Photographer

Ads Manager

If you are interested in contributing or nominating realtors for certain stories, please email us at northdfw@realproducersmag.com DISCLAIMER: Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of N2 Publishing but remain solely those of the author(s). The publication contains paid advertisements by local companies. These companies are not endorsed or specifically recommended by N2 Publishing or the publisher. Therefore, neither N2 Publishing nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies.

NOTE: When community events take place, photographers may be present to take photos for that event and they may be used in this publication.

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publisher’s note

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Woo-hoo, it’s 2019! Who thinks that this year is going to be the most amazing and fulfilling year of their life? I am truly curious – I would love to hear your response. Send me an email, and let me know what you are going to change in 2019 to make sure this is your best year yet. Also, please include the strategy you plan on using to ensure that you stick with your resolution.

Studies show that 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by the end of the year, and 80 percent of people have given up on their resolution by February! Why do so many people fail and fail so quickly? I am not an expert; however, I did just get back from Tony Robbins’ seminar, Unleash the Power Within. When it comes to making lasting change in one’s life, Tony is the absolute go-to guy. So, I am thinking we should take Tony’s advice here and not mine.

To put it very simply, it comes down to pain and pleasure. If you truly want to change, you need to add either one of these principles to your New Year’s resolution. You can choose to link massive pain or enough pleasure to your existing habit or way of life. It is really that simple! Simple, yes. Easy, no. If you can learn to master this technique, you will be well on your way to creating the best year of your life!

I have my doubts that this publisher’s note is going be the thing that inspires you to totally transform your life. However, maybe

it can be used as a reminder to find the support and/or coaching you may need to take your life to the next level.

I can confidently say that 2019 is going to be, without a shred of doubt, one of the most transformative years of my entire 28-year existence! I cannot wait to see what 2019 has in store for all of us.

On a different note, how about that launch party?!

What an absolute blast! If you were not able to attend this event, trust me when I say you missed out.

You will not want to miss our next event! I am truly blessed that so many of you have shown tremendous love and support for Real Producers and what we are achieving in our real estate community! I cannot wait to keep serving you in the months and years to come.

Farewell 2018, and hello 2019! We are ready for you.

JORDAN ESPESETH Publisher of North DFW Real Producers

jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com

www.realproducersmag.com • 9

head turner Written by Gary Petty Photography by Photography By Spross

NINA BHANOT 10 • January 2019

Better Together

Russell H. Conwell, author of Acres of Diamonds, would be proud. RE/MAX Premier Group agent Nina Bhanot is executing the lessons of his tome to near perfection.

She has found success and happiness right where she lives in Frisco.

Better Together What makes her success so noteworthy, though, is that she has leveraged an innate resource immediately available to all agents but one not normally perceived as a jewel: other agents and the chance to collaborate with them during transactions and through industry organizations.

“So many [veteran agents] have shared with me. I feel like one of the responsibilities [that accompanies success] is to share knowledge with others. It doesn’t matter what brokerage they’re from.”

Nina Bhanot, a Toronto, Canada, native, genuinely appreciates other agents and views them as part of the realtor family. “So many [veteran agents] have shared with me. I feel like one of the responsibilities [that accompanies success] is to share knowledge with others.

It doesn’t matter what brokerage they’re from.”

“I think that has been one of the big things that has helped me become as successful as I have,” Bhanot says, “because I just really try to collaborate with other agents and use them as a resource... Every transaction I go out of my way to build bridges with the other agent, from how we understand if this home is the right fit during the transaction and all the way through to the post-transaction follow through. I think sometimes agents get all heated in negotiations, but fail to realize we’re both on the same team. In the end, we’re trying to create better home buying/selling experiences for our clients. That’s what matters!” She has found how this kind of direct collaboration has a direct meaningful impact on the experience for both sets of clients. “In the world of advancing technologies and the value of a realtor constantly being judged, together, we need to work together in ways that provide a seamless experience for our clients. Which, in turn, has a ripple effect on building a strong referral pipeline from our existing clients.”

Quickly in her career, she sought relationship-building opportunities. “Being part of Mastermind, I met many amazing agents who are a part of that group.” Bhanot also sought to learn from agents closer to her age, so she joined Young Professionals Network (YPN), ultimately serving as chairperson. “It started as a group of age 40-and-under realtors, but it doesn’t matter. We don’t discriminate. You just need to be young at heart,” she laughs. YPN features events such as top producer panels “so we could learn from each other.” That experience

www.realproducersmag.com • 11

led to other committees through CCAR and ultimately serving on the Board of Directors.

“Amazing experienced agents!” Bhanot exclaims.

“I mean, how great is it to have access to that kind of knowledge? To talk with them, to ask them [questions], and just build those relationships.”

Collaboration is Key Nina comes to real estate following a nine-year career as an IBM strategy consultant, after first earning a business degree. In addition to being a naturally amiable and analytical person, her consultancy experience solidified teamwork as a best practices mode of operation. “Consulting is very collaborative, working with your colleagues, clients, and trainers,” she recalls. “So, when I got into real estate, what was different for me is that I felt that agents were not always very collaborative in sharing their knowledge, their story, and their expertise.” Her concern is that agents underestimate the power of making relationships and cooperating with other agents. “When you know [the other agent], the whole vibe of that conversation, the whole transaction, whole relationship, kind of shifts and changes. It starts off being collaborative. Whereas, when you don’t have that, agents start out at opposite ends, and they think they’re on different teams. But they’re really not.”

Relationships have been especially beneficial during the extreme seller market, where personal knowledge of the buyer’s agent translated into confidence in their offer. “When you have a relationship with an agent and know that they’re a professional agent, you have a little bit more confidence in going back to the [seller] and saying,

12 • January 2019

‘I think this is a solid offer,’” Bhanot recalls.

Strategy consulting also established analysis and detail as hallmarks of Bhanot’s work style. She says, “Coming from a strategy consulting background, it’s just a different level of detail I give my clients ... a different understanding and [insight] when they try to make decisions, that I can be more analytical. I really want my clients to have all the information before making such big decisions.”

And after pushing through all the transaction obstacles, she stresses celebrating the achievement with clients. Since her second year, Nina has rented out a restaurant for an annual client gratitude party, which features food, wine, and the Dallas String Quartet. She also hires a videographer and a D Magazine photographer to document the celebration.

It’s probably a pretty big party, too.

In the past three years alone, the solo agent has achieved almost $60 million in production. This makes her the top seller in her broker’s three offices and one of the Top 20 REMAX Individual

Agents in Texas. A former Rookie of the Year (a distinction Bhanot earned entirely during a medically perilous pregnancy), she attained entrance into the prestigious RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award this year, Top 500 Realtors in Texas, Platinum Club, and D Magazine Best Realtors. She appears as a monthly expert guest on the nationally broadcasted real estate show, The American Dream.

Tellingly, Bhanot, with husband, Chetan, are striving to pay forward her gratitude into the next generation by teaching their daughter, Sarina 11 and son Sahil 7, what Bhanot herself wants to be remembered for: kindness, niceness, leaving people with a smile, “having a positive effect on their life,” whether a client or someone she met for one moment in their day. “It really seems so elementary,” she says, “but sometimes in the world we live in, it’s not.” Fortunately, the Metroplex has a top agent like Nina Bhanot, eager to serve and share, not just with her clients, but also with other agents, as a diamond in their own acres.

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Elite Inspection Group partner spotlight

MIKE KEMPER AND GARRETT HAND Outrunning the Competition Written by Zach Cohen Photography by Scott Peek Photography

Through their vision, refusal to quit, and genuine desire to be of service, Mike Kemper and Garrett Hand, ultra-marathoners and owners of Elite Inspection Group, are transforming their bodies, minds, and the real estate industry.

When they’re not running their inspection business or spending time with their children, Kemper and Handcan be found running races of up to 100 miles.

For them, the challenge is both mental and physical.

They are practiced in the art of pushing through physical and mental barriers.

“You can do so much more than you think you are capable of,” Kemper reflects. “You have to callous your mind. That’s what it’s all about… It’s mental training for real-life experience.”

“In everyday life, I tell my daughter, ‘Don’t quit,’” Hand adds. “We relate this same idea to our work

“

because we’re going to find a way. It’s a whole different mindset.”

Bringing the Mindset to the Real Estate World

Taking their experience as runners into the real estate industry, Kemper and Hand have set out to turn the role of home inspectors on its head. They’ve set out to simplify the process.

With a combined 14 years of experience as real estate agents, Mike Kemper and Garrett Hand exchanged their roles as successful agents for inspectors with one simple objective: to change the industry for the better.

“You can do so much more than you think you are capable of,” Kemper reflects. “You have to callous your mind. That’s what it’s all about… It’s mental training for real-life experience.”

14 • January 2019

www.realproducersmag.com • 15

“We didn’t stop doing real estate because we weren’t succeeding,” Hand explains. “We switched because we wanted to make it a better industry on the inspection side.”

“We want to change the industry for the better. We want people to have better lives because the industry is easier,” Hand explains. “Give us one shot, and you’ll learn that we do things differently and better than everyone else.”

As real estate agents, both Kemper and Hand experienced the pain of losing deals during the inspection process. “The biggest challenge is that some of the inspectors were acting like the sky was falling, and the buyer needed to find a new house. We really felt that was a lack of communication,” Kemper explains.

In setting out to improve the inspection process, Kemper and Hand are allies in helping real estate agents get their deals to the closing table. If all parties in a transaction are satisfied – buyer, seller, and both real estate agents – Kemper and Hand have done their job.

Difference Makers

With seven inspectors, Elite Inspection Group prides itself on the ability to complete inspections in less than 48 hours, which helps real estate agents write shorter contract option periods.

“We understand the process that the real estate agent is going through…

We’ve walked in their shoes, Kemper comments. “We’ve felt their pain, and we’ve felt their pleasure. So, we can understand where they’re coming from and how hard they work just to get a home under contract. We don’t want it to fall apart during the inspection process.”

16 • January 2019

“What sets us apart is not only that we were in their shoes, but we own up to everything we do,” Hand adds.

“If we make a mistake, we want to know about it. We want to get better as individuals in our personal lives and our business lives.”

Kemper and Hand’s most significant difference maker may be their intangibles. Most importantly, they care.

While every inspector must follow the same rules and regulations, Kemper and Hand are putting their names on the line in an effort to change the real estate industry for the better. They excel through their attention to detail and willingness to take responsibility.

Redefining Success

Both Kemper and Hand recall their time as real estate agents with a sense of fondness. They know how to help those who continue to serve clients through periods of stress and transition.

“When I was in real estate, I was a single dad, and I couldn’t afford to lose a single deal, as successful as I was,” Hand reflects. “My success is when real estate agents don’t think about us as an inspection company having the potential to kill their deal.

If our names don’t come up because we did a good job, we’re successful.”

After working with hundreds of home inspectors and reading countless reports as real estate agents, Mike Kemper and Garrett Hand identified an undeniable gap in the inspection industry: the message between the inspector and home buyer or seller was lost. This realization continues to inspire the primary purpose of their work with Elite Inspection Group.

“What sets us apart is not only that we were in their shoes, but we own up to everything we do”

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ccar: in the know Written by Bri Westbury, Content Specialist

Serving

Local Realtor Association Level at the

Spurs Business Success To become a top-producing agent is no small feat. Traits of the elite may vary from outgoing, well-connected, passionate, knowledgeable, and so on.

But have you ever considered service to your local association as a catalyst to high volume sales? This month, we spoke to two top-producing agents in North DFW, who also serve in leadership roles at the Collin County Association of Realtors (CCAR).

Nina Bhanot, Remax

18 • January 2019

Nina Bhanot of RE/MAX Premier Properties wanted to put her thoughts and ideas into action and help shape the future of the industry. She views her appointment to the CCAR Board of Directors as a chance to make positive change in the industry.

“Getting involved is probably one of the best things you can do,” Nina notes. “The real estate industry is changing so quickly due to all the disruptors coming into it; getting involved is the only way to truly impact the future of our industry.”

While actively impacting the future of the industry, an unexpected byproduct has emerged: the knowledge, network and relationships that Nina has formed with other local Realtors while serving at CCAR. This byproduct has yielded smoother and more successful real estate transactions. When asked directly if her time at CCAR has impacted her success, she replies without hesitation “Yes, absolutely. Service at CCAR may be overlooked since it is not directly client-related or revenueproducing, but what you have to gain is so great.”

growing group of brokers together to network, discuss, share and support one another,” she says.

Her desire led her to her current position, where she keeps the independent brokers informed of the current trends and topics that affect their business via regular meetings with guest speakers and relevant topics, as well as social media pages and group emails. Shana feels passionate about the independent brokers she represents. “I am very passionate about our industry, serving our clients and bringing people together. I truly feel by uniting together, we have become a very informed and powerful group.”

Shana Acquisto, Acquisto Real Estate

Shana Acquisto, broker of Acquisto Real Estate, is the 2018 Chair of the Collin County Association of Realtors’ Independent Broker Network. Shana noticed the association growing and independent brokers becoming a large percentage of that growth. “I felt a desire to unite this

Passion may have brought Shana to her local association, knowledge and community may be what she found, but a push to the next level of success may just be what keeps this top producer around. “My involvement with CCAR has guided me to achieve great things including being a top producer,” says Shana. “CCAR pushed me to get more involved which has allowed me to become more informed, better educated and more connected with other Realtors, which has taken my business to another level. The staff at CCAR is always willing to support and are truly amazing folks and the resources they provide are invaluable.”

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rising star Written by Zach Cohen Photography by Scott Peek Photography

ERIC MEDDERS ON THE ROAD “FAILURE IS NOT THE OPPOSITE OF SUCCESS; IT IS A PART OF SUCCESS.”

Success is not an event but rather a culmination of a lifelong journey. As Eric Medders took us for a walk down memory lane, we found that his path was filled with a diverse range of experiences: bumps and bruises, triumphs and pleasures, hard knocks and valuable lessons learned.

With his balance of tenacity and openness, Eric Medders brings a refreshing sense of authenticity to any conversation.

22 • January 2019

The Bumpy Road Born and raised in Melissa, TX, Medders learned his first lessons in the benefit of hard work from his grandfather. As a teen, he worked alongside his grandfather at the auto salvage yard repairing cars and selling parts.

“One of the reasons I am so successful is because I can remember getting up and going to work early with my grandfather as a kid. All the men respected him. I remember really looking up to that,” Medders recalls.

“ONE OF THE REASONS I AM SO SUCCESSFUL IS BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER GETTING UP AND GOING TO WORK EARLY WITH MY GRANDFATHER AS A KID.”

The example set by his grandfather sticks with Medders to this day.

“At the same time – I’m young enough where I understand technology,” Medders adds. “I’m able to use both hard work and technology to work for me.”

As an adult, Medders spent seven years as a firefighter and paramedic.

Each day he risked his life for the benefit of others. During this time, he met his beautiful wife, Laura. Together they set out on a journey filled with hope.

After seven years serving his community, Medders ventured into uncharted territory. The couple took a large chunk of their retirement savings and opened a small car dealership.

After three arduous years of hard work and toil, the dealership was faltering. Ultimately Medders was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Reflecting on this time of his life, Medders becomes quiet, thoughtful and reflective. “I felt like a failure, as though I’d failed my wife, our children, my family.”

“After a very low five or six months, with prayer and support, I picked myself up, ready to try something new,” Medders reflects. “Failure is okay, as long as you get back up,” Laura adds.

Real Estate Beginnings “This time I did plenty of research. I started taking courses in real estate, investigating what certain agents had done well and how others had not been as fortuitous,” Eric Medders explains.

In the first 12 months at Keller Williams, Medders sold a staggering $12 million.

“I decided that my previous failure was really setting me up for my current success,” he says with a smile. “I am very proud of the relationships I have

www.realproducersmag.com • 23

developed with other agents, and I have become very familiar with Melissa, McKinney, Anna, Trenton, Blue Ridge, and Van Alstyne. I feel like this may be my niche.”

Eric Medders is respectful and genuinely interested in all facets of his clients’ lives. He listens intently and comes back to the client when he has discovered their perfect home. “For a client to come to me and say, ‘Eric, you have made our dreams come true,’ that makes me feel like all the effort is worth it. People enjoy working with me as much as I like working with them.”

Medders is focused on utilizing social media and technology to his benefit, without overlooking the importance of human interaction and face-to-face dialogue. And it’s working; this year, he is on track to meet his goal of $20 million in new business.

“It is my goal to have a working business team, to share ideas, and leverage one another.” To achieve this Medders has begun to build a team to help manage time and promote growth. He has found the right people to share his ideas, vision, and goals.

Medders has added a couple of key

24 • January 2019

players to his team who complement his strengths and add to the team’s potential.

Work/family balance is always in focus. Medders relishes family time; he coaches his son Easton’s baseball team and loves spending time with his two stepdaughters, Meagan and Michaela. He’s been recently gifted with his first granddaughter, Presley.

His philanthropy is quiet and personal.

Through all the challenges, Medders has maintained focus on what’s most important to him. He

understands deeply that the hurdles life has presented have merely been stepping stones to success. “I believe in always running my business with honesty and integrity,” he explains.

“What’s done in the dark is brought to the light.”

– Luke 8:17

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WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND: Mastermind DFW is an exclusive event for the Top 1% of Producers in the DFW area. When you attend a Mastermind DFW event, you are in the company of a prestigious group of local, high-performing DFW real estate professionals. This is the place to cultivate your network with the most notable names in DFW real estate.

“Keeping a strong foundation while pivoting for the future is the chess game we play today. So, it’s rare to be in a room with great business owners with big vision and focus. An opportunity to share ideas and build long lasting relationships is a must in today’s fast moving world.”

- Denton Aguam, Keller Williams “Todd and I love to be a part of the Mastermind DFW group. It is an honor to be in the presence of other top producing agents and to get great tips and tricks on how to leverage our business. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this exclusive group.”

- Colleen Frost, Colleen Frost Realtors www.realproducersmag.com • 25

NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS

LAUNCH PARTY RECAP! PHOTOS FROM THE RECENT RP

ULTIMATE OPEN HOUSE I’m at a loss for words! I am not sure how to describe how absolutely blessed I feel.

On a freezing Texas night, we had 200 of the top-producing agents and highest-quality businesses show up to celebrate the launch of North DFW Real Producers.

I think there was a collective goal of “Let’s see how big we can make Jordan’s head!”

But in all seriousness – last night was not about me. It was about celebrating all you amazing real estate agents and Real Producers business partners who pour your heart and soul into your businesses so you can better help the lives of others.

This all was possible because you, the top agents and businesses, have supported this

platform from the beginning when it was just an idea. Because of YOU, this was and is possible.

My heart is full. I am so excited to keep serving you all in the months and years to come!

Together we will elevate our lives and business because we are truly better together.

I want to give a huge shout out to Inspect 360 and Petty Films for their incredible support as our Launch Party event sponsors! You guys are the best.

Who’s excited for our next Real Producers event in February?!

Jordan Espeseth, North DFW Real Producers

“The Real Producers event that Jordan put on was one of the highlights of our year. We have been to many real estate events, but the exclusivity and quality of the networking with vendor partners and other top producers was like no other event we’ve experienced. We feel very fortunate for the invitation and company, and I believe this is a fresh start to our real estate community coming together and supporting one another in a new way.”

– Lance and Christie Taylor, Keller Williams 26 • January 2019

“I’ve been doing real estate events since 2006, and Jordan’s event last night was hands down one of the best events I’ve seen in my career because it was the most well attended by producing real estate agents. On top of that it was a lot of fun! Job well done! I can’t wait for the next one.”

– Zach Sams, Kensington Vanguard

www.realproducersmag.com • 27

“Amazing networking event, and I was very impressed how Jordan inspired so many great agents to make it out on a cold night. Jordan shows us that you can make a huge difference in the industry in a very short time if you work hard and do things the right way.”

– John Butcher, Ebby Halliday

“What an awesome event! It felt powerful to be in the room with so many stellar, highproducing realtors.”

– Lisa Allen, Keller Williams

28 • January 2019

“What an amazing event for North DFW Real Producers. A much-needed applause to Jordan Espeseth and his team for bringing the top 1 percent together to celebrate success and all things real estate. I’m looking forward to seeing the upcoming issues and attending the next event!”

– Tonya Peek, Coldwell Banker

www.realproducersmag.com • 29

“The event was outstanding! Great seeing so many high-minded, top producers come together.”

– Chris Harden, Broker/ Owner, RE/MAX Four Corners

30 • January 2019

“What a phenomenal event with so many sharp leaders in the real state world. Inspect360 is honored to be a promotional partner of North DFW Real Producers and to have connected with so many industry leaders. What a top-notch experience.”

– Lauren Cleveland, COO, Inspect360 “What an epic event to be among the top agents in the DFW Metroplex. I enjoyed getting to interact and socialize with our peers at a first-class event!

Jordan has started something very special that brings agents together instead of working against each other.”

– Lori Jacobson, DFW Legacy Real Estate Group

“I was so thrilled to attend the North DFW Producers Launch Party! Being able to network with the other top agents in the area is priceless as we are all so busy and are not able to take the opportunity very often. Sharing ideas, updates, and expanding friendships are nice. Also, meeting the amazing service providers who support this group.”

–Judi Wright, Ebby Halliday

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32 • January 2019

NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS

PARTNER EVENTS CALENDAR

JA N UA RY PA RT N E R E V E N TS Event Name: Mastermind DFW Host: Kensington Vanguard Date: January 16, 2019 Time: 8:30-11 a.m.

Location: Kensington Vanguard National Title – 7950 Legacy Dr., second-floor Conferencing Center, Plano, TX Topic: Mastermind discussion on “Our data, how to keep big tech and the MLS from selling our data and undercutting us, how to we elevate the value of a Realtor in marketplace and not become a commodity.”

Event Name: Real Producers High Net Worth Financial Education Class Host: Lincoln Wealth Date: January 17, 2019 Time: 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Location: Gleneagles Country Club Topic: Private financial educational class for Real Producers only. Limited seating! Please RSVP to Vina at 214-220-8884.

Event Name: Inspection Report Review Host: Inspect 360 Date: January 31, 2019 Time: 9-11 a.m.

Location: 1802 Industrial Blvd., Colleyville, TX 76034 Topic: Walk Through an Actual Inspection Report.

- Gain a better understanding of typical home inspection findings and how they are documented.

- Set the proper expectations for your client during the inspection report review.

- Discuss the purpose, limitations, and client responsibilities after the inspection is complete.

- Handle specific situations to limit your liability.

- Course fee: $15 (payment is required prior to class participation) - TREC course: #01-00-087-34109

www.realproducersmag.com • 33

cover story Written by Zach Cohen Photography by Photography By Spross

“If we go back to taking care of our clients, the business part will just come,” Dee Evans explains.

“How can we be extraordinary?”

Every Thursday, Dee Evans and her team gather to talk about what it means to provide extraordinary customer care. “If I want my group to be known for something,” she comments, “it’s extraordinary care. Not ordinary.

Extraordinary.”

Concentration on Client Care For the past several years, the real estate market has been booming. For sellers and real estate agents alike, 2016 and 2017 were particularly good years. In 2018, Evans has sensed a shift. She’s advocating for everyone in the business to take a step back and recognize the reality of this shift.

“I’m learning this,” Evans shares. “We don’t have to be so hard on ourselves if our numbers are down one year or one month or one day. I’m trying to learn that it’s the consistency in customer care that matters.”

EBBY HALLIDAY REALTORS EXTRAORDINARY CARE 34 • January 2019

Since joining Ebby Halliday back in 2003, Evans has proven that her concentration on customer care is a winning strategy. Her insistence on answering every phone call that she gets is one of her cornerstone strategies.

“I do not want a phone call to ever go to voicemail. I want every caller to get a personal hello,” Evans describes.

“That tells my client that they are important to me. I do want to hear you. I have time for you. You are important to me.”

Being able to find the humor in her own trials and tribulations lightens up the often-stressful challenge of selling homes. Yet deep down, Evans takes the work she does and the efforts to exceed her customers’ expectations seriously.

“It sounds simple. But think about it. You’re spending a ton of money to market yourself by driving people to your website and phone number, and if you don’t answer the phone, it’s like — why bother? Why bother spending all that money driving people to your phone number?”

In 2017, Evans and her team closed 222 homes for a total of over $73 million in business. She was the top-producing individual agent in her company from 2009 until she formed her team in 2014. From 2014 to the present, Evans and her team have been the top producing sales group in Rockwall County.

The list of awards and recognition she has achieved over the years is astonishing.

With remarkable consistency and effort, Dee Evans has built a topproducing real estate business from these simple principles. And while there have been some bumps and lessons learned along the way, Evans’s success is truly remarkable.

Philanthropic Nature “I chose to work for Ebby because I always like what Ebby stood for. I appreciate that ... her philanthropic heart. Her motto is to do something good for someone every day. It struck me that that’s the kind of place I wanted to work.”

“I completely staged the wrong house one time for a photo shoot,” Evans says with a big laugh, her cheeks blushing. “I made the beds and washed the dishes ... at the wrong house.”

And it shows in the numbers.

Before becoming a real estate agent, Evans was, as she describes it, a permanent volunteer. During this time, she balanced her commitment to her husband and daughter with her love for giving back.

Evans volunteered for the church and was the church’s Executive Director for Habitat for Human-

ity. She spearheaded the effort to pass the first two bonds for the Rockwall Independent School District. She served on the Foundation Board for the school district, served as a School Committee Chairperson, and started an Academic Booster Club.

Evans served as the President of the Rockwall Women’s League. Also, she volunteered for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program.

Dee Evans loves working for a cause.

Today, she’s still on the Outreach Committee at her church. “If I could do that full time, I would. My passion is outreach. I like working for free,” she says with a chuckle.

Real (Estate) Rewards With a team of 13 individuals – 10 producing agents, including Evans, and three administrative staff – Evans is applying her love for philanthropy to her work in real estate.

“Houses aren’t just a physical thing,” Evans reflects. “It’s where memories are. Where children grow up. It’s really emotional.”

www.realproducersmag.com • 35

“I chose to work for Ebby because I always like what Ebby stood for.”

“It is an honor and a privilege that my clients allow me to go on their journey with them. It is an honor to think about how people will open up and trust you with their biggest purchase or biggest sale – their home. That’s the reward I get every day.”

Back in the ‘90s, Evans survived a bout with cancer. It’s taught her a lot about what it means to be alive, to enjoy life, and to give back.

“I just live every day,” Evans explains.

“I don’t get too far out. If I have the health to do it today, I get excited to do it today.”

As long as her health is still with her, Evans will be doing what she loves: helping others through real estate and giving back wherever she is able.

“Houses aren’t just a physical thing,” Evans reflects.

“It’s where memories are. Where children grow up.

It’s really emotional.”

36 • January 2019

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38 • January 2019

www.realproducersmag.com • 39

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