In this week’s Agent Migration column, we catch up with a former Virginia Cook agent from Fort Worth and meet a California newcomer. Did you make a big move? Contact Joshua Baethge.

Stephanie Quevedo Happy to be at Christie’s Ulterre

Stephanie Quevedo is settling in with the Giordano, Wegman, Walsh, & Associates (GWW) team at Christie’s Ulterre.  She started at the end of May after previously being affiliated with Virginia Cook Realtors.  While her former employer’s closing was a shock, she feels it may ultimately turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Quevedo began her career working at Coldwell Banker with GWW principal Rick Wegman. When it became clear that it was time to find a new home, she reached out to him and was extremely impressed with what he had to offer.

“Everything I had been longing for and wanting as an agent, that’s what GWW now has,” Quevedo said. “You have the Christie’s brand, which is amazing, and you also have the local agency which has a boutique feel.  You get both sides.”

This is Quevedo’s 15th year in real estate.  She’s based in Fort Worth but has expanded her client base to include much of western D-FW, including Flower Mound, Southlake, Arlington, Aledo, Burleson and more. She’s particularly fond of historic homes, including the one she lives in herself.

For several years, Quevedo worked only by referral as she raised her two young boys.  When they were old enough to start school, she began expanding her client base and working real estate full time.

Quevedo is also heavily involved in the community, devoting time to the Boys and Girls Club, local schools, and Fort Worth’s zoo and museums. She serves on the executive committee for the chancellor’s council at the University of Texas system.

“I could never just sit in an office all day. I’ve got to be out and about,” she said.

As for her day job, Quevedo says the thing she loves most is having people tell her what they are looking for and then being able to go out and deliver for them.  She is thrilled with the support of everyone at GWW, and believes it will benefit not only her but also her clients.

Paul Blair Joins Two Compass Locations

Dallas newcomer Paul Blair has joined Compass Real Estate, where he will be active in both the Los Angels and Dallas markets.  He moved to Dallas last year and had been working independently while getting to know the market and meeting with multiple brokerages. He ultimately decided on Compass, citing among other factors productivity standards similar to his own, and their team of full-time highly productive agents.

“It was kind of a no-brainer for me after I considered everything,” Blair said. “Compass has a clean brand, they promote the brand, they promote you and let you do a lot of things within it while keeping the brand standard.”

Blair began his real estate career in Rochester New York before moving to Los Angeles 13 years ago. He worked for The Agency, which is a large player in the luxury market there.  While he would have been happy to continue working with them, he was concerned about representing different brands in different markets. He took his time until he was ready to join Compass in both cities. Now he plans to let his team handle day-to-day responsibilities in Los Angeles while he focuses on growing his Dallas business.

“I’ll fly there as often as I need to and try to keep it going in both cities for as long as possible,” he said.

Having experienced both markets, Blair says that they are both extremely competitive with countless people looking to get in on the action. In Dallas, he sees more agents affiliated with teams while LA has a greater number of successful independent agents.  Price points in Los Angeles are high, but overall property quality is similar. And building is much quicker and more efficient in Dallas compared to LA where teardowns and rebuilds typically take multiple years.

Family brought Blair to Dallas.  He and his wife felt it was a better place to raise their kids, especially since they have no fewer than 18 relatives in the area. His family has settled into their new home, and Blair hopes that his new affiliation will allow him to spend more time with them.