The Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty team lauded and celebrated Ellen Terry at her retirement party on Thursday, May 26, at the Dallas Country Club.
Ellen Terry is one of the grand dames of Dallas real estate. In more than 40 years of selling, she has closed more than $1 billion in North Texas real estate, including some of the most iconic, and highest priced residences in Dallas. She pioneered the concept of a luxury boutique real estate brokerage back when most agents were still thumbing through fat listing books. Ellen had her own firm, which was purchased by Ebby Halliday in 1995. In 2011, she joined Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Real Estate.
“It is a tremendous honor that Ellen ultimately called our brokerage her home, and that it will continue to be home for the Terry Team,” said Robbie Briggs, President and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, where Ellen has acted as Executive Vice President of Coaching and Mentoring. “I count myself among the many team members who have benefited from her generosity, passion and knowledge.”
Ellen’s gift for motivating and uplifting the agents she trained — and she trained many of today’s most successful — was legendary. Early in her career, she would host three-day retreats in Kerrville, Texas, complete with early morning hikes where agents would hear from motivational speakers about self-confidence, perseverance and the importance of a positive attitude.
“She was really a pioneer in developing a luxury real estate brand and in understanding that part of that means investing in yourself and in your agents,” said Ellen’s son Todd Terry, who will continue to lead the Terry Team as Senior Vice President. “All of it stems from her true belief that attitude is everything and a desire to help those around her to be all they could be.”
Her first sale was in 1976, a $400,000 home on Lakeside Drive to Jan Cox.
Legend has it Ellen Terry bootstrapped her way to her incredible success when her family fortunes took a turn for the worse. She raised her two children, Todd and Annie, as a single mother. Days after she joined Coldwell Banker, her first broker, in 1976, the single mother had closed over a million in real estate sales, enabling her to pay off an IRS bill in full. In 2002 she sold, at that time, the most expensive home in Dallas, 4707 Park Lane, the $22 million Dick and Jinger Heath mansion designed by Cole Smith on Park Lane. Ellen sold townhomes for Al Hill, Jr., and the estates of most Highland Park notables.
She also taught PE at The Hockaday School. She has been incredibly philanthropic in Dallas, founding the Ellen Terry Realtors Ladies Golf Classic, and raising more than $400,000 to benefit the Genesis Women’s Shelter, among others.
But her true gift seems to have been teaching and inspiring agents, which she focused on at BFSIR. Thursday night was a teary-eyed trip down memory lane, with many super Dallas agents describing how they got their start, and many a boost, from working for Ellen Terry.
Robbie Briggs said he started selling real estate at his father’s brokerage in 1978. Ellen started in 1976.
“The agents sat in the offices and waited for the phones to ring.”
Ellen, said Robbie, did not wait for the phones to ring.
“I kept watching her, admiring her,” he said, “and loving her!”
She was teased about the reference to the movie, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, which came out about the time Ellen was growing her luxury boutique business. She used the reference, as well as her tiny 4′ 11″ size, liberally and to her potential. Her signature phone number, 528-3838, was 528-ETET.
“Our leader was tiny, but oh so mighty,” said Janice Wells.
Becky Frey started selling retail fresh out of SMU, until she was introduced to Ellen Terry. That’s when she traded her ability to send clients home with bags of clothing to selling dirt.
“I learned that in order to make your goals, you had to set them,” says Becky. “I learned everything I know today from Ellen, including to wear pantyhose.”
Ellen ran a tight ship luxury brokerage: agents dressed each day at the office as if they were going to show a million dollar home. They were required to wear pantyhose and scarves, and they engaged in 24/7 positive thinking: “I’m happy, I’m healthy I get what I want”
Dan Mahoney: “Ellen was leading the way everything was going in the real estate business at the time.”
Including, sometimes, buying bigger newspaper ads for her listings than the competition bought.
Kay Wood was a desperate young mother who suddenly found herself having to be her family’s primary breadwinner. ET outlined her life plan and eternal positivity in one lunch. To this day, whenever Kay hears a negative thought, the word “cancel” comes to mind, to “cancel all negative thoughts”.
Penny Cook recalls tipping Ellen off to a significant property about to hit the market. It never made the MLS. Ellen snagged the listing and sold it.
“One day Ellen hands me a check,” says a teary Penny, “when I really needed it. She said, don’t ask any questions, but thank you for the tip.”
That, says Penny, is integrity.
Todd Terry and his sister call their mom a ball of dynamite wrapped in heart of a teddy bear.
“We use to call her ‘the mogul’,” he says. “She’d take us for a “quick showing” then two hours later … she taught us to give 110% percent but always ask for 6 percent. I studied for my license at 17, got it when I was 18.”
And then there was the cease and desist from director Steven Spielberg, who asked Ellen to ditch her new slogans: Phone ET for a home! What in the world was Spielberg thinking? ET WAS Ellen Terry in Dallas.
“Mom you are a champion of champions,” said Todd. “Terry team will continue the legacy. ET is everyone’s treasure!”
