FORT WORTH
C O N N E C T I N G .
E L E VAT I N G .
I N S P I R I N G .
GINGER TRIMBLE KNOX Always on the Run
DALTON CARROLL: Adapt and Overcome BRYSON SWIGGERT: Giving Back. Reaching Results. BRANDI WRIGHT: Chasing the “Thank You” PROCO MANAGEMENT GROUP: Business at Their Own Beat
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AUGUST 2022
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 3
TAB LE OF
CONTENTS 06
05
Index of Trusted Partners
Meet The North Ft Worth RP Team
WHICH REAL PRODUCERS TERRITORY ARE YOU A PART OF?
08
14
Real Producers in the DFW Metroplex
Dalton PROCO A Quick Look at the Different DFW Real Producers Markets Carroll: Man-we pull the top 500 Real Producers has 100+ franchises nationwide and there are four in DFW alone. In each of these markets, agents based off annual residential MLS sales volume. Where your broker address is located will determine which publication is Adapt & agement for you. This map shows the territories for each of the four DFW franchises. If you are a top-500 agent in any of these markets, you will be receiving a publication every month and have the possibility of being featured at no cost to you! Overcome Group: Business at theirNorth OwnDallas Real Producers Beat
24
29
North Fort Worth Real Producers
Brandi Wright: Chasing the “Thank You”
Fort Worth Real Producers
Which Real Producers Territory are You a Part Of?
07
Publisher’s Note: Fort Worth Real Producers Has Officially Launched!
18
Ginger Trimble Knox: Always on the Run
30
Bryson Swiggert: Giving Back. Reaching Results.
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4 • August 2022
214.801.6555 AmericanRealPM.com/REALTORS
13747 Montfort Dr, Suite 280 | Dallas, Texas 75240
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MEET THE
F T. W O R T H REAL PRODUCERS TEAM
Jordan Espeseth
Lance Dunahoe Co-Owner
Executive Director
Director of Client Relations
Kareen Delos Reyes
Katherine Fondren
Missy Kremer
Lanie Schaber
Co-Owner
Administrative Assistant
Julie Altemus
Content Coordinator
Editor
Dave Danielson
Mark Fadden
Desiree Roberts
Brent Tinsley
Writer
Photographer
Landon Robinson
Writer
Photographer
Ad Strategist
Samantha Farris Photographer
Rick Davis
Videographer
If you are interested in contributing or nominating REALTORS® for certain stories, please email us at lance.dunahoe@realproducersmag.com. DISCLAIMER: Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of The N2 Company d/b/a Real Producers but remain solely those of the author(s). The paid advertisements contained within the Fort Worth Real Producers magazine are not endorsed or recommended by The N2 Company or the publisher. Therefore, neither The N2 Company nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies.
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 5
PREFERRED PARTNERS
This section has been created to give you easier access when searching for a trusted real estate affiliate. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the businesses sponsoring your magazine. These local businesses are proud to partner with you and make this magazine possible. Please support these businesses and thank them for supporting the REALTOR® community! CLOSING REPAIRS Porch Repair Estimate (817) 754-0360 www.repairestimate.net COMMERCIAL ROOFING PROCO (817) 975-5948 procoroof.com EASY OWNER FINANCING TL Global (281) 818-5471 easyrealtormoney.com
MORTGAGE LENDING Cardinal Financial Company, LP (972) 777-5626 TheBryanConnatserTeam. com Cherry Creek Mortgage The Jefferson Team (817) 602-0348 TheJeffersonTeam.com Willow Bend Mortgage (214) 449-2334 wbm.com
FINANCIAL PLANNER Edward Jones Jay Brown (817) 459-0018 edwardjones.com/jaybrown
MOVING SERVICES Stonebriar Moving Services (469) 734-9000 stonebriarmoving.com
HOME WARRANTY Tarrant Home Warranty (817) 554-2196 tarranthws.com
PEST CONTROL PROCO (817) 975-5948 procoroof.com
INSURANCE Liberty Mutual Insurance (817) 898-6187 LibertyMutual.com/Agent/ Tracy-McNeil
PHOTOGRAPHY DayDream Photography Landon Day (817) 983-1204 daydream photography.net
LAW FIRM Harris Cook Law Firm (817) 473-3332 www.yellowstonetitle.us
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT American Real PM (469) 620-0114 americanrealpm.com
6 • August 2022
ROOFING Mighty Dog Roofing (817) 666-3057 www.MightyDogRoofing. com Tarrant Roofing (817) 571-7809 TarrantRoofing.com RESIDENTIAL ROOFING PROCO (817) 975-5948 procoroof.com TITLE COMPANY Alamo Title Company Southlake (817) 896-8686 AlamoDFW.com Fair Texas Title (602) 421-6417 fairtexastitle.com Yellowstone National Title, LLC (817) 473-3332 www.yellowstonetitle.us WINDOWS & SIDING Tarrant Windows & Siding (817) 571-7809 TarrantWindows.com
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publisher’s note
Fort Worth Real Producers
HAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED! You heard it right! The fourth and final Real Producers territory here in DFW has officially launched this month! Myself and my team could not be more excited! We have been working hard to make this August launch possible. For those of you receiving the Fort Worth publication, this may be the first time you are hearing about what we are doing here at Real Producers. First off, there is a DFW Real Producers map, as well as FAQ page, in this publication; be sure to check those out for more clarification and details. Secondly, I want to congratulate you for being a Top 500 Producing Real Estate Agent in the Fort Worth Territory! That is out of roughly 15,000 licensed agents. Amazing! In all of DFW, there are 60,000 licensed real estate agents, and we have four RP territories that make up the entire market: North Dallas, Dallas, North Fort Worth and now Fort Worth Real Producers. Each territory has its own publication and own events. Collectively, we now refer to all four as DFW Real Producers.
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North Dallas (formerly named North DFW Real Producers) was the first one to launch exactly four years ago in August of 2018. Our platform and team have transformed and grown considerably from the initial inception of the brand. We have added new articles, events, systems, and team members. One thing that has and will always stay the same is that we are an exclusive community around the highest producing real estate agents and most highly recommended businesses in the market. We believe that who you continually surround yourself with greatly impacts who you become and where you will go in life. We believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, iron sharpens iron, greatness breeds greatness, and we know that Real Producers is the most elite real estate community in DFW. Our team is continually meeting with our Top 500 Producing Agents, and if we haven’t connected with you yet, it may happen soon. Feel free to reach out to us, as we would love to get you more integrated into our community. We look forward to getting to know each and every one of you more and more in the months and years ahead. It is our privilege to serve this community. See you soon! Cheers, JORDAN ESPESETH Owner jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com Fort Worth Real Producers • 7
DALTON REALTOR® on the rise
Adapt & Overcome Written by: Mark Fadden Photos by: Desiree Roberts
Dalton Carroll leverages a foundation in the U.S. Marine Corps in his real estate career and also when it comes to prioritizing how he spends his time. Adapt and overcome. It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into Dalton Carroll’s brain. “I must have heard those words a billion times at boot camp,” Carroll said about his time when he first joined the United States Marine Corps. He joined the Marines after graduating from Arlington High School and spent the next six years of his life in the Corps learning what that phrase truly meant. “No matter what you do in life, there will always be adversity, there will always be obstacles to overcome. Being in the Marines teaches you that you can figure it out and keep moving forward,” Carroll said. After leaving the Marine Corps, Carroll was waiting tables one summer before he was set to attend college that fall. When one of his customers, the manager of a local car dealership, noticed his work ethic and customer service skills, he recruited Carroll into the car business. “I went from being a salesperson to assistant sales manager, to being the dealership’s finance manager by the time I was 21 years old,” said Carroll. After a few years, Carroll met his wife, Ashley, and they started a family. While the car business had been good to Carroll, it started to take a toll on their family life. “I was spending 60-plus hours at the dealership every week. I’d leave before Maddox, our middle child, who was 2 years old at the time, would be awake,
8 • August 2022
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and I wouldn’t get home until after he was asleep. I’d only get to see him on Sundays. It was ripping my heart apart,” Carroll said. That’s when his Marine Corps training and those two words kicked in. What if he quit his job at the car dealership to try something new? The worst-case scenario, Carroll figured, was that if he couldn’t find anything better, he and Ashley would go through some of their savings supporting their family and he would have a bruised ego. With his reputation and experience, he could always go back to the car business. While he pondered the financial consequences of making a career change, another question lingered in his head: “What
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do I want to do that will be the right fit for my family?” Carroll tried to find the right answer while researching businesses where he could be his own boss and online marketing opportunities. But nothing seemed to be the right fit. That is until a chance meeting with an old friend sparked an interest in real estate. “I ran into a buddy from church at a fundraiser. He was with Keller Williams at the time, and he talked to me about the real estate industry. He described the basics of the business, but what really got me interested was when he was talking [about] how being in real estate allows you to build a great team. Creating teams and building culture is very important
to me,” said Carroll. Another friend of his, Preston Bauman, was also crucial during new agent training. He helped Carroll build their team, and the two remain business partners today. Beyond real estate giving Carroll the opportunity to build a culture of teamwork, it has allowed him to earn a living by serving people. “My faith as a Christian is to be a good witness,” Carroll said. “In the car business, you’re getting people to pay the largest amount you can for a car and for other services. That created some internal friction inside me. In real estate, you have the opportunity to put money in your client’s pocket instead.” Speaking of serving others, the flexibility of working in real estate
Fort Worth Real Producers • 9
I WENT FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE ANY OF MY DAUGHTER’S SOCCER GAMES TO BEING THE COACH OF HER TEAM.
T H AT M E A N T E V E RY T H I N G . also allowed Carroll to do something he could never have done before: Be there more for his kids. “I went from not being able to make any of my daughter’s soccer games to being the coach of her team. That meant everything,” said Carroll. Real estate is not just something that Carroll does for a living; he is also using his real estate experience to help build a home for his family, literally. He and his wife had always talked about buying acreage somewhere in the Metroplex to have more room for their two kids and space for their extended family when 10 • August 2022
they visit. When Ashley became pregnant with their third child, that talk turned into action last year. “I found 2 acres in Mansfield that was off-market and only had a barn on it. I wrote a letter to the seller, and he decided to sell it to us,” Carroll said. “The barn was finished out; it had heat and air conditioning and a bathroom, so we sold our house and moved into an RV,” said Carroll. For six months, they lived in the RV next to the barn with three young kids and two dogs, which became yet another opportunity for Carroll to adapt and overcome once again.
As the general contractor and designer of the property, Carroll went to work drawing up the plans for their 1,200-square-foot guest house. He collaborated with the contractors and let trial and error be his guide while it was being built. The final phase will be to build the 3,500-square-foot main house, and Carroll is ready for the task. “Building the guest house was challenging, but also a great opportunity to learn first-hand what will work or not in the main house,” Carroll said. I’d just like to know how the heck he convinced his wife to live in an RV for six months with three kids and two dogs. Talk about adapting and overcoming! @realproducers
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 11
YOUR
FORT WORTH REAL PRODUCERS
BADGES! Congrats on being one of the Top 500 PRODUCING real estate agents in Tarrant County! You now have your own badge to use however you’d like to show that you’ve made it a part of this exclusive community of the top 1-2% in real estate! Our RP vetted businesses have been carefully selected to be a part of this community and have their own badge as well! They have been recommended by your peers in the top 500 and are some of the DFWs most elite businesses. Look
for this badge to know that you are working with one of the best recommended by the best!
12 • August 2022
Missing your badge? Email Jordan. Espeseth@realproducersmag.com Using your badge? We’d love to see how! Social media, email signatures, website, listings, marketing material...nothing’s off limits! Show us and you may just find a picture of what you shared in the magazine!
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ALBANY • ALBUQUERQUE • CHESAPEAKE • ATLANTA • AUSTIN • BALTIMORE • BOULDER CHARLOTTE • CHICAGO • CINCINNATI • CLEVELAND • COUR D’ ALENE • COLORADO SPRINGS COLUMBUS • DALLAS • DAVENPORT • DAYTONA BEACH • DENVER • FT. WAYNE • GRAND RAPIDS HOUSTON • INDIANAPOLIS • JACKSON • JACKSONVILLE • KANSAS CITY • LAS VEGAS • LINCOLN LITTLE ROCK • LUBBOCK • MILWAUKEE • MURRIETA • MONTERREY BAY • NASHVILLE • NEW ORLEANS NEWPORT BEACH • NORTH DALLAS • NOVA • OAKLAND COUNTY • OKLAHOMA CITY • OMAHA ORLANDO • PHILADELPHIA • PHOENIX • PITTSBURGH • PORTLAND • RALEIGH • SALEM • SAN DIEGO SEATTLE • SILICON VALLEY • SPOKANE • ST. LOUIS • TAMPA BAY • TEMECULA • TRI-CITIES • TRIAD TUCSON • TWIN CITIES • VIRGINIA BEACH • WASHINGTON D.C • WAYNE COUNTY • WEST VALLEY AMERICA'S BEST REAL ESTATE AGENTS WILMINGTON • YOUNGSTOWN • ALBANY • ALBUQUERQUE • CHESAPEAKE • ATLANTA • AUSTIN BALTIMORE • BOULDER • CHARLOTTE • CHICAGO • CINCINNATI • CLEVELAND • COUR D’ ALENE COLORADO SPRINGS • COLUMBUS • DALLAS • DAVENPORT • DAYTONA BEACH • DENVER • FT. WAYNE GRAND RAPIDS • HOUSTON • INDIANAPOLIS • JACKSONVILLE • KANSAS CITY • LAS VEGAS • LINCOLN LITTLE ROCK • LUBBOCK • MILWAUKEE • MURRIETA • MONTERREY BAY • NASHVILLE • NEW ORLEANS NEWPORT BEACH • NORTH DALLAS • NOVA • OAKLAND COUNTY • OKLAHOMA CITY • OMAHA ORLANDO • PHILADELPHIA • PHOENIX • PITTSBURGH • PORTLAND • RALEIGH • SALEM • SAN DIEGO SEATTLE • SILICON VALLEY • SPOKANE • ST. LOUIS • TAMPA BAY • TEMECULA • TRI-CITIES • TRIAD TUCSON • TWIN CITIES • VIRGINIA BEACH • WASHINGTON D.C • WAYNE COUNTY • WEST VALLEY OF THE NATIONAL REAL PRODUCERS MOVEMENT WILMINGTONBE • PART YOUNGSTOWNALBANY • ALBUQUERQUE • CHESAPEAKE • ATLANTA • AUSTIN BALTIMORE • BOULDER • CHARLOTTE • CHICAGO • CINCINNATI • CLEVELAND • COUR D’ ALENE FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM TODAY COLORADO SPRINGS • COLUMBUS • DALLAS • DAVENPORT • DAYTONA BEACH • DENVER • FT. WAYNE @realproducers GRAND RAPIDS • HOUSTON • INDIANAPOLIS • JACKSON • JACKSONVILLE • KANSAS CITY • LAS VEGAS
RECOGNIZED
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 13
rp vetted business spotlight
PROCO Management Group
BUSINESS AT THEIR OWN BEAT Written by: Mark Fadden • Photos provided by: PROCO Roofing
14 • August 2022
Chris Mashburn and his partners manage several home-servicing businesses under the PROCO umbrella. But before that, they were great friends through their shared love of music. For Chris Mashburn, CEO of PROCO Management Group, music has been woven into every facet of his life since he was a kid. “My mom was a world-class blues vocalist. When she wasn’t touring, she bartended and played clubs at night. I would sit and watch her and her band for hours. Music was a great babysitter,” said Mashburn, who eventually took up the drums and even sat in and played
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The PROCO Management Team: Taylor Davis, Wesley Quenichet, Robert Gotcher and Chris Mashburn Photo by: Traci Schwomeyer, Metroplex Headshots
with his mom’s band from time to time. A Fort Worth native, music became an integral part of his scholastic career, first in Richland High School, where he played drums in the school band, and then again after graduating from Texas Tech University. While his family had a background in construction and his brother was co-owner of a roofing company, the draw of music was just too great and Mashburn became the percussion director at Springtown Independent School District after college. “I loved every minute of it,” Mashburn said. When he wasn’t leading bands and helping students improve musically
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at Springtown schools, he worked on the side as a substitute drummer for area churches. That’s when he first met his business partner, Rob Gotcher. “I was subbing for a drummer at a Bedford church, and that’s when I met Rob, who plays guitar and is an incredible vocalist.” At the time, Mashburn and his wife, Jennifer, were expecting their first child, and he knew he needed to make a change professionally. “I was working 90-plus hours a week with not only teaching but getting bands ready for all these competitions, which added tons of stress. I really loved what I did, but I knew that with a son on the way, it wasn’t sustainable,” Mashburn said. That’s when he decided to join his brother in the roofing business.
Finding the Right Notes “At first, there was a huge learning curve,” Mashburn admitted. “In the roofing industry, there’s a fair number of companies that are fly-by-night operations. They don’t have a brickand-mortar office where someone was accountable for the job the contractor was doing. Plus, employees don’t tend to stay very long. There’s a fair amount of burnout throughout the industry.” Mashburn knew that roofing businesses could do better; the business model could not just be customer-focused but also centered on retaining employees. So, he approached Gotcher with an idea to
Fort Worth Real Producers • 15
The Beat Goes On Besides Mashburn and Gotcher, PROCO, which stands for “pro-community,” has two more partners helping to conduct their business, and both are also musicians. Taylor Davis is a guitarist, and Wesley Quenichet plays keyboard and provides vocals. And before you ask, yes, they not only work together, but they play together as well. “We always play for our office parties and our community events,” Mashburn said. In fact, while they didn’t plan it out, 30% of their employees are musicians. “When we have big meetings or office parties where everyone comes up from our offices in Houston and Austin, it’s like a giant jam session,” Mashburn said. “We’ll have a group start playing, and then people sub in and out. The music just flows.” Speaking of flowing, the PROCO staff doesn’t just work together when it comes to music. There’s a definite reason why the company name stands for “pro-community.” “We work with organizations like Easter Seals, Meals on Wheels, Ronald McDonald House and local food banks in the communities we serve,” said Mashburn. “On top of that, each year, we try to give away at least four roof replacements for free to homeowners in need.” start PROCO. “We immediately agreed that it would need to be community focused. We wanted to enrich the communities that we served,” said Mashburn. They also wanted to be an employer that walked the walk when it came to providing a place where employees could thrive and would want to stay for a long time. “We wanted to offer real work-life balance for our employees, to give hard-working people the chance to be a part of a great team.” The emphasis on work-life balance truly hit home when Mashburn’s son, Aiden, started showing some developmental challenges when he was 2 years old. “As a former teacher, I could see it. I just knew that something wasn’t right with his development. It took us some time, but eventually, we found out that our son was autistic,” Mashburn said. Aiden’s diagnosis became the defining moment for Mashburn, but not in a negative way. “My life before Aiden’s diagnosis was all about maximization,” said Mashburn. “It was to have the giant mansion, the financial success. But those concerns melted away as soon as Aiden was diagnosed. The questions I started asking myself were, ‘What level of care will be required for him? What will happen to him? Can my kid function without me here?’ I’ll tell you this: Those questions will tear you up, man.” Mashburn’s entire world became trying to create a safety net for his son. And he did just that. “It’s not just about giving him financial support. When the Lord takes Jennifer and me, I know Aiden has people around him to help him. I was able to use what I learned creating that support and tie it into PROCO’s culture of sustainability when it comes to our people. Aiden helped me see that.” 16 • August 2022
While PROCO started out as a roofing company, it isn’t a one-hit-wonder when it comes to home services. January 2022 marked their official expansion beyond residential roofing into other home services. There are now four other businesses under the PROCO Management Group: PROCO Commercial Roofing, PROCO Pest Control, PROCO Rain Gutters and PROCO Solar. But like all great conductors, Mashburn and his partners ensure that every group works in unison. “We looked at businesses in the home services industry with similar marketing strategies that we used in the roofing business that are underserviced in some capacity, whether it was the customer service aspect, the employee experience aspect or both,” said Mashburn. “Our idea is that we want to be the Amazon of the home services industry, where we’re a one-stop, single source for all of our customers’ home service needs.” That and, of course, keeping the balance between work and life for themselves and their employees in tune. @realproducers
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RIMBLE KNO
INGE 18 • August 2022
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cover story Written by: Mark Fadden • Photos by: Desiree Roberts
GINGER TRIMBLE KNOX BRINGS THE MENTAL FOCUS THAT HAS ALLOWED HER TO COMPLETE 230 MARATHONS, AND COUNTING, TO RUNNING HER REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.
ALWAYS ON THE RUN
“I’m not really that interesting,” was one of the first things Ginger Trimble Knox said when we started her interview for this article. “I’m fairly boring and pretty private. I’m honestly happy just staying home,” Trimble Knox said. And who could blame her? With a house that sits on the shores of Lake Worth — a place that she’s currently renovating — home sounds like a little slice of paradise. But as an interviewer, “I’m not really that interesting” just isn’t going to cut it, especially when you’ve got about 1,000 words to fill. So, that’s when I remembered the unique signature line in Trimble Knox’s email. Not only does it feature the silhouettes of three people running, but there’s also a relatively famous quote as well. “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” That quote is from ultramarathoner and author Dean Karnazes, a man whose life story was featured in another magazine I recently read. That was my in. “I love the quote in your email signature line. Are you an avid runner?” I asked. “Yes, I run several miles a week,” Trimble Knox replied. Several miles a week. As a fellow physical fitness enthusiast, I had to press on. “Have you ever run a marathon?” I asked. “Yes. I’ve run 230.” Wait, what? Two hundred and thirty marathons? Surely I had misheard her. “I’m sorry, did you say 30 marathons?” I asked.
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 19
HALF OF SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN ALL OF NOTHING. lived in, Dad bought, fixed up and then sold to her,” Trimble Knox said. Besides her dad, another person was instrumental in influencing how Trimble Knox treats her clients and other agents to this day. “We only had one real estate agent in town; his name was Paul Clark, and he was my dad’s agent,” said Trimble Knox. “Many of the quotes I use in my business today, such as ‘Half of something is better than all of nothing,’ and ‘Do what you have to do to keep the deal together,’ I heard growing up from Paul.”
“No, I’ve run 230 marathons. I’m actually leaving for one in Idaho next week,” she replied. Two hundred and thirty marathons. A boring person doesn’t run 230 marathons. Suddenly, I had 230 questions for her whirling through my mind. What’s your training regimen? What do you eat? How much do you stretch? Aren’t you sore all the time? What do you do to recover? How the heck do you even get out of bed in the morning after 230 marathons? Aren’t you tired of running? “I ran my first marathon, the Fort Worth Cowtown marathon, in 1992. Before that, I wasn’t really into physical fitness,” said Trimble Knox. “I’m from a small town in Ohio, Arcanum, and went to a pretty small school where everybody got to do everything. Even though I’ve always been kind of klutzy, I ran track. When I started running to train for my track events, I just kept on adding miles and adding miles. It was kind of like Forrest Gump; I started running, and I never stopped.”
Like many agents, Trimble Knox had another career before getting into real estate. She was a flight attendant for Delta airlines and even did some consulting for their training department. But then Sept. 11 hit and changed everything for her. “Delta pulled out of DFW and made my commute to their hub in Cincinnati very difficult. I decided to retire from Delta and began looking around for something else to do. That’s when I decided on real estate.” Being relatively new to Texas, Trimble Knox didn’t know many people, so she decided to hang up flyers promoting herself as a real estate agent in the breakrooms at Lockheed Martin, where her husband worked. “That’s how I got my first deal,” recalled Trimble Knox. Since then, she has taken a bit more of a passive approach to marketing. She relies more on open houses and providing useful
Trimble Knox can also trace her interest in real estate back to her childhood, as well. “Growing up, my dad would buy fixer-uppers and then sell them. The house that I grew up in was a house that Dad bought to fix up. The two houses my sister has
20 • August 2022
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 21
information, like newsletters to her neighbors on Lake Worth, to drum up business. But at the center of her business is the mentality that has helped her complete 230 marathons in 41 states, with a goal of completing nine more in all 50 states by the end of 2023. “Running keeps me sane. I like to say that it allows me to burn off some crazy,” Trimble Knox said. While she enjoys combining her love of running with traveling so that she can get away from work and focus on running in an environment where she doesn’t know anyone, that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t combined work and running from time to time. “I have answered calls during a marathon, but I realize that isn’t a good thing. Agents get so consumed with work that they don’t take time for themselves. New agents especially need to step back from the work from time to time, or they’ll burn out,” said Trimble Knox. Helping new agents is something that Trimble Knox believes is essential for the health of the DFW real estate market. She uses running metaphors to help them visualize their success. “First, when you run long distances, it’s about focus,” said Trimble Knox. “In real estate, it’s also about keeping your goal in mind and maintaining your focus. Some days you run all day, and sometimes you crawl all day. If you hit a wall in terms of your workload, you can do more. People are more capable than they think they are.”
D O W H AT Y O U H AV E TO DO TO KEEP THE DEAL TOGETHER. 22 • August 2022
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 23
brandi inspirational agent
W R I G H T Written by: Mark Fadden Photos by: Brent Tinsley, Headshot Professional Makeup and Hair by: Katie Moyer
Brandi Wright didn’t travel the typical road to her real estate career, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
get to experience all of these,” said Wright. “As soon as I started taking real estate classes, I knew I was in the right place.”
For some, real estate is in their blood. They learned the industry at their parent’s knee, listening to client calls at all hours of the day or perhaps tagging along to open houses. For Brandi Wright, her pathway to a real estate career was a bit different. “I was driving down the road one day while I was a college student, and the idea just popped into my head,” Wright said. But as she explained how that one random thought confirmed how her solid mixture of talents would be a good fit in real estate, it was easy to see how it all made perfect sense. “I have always loved negotiating, law, finance and helping people, and in working as a real estate agent, I
Wright, who graduated with a degree in psychology from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, also didn’t take the normal path when it came to establishing herself in the DFW real estate market. After earning her real estate license the summer between the second and third year of college, Wright graduated early from Howard Payne at the end of her third year and headed to the Metroplex to start her real estate career. Having grown up in Eastland, Texas, she and her family visited the DFW area often, and Wright knew that Arlington, with its central location and unique brand of energy, was the perfect landing
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spot. She began as a buyer’s agent in an Arlington real estate office and knew almost immediately that she wanted to open her own real estate business and do it her way. “When I started in this business, I tried to do all the things the real estate coaches say a new agent is supposed to do. I practiced the scripts, I implemented the prospecting strategies, etc., but I hated it. It works very well for a lot of people, but it wasn’t me. It didn’t feel authentic,” Wright said. “I learned early on that the best recipe for me came from working hard and caring for others. Because I have always worked for people the way I would want someone to work with a member of my family, I was able to quickly build a business on repeat customers and referrals. That felt more natural to me. I learned and continue to learn and have implemented some
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Chasing the
great business principles and practices through the things I learn from coaches. But when you bust your tail for people, you’re authentic and know your business, people will recognize it and will insist all their friends and family use you.” Wright may not be a psychologist or counselor in title, but she uses her psychology degree daily as a real estate agent. “I have always sought to understand my clients’ personalities, and that allows me to tailor my interactions to meet the needs of their personalities,” said Wright. “For example, if someone is extremely detail-oriented, I will send them more spreadsheets and give them some space to understand and process that data. When I can tell someone is bored with the data, I can assure them that I will analyze that for them and then give them a quick snapshot of that and let them focus on other elements of the transaction that interest them more. I strive to understand the things that matter
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“Thank You”
most to my clients and to make sure their real estate decisions honor those.” She even uses a bit of psychology on herself to help keep her motivation high. “The most fulfilling part of my job is getting a ‘thank you.’ I don’t do the job for praise, but the ‘thank you’ represents that I have succeeded in my goal of providing the highest level of service to my clients during some of the biggest transactions of their lives. The ‘thank you’ says, ‘I see that you worked tirelessly for me. I see that you sacrificed family time to be available for me. I see that you were available around the clock to answer my questions. I see that you advised me for what was right for me even though it put less money in your pocket. I see that you took time to listen to me when I got emotional, and you provided just the right words I needed to hear. I see that you made sure
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every detail was addressed. I see that you listened to me and kept my goals at the forefront. I see that you orchestrated a million moving pieces to make the transaction as smooth as possible,’” Wright said. Often, the “thank you” is just that — those two words strung together, accompanied by a handshake or a hug. Other times, the “thank you” is something that can’t be put into words after a lifetime of struggle. “This business is hard. It isn’t worth doing if you don’t love it and it doesn’t bring you joy,” said Wright. “One of my first clients was a 60-year-old woman who had been told her entire life that she could never afford a house, that she would always be a renter. We drilled down to the why … why she wanted a house so badly. She told me that she wanted to buy a house because she wanted to leave something for her children when she was gone one day, which was something her parents weren’t able to do for her. So, we went to work. It was a difficult price point, the $70,000 range, but we ended up getting her a house. Those kinds of experiences are not only very rewarding, but it gives the business a face that you can hold on to when things get tough.” 26 • August 2022
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WHICH REAL PRODUCERS TERRITORY ARE YOU A PART OF? REAL PRODUCERS IN THE DFW METROPLEX WHICH REAL PRODUCERS
TERRITORY ARE YOU A PART OF? A Quick Look at the Different DFW Real Producers Markets Real Producers 100+ franchises andMetroplex there are four in DFW alone. In each of Realhas Producers innationwide the DFW these markets, we pull the top 500 agents based off annual residential MLS sales volume. Where your broker address is located will determine which publication is for you. This map shows the territories each of the four DFW franchises. If you are a top-500 agent in any A Quick Look atforthe Different DFW Real Producers Markets of these markets, you will be receiving a publication every month and have the possibility Real Producers has 100+ franchises nationwide and there are four in DFW alone. In each of these markets, we pull the top 500 of being featured at novolume. cost toWhere you!your broker address is located will determine which publication is agents based off annual residential MLS sales for you. This map shows the territories for each of the four DFW franchises. If you are a top-500 agent in any of these markets, you will be receiving a publication every month and have the possibility of being featured at no cost to you!
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Fort Worth Real Producers • 29
BRYSON
SWIGGERT agent who gives back Written by: Dave Danielson Photos by: Samantha Farris Additional photos by: Jakes Visuals
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Giving Back. Reaching Results. All of the best hopes in the world don’t make an impact without action. Real, tangible effort is what makes dreams become reality for clients and the community.
That’s an area where Bryson Swiggart excels. As a REALTOR® with the Fort Worth office of Compass, Bryson is fully committed to and very successful at reaching results for those around him … including a nonprofit he started in 2016 called House for a Home. House for a Home
When Bryson got into the real estate business, he was inspired by Tom’s Shoes — the one-for-one model where people buy a pair of shoes, and a pair of shoes are in turn given to someone in need. Using business to not only be successful, but to make a significant impact in other’s lives really resonated with Bryson. “I was amazed to see the significant impact Tom’s Shoes was making, and it inspired me to think of a way to do something like that through real estate. From that, I came up with the vision of ‘buy/sell a home - give a home’: when agents help clients buy/sell homes, they can give a home to a family in need in a third-world country. While that was exciting, it seemed like a big undertaking, and I had no clue where to even start.” Making It Happen
From the time Bryson first had the idea, the name House for a Home came to him. He kept the concept in the back of his mind and moved forward as he built his business. “I got busy growing my real estate business and put the idea on the shelf for a few years. Then, at the start of 2016, I heard a sermon and said it was time; I’m going to do it,” he remembers with a smile. By June of the same year, he and a few others were in Kenya, Africa, building the first House for a Home with their own hands for a widow in need.
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Providing Shelter
The difference that Bryson and his nonprofit have made over these past few years has been remarkable. As he says, it takes $800 to build a house in Kenya. “It’s roughly a 15-by-20-foot shelter … a mud hut with a _n roof. It is not much to us, but to them, it is a safe shelter and home. With each transaction we close, we set aside money for this effort,” Bryson explains. “We raise the funds, send the money over, and, to date, we have built 212 houses since 2016, along with four water wells. Through each house we build, we also partner with an organization called Nourishing the Nations, [which] is in the same area that has a weekly feeding program for children.” Going to the Next Level
Today, Bryson and his team are in the process of revamping to grow to the next level. “I want to get other agents involved with this. If they are faithful to give even a small amount from each transaction, it will make a big impact. I can just imagine, if we had 50 to 100 agents involved, what kind of impact we could have. When starting House for a Home, I didn’t want to just create a nonprofit that you gave money to and you didn’t see where your money went or the difference you have helped make. So if an agent gives $200 per transaction, it will only take four
transactions to get to $800 and build a home for someone in need. With House for a Home, we track each donation, and with every home built, we send a picture of the recipient family to the donors.” Bryson says. “We take a picture of the family in front of their new home with a sign saying thank you (with the donor’s name), and we get a little bit of each family’s story that we build for and get that back to you. You now can show your clients the direct impact they have had by providing a home for someone when they used you as their agent to buy or sell. Doing this has made a significant difference in my business also. People want to use and refer me because they know we are helping others in a unique way, and they love being a part of that. You’re not giving to get, but it is a great way to make a difference through your business, and the fact that it can have a positive impact on your business is a plus. On average there are four to five people living in these houses. We estimate that we have been able to impact a little over 1,000 people so far. I have been able to go to Africa a handful of homes and meet some of the people we have helped, and it is humbling and overwhelming to be able to see the life-altering impact we are truly making.” Love for His Work
“One of my favorite things that I love about real estate is connecting
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with people and helping them solve their problems,” Bryson says. “I love having the opportunity to partner with buyers and sellers and help them with their real estate needs.” As Bryson came of age and graduated from high school, he went to college for a year and a half. “College was a good experience, but it didn’t fit me. Plus, I saw my friends taking on significant student loan debt,” Bryson says. “So I decided not to finish college and I ended up going and working for a landscaping company, and eventually started my own landscaping company.” Bryson dove into the business and ended up growing the business substantially … to a point where the company had over 100 accounts and a growing team.
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“I was a small business owner. I was out in the field working, too. What I began to not enjoy was managing the workers. I began to get more and more frustrated with it. I couldn’t be everywhere at once,” Bryson remembers.
“When I got into the business, I honestly felt like God was teaching me patience. Things were falling out of contract and just not going well at all. At about the five-month mark, I hadn’t made a sale,” he says. “I was at my breaking point and wasn’t sure “My parents and grandparents had how I was going to pay rent the next worked with a family friend who was a month. In that moment, God gave me REALTOR® with KW, and I started to a glimmer of hope, and I stayed the talk with him. Through the course of our course, and in month six, that is when conversations, he told me more about everything changed, and since that what he did, and I thought that sounded point on, I have been blessed with a like it could be a great fit for me. I got continually growing business year my license at the end of 2013 and went over year.” to be on his team at KW.” Through determination and dedicated effort to learn and grow, Bryson Gaining Momentum In the meantime, Bryson sold his land- gained traction and soon began scaping business after having continued building a business that continues to expand today. doing both for a time. Like most who enter real estate, Bryson In fact, over the last five years, he has consistently sold 40 to 50 houses encountered his share of challenges.
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When I got into the business, I honestly felt like God was teaching me patience. a year, representing around $13 to $15 million in sales volume each year. Last year, in 2021, he did just over $30 million in sales volume. Family is at the heart of life for Bryson. He cherishes time for his wife, Liz, and their children — a 2-yearold son, Parker, and a 3-month-old son, Jackson. “That’s one of the parts of this business that I really appreciate the most … having the work/life balance to provide for my family and also be able to be flexible and not miss the small things that we take for granted sometimes,” he says. “It’s a blessing.” In his free time, Bryson enjoys spending time with his family outdoors at their ranch in Mineola, hunting, fishing and just riding around in the UTV. They also love going out on the lake with family and friends. On occasion, when Bryson and Liz get a date night, they love going out and catching some Live Texas Country music in Fort Worth. Day by day, Bryson Swiggart demonstrates the power of what someone can accomplish with a clear vision and determined effort in making a difference and engaging others to join him. He is hopeful and looking for those 50 to 100 agents to partner with to reach the next level with House for a Home.
For more information, see www.HouseforaHome. org and @ HouseforaHome on Facebook#30#. 34 • August 2022
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FAQ ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE
Real Producers magazine started in Indianapolis in 2015 and is now in over 100 markets across the nation and continues to spread rapidly. Real Producers first launched in DFW in August 2018 with North DFW Real Producers (now called “North Dallas”). In May 2019, Dallas Real Producers launched, and then Tarrant Real Producers in March of 2021. In 2022, Tarrant Real Producers split into two publications, North Fort Worth and Fort Worth Real Producers. Fort Worth Real Producers is launching with the August 2022 issue! Q: WHO RECEIVES Real Producers MAGAZINES? A: The top 500 real estate agents in each of the four markets in DFW based on their MLS production for the previous year. Refer to the map in this publication for the exact territories. If your broker address is within that given territory and you are in the top 500, you will receive that publication for the year. There are approximately 60,000 licensed real estate agents in DFW. The list will reset at the end of every year and continue to update annually. Q: WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS MAGAZINE? A: We believe that we are better together. When we surround ourselves with other successful, like-minded people, we grow to new heights. Real Producers is a platform that brings together the most elite individuals in DFW real estate. We take the top 500 real estate agents and RP-vetted businesses in every market, and we build an exclusive community around that group. We share their stories, successes, market trends, upcoming events — really, anything that will connect, inform and inspire, we put in our monthly publication. Q: DOES Real Producers HAVE EVENTS? A: Yes! Each community will have two main events a year, and then we do a combined event at the end of the year, which is an awards gala called The ESPEs. For these events, we invite the top 500 real estate agents and our RP-vetted businesses. Top 500 agents are allowed to invite members on their team as well. These events are an incredible opportunity to connect with the best of the best in DFW real estate. It is amazing to 36 • August 2022
see the power in the connections made at these events. Be on the lookout for your exclusive invites! Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BEING FEATURED IN THIS MAGAZINE? A: It’s really simple. You have to be on the top 500 list, and we take nominations seriously. You can nominate other real estate agents, businesses, brokers, owners or even yourself! Office leaders can also nominate real estate agents. We will consider anyone brought to our attention who is in the top 500 because we don’t know everyone’s story, so we need your help to learn about them. We cannot guarantee a feature, but we encourage you to meet with one of our team members, support Real Producers and attend our private events to increase your chances. You can email your nominations to jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com. Q: WHAT DOES IT COST A REAL ESTATE AGENT/TEAM TO BE FEATURED? A: Zero, zilch, zippo, nada, nil. It costs nothing, my friends, so nominate away! We are not a pay-to-play model. We share real stories of Real Producers. Q: WHO ARE THE RP-VETTED BUSINESSES? A: They are one of the best businesses in DFW in their category, and you can find them listed in our index! We don’t just find these businesses off the street, nor do we work with all businesses that approach us. One of many of the top real estate agents has recommended every single business you see in this publication. We won’t even meet with a business that has not been vetted by one of you and “stamped for approval,” in a sense. Our team will further vet every business to make sure they are a good fit and bring value to our community. Our goal is to create a powerhouse network, not only for the best real estate agents in the area but the best businesses, as well, so we can grow stronger together. Q: HOW CAN I RECOMMEND A BUSINESS? A: If you know and want to recommend a business that works with top real estate agents, please email us to let us know at jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com. @realproducers
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