Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty sold about $3.25 billion in real estate in and around the D/FW area in 2017. The company has 9 offices servicing the greater North Texas real estate market; encompassing residential, commercial, and land and ranch.
The company has been around since 1960 and originally based in the Park Cities area of Dallas. The company is led by its CEO Robbie Briggs, who has a true passion for his employees and clients. Mr. Briggs believes luxury is a state of mind and a way of being treated, not simply the amount on the price tag. A man of faith, Mr. Briggs and his family have spent multiple years on a missionary in China in addition to his involvement in several charitable endeavors, including the Jewel Ball, which his mom was instrumental in developing into one of the premier charitable events of the year in the D/FW area. Mr. Briggs still has family living and helping out in China, including his son Ben Briggs who is our Executive Vice President and author of Chinese Institutions' Definitive Guide to USA Commercial Real Estate.
With an interest in further solidifying his position in Fort Worth, Robbie Briggs acquired Bloom Real Estate, Brants Real Estate and Mira Vista Real Estate brokerages. Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty now has over 150 agents working in the Fort Worth luxury real estate market and is continuing to bring top quality agents into the fold. As a brokerage, Briggs Freeman Sotheby's brings the high-end buyers - with 38% of transactions done in house. Meaning, roughly 4 out of 10 times a Briggs Freeman Sotheby's agent lists a house, another Briggs Freeman Sotheby's agent will bring the buyer for that house. This is possible due to our very strong network of 600 agents throughout D/FW who work together to make sure our clients have a major competitive advantage when buying or selling a home.
Both locations in Fort Worth, the Cultural District office or Mira Vista office, are run by Zareen Khan who grew up in the area, attended Country Day School, and later went on to graduate with a law degree from Stanford Law School. From the top of the company with Mr. Briggs to the well-qualified sales managers to top of their class agents - Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty is a first class, client-focused real estate brokerage.
At the DRC Solutions for the Homeless' annual Breakfast With the Mayor event, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said a new person moves to the Fort Worth area every 24 minutes. This is one of the fastest growing real estate markets in the world. Fort Worth is very close to reaching 1,000,000 people living within the city. Especially with the new tax bill passed by U.S. government, the amount of citizens moving from high tax states to low tax states has only increased. Not only does Texas not have a state income tax, the prices of houses in this region is much lower than most metropolitan cities across the country. Essentially, the standard of living for those living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is one of the highest in the country.
With over 800 Sotheby's International Realty franchises all over the world, we have the largest network of luxury real estate agents to work with - no other brokerage even comes close. Worth noting, we are the 5th highest grossing Sotheby's International Realty brokerage out of the 800+ around the world. Our brokerage sold the most expensive and largest ranch in the history of Texas, the Waggoner ranch which was listed for $725,000,000 and encompasses roughly 800 square miles of land.
Walsh Ranch
Just a 10 miles West of Fort Worth, Walsh Ranch is open with new homes sprouting up and eventually allowing for upwards of 40,000 residents in that 7,200 acre piece of land on the West Fort Worth and Aledo border. Around 75% of the homes in Walsh Ranch are in the Aledo ISD, with the remainder in the Fort Worth ISD. The South end of the Walsh Ranch is a full-fledged corporate park with the center-piece being a state of the art Cook's Children's Hospital, a major win and asset for the area.
There will be 6 different styles of lots for sale, representing different aspects such as facing or backing up into a park. There will essentially be mini-parks throughout the neighborhoods, with green space being a hallmark of this master planned community. There will be common area access to wi-fi around the community, such as in the parks themselves.
Walsh ranch is going to be the most high-tech community in the world. With the entire community wired with what will be the fastest internet hub in the world. This fast internet will be convenient for homeowners downloading things and it will be its own draw for high-tech corporations seeking the best environment to do business in. Unlike other tech hubs, areas surrounding the Aledo and Walsh Ranch don't have the constraint of limited land capacity.
There are rolling hills of what once was farm land ready to soak up any excess demand for corporate campuses and residential to house their employees. There has been great expansion in the Frisco area surrounding #6 tech hub in America, Plano, TX and we can expect to continue to see the trend of corporations and individuals moving their base of operation to the D/FW area.