North Dallas Real Producers - November 2022

CERISSA JORNOD WITH PLACE

Photo by: Ilona Jade Photography

CONTENTS

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 mag azine. 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!

BANK

Farmers Bank & Trust (903) 255-1813 MyFarmersBank.com

Farmers Bank & Trust (903) 255-1813 MyFarmersBank.com

Peoples Bank (806) 776-2034 PeoplesBankTexas.com

BUILDER

Shaddock Homes (972) 526-7700 ShaddockHomes.com

BUSINESS COACHING

Hero Nation Coaching (469) 500-3642 theheronation.com

CLIENT AND REFERRAL GIFTS

Gifts of Graze Eileen Torres (214) 814-1216 www.giftsofgraze.com

Indulgent Treats (469) 992-1911 GabbysIndulgentTreats.com

CLIENT ENGAGEMENT

LEADS by Mandi Jackson (801) 598-5767 LEADSbyMandi.com

CLOSING REPAIRS

Porch Repair Estimate (817) 754-0360 www.repairestimate.net

COFFEE COMPANY Poo Brew Coffee (469) 430-3443 PooBrewCoffee.com

CREDIT REPAIR MSI Credit Solutions (866) 217-9841 www.msicredit.com

EASY OWNER FINANCING TL Global (281) 818-5471 easyrealtormoney.com

EDUCATION Champions School of Real Estate® Rita Santamaria (281) 893-4484 www.Champions School.com

FOUNDATION REPAIR

DIGG Foundation Repair (214) 307-4060 diggfoundationrepair.com

Elite Foundation Repairs (214) 856-9634 EliteFoundationRepairs.com

FOUNDATION, CONCRETE & DRAINAGE SERVICES

FCS Foundation and Concrete Services (877) 554-8284 FoundationAnd Concrete.com

HEALTH Restore Hyperwellness & Cryotherapy (817) 912-1550 Restore.com

HOME FUTURES

SellWhenever Megan Snellgrove (914) 469-1841 SellWhenever.com

HOME INSPECTION

First Choice Home Inspection (325) 260-8311 www.firstchoicehomes inspection.com Inspect360 (817) 754-0360 inspect360.com

Semper Fi Home Inspections, Inc. (682) 351-2267 SemperFiHome Inspections.com

HOME RENOVATION Curbio (810) 300-9432 Curbio.com

Tarrant Home Warranty (817) 554-2106 tarranthws.com

INSURANCE AGENCY Paine Insurance Group (972) 387-9217 paineinsurancegroup.com

JUNK REMOVAL Junkluggers of Collin County Mark Schneider (469) 344-6659 junkluggersof collincounty.com

LANDSCAPING

A Superior Lawn LLC (214) 302-7783 www.asuperiorlawn.com

MORTGAGE LENDING

HOME REPAIR & RENOVATIONS

Punchlist USA, Inc. (214) 432-1544 PunchlistUSA.com

HOME WARRANTY

Fidelity National Home Warranty Mike Csanad (469) 590-5733 www.homewarranty.com

Super Home, Inc. Deb McCandless (817) 240-8021 HelloSuper.com

First Rate Financial (214) 872-4442 iamfirstrate.com Homeowners Financial Group (619) 378-3795 MichaelChiodo.com

Movement Mortgage (469) 202-4195 LoanOfficerMark.com

PBJ Mortgage, LLC (469) 766-4811 pbjteam.com

The Mortgage Nerd (972) 447-6373 TheMortgageNerd.com

The Tuttle Group Cross Country Mortgage (469) 319-0660 thetuttlegroup.com

Willow Bend Mortgage Drew Brenner (214) 282-6387 www.drewbrenner mortgage.com

Willow Bend Mortgage Dan Carson (214) 396-2400 www.applywithcarson.com

MOVING SERVICES

All My Sons Moving & Storage (561) 578-3800 allmysons.com

Black Tie Moving North Dallas JC Caldwell (615) 900-2641 blacktiemoving.com

Finesse Movers (469) 657-5975 finessemovers.com

Stonebriar Moving Services (469) 734-9000 stonebriarmoving.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ilona Jade Photography (253) 632-5155 ilonajade.com

Scott Peek Photography (469) 587-2300 ScottPeekPhotography.com

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT American Real PM (469) 620-0114 americanrealpm.com

ROOFING Results Roofing (214) 301-5533 results-roofing.com

Tarrant Roofing (972) 470-9999 TarrantRoofing.com

Texas Direct Roofing Nathan Lemons (972) 951-3748 nathan@txdroofing.com

Town & Country Roofing (972) 377-8188 townandcountryroofingdfw.com

ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION Roofing Reformation (469) 321-5201 roofingreformation.com

ROOFING & ROOF WARRANTY

Total Roof Protection (817) 210-6338 totalroofprotection.com

ROOFING / STORM RESTORATION

100% Construction (469) 999-6091 100percentconstructiontx.com

Swordsmen Roofing and Construction LLC (972) 979-6197 swordsmenroofing.com

SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT iTrip Vacations North Dallas (972) 649-0454 northdallas.itrip.co/

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT WAY Social Jessica Nelson (919) 645-8960

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ MANAGEMENT Content Compounding (405) 888-9119 contentcompounding.io

STAGE & DESIGN Southlake Stage Coach (781) 223-5949 SouthlakeStageCoach.com

TITLE COMPANY

Alamo Title CompanySouthlake (817) 896-8686 AlamoDFW.com

Boston National Title of Texas (704) 989-7267 bnttexas.com

Chicago Title DFW (972) 931-1522 ChicagoTitleDFW.com

Fair Texas Title (602) 421-6417 fairtexastitle.com

First Source Title, LLC (469) 669-2140 FirstSourceTitle.com

Lawyers Title (469) 247-8281 dfw.ltic.com

Republic Title Ken Callahan (214) 793-5979 RepublicTitle.com

Texas Excel Title LLC (817) 980-1018 TexasExcelTitle.com

VIDEOGRAPHER Flux Media Productions (469) 955-5833 fluxmediaproductions.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT Wealthwave (214) 843-3835 wealthwave.com/legacy

WINDOWS

Town & Country Roofing (972) 377-8188 townandcountry roofingdfw.com

WINDOWS & SIDING

Tarrant Windows & Siding (972) 685-3113 TarrantWindows.com

Ashley Polito

Digital

Cory Turner Vice President

Director of Sales

Kim Fuller Escrow Officer

NORTH DALLAS

Lanie Schaber Ad Strategist

Jessica Nelson Social Media Director

Kareen Delos Reyes Administrative Assistant

Jordan Espeseth Owner/Publisher

Julie Altemus Executive Director

Katherine Fondren Content Coordinator Missy Kremer Editor

Ilona Gorokhovskiy Photographer Scott Peek Photographer

Renee Hart Event Planner

Landon Robinson Director of Client Relations

Mandi Jackson Event Assistant

REALTORS

THANKFUL THANKFUL

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

OPRAH WINFREY

The older I get, the more I realize the power of gratitude and being thankful. Unfortunately, gratitude is so frequently talked about that, for most people, it has become background noise. It is something we understand but not often put into daily practice. For a large part of my life, I certainly did not actively practice being grate ful. But once I started, I couldn’t stop.

Each morning when I wake up, I meditate/pray for 20 minutes. For a good portion of that time, I purely focus on being thankful and grateful for everything that I have in my life, no matter how seemingly small or large. From the clothes I am wearing, the water I am drinking, our pets, the room I am in, God, my health, fiancée, family, friends, church, finances, opportunities, my past (the good and the “bad”), my church, my busi ness, my team, my partners, the DFW real estate community, and on and on. I think of as many things as I possibly can and truly feel gratitude

for them. Even … no … especially if those things/areas in my life are not where I would ideally like them to be.

The result is so powerful, and the cumulative effect of this over time is life-changing. With Thanksgiving coming up, I want to challenge you to be extra intentional about being grateful and giving thanks for all you have. I feel very confi dent that if you do this for seven days straight that you will begin to experience the power of it.

One of the things that I am most grateful for is my beauti ful and amazing fiancée, Jess. On Sept. 17, I asked Jess to marry me. She said “Yes!” and made me the happiest man in the world. Some things are very easy to be grateful for, and she is one of them. On Oct. 6, 2023, we will take our vows, and I will probably cry like a baby that entire day. I am seriously so dang grateful for that human.

Lastly, the Second Annual DFW Real Producers Black Tie Awards Gala, known as The ESPE Awards, is almost here! This is an event that so many people love and is something that I am extremely grateful for. Stay tuned for lots of vid eos and photos recapping this event.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all.

Stay Grateful!

JORDAN ESPESETH Owner jordan.espeseth@n2co.com

Producers

rising star

Written by: Zach Cohen

Photos by: Jin Kim, URSPECIAL

DURAN CHASE

YOUNG AND HUNGRY

“I don’t have the craziest story, but it’s rare to find hard-working young people. We’re still out here.”

Chase Duran has always been a hustler. While studying kinesiology at Texas Tech University, he discovered a gift for sales.

“That’s where all this started,” Chase explains. “My whole high school career, I was in a medical program where I was prepared to go to college and become a physician. So, I went to Texas Tech to pursue a career in medicine.”

During his four years at Texas Tech, Chase built a successful landscaping business and purchased his first investment property, which he rented to several fraternity brothers. These were his first forays into real estate and entrepreneurship.

“I was saving money because I knew I wanted to buy a property. My family thought I was crazy, but I did it because I believed in it,” Chase explains.

Still, Chase continued along the path laid out for him. He planned to earn his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and head off to medical school to become a doctor, but while studying for the MCATs, a light bulb went off.

“I realized that I was not on the path I wanted to take,” he explains. “I realized medicine wasn’t for me. I’m a salesman.”

Becoming a REALTOR® Chase decided to shift gears. He stayed at Texas Tech to get an MBA in business while he figured out his next steps.

“I graduated from that program in August 2020. I had a master’s in business, but no one was hiring at that time. Remember, this was the height of COVID-19. So, I started to really think. My fiancé at the time and I talked — what should I do? What’s my career path? And we started talking about real estate.”

Chase’s friends and family members discouraged him from diving into real estate. They assured him the timing wasn’t right. They encour aged him to use his master’s degree to land a more secure position.

Chase took in the advice he received and decided to follow his gut. He was licensed in 2020 and began selling real estate in January 2021.

“And it has been an absolute blessing,” he beams.

Rising Up

Chase was determined to make a name for himself as a REALTOR®. Early on, he would do four or five open houses every weekend. He’d take on work that other agents didn’t want.

“I knew I needed to touch as many people as possible every day to grow my business. Open houses, social media, getting in front of people every day — and the referrals started coming through.”

Chase closed an impressive $8 mil lion in 2021. In 2022, he’s tracking to triple his volume.

Chase credits his success to his white glove, concierge service and his communication. He sees himself as an advisor, values transparency, and sells at all price points.

“There’s not a time you can’t get a hold of me. This business is all communication and transparency,” he says, “and I’m in this for the long term.”

The Future is Bright

In less than two years, Chase has risen the real estate rankings to become one of Dallas’ rising stars in real estate, and he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.

“I want to expand. We travel a lot, and eventually, I want to be licensed and grow my team in other cities and states — Miami, Los Angeles, New York, and internationally. Growing a team is my next step — and not just to grow any team, but a luxury, highend team like no other.

“On the personal side, my wife and I want to start a family in the next five years, so I want to work my tail off now so when I do have kids, I have no stress about business or work. I want to be someone that gets to watch my kids grow up.”

Beyond Real Estate Outside of real estate, Chase enjoys spending time with his wife, Carsyn, and their two dogs. He’s an avid gym-goer and attends Fellowship Church in Grapevine.

DONATED THIS YEAR TO HELP END MODERN- DAY SLAVERY.

Did you know there are more victims held against their will today than ever before? That’s why The N2 Company –the company behind this publication and 850+ others like it – is financially committed to end human trafficking.

FOR EVERY AD WE SELL, N2 DONATES ENOUGH MONEY TO FREE 2 SLAVES FROM CAPTIVITY.

Thanks to the businesses within these pages, our Area Directors, and readers like you, we’re able to break the chains of this horrible reality.

Visit n2gives.com to learn more about our giving program.

Lava CantinaLava Cantina

event recap

Photos by: Scott Peek Photography, LLC

Our North Dallas Real Producers’ last event of 2022 was a hot one! This event was held on the rooftop at Lava Cantina, and although it was toasty, it was great to have 200 of the best real estate agents and best businesses in North Dallas having a great time. So many great conversations, connections, and new relationships were formed during the event. I love seeing high-level people making more highlevel connections.

Thank you to all of our RP vetted businesses, and a special shout out to our evening’s event sponsors: All My Sons Moving and Storage, Way Social, Farmers Bank & Trust, Inspect 360, Movement Mortgage: Mark Karetskiy, Black Tie Moving, and Shaddock Homes.

Thank you all for an amazing evening, and we cannot wait to celebrate with you on Nov. 17 for our second annual ESPE Awards Gala!

See you then!

Jordan Espeseth Owner

Scott

rp

spotlight

Written by: Zach Cohen

Photos provided by: Champions School of Real Estate®

Rita Santamaria founded Champions School of Real Estate® with a vision to be the leading real estate education provider in Texas. She opened her first location in Houston in 1983, in the same neighborhood her family lived.

Almost four decades later, Champions School of Real Estate® is thriving. Today, Rita’s daughter and current president, Kimberly Dyalewicz, oversees company operations. Champions has grown to an impressive nine locations — Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, ChampionsLive! Zoom, and online.

Over the past 40 years, Champions School of Real Estate® has become the go-to real estate school for real estate agent, loan originator, inspector and appraiser training and education.

The Next Generation: Kimberly Dydalewicz Kimberly knew she wanted to work alongside her mother from the time she was a little girl.

“I remember when my mom opened Champions, she chose the location to be near the subdivision we grew up in so we could literally ride our bikes to see her. She’d come home between teaching day and night classes to cook dinner, help with homework, and we would catch up on that day’s events,” Kimberly reflects. “It always inspired me that you can do it all — be a mother to your children and a businesswoman.”

After graduating from college in 1998, Kimberly began working with Champions School of Real Estate® in Houston.

“My heart was always intrigued by Champions’ marketing and seeing how many lives we are helping. … And it was the perfect timing,” she continues. “We had one campus with two classrooms and an office when I started at Champions. It was me and one addi tional career counselor.”

Kimberly helped open Champions’ second location in Houston’s Inner Loop/Galleria area. Since then, she’s been the company’s project manager for new campus build-outs. In 2017, Kimberly was named Champions School of Real Estate’s® president.

The Champions Difference

Champions School of Real Estate® has solidified its stand ing as the largest real estate school in Texas.

“From the time our students walk in the door or call by phone, they are greeted with a smile and knowledgeable career counselor,” Kimberly says.

Champions School of Real Estate has 80-plus employ ees throughout the state to help students with licensing requirements, renewal classes, designations, etc. From there, they pass the baton to their handpicked professional teach ers. Over 80% of Champions’ educational materials are writ ten by their in-house curricu lum development department.

“We are proud of our cur riculum development team,” Kimberly says. “Any time there’s a necessary material update, we make those updates

very quickly, put them into produc tion, and then the new group of text books hit our shelves,” Kimberly says.

Whatever it Takes

Although she was born and raised in Houston, Kimberly and her family call Frisco home today. She helped open Champions’ Dallas campus in 2001. They’ve now outgrown their current location and are building a new 19,000-square-foot campus along the feeder of President George Bush Turnpike, just east of Coit.

“We closed on the land in the fall of 2021 and are absolutely thrilled to call this new campus home for our Dallas area real estate community.” Kimberly beams. “This new campus will hold four large classrooms, Live! Studios, an Inspector Lab, and a large seminar room will be available for real estate functions and seminars.”

Champions plans to relocate to the new campus location in 2023, mark ing the next step in its evolution in the Dallas area. The school was also

Family Spotlight

Kimberly and her husband, Kevin, have two sons, Texas A&M Aggies pitcher

Kaden “Gig ‘Em” (21) and Knox “Knoxy Bear” (11). They also have two dogs, a goldendoodle named Yeti and a Bernedoodle named Wrigley. Kevin is the broker/owner of Edward Thad Realty & Associates in Frisco.

recently honored by the as a 2022 Best Places to Work

As Rita, Kimberly, and the Champions School of Real Estate® team look ahead, they are excited to continue to help real estate agents, loan originators, appraisers, and inspectors accelerate their careers by providing the best real estate education possible.

“We are incredibly thankful for 40 years of busi ness the Texas real estate community has given to Champions School of Real Estate® and will continue to provide five-star customer service to our students throughout their real estate careers,” Kimberly smiles.

Champions School of Real Estate® offers courses and counseling at brick-and-mortar schools in every major metropolitan area of Texas and online. For more information, visit www.ChampionsSchool.com.

FAQ

ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

Real Producers magazine started in Indianapolis in 2015 and is now in over 100 markets across the nation and con tinues 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 launched in August 2022!

Q: WHO RECEIVES REAL PRODUCERS MAGAZINE?

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 busi nesses 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 ESPE’s. 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 oppor tunity to connect with the best of the best in DFW Real

Estate. It is amazing to 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 IS 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.

CERISSA JORNOD with PLACE CERISSA JORNOD

LEADING FROM BEHIND cover story

After graduating from the University of Texas at Dallas, Cerissa Jornod worked in pharmaceutical sales around her role as an NBA cheerleader for the Dallas Mavericks. When she was presented with an opportunity to go on a United Service Organizations tour to visit injured troops in Germany during Christmas, she was excited about the opportunity to give back. But there was a hang-up — her employer declined her request for time off.

“When I went to my employer, they told me I didn’t have enough vacation days. I thought, ‘I am never again going to work for an organization that limits me from giving back and having as big or awesome of a life as I want. That fueled me to get my real estate license,” Cerissa reflects.

Written by: Zach Cohen Photos by: Ilona Jade Photography

Cerissa trusted herself, leaving behind a more secure position to become a real estate agent in 2007. It’s a decision she’s immensely grateful she made.

“I’m so glad I took a chance on me,” Cerissa exclaims.

Becoming No. 1

For the next seven years, Cerissa sold real estate part time and sold pharmaceuticals around her role as a mother and wife. She had some real estate success, but her busi ness didn’t truly take off until 2014.

“In 2014, I looked up and thought, ‘I either suck at this, or I’m not in the right place to grow.’ I knew I was capable of more.”

That search led Cerissa to Keller Williams, where her business began to take flight. Over the next three years, she steadily grew, solidifying her role as one of the Dallas area’s best.

“A great culture attracts the right people and repels the right people,” Cerissa says. “My charge today is to help my agent partners be their best selves and show them that there is a path to their preferred future.”

In 2017, Cerissa partnered with PLACE, a national orga nization led by founders Chris Suarez and Ben Kinney. PLACE is the No. 1 Keller Williams team in the nation.

Since 2017, Cerissa’s team size and sales vol ume have tripled, culminating in 367 transac tions for over $125 million in sales in 2021.

Meet the Team: Ali Vollmer

Cerissa’s team now includes 17 producing agents. One of the key cogs is Ali Vollmer, the team’s director of sales.

Ali joined the team in 2020 and has been instrumental in its success.

“It was a turning point in my life,” Ali reflects. “I was in education as a teacher and then a high school administrator. Life events caused me to need to be more in charge of my sched ule. Mom and dad were both in the hospital at the same time. Many things in my life began to change beyond my control, so I decided I needed more say over my finances and an environment that was fully supportive.”

After reaching out to a friend in real estate, Ali was connected with Cerissa. The pair had an instant connection, and their partnership has grown.

“We just clicked,” Ali says. “She’s interested in my success, my career, and what makes me happiest. It’s a great fit.”

Leading from Behind

As the team leader, Cerissa prefers to lead from behind rather than take a top-down approach to her business. Keller Williams and PLACE give her the tools and systems to grow a big busi ness, and she empowers her agents to achieve their dreams.

“A lot of teams are built around the leader. Everything has to do with the leader. The way we’ve designed our model is so each individual agent is really the CEO of their own business,” Cerissa says.

SOMETIMES ALL YOU HAVE TO GIVE IS A SMILE OR A KIND WORD, BUT IT CAN CHANGE SOMEONE’S DAY.

Photo by: Heather Zak Christian

they wake up every day.”

Cerissa has created a purpose-driven culture. The team pours into each other, supporting the growth of each individual as well as the team as a whole. She’s also created a culture of giving back. The team donates time and energy to countless local organizations; one of Cerissa’s favorites is OurCalling, a Christ-centered homeless ministry and resource center.

“Money is good for the good it can do,” she says. “Life is pretty empty and hollow if it’s always about us, so we focus on doing good in the world, and we happen to sell homes.”

house. Being able to make people’s dreams of homeown ership come true allows us the opportunity to give back. To sell a house gives us purpose, but to go back and help others too, it is so meaningful,” Ali says.

“We believe in the ripple effect of generosity. We can all be generous. Sometimes all you have to give is a smile or a kind word, but it can change someone’s day,” Cerissa says.

As Cerissa looks ahead, she doesn’t hold a massive five- or ten-year vision. Instead, she’s focused on simply serving the people in front of her and allowing doors to open organically.

“We’re looking to get into business with awesome humans who have a heart to serve others, who are humble leaders, who are smart, and who have grit.”

ccar: in the know

Written by: Bri Westbury, Collin County Association of REALTORS® Communications Director

WHAT A CREDIT SCORE EXPERT WISHES YOU WOULD TELL YOUR CLIENTS

“Credit scores are such a huge part of qualifying for a mortgage. But if you just start paying attention to it when it’s time to qualify, you really can be missing it. It’s too late.” — Marissa Benat, CCAR president.

On a recent episode of Welcome to the Top, Melissa Condensa, Guild Mortgage branch manager, identified the credit score as one of the “big three” items that will affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage. Here is what she wants your clients to know:

Mortgage Score vs. Vantage Score

“Things that affect a mortgage score are different than those that affect a vantage score. The vantage score is what you see when you look at Credit Karma, or Experian, or open your credit card state ment. That is basically a copy of the FICO score that was created for the credit card industry … when you look at Credit Karma it is not the mortgage score.” — Condensa.

What Impacts Your Mortgage Score

• Payment History: “If you pay well, your score is going to be better. If you miss payments, your score will drop like a rock, and it will take years to bring it back,” said Condensa.

• Credit Utilization: Ensure your credit card balances aren’t at the max.

• Credit Mix: It is important to have install ment and revolving credit. Specifically, hav ing revolving credit is very important to the mortgage score.

Installment and Revolving Credit

So, what’s the difference between installment credit and revolving credit? Condensa explains, “An installment account is an account that you open that you will pay for a set amount of time, and the line of credit is closed when it’s paid off. Car payments, mortgage payments or furniture financing are common installment accounts. A revolving account is like a credit card. You open the credit card; you can charge on it, pay it down, charge on it, pay it back. It’s always open and revolving.”

Checking Your Credit Score

Condensa encourages clients to check their credit scores regularly. For basic credit monitor ing purposes, Condensa says Credit Karma and companies like it are great options that provide a monthly reminder of what your credit score is.

“In order to get your mortgage score yourself, you have to pull your credit through myfico.com. Now, that’s something that consumers can do themselves. They’re going to pay about $40 to do it, but they actually do see what their mort gage score is. The only other way they’re going to see their mortgage score is to have a mortgage lender pull it,” said Condensa.

When a mortgage lender pulls your credit, that is a hard pull. However, Condensa notes that this is not the end of the world. “It is not going to drop your score by 20 points. It is maybe going to take two to five points, on average … off your

mortgage score. And you can have your mortgage score pulled by an unlimited number of mortgage professionals within 14 days … to allow you to shop for options without hurting your score.”

Repairing Credit

• If credit has been hurt, there are things that people can do.

• Pay on time. If you have late payments, stop the late pay, stop the bleeding and pay at least the minimum amount.

• Pay down balances on credit cards. Paying down balances on a credit card greatly affects the mortgage score.

• Consider opening up a credit card. Sometimes opening a credit card makes a huge difference if someone doesn’t have revolving credit.

“Another change that’s happening … is that the way that the industry looks at medical collections is changing. … Starting in July [2022], if it’s a paid medical collection, it is not going to be on the credit report or impact the score at all,” said Condensa.

Using Apartment Services to Build Credit

Some apartments provide an optional service for their tenants to build credit. “Unfortunately, [these services] do not help the mortgage score. … I do think it probably helps other scoring models. It just doesn’t help the mortgage scoring model,” said Condensa.

Condensa wants to remove the fear and mystery of the mortgage score, encouraging future homebuy ers not to be afraid to pull their credit. “If some one wants to buy a house six months from now, meet with the loan officer today. …You’ll either find out you’re 100% ready and you have nothing to worry about, or here are the things that you rightfully should be worrying about and what you can do about it so that you’re ready in six months,” said Condensa.

Don’t let a surprise mortgage score sour your client’s homebuying dreams. Start with a lending professional and set them up for success.

Written by: Zach Cohen

Photos by: Scott Peek, Scott Peek Photography LLC

“We’re here to do more than title. We’re here to impact lives,” VP of Digital Marketing Ashley Polito begins.

2022 is Alamo Title Company’s 100th year in business, a mark of longevity and stability in a field that has seen count less companies come and go. Alamo continues to thrive, and its products, culture, and vision are as strong as ever.

When Brandon Kuhn took over as division president three years ago, he doubled the size of the team, offering industry-leading services to more and more clients every day. Brandon has built his team on a culture of success, work/life balance, and mutual support.

“We are the largest title insurance company in the country, and our title insurance product is the stron gest in the country,” Brandon says confidently. “With our personal touch and years of joint knowledge and wisdom, we have the people and the systems to provide a top-notch closing experience.”

Meet the President: Brandon Kuhn After graduating from Wayland Baptist University in 2005, Brandon began his title career as an escrow officer in west Texas for a brand owned by parent company Fidelity National Financial.

“I was attracted to the title insurance industry because it’s fun to meet new people doing real estate trans actions and to hear their stories at the closing table,” Brandon explains.

“It’s all about connection. As I moved into management, my focus shifted into enjoying the people I get to work with every day.”

Brandon was an escrow officer for six years before being promoted to division president for the title com pany he served.

He had also been given the opportu nity to lead two other title companies owned by Fidelity National Financial before joining Alamo Title Company as division president in 2019. Brandon was the No. 1 closer in Amarillo at the time of his first promotion and ascended rapidly in the company.

“I’m unique in this company because this is the fourth brand I’ve had the chance to develop at Fidelity National Financial,” Brandon explains.

“Working for Alamo Title has been a great opportunity for me and my family.”

“With Brandon having risen from escrow officer to division president, we have a leader who really understands this business inside and out because he’s done it all,” Ashley adds.

Brandon was hand-picked to lead Alamo’s DFW, Waco, and Temple operations. One of his initial goals was to develop a family-oriented company culture, and in three short years, he has accomplished that.

“We have built a culture of being a great place to work. We like to take care of our employees,” Brandon says. “It’s all about work/life balance by managing in such a way that encourages our team to enjoy their family time as much as their jobs.”

Outside work, Brandon has a rich life of his own. He and his wife, Monica, have five children. He enjoys playing golf, gardening, and cooking.

Building Community Brandon, Ashley, and VP of Sales Cory Turner are dedicated to supporting the real estate agents in the communities they serve.

“We’re especially focused and passion ate about helping our agents build their online marketing mix,” Ashley says. “We help them digitally dominate in the farm areas that matter the most to them using a variety of strategies specific to social and search. This is a massive and significant differentiator for us in our industry. Getting to collaborate, be true partners with the agents we work with, and impact their lives in meaningful ways is the biggest joy.”

“WE HAVE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO GROWING OUR BUSINESS BY HELPING OUR CLIENTS GROW THEIR BUSINESS.”

One of the unique ways in which Alamo Title supports agents is through an online Fun Friday digital marketing series. Every Friday at 10:30 a.m., they host an educational Zoom session for agents, teaching about the most cut ting-edge apps, online mar keting ideas, and strategies for succeeding in a digital environment. An impressive 200 to 500 agents attend each week, a testament to the value Alamo Title provides.

“We have a holistic approach to growing our business by helping our clients grow their business,” Cory says. “We

not only offer the highest class of escrow service; we also help agents position themselves to transition to a market that has been, and will continue to, shift into a digital world.”

Leading the Way into the Future

Alamo Title is a proven winner in the title industry. The company continues to seek out new ways to innovate and lead the way in an ever-increasing digital world.

“We are leading the way on digital closing experiences,” Escrow Operations Director Amanda Clower says. “Our culture is immersed in the digital world, so we’ve created systems

where people can answer questions online, deposit money electronically, sign documents electronically, and complete the entire closing process without being physically present.”

As Ashley, Brandon, and Cory step into the future, they continue strategizing ways to serve their clients and the real estate community by uncovering vision ary, tech-savvy business solutions. Their goal is to impact the lives of everyone they have the opportunity to know.

Cory concludes, “We’re enriching other people’s lives, and we’ll continue to do that.”

For more information, please visit https://dfw.alamotitle.com and www.facebook.com/alamodfw.

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 in the DFW Metroplex

Real Producers has 100+ franchises nationwide and there are four in DFW alone. In each of 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 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!

A Quick Look at the Different DFW Real Producers Markets

Real Producers has 100+ franchises nationwide and there are four in DFW alone. In each of 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 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!

North Fort Worth Real Producers

North Dallas Real Producers

Fort Worth Real Producers Dallas Real Producers

print me more!

Were you, your broker, or the team featured in an issue of Real Producers?

Want a copy of your article or full magazines that you were featured in?

REPRINTS!

What the heck is a reprint?  A reprint is a four-page, mag azine-quality-grade paper with your full article and photos featuring you on the COVER of the publication.

WHY DO I NEED THOSE?

• These reprints are a professional marketing tool that can help brand you, your team and/or your business.

• Use on listing appointments.

• Send out to friends and family.

• Send to clients with your holiday greetings.

• Brokers, use as recruiting tools for capturing new talent.

• Use when farming your favorite neighborhood.

WHAT IF I CHANGED COMPANIES OR NEED SOMETHING CORRECTED ON MY ARTICLE?

No worries! We can make any changes needed.  We send you a proof, you approve, and they are sent to you via FedEx.

WHO CAN BUY THESE?

The REALTOR® that was featured, the broker, or family. Anyone that wants to promote you.

HOW DO I ORDER?

Email Katherine Fondren at katherine.fondren@n2co.com or call 985-518-1991.

DRIVEN BY DESTINY

Bharti Mishra’s story begins in India, where she was born and raised. Growing up, she was passionate about the sciences and hoped to become a professional researcher. She earned a master’s degree in botany and was well on her way to achieving that dream.

broker spotlight Written by: Zach Cohen Photos by: Ilona Jade PhotographyBHARTI

“But destiny had something else in store for me,” she reflects.

Bharti was connected with her husband, Bala, in an arranged marriage. He worked in the U.S. while Bharti was in India.

“We had never met each other. After having spoken over the phone a few times, we decided we were for each other, despite the little we knew about each other,” Bharti reflects.

In 2005, Bharti picked up her life and moved across the world, landing in a country she knew very little about, where her only acquaintance was her husband.

New Beginnings

“Here in the U.S., it was a totally new place. I left fam ily, friends, and the dream of becoming a researcher in the medical field in India,” Bharti recalls. “The first time I met my husband was on our wedding day, and after our wedding in India, we came to the U.S. and started life together here in a small one-bedroom apartment.”

Bharti was faced with finding a new career path to make her dreams come true.

“I started from scratch and was ready to face the challenges to make life here on my own,” she recalls.

Bharti and Bala began life in Wisconsin, but Bala’s job led them to move around the coun try. They relocated to New Jersey, New York, Georgia, and California. In the meantime, they welcomed their son to the world, and Bharti’s role as a mother took priority.

“My professional life was yet to take off. … I was still figuring out my path,” she says.

Bharti and her family made California their home for several years. During the recession of 2008, they relocated to Dallas.

“My husband was laid off from his IT consulting job, and we were back to square one. We had a toddler at home, and life in California was unsustainable, so we decided to relocate to a state where our savings could go a lot fur ther,” Bharti explains. “This all made me more determined to be financially independent.”

Real Estate Calls

Upon landing in Dallas, Bharti re-entered the workforce as an office assistant in a real estate office. That’s where the spark for her career in real estate was lit.

“Soon, real estate became my passion. I got my license, and there was no stopping me,” Bharti smiles.

Bharti was determined to create success and financial freedom. Four years after beginning her real estate career, she got her broker’s license and founded Dream Castle Realty — the next step in the evolution of her real estate career.

“Like any new venture, there were doubts and uncertainty, but I was able to muster the courage to take the next step. This was made possible with the support and encouragement from my son and husband. The fear of failure should not stop me from spreading my wings — something I learned from one of the stories that my son told me from his elementary school class. Sometimes we learn from kids. I never thought he’d be able to help me, but he did. [After talking with my son], my doubt was gone, and my brokerage was born that day.”

MY LIFE ENDED UP DIFFERENTLY THAN I HAD PLANNED, BUT I TOOK OPPORTUNITIES AND KEPT GOING WITHOUT WORRYING.

Living the Dream

As a broker and REALTOR®, Bharti has always held an attitude of service, giving back, and community support.

Today, Dream Castle Realty is a team of five agents and an office admin; Bharti’s husband, Bala, is one of those agents. Bharti doesn’t necessarily want to build the largest brokerage but certainly the best. She’s driven to run a successful operation with strong values and high customer satisfaction. Her goal is simply to be better every day and help her clients exceed their real estate dreams.

Driven by Destiny

As a little girl growing up in India, Bharti could never have imagined living the life she has today. To her, it’s something of a wonder.

“Destiny comes to you,” she says. “My life ended up differently than I had planned, but I took oppor tunities and kept going without worrying. I just learned from my experi ence and kept going.”

“So, as I look ahead, I want to keep going. I want to do better each day, and I want to continue to give back. Coming from a small town in India with a dream of making it in the U.S., I had the passion for doing something big, and it’s still the same. The U.S. now feels like home for me. It’s given me more than I could ever ask for.”

vendor spotlight

Written by: Zach Cohen Photos submitted by: Renee Hart

OF TOTAL EVENTS DFW HART RENEE

The Chaos Coordinator

“I posted on social media that I started my business and hoped for the best. Right after I posted, my phone rang. From that moment on, it has been such a whirlwind. … I have been more successful and busier now than in any of the years prior. It’s been crazy. It just took off.”

Total Events DFW

Renee believes the difference-maker in her business is her relational approach. Historically, the events planning industry has been transactional, but Renee takes a different view.

Renee continued working at that skating rink through the end of high school before heading off to the University of North Texas, where she earned a degree in sociology and communications.

After graduating, Renee landed a job in corporate event planning. It wasn’t a great fit for her, so after two years, she transitioned to an entertainment agency. She man aged the events there for nearly 13 years. Then, COVID19 struck, upending the events planning space.

“Over many years, people asked me why I was still working for someone else. They encouraged me to go out on my own, but honestly, I doubted myself. … But I had loyal clients. When COVID-19 hit, I realized I could do this on my own.”

In January 2021, Renee officially launched Total Events DFW. With over 20 years of experience and loyal clients to lean into, her business took off from day one.

“I am not transactional. My clients stay with me because I become a friend. For instance, I had a client cry to me because she was frustrated, and that takes a different kind of relationship. It’s not all about how many tables and chairs I can get you. It’s so much more.”

Renee is focused on building business partnerships, not closing deals. She enjoys sharing her personality and personal life with clients and partners.

About 80% of Total Events DFW’s work is for corporate events; the remaining 20% is for weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs. In the real estate landscape, Renee typically helps agents with client appreciation parties or open houses.

“We take care of everything. We are a full-service event planning company, and I do entertainment, tables, chairs, stages — everything. I venue scout,” Renee explains. “It could be as small as a really nice open house where you’re looking for a live musician or an elevated way of showing off a home. It can be a happy hour or a full-on dinner.”

“There’s a running joke with my friends,” Renee Hart begins with a telling laugh. “When I was 14, I started doing birthday parties at a skating rink. I thought, ‘I want to plan parties for a living.’ I decided it right then.”

BEYOND EVENTS

Renee and her husband, Stephen, have been together for nearly 13 years and married for nine. Outside work, Renee enjoys traveling, attending concerts, and hanging out with her three dachshunds. “Clients gift me dachshund things, so I look like a crazy dog lady now … which I am,” Renee smiles.

Renee is also quite hands-on. She attends most of the events she coordinates, ensuring a turnkey, flawless process.

Growing Into the Future

Two years into her journey as a business owner, Renee is thriving. Total Events DFW is growing rapidly (they just moved into a new office), and Renee is looking to expand the team. As Total Events DFW grows, Renee is intent on keeping the same culture and values that have made her so successful early on.

“People call me a chaos coordinator because I thrive on the adrenaline of events. I love my work. I love fixing problems before clients even know they hap pened,” Renee says. “I want to be known for being different. I believe in strong relationships and not being such a transactional business. Some people only do this once in their lifetime, and I want to make it happen and leave a lasting impression.”

For more information, visit https://totaleventsdfw.com.

agent feature

Written by: Zach Cohen Photos by: Stella Images

By the time Courtney Barrett began her real estate career in early 2015, her husband had been encouraging her to get into the business for years. Until then, Courtney was content with her stable job with a medical technology company.

“My husband has been a title escrow officer for almost 20 years, so he dealt with real estate trans actions every day. He had been ingrained in it for almost ten years when he first mentioned I should do it. He thought I had the personality for it and could be successful,” Courtney reflects. “But, the thought of not having stability was scary.”

After Courtney’s boss was let go and her compa ny’s culture shifted, she began to think more seri ously about a career as a REALTOR®. She reached out to the agent that had helped her buy and sell multiple homes to have a conversation.

“I went to lunch with her in December of 2014 and left lunch with a job as soon as I got my license.”

Beginnings

As Courtney began her real estate journey, she still held some reservations. Her twin girls were just 4 years old and still needed so much from her as a mother.

“But I decided to give it a go,” Courtney recalls. “I knew I liked talking to people. I like working hard.”

Courtney had never held a sales position, but she hit the ground running. She started on a team where she built her business under the wings of strong mentorship.

“After a year and a half, I was producing enough that it was time for me to break out on my own. In January 2017, I became an individual agent with the support of my former team.”

Into the Present

Since going out on her own, Courtney’s business has shifted a few times. She began building a team in 2019 and joined Compass in the fall of 2020. Near the end of 2021, the two agents on her team decided to go out on their own, leaving Courtney in a position to retool her team makeup. For now, she is working as a solo agent.

BarrettCourtneyBarrett Family First

“Not managing team members has allowed me to be more client-facing, which I enjoy,” Courtney says. “And I like challenging myself to hit a higher target on my own and pushing myself. The com petitive side of me likes that.”

Courtney runs a client-focused business; her pri ment in business.

“My family is No. 1. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about,” Courtney explains. “When it comes to the real estate piece of things, my goal is to treat people like my mom, my brother, my sister. In the most stressful time, I just want to make it a good experience for them.

“Personally, I want to teach my girls that they can change course, pick a new direction, and succeed. They don’t have to have everything figured out. They can take their time, find their path, and be successful at whatever they choose to do.”

It doesn’t matter how much you’re spending. My focus is getting you and your family into the right house.