North Fort Worth Real Producers - October 2022

MEET

Jordan Espeseth Co-Owner

Landon Robinson Director of Client Relations

Julie Altemus Executive Director

Lance Dunahoe Co-Owner

Katherine Fondren

Kareen Delos Reyes

Desiree Roberts Photographer

Rick Davis Videographer

Lanie Schaber Ad Strategist

Mark Fadden Writer

Landon Day Photographer

Renee Hart Event Planner

Dave Danielson Writer

PREFERRED PARTNERS

BUILDER

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!

Shaddock Homes (972) 526-7700 ShaddockHomes.com

BUSINESS COACHING

Rialto Academy (512) 743-4330 RialtoAcademy.com

CLIENT AND REFERRAL GIFTS

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

COMMERCIAL ROOFING PROCO (817) 975-5948 procoroof.com

FOUNDATION REPAIR

DW Foundation Repair (817) 706-3430

HEALTH

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

HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

Impact Health Stephanie Ziemann (817) 682-1356

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

AGES Services Company (817) 851-8155 agesservicescompany.com

HOME INSPECTION

Endeavor Real Estate Inspections

Chris Carathers (817) 726-5333 endeavorinspect.com

HomeTeam Inspection Service (972) 400-7034 HomeTeam-DFW.com Inspect360 (817) 754-0360 inspect360.com

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

HOME WARRANTY

Achosa Home Warranty (817) 933-8707 www.achosahw.com

Tarrant Home Warranty (817) 554-2196 tarranthws.com

INSURANCE

Duren Jenkins Agency (817) 445-0120 insurinwithduren.com

JUNK REMOVAL

Junkluggers of Grapevine, Irving & Denton

Rajagopal Ramanujam (630) 470-8307 junkluggersofgid.com

MORTGAGE LENDING

Ameridream Mortgage Group, LLC AmeriDreamMtg.com

Cardinal Financial Company, LP (972) 777-5626 (LOAN) TheBryanConnatser Team.com

Cherry Creek Mortgage (817) 709-4683 NunisLending.com

NEO Home Loans (817) 754-1498 PadronLoans.com

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp (817) 812-2276 AnginetteHomeLoans.com

Gracie Morrow Mortgage Group (972) 757-2132 GMMG-MTG.com

Movement Mortgage (469) 202-4195 LoanOfficerMark.com

Neighborhood Loans (817) 501-4255 mikeprotono.com

MOVING COMPANY

Black Tie Moving Nashville JC Caldwell (615) 900-2641

MOVING SERVICES

Firehouse Movers Inc (972) 412-6033 firehousemovers.com

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

The Perfect Move

Don Hall (682) 206-9132 theperfectmove.net

PEST CONTROL PROCO (817) 975-5948 procoroof.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Desiree Roberts Photography (972) 998-3133 DesireeRoberts.com

Headshot Professional Brent Tinsley (817) 715-2015 www.headshot professional.com

She’s My Sky Photography (817) 313-4091

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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

RESIDENTIAL ROOFING

PROCO

(817) 975-5948 procoroof.com

ROOFING

K&M Services, Roofing & Construction (817) 918-3940 kmservicepro.com

Tarrant Roofing (817) 987-1210 TarrantRoofing.com

Texas Direct Roofing & Construction (682) 408-8551 txdroofing.com

ROOFING & SOLAR

Rankin Roofing & Solar LLC (469) 952-9151 rankinroofingandsolar.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ MANAGEMENT

Content Compounding (405) 888-9119 contentcompounding.io

STAGE & DESIGN

Evergreen Staging & Design Sherwood Wilson (817) 513-3141 x1 evergreenstaging.com

TITLE COMPANY

Alamo Title Company - Southlake (817) 896-8686 AlamoDFW.com

Boston National Title of Texas (972) 584-9660 bnttexas.com

Juniper Title, Inc. Julia Mitchell (817) 358-9500 junipertitle.com

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

Texas Premier Title (817) 577-5111 www.TXPrem.com

VIDEOGRAPHER

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

WINDOWS & SIDING

Tarrant Windows & Siding (817) 571-7809 TarrantWindows.com

Are You Afraid

OF THE DARK?

When I was a kid, there was this show on Nickelodeon that I used to watch all the time called “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” A group of teens would sit around a campfire swapping scary stories, and at the end, would throw this dust on the fire to make it flame up … seemed magical to me when I was 6 years old. I should go back and watch a few episodes, for old times’ sake! Truthfully, I was, and still occasionally am, afraid the dark. Mainly, when walking up an ill-lit staircase, or when Jess creeps up behind me while I am unsuspecting it at nighttime. Not the point of the publisher’s note, though. I digress.

Around this time of the year, many of us like to feel the spooky vibes as Halloween approaches. The experience of being scared can be thrilling, and it is a feeling, as a bit of an adrenaline junkie myself, that I enjoy. However, many of us live in a state of fear day in and day out, year after year, fearing the future and what it may, or may not, bring. We fret about our health, finances, loved ones, the government, being attacked, what people think of us … it never ends.

We stay afraid of the dark, even though that fear most often is not truly real.

F.E.A.R. — False Evidence Appearing Real. Interesting.

Mark Twain once said, “I am an old man and have known a great many trou bles, most of which never happened.” Have you ever stopped to wonder what fear is costing you? Your decision to stay in fear and worry (yes, that is right… I said decision) does not come without a price. There are physical, emotional, relational, financial and spiritual prices to pay for these fears. I am not going to go down the massive list, but I am sure you can deduce that the consequences of fear are not positive ones.

As we near Halloween, I challenge you to have a greater awareness as to where in your life you may be in constant states of fear. Increasing your awareness is the first step. We then need to understand that every situation we find, or may find ourselves in, seemingly good or bad, always has opportu nity for positive growth.

As kids, most of us were afraid of the dark, but as we grew up, we eventually faced the fear of darkness and realized that there really was nothing to be afraid of. It has always been in our head. What is the darkness that you fear as an adult? Is it possible, too, that it is only real in your mind?

(Throws dust on campfire … fades to black.)

See y’all in the light!

Jordan Espeseth Owner jordan.espeseth@n2co.com

EXTRA INNINGS

rising star

Written by: Mark Fadden Photos by: Desiree Roberts

As a former professional baseball player both in the U.S. and abroad, Eric Hacker calls upon his sports and multicultural experience as the foundation for his “sky’s-the-limit” approach to real estate.

Eric Hacker has already had one career most people would dream of.

As a professional baseball player for 17 years, he got drafted straight out of Duncanville High School in 2002 to be a pitcher for the New York Yankees. From there, he spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Minnesota Twins before helping the San Francisco Giants win the 2012 World Series. “I saw earning a World Series ring as a culmination of all the years of hard work coming together with the great memories I made play ing the sport I dearly love,” Hacker said. He then took his talent to the international stage in South Korea, where he played for the NC Dinos. “Sports fans are on another level in Korea, especially baseball fans,” he said. “It could be in the ninth inning, and the score could be 10-0. Not one fan will have left the stadium. They’re still into the game like it’s the first inning, and the score’s tied. It’s more about being a part of the game and being there with each other than it is about the score.”

Hacker always knew that there would be life after baseball. So, by the time his ball career was winding down, he was plotting his next career move. “I’ve always had an interest in archi tecture and design,” he said. A friend back home in Texas was a real estate agent and suggested that Hacker leverage that interest and take classes to get his real estate license. So, when he stopped playing in 2019, that’s

exactly what he did. But while he may have retired from baseball, he’s continued to rely upon his experience in professional sports to maintain a laser-like focus on his real estate career. “I remember sitting in class and the instructor telling us that 87 percent of new agents fail,” Hacker recalled. “You could have heard a pin drop in that classroom. You could tell that a lot of the folks were thinking, ‘What in the world did I get myself into?’ For me, I had just come from a world where the chance of success

as a professional baseball player was less than one percent. A 13 percent success rate was music to my ears!”

After Hacker earned his license, he went to work for Compass and then moved on to Sotheby’s International Realty. He continues learning all he can about the real estate industry, but he’s come to realize that being a real estate agent isn’t that much different than being a baseball player. “It might sound funny, but there are many similarities between playing sports at

BRINGING VALUE TO OTHERS, BEING KIND AND PROFESSIONAL, IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE WAY I GROW MY RELATIONSHIPS EVERY DAY.

a professional level and selling real estate,” said Hacker. “Besides the obvious notion being a team player in both situations, as an athlete competing at the highest levels, you must understand who you are. Many athletes are always looking at others in their sport to see what makes them great … what kind of training are they doing, what separates them from the pack. But, I think it’s so important for us to understand what sets ourselves apart and what makes you different.”

This self-actualization is the basis for Hacker’s philosophy to approach every day as an opportunity for suc cess. “I’m constantly asking myself, ‘How can I apply what I learned as a ball player to real estate?’ It’s about having the right processes in place and using them on a daily basis to get to the desired outcome,” he said.

Hacker uses his unique life experi ence, work ethic, and perspective for one overarching goal: to serve his clients to the best of his ability. His sports exposure has taught him that the work he does today will help get him and his clients to the finish line in terms of selling their house or snagging the house of their dreams. He also knows that often the finish line is just the starting line of a mutually beneficial, long-lasting relationship. “What motivates me every day is getting to help people see an opportunity and bringing value to others,” Hacker said. “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘It’s not how hard you work when everyone’s looking … it’s how hard you work when no one’s looking.’ I want to put in the work for my clients behind the scenes, so they can come out with the best possible deal.”

Hacker and his wife, Christine, have been married for 14 years and have three children. They met in high school before his baseball career blew up, and she’s supported him all along the way through changing careers, to every team he’s played on, to living abroad in South Korea for six years. Speaking of that time abroad, Hacker also calls upon his time spent being immersed in another culture to bring a unique understanding to real estate. “Living in a small town in the southern region of South Korea, it was very different culturally. That experience gave me an extremely open mind to the world and a realization that everyone is different and may have different needs and different tastes in housing… and even a different way to get to a deal and that’s OK,” said Hacker. “Bringing value to oth ers, being kind and professional, is of the utmost importance to the way I grow my relationships every day.”

Negotiate Smarter With The Repair Estimate

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

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!

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 Dallas Real Producers

North Fort Worth Real Producers

Fort Worth Real Producers Dallas Real Producers

North Fort Worth Real Producers TIMARRON COUNTRY CLUB

Our North Fort Worth Real Producers’ last event of 2022 was an absolute hole-in-one! This event was held at the beautiful Timarron Country Club in Southlake.

We had 200 of the best real estate agents and most highly recom mended businesses in attendance with great food, amazing drinks, and perfect weather! So many great conversations, connections, and new relationships were formed during the event. I love seeing high-level people making more high-level connections.

Thank you to all of our RP Vetted Businesses, and a special shout out to our evening’s event sponsors: Boston National Title of Texas, Cardinal Financial, Proco Roofing, Mark Karetskiy Lending Team, JunkLuggers, HomeTeam Inspection Services, Shaddock Homes, and Semper-Fi!

Thank you all for an amazing evening, and we cannot wait to cele brate with you on Nov. 17 for the Second Annual ESPE Awards Gala!

See you then!

Jordan Espeseth and Lance Dunahoe Co-Owners

Photos

Premier Sponsors: Drink/Food Sponsors:

Sponsors:

Photography By Samantha Farris

INSURANCE

up raising farm animals, riding and roping in rodeos, and playing football. His specific interest in animals led him to attend Tarleton State University with aspirations of being the next agriculture teacher at his high school. But fate had a different direction for him. “I quickly realized that teaching high school kids was not the path I would be good for. I saw myself in the kids sitting in the chairs of the few classes that I taught and realized that a teach ing career just wasn’t the right fit after all,” he said.

Switching to an agri culture major, Jenkins then thought he could use that degree to become one of the 5,000 county extension agents in Texas who acts as a liaison between the county and its citizens by facilitating various agriculture learning programs. But once again, fate gave him yet another detour. “I was just about to graduate when the state cut the number of extension agents in half. Any open agent jobs would have the other 2,500 agents gunning for them, and they had experience over me. I’d be number 2,501 in line,” Jenkins said.

Realizing that it was too late to switch majors yet again, he ended up gradu ating with a degree in agriculture and

moved to the DFW Metroplex to look for employment. He got a job with Enterprise Rent-A-Car and then moved on to managing a rental car fleet for Sewell Lexus in Fort Worth. His strong work ethic and service-oriented per sonality got noticed, and soon he was promoted to a service advisor position.

months later, solidified his need for a new career. But, he didn’t make any rash decisions. Rather, Jenkins knew that a shift in his occupation would be a monumental one, so he wisely took a methodical approach. “I weighed my options, interviewed people in vari ous professions, and looked over my own likes, traits, and strengths,” said Jenkins. “Insurance was a subject I naturally understood. I had an insur ance license right out of college for a previous job, and I understood how insurance works and the need for it. I remember taking classes and retain ing the information in my mind to the point I can still remember it today.”

While he used his customer service acumen to serve his clients’ needs for 12 years, the birth of his daughter made him consider a career change. “My job required me to leave before she was awake and come home after she was asleep … while also working every other Saturday. I didn’t want to be a father who only saw his children on the weekends. I needed a more family-friendly, flexible schedule that allowed for more time to enjoy my family and build actual equity with my work time,” Jenkins said. The birth of his second child, a son 15

As a Farmers Insurance Agent since 2017, Jenkins has been utilizing all that insurance knowledge that he first learned those many years ago. But if he had to boil down all that insurance is into one word, it would be protec tion. No matter if there’s an issue with weather, liability, or finances, protec tion is the theme that inspires his daily work for his clients and is a part of every interaction and every conver sation. “I love to educate others on how insurance can be used to protect yourself,” he said. “My agency is based on this: ‘Let’s have a great conversation upfront so that we don’t have a bad conversation when you have a claim.’ Nobody is remembered for the $200 you saved them during a declined claim, but you will be remembered for the coverage you offered that pro tected their home and family.”

As a business owner, father, and husband, Jenkins has a full life. But, he never forgets his daily pursuit of wisdom. “I think life events, and how we handle them, shape us,” Jenkins said. “For example, marrying the love of my life shaped me 15 years ago into a different person. Nearly seven years ago, the birth of our first child gave me love I never knew existed. All these things guide us to change our normal ways and how we see the world and how our priorities change.”

not about the loans we do;

and the people we

the

Annual ESPE AWARDS!

Our annual black-tie gala for the DFW Real Producers community is back and it will be held November 17th!

Save the date, and look for your exclusive invitation in your inbox!

From students to storks to real estate clients, serving others has always been a part of Lori Mira’s DNA. Impossible. Many people see that word, and it promotes images of mountains too high to climb or rivers too wide to cross. As for Lori Mira, she sees something different when that word comes into view. What she sees is... I’m possible.

cover story

Written by: Mark Fadden Photos by: Brent Tinsley, Headshot Professional

Lori

That mindset, combined with a true servant’s heart, has helped propel Mira to new heights in terms of both her career trajectory and personal growth.

Mira’s penchant for serving others came out of necessity from her childhood. “I’m the oldest of four kids. I was six years older than my closest sibling and 16 years older than the next oldest one, so my parents leaned on me a lot to help take care of my sister and brothers,” Mira said. After high school, she attended Texas Tech University, but the environment of a big, public school didn’t suit her.

After her second year, she headed back to the DFW Metroplex for a smaller school environment.

She landed at Texas Wesleyan University and majored in advertising and public relations. She was also working as a waitress at a local Cheddar’s restaurant, but she also knew that she needed to fill out her resume to make herself stand out to poten tial employers after graduation. “While at Tech, I saw students giving tours to prospective students and their families, and it was something that I thought I’d like to do,” said Mira. So, she became a student ambassador in the TWU admission office, which led to an internship, and then her first job as an admission counselor.

After a few short years, she was promoted to Associate Director of Freshman Admission with the school. “It was wonderful. I assisted families with one of the biggest decisions in their lives and made sure that our school was the right fit for them,” said Mira. “I also had the pleasure of calling families to let them know that their sons or daughters were

accepted. My favorite calls were when I was able to tell them that they were being offered scholarship money. Those moments when I would be on the phone with a student to let them know that they could now afford to go to college were so gratifying, espe cially when the student was the first in their family to attend college.”

While Mira was good at prob lem-solving, she wasn’t a big joiner. “I realized that relationships were very important to get where you wanted to go in life, but joining things wasn’t really my thing,” Mira said. Fate would give her a little nudge to change her perspective, however, during her time in the TWU admis sions office. She was at her first conference for the Texas Association of College Admission Counselling and remembered seeing a group of people at the front of the room sitting at the “VIP” table up on stage. “These were the people that ran the association, and I remember wanting to make it big so that I would be at that table someday,” said Mira. She joined the planning committee for the confer ence and did such a great job helping plan it, when it came to the DFW area the following year, she was nominated for a national leadership position with the association.

Those moments when I would be on the phone with a student to let them know that they could now afford to go to college were so gratifying, especially when the student was the first in their family to attend college.

While working for TWU, Mira got married and had three children. She needed to shift gears and found a new job where she could work while she cared for her children. “I was watching Good Morning Texas one morning and saw a story about a yard sign business where you would put a stork in a yard of someone who just had a baby. I did a little research, and before you know it, I was driving across the Metroplex

with the kids in the back of the car putting stork signs in people’s yards,” Mira said. While the busi ness allowed her the flexibility she needed, the itch to help people and problem-solve wasn’t being scratched. “All three of my kids were in school, so my husband suggested that I get my real estate license. I thought about it and realized that real

estate would be the perfect job! I could once again help peo ple in a huge transition in their life. At the university, I helped people find the right college and, with real estate, I could help people find the right house,” said Mira.

Today, the Mira Group of Keller Williams consists of Mira and four other women collaborating, brainstorming, and really

It really helps people to stay focused on what’s important, whether it’s closing a real estate transaction or making sure our children have the right tools they need to succeed in their various endeavors.

working together to help their clients and each other be successful. “The majority of our business is individual homeowners that have an emotional tie to the property they’re selling or the dream home that they’re search ing for,” said Mira. “The five of us understand the emotional aspect of the real estate business, so we become invested in helping each other to not only add value to our clients’ experience, but we want to make sure that the transaction is the right fit.” She also enjoys spending time with her husband of 25 years,

Felix. With two kids in college, and one recent college graduate, she gets to call upon her skills of helping stu dents navigate their college experi ences once again. “I’ve come to learn that at the heart of problem-solving is having the necessary systems in place to help take care of challenges ... oftentimes even before they arise,” Mira said. “It really helps people to stay focused on what’s important, whether it’s closing a real estate transaction or making sure our chil dren have the right tools they need to succeed in their various endeavors.”

Julie Gray grew up on five acres in rural Oklahoma, where she built strong foundations that she continues to use today. She bases her career off good Christian val ues, personal growth, and hard work to ensure her clients recog nize her faith, love, and trust.

If you think back to the time when you were five years old, what would you remember? Maybe it was your first real bicycle, the one with the banana seat that you would end lessly ride up and down your street. Or maybe it was the feeling of the first day of kindergarten, fear and excitement sloshing around together in your tummy as you boarded the big yellow school bus for the first time. For Julie Gray, who grew up on five acres in rural Oklahoma, being five years old meant climbing trees, building tree houses, riding horses, and crawling through the wheat fields around the house making tun nels through the tall grass.

It also meant giving her life to Jesus Christ after watching an episode of Hee-Haw. “There were some ladies on the show singing a Christian song. I remember asking my mom if they were Christians. Instead of answering me directly, she had her Bible out and read me some verses. Then, I told her I needed to go to my room for a min ute, where I remember getting down

JULIE GRAY A MINISTRY OF REAL ESTATE

on my knees and praying. I asked God right then and there to save me.

I told Him that if He would, I would go where He wanted me to go and do what He wanted me to do,” said Gray.

Since then, Gray has leaned heavily on her faith to guide her decisions and get her through the natural ups and downs in life. In 1998, she mar ried her husband, Brian Gray, after only six months. She moved from the rural pastures of Oklahoma to a small 600-square-foot apartment in Euless when her husband got a new job in the Metroplex. Both times she had asked God for guidance, and both times God had helped her make the right decision.

She also leaned upon her faith in people when her mother called her one day to tell her that she was on the verge of homelessness. “My mom got herself into a bad real estate situ ation,” Gray said. “She was selling her house and building a new one. When her house went under con tract, the market crashed, and her circumstances changed. She no lon ger wanted to build the new house, so she took her house off the market, and her agent told her that she still had to pay the full commission on it.” Luckily, as Gray was telling her

inspirational agent

Written by: Mark Fadden

Photos by: Brent Tinsley, Headshot Professional

son’s preschool teacher about the situation, she was quickly referred to a wise real estate agent and turned to her for help. “Loyce Shirley had been with Ebby Halliday for around 35 years. I told her my mom’s situ ation, and she told us exactly what to do, helping my family out tremen dously,” she said.

During that situation, Shirley also saw something in Gray. She told her that she should come work for Ebby and sell real estate. However, Gray was a stay-at-home mom and had four children under the age of five that required her attention around the clock. “So, I had the little lady down the street watch the kids while I took real estate classes during the day,” Gray said. After getting her license, she went to work for the Ebby Halliday office in Colleyville and

started operating open houses. “It was like a vaca tion for two hours,” said Gray. “My husband would watch the kids, and I could talk to people about their dreams and goals, and what they wanted for their families. I didn’t want what happened to my mom to happen to other people. I wanted to help people to make good decisions and help them not to get taken advantage of.”

Her work ethic and the feelings of trust and faith she built with her clients quickly paid off. She won Rookie of the Year during her first year in the Colleyville office and credits the people around her, and her relationship with God, for her contin ued success. “I am devoted to my clients, and I put their needs first. I’ve written offers on Christmas Eve and talked to clients on the way to my Dad’s funeral,” said Gray. “Buying and selling a house is one of the most stressful things you can do in your life. I’ve sat on a bed with people while they cried. I’ve prayed with people, and I’ve prayed for them. I really do love this ministry of real estate. I feel like it’s where God wants me.”

trailblazer

Written by: Mark Fadden

Photos by: Desiree Roberts

CHANDLER CROUCH

Texas College. I worked various jobs — at Ripley’s Believe It or Not, the Denton State School, even at a cotton candy factory — before starting my own lawn service business. But I had no direction, no purpose,” said Crouch. “I went to college after high school because that’s what people said you did. I really didn’t have a reason.” While college wasn’t exactly his cup of tea, he did find two things there that would help motivate him to navigate toward his next steps in life: a girlfriend, who would later become his wife, and Jesus. He also came up with a plan; he would set aside two weeks to pick a new career.

During those two weeks, he used his newly acquired faith to pray often about the best career move to make. “My rent was due, so I went into my landlord’s office to pay it. We started talking, and he asked me if I wanted to start a real estate company with him,” Crouch recalled with a laugh. “I had hair down to my belly button and this guy wanted to start a real estate business with me. I took that invitation as God answering my prayers. I told my landlord yes and haven’t looked back since.”

While Crouch spent much of his youth wandering aimlessly like a ship without a rudder guiding it, once he found real estate, it seemed he also found his guiding light. He leveraged an education he

received from his lifelong love of reading to help him focus on running a tight ship from the start. “When I was a junior in high school, I read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I learned about the importance of saving and investing. I also learned about how important it was to live a life of delayed gratification,” Crouch said.

He realized that working hard and making sacrifices in the short term would eventually pay off in the long run. Initially, he knew that there wouldn’t be any income while they set up their business, so he slashed his living expenses and limited other liabilities. He sold his new shiny red truck and bought a used Geo Metro. He moved into a 400-square-foot efficiency that cost $360 a month with all bills paid. “There were 14 roof leaks in that place. I couldn’t believe a place that small could have so many leaks!” said Crouch. He also slept with a lawnmower at the foot of his bed. “I kept my lawn mowing business going, and I didn’t have anywhere to store it, so I had to keep it in my apartment. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, made me call the CDC to make sure the gas fumes wouldn’t give me cancer,” recalled Crouch.

Six months went by before he closed his first deal. It was a small home, and the buyer needed a lot of help

with interpreting all the paperwork. Many peo ple would have gotten frustrated by having to work that hard for such a small paycheck. For Crouch, it became the foundation for his phi losophy about his new real estate career. “I poured over every word of each document with that client. The experi ence helped me see the importance of teaching our clients and serving them to the best of our abilities,” Crouch said.

Today, Crouch views his real estate business as a vehicle to serve others selflessly. That’s what drives him to stay up in the wee hours of the morning — and some times all night — in his latest role as the number one property tax consul tant in DFW. And per haps the only one doing it for free. “For me, it’s easy to delay gratifica tion,” said Crouch. “I know that in the long run, if I serve people selflessly, someday it will end up paying off.”

Crouch continued, “I’ve designed the kind of com pany I would hope to find if I was a REALTOR®. I don’t skim the best leads off the top, I don’t take clients to be my own. I believe in a true team philosophy where my role is to be the best broker, leader, and create the best opportunities for agents by creating the best opportunity for clients that I can.”

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