North DFW Real Producers - March 2020

NORTH DFW

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 .

Body, Mind, & Real Estate

Photography By: Scott Peek Photography

MARCH 2020

2 • March 2020

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TA BLE OF

CONTENTS 06

12

Index of Trusted Partners

Publisher’s Meet The Team Note

Publisher’s Note

14

21

26 10

Rising Star: Carol Thompson

Meet The Community

Tips Partner From Spotlight: the Top Décor Directions

32 24

40 16

24 49

CCAR: FAQ In The About Know This Magazine

52

Partner Spotlight: Inspect360

4 • March 2020

09 11

Sponsor Niche Spotlight Agent: Photography Debra ByPettit Spross

Games: FAQ Crossword About Puzzle This Magazine

60

68

Cover Story: Mike Mazyck

The Credit Report

www.realproducersmag.com • 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!

ARTIST Hope Harrison Artist Hope Harrison (469) 394-8664 hopeharrison.net BARBERSHOP & MEN’S GROOMING Hammer & Nails Grooming for Guys - Frisco (214) 794-6498 hammerandnailsgrooming. com BUILDER Taylor Morrison (469) 252-2272 taylormorrison.com BUSINESS COACHING Hero Nation Coaching Wayne Salmans (469) 500-3642 theheronation.com BUSINESS/EXECUTIVE COACH Elevate U (214) 551-1940 elevateuinc.com CREDIT REPAIR Lenders Choice Credit Solutions (214) 307-4946 lendersccs.com DEVELOPER Huffines Communites (972) 860-3133 huffinescommunities.com DIGITAL MARKETING & DIGITAL ADVERTISING Star Mobile Systems (469) 733-7270

6 • March 2020

ENGRAVED CLOSING GIFTS VinoSay Engraving Ray Southwell (469) 396-6529 vinosay.com FLOORING The Design Quad (214) 647-1779 thedesignquad.com FOUNDATION REPAIR Digg Foundation Repair Scott Winn (214) 307-4060 diggfoundationrepair.com GARAGE DOORS Pro Lift Doors (469) 251-7027 proliftdoors.com/garland HOME INSPECTION Amerispec Home Inspections (817) 329-5200 amerispectx.com Elite Inspection Group (469) 818-5500 eigdallas.com Inspect360 (817) 754-0360 inspect360.com Level Up Home Inspections (713) 235-0918 levelupinspect.com HOME RENOVATION Curbio (978) 888-3958 Curbio.com

HOME REPAIR fixdrepair (972) 742-3850 fixdrepair.com HOME WARRANTY Achosa Home Warranty (972) 965-7611 www.achosahw.com Home Warranty of America (888) 492-7359 hwahomewarranty.com Nations Home Warranty (888) 737-7070 home-warranty.com Super (202) 750-1618 HelloSuper.com INSURANCE Brandon Cooley Insurance Agency (940) 365-6174 agents.farmers.com/ tx/aubrey/brandon-cooley DFW Insurance Services Adrienne Baker (972) 781-1115 insurewithdfw.com Paine Insurance Group (972) 387-9217 whosyourinsuranceguy.com Presley Insurance Group (214) 888-0730 www.presleyins.com Rhyne Insurance Agency Kristian Rhyne (972) 400-1089 agents.farmers.com/krhyne

The Pulaski Sukenik Insurance Agency (214) 673-7888 thepulaskisukenikagency. com Winemiller Insurance Agency Josiah Winemiller (817) 618-6514 gooseheadinsurance. com/agents/ josiah-winemiller/ INTERIOR DESIGN & HOME STAGING Decor Directions (469) 969-8819 decordirectionsUSA.com MORTGAGE BANKER Bank of England (469) 737-5733 boetexas.com MORTGAGE LENDER American Financial Network, Inc. Daniel Munoz (214) 473-5984 afncorp.com/danielmunoz First Rate Financial (214) 872-4442 iamfirstrate.com Legacy Group - Service First Mortgage (214) 649-4908 petemontesino.servi cefirstmtg.com The Mortgage Nerd (972) 447-6373 YourMortgageNerd.com

The Tuttle Group Mid America Mortgage (469) 319-0660 thetuttlegroup.com

Real Property Management Focus (469) 820-0088 realpmfocus.com

Willow Bend Mortgage (214) 449-2334 wbm.com

REAL ESTATE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Virtual Business Solutions Real Estate (469) 999-1559 vbsrealestate.com

MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR Farmers Bank and Trust (903) 255-1813 myfarmers.bank MOVING SERVICES All My Sons Moving & Storage (561) 578-3800 allmysons.com Element Moving and Storage (972) 805-0988 elementmoving.com Firehouse Movers Inc (972) 412-6033 firehousemovers.com Stonebriar Moving Services (469) 734-9000 stonebriarmoving.com NEIGHBORHOOD HANDYMAN Handy Hogan (469) 307-4690 PAINTING Splash Painting and Remodeling (214) 980-2669 splashpaintingandre modeling.com PHOTOGRAPHY Blackall Photography (972) 978-9958 blackallphotography.com Scott Peek Photography (468) 587-2300 ScottPeekPhotography.com

ROOFING Blue Ribbon Roofing (972) 464-1858 blueribbondfw.com Helsley Roofing Company (972) 578-8982 helsleyroofing.com New View Roofing (469) 232-7220 newviewroofing.com

ROOFING / STORM RESTORATION 100% Construction (469) 999-6091 100percentconstructiontx.com TITLE COMPANY Boston National Title of Texas (972) 584-9660 bostonnationaltitle.com Fair Texas Title (602) 421-6417 fairtexastitle.com Kensington Vanguard National Title of TX (214) 529-3840 kv-lonestar.com Lawyers Title (469) 247-8281 dfw.ltic.com

TRAINING Need to Know (469) 396-6529 needtoknowtraining.com UTILITY CONCIERGE Utility Concierge (800) 587-3160 utilityconcierge.com VIDEO PRODUCTION/ MARKETING/PHOTOGRAPHY Flux Media Productions (469) 955-5833 fluxmediaproductions.com VIDEOGRAPHER Immersion Media Company (214) 929-6326 immersionmediacompany.com WEALTH MANAGEMENT Linder Legacy Group (214) 843-3835 linderlegacygroup.com

Results Roofing (214) 301-5533 results-roofing.com ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION High Performance Restoration Texas (214) 396-7772 hprtexas.com Red Dirt Roofing & Construction (817) 454-0608 reddirtroofing.net Roofing Reformation (469) 321-5201 roofingreformation.com ROOFING & ROOF WARRANTY Total Roof Protection (817) 210-6338 totalroofprotection.com

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT American Real PM (469) 620-0114 americanrealpm.com www.realproducersmag.com • 7

Over 20 years of professionally moving families across Texas.

Pac k i n g Un pac k i ng M ov i n g Sto r ag e PO D S 972.412.6033

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8 • March 2020

" We can't thank everyone at Firehouse Movers enough for always going above and beyond when moving our clients and family. After they moved our family in 2012, we knew we could trust them with our clients needs. They crews show up as scheduled (if not early) and their crews are always professional and courteous.

We know that moving can be very stressful. Firehouse does everything they can to put our clients at ease, move their possessions with care and make moving day a pleasant experience. We are grateful for our relationship with Firehouse!�

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LENDING THAT HAS YOU COVERED.

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Your LEGACY is looking to the future!

Our dedicated team of mortgage experts

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Service First Mortgage | NMLS #166487 | 6800 Weiskopf Avenue, Suite 200 | McKinney, TX 75070 10 • March 2020

from start to finish.

MEET THE

NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS TEAM

Jordan Espeseth Publisher

Geneva Eilertson Operations Manager

Missy Kremer Editor

Tiffany Haynes Ad Strategist

Dave Danielson Writer

Scott Peek Photographer

Hope Harrison Photographer

Rick Davis Videographer

Jeremy Patton Videographer

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.

www.realproducersmag.com • 11

GREATNESS B R E E DS

GREATNESS publisher’s note

From that moment, Bison Nation tasted that sweet and savory flavor of victory. And once you taste something that good, you don’t ever want to go without it again. The coaches, players, fans…everyone was chomping at the bit for more. Bison spirit was at an all-time high, and it was palpable.

This surge of passion and school spirit took everyone to the next level, and The Bison won another National Championship, and another, and another…pretty soon everyone expected them to win and NDSU Football had put Fargo, North Dakota on the map. I mean, ESPN Game Day even came there… twice!

Yesterday I watched my Alma Mater, North Dakota State University, win their 8th FCS National Championship in the past nine years.

What the Bison have done is absolutely bananas. They, undoubtedly, have built a dynasty that shows no signs of slowing down. Some people may be upset that the Bison have had this reign of dominance for nearly a decade (I can tell you Bison fans are not upset), but the reality is that greatness continues to breed greatness.

In 2011, Bison had their first National Championship in over two decades. I was a Junior then, and I’ll never forget driving from Fargo to Frisco with some of my best friends. Along the way, we’d be in random states, like the middle of Nebraska, and every other car seemed to be filled with Bison fans. The migration was on. Storming the field after that first victory was one of my favorite memories from my days at NDSU. I am pretty sure 95% of the stadium was on the field – and that’s because 95% of the fans at that game were Bison! “Horns up! Be herd!”

12 • March 2020

And when you have the attention of the nation, and a team full of greatness, you attract more greatness – which attracts more greatness. This starts a positive feedback loop, and before you know it, you have eight national championships in nine years.

What is beautiful about this metaphor is that we can facilitate this “dominance” in our own lives. It starts with us leveling up, becoming the best we can possibly be, practicing our skills…hard and often, actively seeking out people who are better than us, and spending as much time around them as possible. If we do this long enough, we will start to taste victory and, like the Bison, we will never want to go without it again.

Let’s learn from the Bison. Let’s get caught up in our own little positive feedback loop of greatness. Let’s start a dynasty in our own lives! Let’s breed greatness.

Happy March, everyone.

Keep “marching” on!

Jordan Espeseth Owner/Publisher of North DFW Real Producers jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com

Andy and The Tuttle Group are top notch at what they do for me and my clients. He is the best in the business and his ability to follow up and keep everyone informed is priceless.

The way Andy pumps up me and my team to our clients reinforces they made the right decision in choosing me. He sets the client up for a great experience, sets up the team for success and helps the client feel like a VIP.

• TOMMY PISTANA • Realtor | Team Lead The Pistana Group @ Compass

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Visit www.TheTuttleGroup.com/Get-Started Mid America Mortgage, INC.| NMLS 150009 www.realproducersmag.com • 13

Carol rising star

Photography By: Scott Peek Photography Written By: Dave Danielson

THOMPSON Serving with Abundance

14 • March 2020

It’s no coincidence that real estate leaders share their gifts with those around them. Instead of operating with a sense of scarcity, they approach their lives and work by drawing from what seems to be a bottomless well of resources to help others.

One who thrives with this approach is Carol Thompson. As a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty, Carol is this month’s Rising Star and a perfect example of a leader who serves with a true sense of abundance.

“When I started with Keller Williams, I saw right away that there was a big focus on that idea of contribution. When I heard that I said, ‘That’s me. I’m just going to go give,’” Carol explains. “I give away a lot of free information and just try to help people.”

The Business of Helping Others

Carol grew up in North Carolina and attended Mars Hill University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She also earned her MBA from the University of Georgia.

modeling,” she says. “I just thought real estate was a great combination for all that background.”

Learning from Leaders

Carol made a strong start in the business … and she’s quick to credit those around her.

“I had really good mentors. I’m part of a company that does a lot of sharing. It’s in our culture to mentor other agents and to give away our best ideas freely to each other. So, I just was able to ingratiate myself with some excellent agents and leaders like Noe De Leon,” Carol emphasizes. “Noe is a very inspiring go-getter, and I just copied him. I just went around, observed, and copied. I tried not to have an original thought. Instead, I really just wanted to find the best and emulate them. And that’s what I did.”

After school, Carol poured herself into international work supporting missionary endeavors in places like China, South America, and Russia. In fact, she spent a year in Russia right after the fall of the Soviet Union.

No path is perfect. Like everyone, Carol had setbacks. But she saw them in a positive way.

“After I got my MBA, communism had just fallen.

During my time in Russia in 1992 and 1993, I taught business and English and helped people learn how to create a balance sheet, income statement, and other aspects of how to run a business,” Carol recalls. “It was an amazing experience to watch this economy evolving.”

She also credits her real estate coaching for helping her narrow her focus.

Upon returning to the United States from Russia, Carol moved to Dallas and worked for several years in human resources leadership roles.

In time, Carol and her husband started their family.

After spending time raising her family, Carol made the decision to enter real estate in February 2016.

“I did have failures, but I always have thought that failure is just a big learning experience,” she explains.

“When you get in, you’re very conflicted. You don’t know what you should be doing. You think I need a big fancy website. I need a bunch of signs. I need marketing material. I’m going to go buy leads from Zillow. You’re having all this thrown at you, and you don’t know where to focus,” she recalls. “All my coach said was, ‘Carol … your only job is to get clients, so what activities do you need to be doing right now to get clients?’ So I decided that my main lead generation tool would be open houses.

It’s a quick way to get in front of people.”

Staged for Continued Growth

“I realized this was the time to start doing something different. So I was looking at what I could do that would combine my background and experience, along with my passion for interior design and re-

Another factor Carol credits for her success is her approach to staging. In fact, she does all of her own staging with her team. As she’s seen, it’s a major positive point of differentiation.

www.realproducersmag.com • 15

Carol with her assistant and interior designer, Suz Sherman.

16 • March 2020

I do give away a lot of free tips, whether clients work with me or not. Many times, they do end up working with me. Some agents don’t like to do that. But I just try to go and leave people better than I found them.

”

www.realproducersmag.com • 17

“It has helped me to get business. A lot of people come into one of my open houses, and they’ll look around and say, ‘Wow, this looks nice.’ And I’ll say, ‘Well, thank you. We did it ourselves.’ We do this free of charge for our clients, which saves thousands of dollars for them,” Carol points out. “In 2019, 70 percent of my business came from homes that didn’t sell the first time with someone else. Homeowners found me, or a friend recommended me, or they came into an open house and saw that I had fully staged the home, and they saw the marketing that I do. It’s a lead generation strategy.”

Carol is quick to share credit with her team, including her assistant and her interior designer, Suz Sherman.

“Suz is truly gifted. She came on board full-time almost two years ago, 18 • March 2020

and she stages all my listings. And because I have her, I’m now able to do a lot of the make ready process … the home transformation process. With a pretty run-down or not-recently-updated house, she oversees that process, so we’re able to really bring a good product to the market that is beautifully staged and decorated. We truly partner with our clients in their home-selling experience.”

Carol sold an impressive $18.6 million in 2019 and has big goals for this year. As she continues to build her real estate career, she does so with unwavering positivity.

Carol has also worked with Noe to develop a branded luxury division at Keller Williams called Refined Luxury. The division includes 14 agents who specialize in the market segment, with plans to continue to grow.

Again, there’s that sense of contribution and abundance that Carol draws upon … and that others benefit from each day.

In her time away from real estate, Carol enjoys time with her husband, their three children, and their granddaughter. Together, Carol and her husband are involved in their church, as well.

As Carol says, “The trickier the deal is, the more fun it is for me, because you have to problem-solve.

It’s like a gauntlet that you run, and you know there will be challenges to get to the closing table. Along the way, you nail down or knock down a lot of barriers to get the deal closed. That’s the fun of it.”

“I do give away a lot of free tips, whether clients work with me or not. Many times, they do end up working with me. Some agents don’t like to do that. But I just try to go and leave people better than I found them,” Carol says with a smile. “It’s the joy of helping. If you can find your joy in the serving, then the rest will come.”

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20 • March 2020

M E E T T H E CO M M UN I T Y Check Out Some of North DFW's Top 500 Producing REALTORS®!

Nominate a top REALTOR® you’d like to see featured by emailing jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com. www.realproducersmag.com • 21

WHICH REAL PRODUCERS TERRITORY ARE YOU APART OF? REAL PRODUCERS IN THE DFW METROPLEX

WHICH REAL PRODUCERS August 28, 2011 5051 New Centre Drive 28403 A PART OF? TERRITORYWilmington, ARE NCYOU A Quick Look at the Different DFW Real Producer Markets

Real Producers has 100 franchises nationwide and there are three in DFW alone. In each of these markets, we pull the top 500 agents based off the MLS production and depending on where your broker address is located will determine which publication you will be apart of. This map shows the territories for each of the 3 franchises. If you are a Top 500 agent in either of these markets, you will be receiving a publication every month and have the possibility of being featured at no cost to you!

T. 910.202.0917

First Last Name

www.realproducersmag.com

City, State 00000

REAL PRODUCERS IN THE DFW METROPLEX Street Address E. info@n2pub.com North DFW Real Producers

A Quick Look at the Different DFW Real Producer Markets Real Producers has 100 franchises nationwide, and there are three in DFW alone. In each of these markets, we pull the top 500 agents based off the MLS production, and depending on where your broker address is located, will determine which publication you will be apart of. This map shows the territories for each of the three 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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26 • March 2020

DÉCOR DIRECTIONS partner spotlight

Photography By: Scott Peek Photography Written By: Dave Danielson

Setting the Stage for Real Results In 2018, Matt Hilton and Victor Avila had a vision for a business that would serve the area real estate industry, including agents, buyers, and sellers.

place, and he started helping me decorate, we went shopping, and we just loved that whole experience.”

That’s when an idea hit him.

Today, their vision has taken tangible shape with their company— Décor Directions. In turn, they’re helping others set the stage for real results.

Designs on the Future

Matt was born in Dallas, raised in Garland, and went to Baylor. For the past 14 years, Matt has been a REALTOR®, leading a top-producing team.

Victor was born in Laredo, raised in Mexico through his 20s, then pursued his master’s degree in International Business at Texas A&M. With a computer engineering background, Victor works as a customs broker, importing goods to the U.S. Both men love what they do. And they happened to discover a new business passion a little over a year ago.

“Victor had decorated his apartment, and when I went over one day, I was like, ‘Wow, this looks amazing,’” Matt recalls. “So, then I moved into a new

“We had been talking about what we could do together as a business. So, on the way home from shopping one day, I suggested we could do the staging business fulltime. It would be so much fun to go out, find a space, envision what it would look like, then come back with our ideas and have a finished space,” Matt remembers.

“We had created that solution for both of our spaces, so that was the point where the seed was planted.”

The idea definitely struck a chord with Victor, as well.

“Even though I have an engineering background, I’ve always had this creative side of me. I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” Victor says. “Ever since I was a kid, I really liked nicely decorated houses. And that’s been the way it has been with my own place. I don’t like to have anything out of place.

It has to look neat … almost like no one lives there.

It’s just the way I see it.”

www.realproducersmag.com • 27

Return on Investment

Matt has seen the advantages of staging firsthand as a REALTOR®.

“I understand what it takes to get a house sold. Staging back in 2008 through 2011, when the market had shifted, you had to do things to make your listings stand out from the others,” Matt explains.

“We’ve seen a shift in the market again recently. If you haven’t seen before-and-after pictures of a vacant room compared to one that is staged, or a house that is lived in with all of the seller’s stuff around, and then see what it’s like when it’s staged, it really makes a night-and-day difference.”

Matt and Victor clearly have a strong passion for the work they do through Décor Directions.

As Victor emphasizes, “I like everything about it. It’s such a rewarding profession, and there’s no monotony. It’s always something different, and I enjoy the challenge of getting really creative and getting a house to look as beautiful as possible to sell it.”

Individualized Approach

The two take a very customized approach to each property they stage.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. We go into a house that’s getting ready to go on the market, whether it’s vacant or someone is living there, and give a consultation,” Matt says. “We’ll go in and ask the owners to declutter and depersonalize and move some furniture around, and make the spaces look larger and more appealing for the professional photos.”

Victor explains that he and Matt consider a wide range of factors that influence proper staging decisions.

“There are some properties with interesting wall colors. We can either work with the interior wall colors or make suggestions for change. We make sure that the house looks beautiful, and has a broad appeal,” Victor points out. “Also, if there’s not enough lighting, we bring in more. We study the house several times and from all angles.”

Once the staging is complete, Matt and Victor aren’t done.

“We really like to do periodic checkups. We go back to the

28 • March 2020

“I enjoy the challenge of getting really creative and getting a house to look as beautiful as possible to sell it.

”

www.realproducersmag.com • 29

property because people are going to be moving things around as the house is being shown,” Victor says. “With these checkups, we can keep the staging looking fresh. We want each house to look as perfect as possible each time a potential buyer walks into the house.”

Even when the house sells, Matt and Victor have more to offer.

“After someone purchases a home, we also are available to help them with interior decorating. Once someone buys a home, it’s natural for them to say, ‘What am I going to do with this house? What colors and decor are we going to put in now?’ That’s where we can come in and really help, as well.”

In their free time, Matt and Victor lead active lives. Matt has four chil-

30 • March 2020

dren he cherishes spending time with. He also enjoys a competitive game of tennis with Victor. Both men also have a big passion for travel … especially to places like New York City.

Delivering a Difference

With all of the houses they stage, it would be natural to think that they would blend together a bit. But each home … each project … is an individual labor of love.

As Victor says, “I have such a photographic memory. I can still remember every single piece that we use in a house and where things were placed. I’m excited about what we do. There’s nothing I don’t like about this. It’s just so much fun.”

Clearly, the work Matt and Victor do each day sets the stage for real results.

“We love to partner with agents to help make their selling easier on both the buyer side or the listing side. On the buyer side, when you walk into a

staged house, you’re going to have a better buyer experience, because your buyers aren’t wondering what the room will look like with their furniture,” Matt says. “And for sellers, they’re going to net more at the end of the day. Their house is going to be on the market for about 50% less time than one that isn’t staged. Staging works, and we’re proud to be here to partner with agents to help that whole experience be as easy as possible.”

For more information, contact Décor Directions today!

Matt Hilton and Victor Avila Phone: 469-969-8819

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Help Us

SHAPE the Future

“The results of the Census are critically important,” said Shad Bogany, Partner Specialist at Dallas Regional Census Center/Field Division/Denver Region when speaking with the Collin County Association of REALTORS® (CCAR).

What’s the big deal? The United States Census, which begins on April 1, 2020, provides data that informs how more than $675 billion dollars are allocated and distributed annually. By participating and encouraging others to participate in the 2020 Census, you are helping to shape our community’s future.

“A new school to ease overcrowded classrooms. A new road to ease overcrowded commutes. There are many ways the 2020 Census can shape your community. The results, col-

32 • March 2020

lected once a decade, help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year.” –2020census.gov Who Benefits: Homeowners

In King County, WA, the Census helped homeowners stay in their homes after an astute assessor suspected a property tax exception for fixed or low-income homeowners over the age of 61 was underutilized by qualifying homeowners.

The assessor conducted a customized inquiry of Census data, revealing 40,000 households were eligible for the tax exemption while only 15,000 were enrolled. Armed with the inquiry results, the county was able to target educational resources to the area, resulting in almost 7,500 new applicants within 18 months.* The Community

City planners and school districts across the nation will use the information collected during

the 2020 Census to determine where schools are built, the location of future fire departments and other emergency services, the location of parks, and the roads required by the population. Health systems will utilize the data to determine what senior services are available to a community, and businesses will consult the data before choosing where to locate their establishments.

Bogany pointed out that having accurate data can also bring “more disaster relief if a disaster strikes — maybe a new congressional district… who knows!”

Your Business

For real estate agents, it means more than the funding community needs, it also means more business! Both commercial and residential developers use

CCAR: in the know

By Written By: Bri Westbury, Collin County Association of REALTORS® Content Specialist

Census data to plan where they break ground next, the price point their development will cater to, and more.

Bottom line: “If everyone is counted, Collin County is going to benefit.” – Shad Bogany

With so many reasons to complete the Census, why are communities undercounted?

“Many don’t participate, because they have concerns regarding the safety of their information,” Bogany explained. This is a concern the U.S. Government takes seriously and works aggressively to alleviate with highly secure servers to store all information collected. Information

provided to the 2020 Census remains sealed for 72 years and cannot be shared, not even with other departments like the Internal Revenue Service. Additionally, if a Census worker breaches confidentiality, they are subject to a $250,000 penalty and up to five years in prison.

Others choose to not participate because they are unaware of the importance of their participation. A problem CCAR Chief Executive Officer Mary Leidy wishes to fix. “The Census directly impacts the future of our communities, and we don’t want to stand by and hope residents understand why it’s important — we want to educate and lead our community to the brightest future pos-

sible,” explains Leidy. “With over 9,000 members who speak 47 different languages, our Association reflects the beautifully diverse community we serve and placed us in a fortunate position to help the community understand the importance of the Census,” says Leidy.

This passion prompted CCAR to create a 2020 Census video resource in 26 different languages, which you can find at www.ccar.net/census. Visitors to CCAR’s site can select a video to learn the importance of their participation in the 2020 Census in a language they can understand — theirs.

Help us shape the future: visit www.ccar.net/census and tell others that you did!

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North DFW Real Producers

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36 • March 2020

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This information is intended to assist Real Estate Brokers, Agents, and other Industry Professionals, and is not an advertisement for consumer credit as defined in 12 CFR 1026.2(a)(2). This information is not intended for consumers and may not be duplicated or disseminated to the public.

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40 • March 2020

niche agent Photography By: Hope Harrison Written By: Dave Danielson

Debra

Pettit A Life of Diving In

As a girl growing up in Dallas, Debra Pettit had the same kind of boundless energy she has today. Like many bright, ambitious kids, she needed an outlet, so when she was 12, her mom thought that signing her up for the swim team would be a productive activity.

The exercise, fun, competition, and structure was a perfect fit. She has since spent much of her life diving in and out of pools — and many other opportunities that came her way in life.

New Pools to Explore

The swimming has never stopped. Debra loved the water — and she excelled at being in it. In fact, she swam countless pool lengths through middle and high school.

And she even swam on the Baylor University swim team. She also used her natural teaching skills to coach the younger kids on her swim teams.

In time, there would be new chapters of life to dive into. She met and married Randy, and they raised a family together.

Debra was a Dallas girl who loved her hometown. In fact, she’s the fourth Dallas

Debra with husband, Randy

www.realproducersmag.com • 41

“ ”

GIVING TIME IS MY LOVE LANGUAGE

42 • March 2020

generation in her family. When their children were in middle school, Debra and Randy began to explore the idea of moving to a smaller town with smaller schools.

In 2004, after a year of researching several North Texas small towns, as well as much prayer and consideration, they made the move to Van Alstyne, 15 miles north of McKinney on US 75.

“At the time we moved, I was very happy where I lived. It’s where I grew up. It was not easy to leave, but looking back, 15 years after moving to Van Alstyne, I can definitely attest to the positives of small-town living,” Debra says. “Where we had moved from, there were about 700 kids in each grade, compared to Van Alstyne where there were about 100. Our students in Van Alstyne schools were encouraged to play every sport, be in the band, be a cheerleader, and show FFA animals, which our kids did all of that. And, they got a well-rounded education.”

Characteristically, Debra dove into her new hometown and soon found herself promoting it to other newcomers.

The majority of people who move to Van Alstyne are moving from suburban Dallas areas, just as Debra and her family did. When Debra and her family moved, she found that it was more of a lifestyle transition than she had expected; it was a good transition but with many unknowns. She said, “So, when I would hear of people moving to our town, I would call them to see if they could use some advice, or needed the name of a local dentist, needed to meet some friends, or learn about the schools, etc. People would ask me if I was a REALTOR®. I wasn’t a REALTOR® yet, but in the back of my head, I thought, I’ll do that someday when the kids are grown.”

Representing Her New Hometown

In 2011, with her children in college, Debra obtained her sales license and jumped into the real estate pool.

Debra remembers being the only student in her real estate classes, as the local economy was still recovering somewhat from the 2008/2009 recession. She recalls, “I had a great real estate teacher. He said, ‘You need to take what I’m teaching you and pass this information on to your clients. Even if they are not first-time buyers, chances are they haven’t bought or sold a house in many years. Don’t make assumptions that they know the ins and outs of how to buy and sell property, so take the time to teach them.” Debra has found that advice to be very crucial for growing her business and serving her clients well. Debra says she’s a natural teacher and nurturer, so this is one of her favorite parts of her job.

Today, Debra is Team Leader at The Pettit Realty Group with Town Center Real Estate in Van Alstyne, where she has a team of five agents besides her, including a very familiar addition.

www.realproducersmag.com • 43

The Pettit Realty Group: Casey Spies, Debra Pettit, Randy Pettit, Rebecca Williams, and Charli Rodgers.

After nine years of serving in a consultant role for her team, her husband Randy recently got his sale’s license and joined the team as a sales agent.

Working with Randy is a dynamic that Debra loves.

“Randy got his master’s degree in land economics and real estate from Texas A&M and has 34 years of experience in commercial real estate valuation. His experience and knowledge have been an invaluable asset for growing our team’s business, especially in land, farm and ranch, and commercial property.”

“We call him our ‘Secret Weapon.’

Randy and I are opposites. I’m a rainmaker, and he’s a dam builder.

Our clients are better served by our combined strengths and experience.”

44 • March 2020

Debra enjoys the opportunity to support and mentor her team members. She said, “I’m so proud of our team. They have exceeded my expectations in business and in character. Currently, all of our agents live in Van Alstyne. Each of our kids are past or current students. We’re all members of local boards and churches. We are working on growing our team in surrounding towns. A good team member for us would be someone who has been successful in business, not necessarily in real estate, and having a love and deep commitment to the area.

Van Alstyne and surrounding towns are beginning to explode with growth. It has been a privilege to welcome so many new folks to our area.”

Giving in Many Ways

In addition to cherishing time with their children, Debra and Randy are also involved with their church, specifically mentoring young families.

One of Debra’s favorite things in her free time is going to lunch with a friend, just catching up, and visiting.

As Debra says, “Giving time is my love language.”

It’s a language she knows well. For all of her meetings, listings, and demands on her time, Debra still teaches swimming at the local pool. In fact, she has never missed a summer of giving lessons since she was 16-years-old. It goes without saying that she doesn’t need to teach, but she loves it.

“Teaching swimming is one of my favorite things. Besides having strong convictions about teaching folks this essential life skill, it’s just really fun! With some of the older kids, we pretend that we’re dolphins, and that we’re swimming at the bottom of the ocean,” Debra says with a warm smile. “They think I’m doing it just for them, but I’m having more fun than they are! Shhh!”

Each day, Debra continues her lifetime of diving in — and helping others around her.

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Get to Know Your

North DFW Real Producers March 2020

Send a picture of your completed puzzle to geneva@realproducersmag.com for a chance to win a prize!

1

2

3 4

5

6

7 8 9

10

11 12

Prize provided by

ACROSS

3 Décor Directions is a ______ business.

ACROSS

5 This month’s Rising Star, ______ Thompson, DOWN serves with a true sense of abundance.

3. is a ______ ______Realty business.

1. Matt and Victor clearly have a strong passion for the work they Décor Directions 7 The Group is located in Van Alstyne.

This month’s10 Dane Wilson teaches us that you with can abecome a ________ having great credit.

5.

Rising Star, ______ Thompson, serves true do throughby Décor______.

sense of abundance.

11 Mike Mazyck focuses on working on his ______, or realgives estate. _____ 2. body, Inspect360 people the big, 360-degree

12 CCAR writes, “By participating and encouraging others to participate in the 2020 _____, 7. The ______ Realty Group is located in Van Alstyne. of a property. you are helping to shape our community’s future.”

10.

Dane Wilson teaches us that you can become a ________ by 4.

Mike Mazyck believes that a business is somewhat

having greatDOWN credit. 11. Mike Mazyck focuses on like _____ tissue. working on his 1 ______, Matt andbody, Victor have a strong passion 6. for the work they through or clearly real estate.

Debra Pettit stilldo teaches ______ lessons at a local pool.

Décor______.

12. CCAR writes, “By participating and encouraging others to 8. Inspect360 Owner and CEO, Lance Dunahoe, enjoys _______

2 Inspect360 gives people the big, 360-degree _____ of a property.

participate in the 2020 _____, in his free time.

4 Mike Mazyck believes that a business is somewhat like _____ tissue.

you are helping shapePettit our community’s future.” _______.

Carol Thompson gives credit to her _____ for 6 to Debra still teaches ______ lessons at a 9. local pool. helping her succeed.

8 Inspect360 Owner and CEO, Lance Dunahoe, enjoys _______ in his free time.

9 Carol Thompson gives credit to her _____ for helping her succeed.

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partner spotlight Written By: Dave Danielson Photography By: Hope Harrison

INSPECT Home Inspection Soup You’ve worked hard for your clients to find the right home, for the right price – the right combination of ingredients to get them to closing. The last thing you need to worry about is the quality of the home inspection. But a bad home inspection can be like too much salt in a perfectly good bowl of soup.

www.realproducersmag.com • 53

With a focus on quality and service, the experienced team at Inspect360 understands this and has made it their mission to educate and empower their clients to make the inspection processes the easiest part of buying a home.

to educate our clients and help them understand exactly what they are buying. For some, this may be the most important and expensive purchase of their life. They need good information, presented and explained clearly, so they can make an educated decision and take that next step with total confidence.”

360-Degree Approach

As Lance says, the inspection process should provide a complete picture.

As owner and CEO of Inspect360, Lance Dunahoe is proud of his team and their 360-degree approach to service and the inspection process.

“We’re a residential and commercial inspection company, but we really see ourselves as educators.”

“Our job, of course, is to assess the condition of the home, inside and out.

We crawl through dusty crawl spaces, climb on roofs, turn on lights, run water and air conditioning systems — basically put the house through a complete workout.” But more than that, Lance explains, “We are there

54 • March 2020

“With what we do, we’re really trying to give people the big, 360-degree picture … and not just the hit list of things that are wrong with the house,” he emphasizes. “We want to provide people with a full perspective, including the pros, the cons, and the things that need to be addressed. But really, we want people to have a complete and total understanding of the property.”

Inspect360 got its start in 2005 and features a team of five licensed inspectors in addition to Lance.

Like the real estate business as a whole, Lance points to the importance of building strong bonds as part of what he and his team members do each day.

“Real estate is definitely a relationship business. The stronger the relationships between the professionals involved, the better the experience for our clients. That’s where we shine.

Our inspectors have built trusted relationships with our clients and the agents and affiliates who refer us. We want to take care of our clients, do a great job technically, but also provide a great and valuable service. That’s how we distinguish ourselves from other inspection companies.”

Away from the office, Lance has a deep love for the time he spends with his wife, Danielle, and their two teenage sons.

Recipe for Results

In his free time, Lance enjoys cooking. And one of his favorite dishes to make is soup.

In fact, Lance often uses soup as a metaphor for business. Like making soup, business is about combining the right ingredients at the right time. And sometimes, the recipe needs to be refined.

“There’s something comforting, satisfying, particularly in those moments when you’re eating a really good bowl of soup. It meets a need for you,” Lance explains. “I think of my businesses kind of like a big pot of soup; it’s meant to be served and satisfy a need. And to make good soup, you need the right combination and proportions of quality ingredients. Too much of this, or too little of that, can totally change the flavor and character. But even then, when you find the right combination of ingredients, you can’t just throw them all together in a pot and call it soup…it’s not soup yet.”

As Lance points out, the next steps are what make the difference.

“It’s when you turn up the heat, those ingredients start to simmer, combine, and work together. And suddenly, there’s this totally unique relationship between ingredients that occurs and brings out different flavors,” he says.

“Business is the same way. There are these unique relationships in business where the right ones bring out the best and create something bigger than people could do independently.”

Inspections should be served HOT! “Nobody likes cold soup, and likewise, we deliver our inspection reports on-site while the client is present, and the information is fresh. Reviewing the report, and addressing questions in the context of the home, leaves little chance for miscommunication.”

Like a good soup, Lance says business relationships get better the second or third time you experience it.

www.realproducersmag.com • 55

Lance with his wife, Danielle.

Inspect360 offers extra peace of mind.

“We’ve partnered with a warranty company that provides over 100k in protections that go along with our inspection, just to give some extra value, and a bit more certainty and confidence,” he says. “In that way, where there’s a chance that something may come up after we inspect it, we’ve solved a problem for them.”

Like those refining the best recipe for a soup, Lance and his team continuously look to optimize the experience they provide.

“I think that really holds true. We make a promise to our clients, and we deliver on that. From the time our clients call to schedule inspection with our friendly office staff, to their experience with our inspectors in the field, and for as long as they own their home, we’re there as a trusted resource for them. We want them to have a great, long-term relationship with us, and with the people who referred us.”

Adding Value

In a world of advancing technology and changing expectations, Lance points to the timeless quality and ingredients of success.

“Of course, REALTORS® deal with all of the AI programs and things like that. But, ultimately, I think the relationship wins out … the one-on-one bond. Likewise, we’ve 56 • March 2020

had to stay relevant with the expectations of our clients.”

As Lance says, the inspection process can carry the misconception of a warranty.

“There can be that misconception that when we inspect the house, that it’s going to stay in that condition perpetually. And that’s just not the case. A home inspection is a snapshot of the condition of the home. Once we leave, contractors come in, people move out, the weather changes … whatever it might be. The condition of the home can change, and new issues may come up. Nobody likes these surprises after they move in. But the good news is, we’ve solved that.”

“Home inspections can be a make or break moment for any real estate transaction, but they don’t have to spoil the soup. We make sure we’re taking care of our clients and agents. That means continually investing in training and technology and things to make the experience better. Our inspection report isn’t just limited to a lengthy PDF. It’s interactive with video and other cool features that give a better experience and reduce callbacks and questions that come up after an inspection.

And for our agents, our Repair Amendment Builder lets you build the repair amendment with a couple clicks of a mouse,” Lance says. “We work to make sure that we’re clearly communicating and giving our clients and agents everything they need to make those really important decisions at a critical moment … knowledge and confidence are the best ingredients!”

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cover story Written By: Missy Kremer Photography By: Scott Peek Photography

Body, Mind, & Real Estate 60 • March 2020

www.realproducersmag.com • 61

Body

For the purposes of understanding where Mike Mazyck, owner of Mike Mazyck Realty, is coming from, allow us to start with a brief lesson on the body.

According to lumenlearning.com, atrophy is when our muscle strength decreases due to the lack of using, or strengthening, our muscle fibers. Hypertrophy, contrarily, is when we do work to increase the size of our muscles. “I’ve always believed that a business is somewhat like muscle tissue,” shares Mike. If one has the opportunity to make their business bigger, why not try? “I’m going to make it bigger and stronger,” he concretely states.

Mike Mazyck’s earlier years had him attending bible college, getting married, and then working 40+ hours a week at a 24-Hour Fitness location. However, his full-time career as a personal trainer didn’t serve him well personally, as he’s a self-proclaimed introvert.

“I didn’t feel like the gym environment was, for me personally, a good environment to be in 40+ hours per week.” This realization, paired with many of his clients being in mortgage and real estate, helped him to make a life transition: “All of these things were telling me to get into real estate.”

Mind

After getting his broker’s license, Mike worked with his team virtually for approximately seven years. Whether it was hunkering up at a local Starbucks, or working from home, Mike and his team operated primarily solo.

But, something was missing. “I’m an introvert, and even for me, it wore on me to not be around other people.” And the transition to working out of an actual business space has proven to be a positive one.

“It has been huge,” Mike states. “I wanna go deeper.” And, Mike knew that unless he was able to build relationships with his team in person, the business would reach a halt.

“I can’t imagine now, not having it.” With between 60-80% of agents being able to make

62 • March 2020

bi-weekly and monthly meetings, Mike has seen how their face-to-face interactions have helped them network and grow.

“A brick-and-mortar office is a huge expense...that could be invested into other areas of growth,” as he reflects on why he avoided a business space for so long. But, Mike has valued the relationships he has built and knows this move was definitely for the better.

With about 700 closed deals this year, they project between 1,000–1,200 more in 2020, a goal that makes Mike excited for the future of his team.

“I’d never imagined there would be as much potential as there has been!”

But, Mike doesn’t want to just do this for the sake of keeping up—he wants to grow, build, and get bigger in a way that will benefit both his clients and his team.

While technology has evolved through time, it has made many facets of real estate easier. However, Mike notes how it is easy to get lost in the evolution: “There’s a lot of disruption.”

With many real estate apps and services now available to both potential clients and agents themselves, it can make it easy to feel both lost and overwhelmed.

Instead of adhering to all of these changes and options, Mike wants to bring the focus back to the basics and help his clients lean on their agents more to understand what is necessary for this process and what is an inhibitor in decision making.

“There are more and more and more disruptors that are entering the market. But, this actually excites me,” Mike lights up. He explains how it allows his team to be the go-to for answers and guidance, while other agencies might spend their time trying to get clients on board with all the options. “It’s creating mass confusion in the mind of the consumer.”

But as with opening up a business location, Mike isn’t afraid of change for the business itself. “We’ve had one product in the store…the MLS. We have to put more products on our shelf to get to the exit strategy,” Mike explains as he shares about all the newer options in real estate.

At the end of the day, changes and evolutions or not, “If we aren’t adding a tremendous amount of value to the agents under us, we’re not going to make it.”

That mindset is what helped Mike make it through a period of fear, where he over-analyzed the numerous amounts of options out there for the real estate market. “A lot of things were taking my mental focus off my team,” Mike shakes his head. “This is not a productive mindset; I’ve got to shift it.”

So, he did. “I’m all or nothing. If I’m not going all-in on one thing, I’m a mess.” He set a precedent for himself: “I was going to stop looking

Mike with his wife, Tiffany, and their children, Madeline and Pierson.

www.realproducersmag.com • 63

everywhere else and focus on those who have been entrusted to me…my agents and team.”

This shift, paired with his daily self-care, have helped Mike to be at the successful, and happy, place he’s at today.

“I need a transition from work to personal,” or vice versa, he shares about his daily rituals. Mike begins his day giving time to his relationship with God, whether it is journaling, reading, or praying. Then, he grinds hard for the business and ends his day transitioning into his personal life by working out and channeling his thoughts into a positive mind space before heading home. “I need a solid eight to nine hours of sleep,” he chuckles, as he talks about rounding out his days.

Real Estate

“ ”

I was going to stop looking everywhere else and focus on those who have been

And for the future of his business, they have goals to continue to increase their social media presence to engage more people.

Additionally, he has set up a team incentive program to motivate his agents. And finally, Mike isn’t striving to make things chaotic or unmanageable in the next five to ten years—”I want to have steady growth.”

entrusted to me…my agents and team.

As for Mike Mazyck Realty, “It’s a turn-key system.” They really strive to take the non-income producing tasks off

64 • March 2020

the agents, like MLS entries, staging, photography, 3D imaging, drone imagery, etc. This helps the agents to just focus on the sale.

Outside of real estate, Mike, and wife Tiffany, are busy watching their 14-year-old daughter cheer, and 12-year-old son play basketball.

Personally, you may observe Mike traveling to exotic locations like Cabo, hanging ten as he surfs on the artificial wave in Waco, reading, or working on his mind, body, or real estate.

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How to Become a

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As important as credit is this day and age, most people don’t truly understand the benefits of having great credit. When most think about what comes with great credit, they think about things like getting approved for an auto loan, a home loan, or getting a little bit better interest rate. In reality, if you use your great credit the right way, you can use it to make money!

“Uncle” Dave Ramsey teaches us to save to invest, and over time, you’ll build wealth. While there is no doubt that investing money over time can build wealth, the strategies that he teaches to save money are, well, not very much fun. Dave’s tips include things like cutting down on excess groceries, not eating out, cancelling Netflix, Amazon

If money is tight, then those things are not just tips and strategies, they are a MUST! However, if you are currently living comfortably, there are much better strategies to save money without having to give up your pumpkin spice latte.

Using statistics based on the average American, the math shows that you can become a millionaire without changing anything about your lifestyle other than having great credit.

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Do the math on how much you could save on your auto loan by having great credit versus average or bad credit. Many people are paying twice as much for the same car as someone with great credit. People will search for a coupon to save $0.25 on paper towels but won’t make their credit a priority. Don’t step over dollars to pick up pennies! Make having great credit a priority and watch how it changes your life!

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For upcoming events, and more information, check us out at:

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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.

“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.”

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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 spreading rapidly.

North DFW Real Producers launched August 2018. Name a large city and we are there or will be soon!

owners, or even yourself! Office leaders can also nominate REALTORS®. 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.

In every market, we take the Top 500 agents, based off of the MLS production, and we build an exclusive magazine around those agents. We share their stories, successes, market trends, upcoming events — really, anything that will connect, inform and inspire, we put in the monthly publication.

A nomination currently looks like this: You email us at northdfw@ realproducersmag.com with the subject line, “Nomination: (Name of Nominee).” Please explain why you are nominating them to be featured. It could be they have an amazing story that needs to be told — perhaps they overcame extreme obstacles, they are an exceptional leader, have the best customer service, or they give back to the community in a big way, etc. The next step is an interview with us to ensure it’s a good fit. If it all works out, then we put the wheels in motion for our writer to conduct an interview to write the article and for our photographers to schedule a photoshoot.

We strive to inform and inspire the top producing real estate agents in the local market and connect them socially. The secondary focus is to provide an avenue for our affiliate partners to create relationships with these top performers on a level that they might not be able to achieve on their own.

Q: WHO RECEIVES NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS MAGAZINE? A: The top 500 agents in North Dallas/Fort Worth. We pull the MLS numbers (by volume) from in the North DFW area: Collin County, Denton County and a few other locations in Dallas County that are North of I-635. Approximately 20,000 agents are licensed in this territory. We cut the list off at #500, and the distribution was born. The 2018 Top 500 cutoff is $8.5 million.

The list will reset at the end of every year and will continue to update annually.

Q: WHAT DOES IT COST A REALTOR®/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: WHAT ABOUT THE DALLAS AND FORT WORTH TERRITORIES? A: Dallas Real Producers (Dallas County South of 635 — including Rockwall County) launched May 2019 and Tarrant County Real Producers launched February 2020! Yes, Real Producers is covering the entire Metroplex!

Q: WHO ARE THE PREFERRED PARTNERS? A: Anyone listed as a “preferred partner” in the front of the magazine is a part of this community. They will have an ad in every issue of the magazine, attend our quarterly events, and be a part of our online community. 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 agents has recommended every single preferred partner 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 goal is to create a powerhouse network, not only for the best REALTORS® in the area but the best affiliates, as well, so we can grow stronger together.

Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BEING FEATURED IN THIS MAGAZINE? A: It’s really simple — every feature you see has first been nominated. You can nominate other REALTORS®, affiliates, brokers,

Q: HOW CAN I RECOMMEND A PREFERRED PARTNER? A: If you know and want to recommend a local business that works with top REALTORS®, please email us to let us know at northdfw@realproducersmag.com.

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