It was back in 2014 that Engel & Volkers, a global luxury real estate brand that debuted in Germany, first made its entry into North Texas by merging with Roxann Taylor and Associates in beautiful Southlake. It was the company’s first foray into the Texas real estate market, its 28th U.S. shop. Founded in 1977, E&V started as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services to the high net worth of Hamburg, Germany. Their schtick: Euro-style concierge level of service to real estate clients from the folks who invented the word “uber”. Engel & Völkers has now become one of the world’s leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial properties as well as yachts, castles and private aviation.
“They are European based and used to focusing on luxury,” says Laurie Moore-Moore of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. “They have a different perspective on the luxury consumer.”
In 2006, they franchised market share into Miami, marching on into 150 key U.S. markets. Like their fine autos, the Germans know how to create luxury, package, sell and service it. Engel & Völkers currently operates a global network of more than 5,000 real estate advisors (note advisors, not agents) in 34 countries across six continents.
Like an Apple store, E&V builds real estate showrooms, with every single store a clone so that when you see the clean, all-white brand, you immediately know what it is.
I knew Roxann had plans in 2015 and 2016 to expand E&V to Frisco, Park Cities and Dallas. And three new partnerships signal that expansion is about to happen:
James Keoughan, previously with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s, has joined the Engle & Volker Dallas Southlake Shop as a business partner and Director of Sales.
Charles Honeycutt, a Fortune 200 entrepreneur, has joined as Director of Operations to oversee growth and operations in the broad DFW Metroplex.
And the Jerry Jenkins Real Estate Group has left Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International’s Southlake office to join the Engel & Volker Dallas Southlake office. Whoa, that’s a whole lot of change! And it comes amid record local disruption, as we see recent brokerage sales, newcomers, with the flat fee brokers and ibrokers clawing for market share.
“We are in the midst of an exciting turning point in our business,” says Roxann Taylor. “The real estate transaction remains an intricate one, and I believe our clients deserve true Real Estate Advisors (agents) to take care of every facet of their needs down to the very last detail.”
And then she said this:
“While other companies reduce personal attention, we are positioned better than ever to offer a full concierge level of services that is synonymous with Engel & Volker’s globally, to the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex area.”
Roxann Taylor is a fascinating woman: the Monterrey, CA native came to Dallas in the late nineties, a victim of domestic violence. She knew not one person in the entire state. She had to change her name and identity, basically bury her past. She got into real estate, which she had done previously, along with building homes. Settling in Southlake, she plead to get a bank loan — borrowing money is hard with no credit history, and when you are in hiding from a husband who put you in the hospital for six months straight. The local folks at Chase Bank did give her a loan, something Roxann has never forgotten. She went on to lead Southlake sales as the community exploded. Roxann and her 20-plus team is committed to incredible philanthropy, and insists “We are not real estate agents,” says Roxann, ” we are advisors, and we need to give back to the community that has given us so much.“
Roxann told me a car wreck pushed her expansion plans back by about one year, but now she is fully charged and moving forward quickly, hence these new partnerships.
“We are looking for offices in Highland Park, Northwest Highway, and Frisco,” said James. “Preston Center particularly, in the vicinity of Ebby’s Little White House.”