Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Bullard.
Sam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up on the outskirts of Weatherford, TX, my parents settled there in the early ’70s to start their equine veterinarian farm. My older brother and I grew up working on the horse farm in the summers. We quickly learned that education had its perks. When you spend time in 100-degree weather doing manual labor all day, a person can get motivated to make good grades real quick. I can’t thank my parents enough for bringing us up learning the value of hard work and getting an education, it has stuck with me throughout life. I also spent my entire youth playing as many sports as possible, and in high school, I played and started in 4 sports; football, basketball, baseball, and track. Sports prepares you for so many things in life, and I thrived on the thrill of competition. In 2002, I graduated from Texas A&M University (whoop!) with a Bachelor of Science degree, The love of sports took me to coaching, and so I coached at the high school level for 11 years in 3 major DFW districts, while teaching Biology in the classroom. In 2006, I met my lovely wife, Veronica. She was a former Venezuelan gymnast and very competitive, so right away we had things in common. We bought our 1st home in Lake Highlands in 2007. Once we had our 2nd child, I realized two things, 1) I rarely would see my kids if I kept coaching 2) Veronica and I were struggling to even pay bills on our teacher salaries. Time for a change! So, I have always loved homes and the different styles and quirks, and I met with an old friend from Weatherford named Phillip, to talk real estate. Phil was already an established realtor. He was kind enough to bring me on to join him and mentored me early on so that I could learn the ropes of real estate. We were a top team in Lake Highlands for a few years, but eventually, I was ready to go out on my own. Ultimately, I ended up partnering with John Jones. He and I kept running into each other as we worked the same neighborhood, Lochwood. With persistence and hard work, we have ended up the top Lochwood Sellers 4 years in a row! We just love the eclectic array of homes, the nature the area offers, and really just the entire East Dallas vibe. The change to real estate has been a game-changer for me and for my family, plus I still get to serve people, just in a different way!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I had zero sales experience when I began, and I expected that to be a big hurdle, but I truly feel that part comes naturally for me. Reading clients and getting a feel for what they want, expect, and need is something I try to stay in tune with at all times. Having good manners, a strong work ethic, and a good attitude can go a long way! Real estate is a constant, it never sleeps. If you are doing it right, an agent is constantly monitoring the market and ready to pivot on a dime. There is pressure to be available almost all the time. The deals themselves can be roller-coaster rides and many times there are things out of my control that make the job difficult. Deals sometimes fall apart, oftentimes at no fault of the realtor. You just have to flush that from memory and forge ahead to serve the client’s best interests. It is important to always do what is best for the client, and many times helping that client find the right path based on challenges that present themselves in the process. Struggles along the way have been getting started back in 2013 and just feeling overwhelmed on where to begin, teetering the fine line between advertising and forcing yourself on people to try to earn business, and adjusting to the market with some of the swings we have had in the last decade. The current market has an all-time low home inventory, so just finding good homes that are available has been an issue. Certainly, the buyers in this market are feeling the uphill climb to win a home.
We’ve been impressed with BullardJones Group, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I hang my real estate license under broker Dave Perry Miller Real Estate, a sister company of Ebby. They have a proven track record and many resources for their agents. John and I work under the group name: “BullardJones Group”. We run our business basically under the motto of “whatever it takes”. We offer an array of services, but at the end of the day, we go to a listing appointment and assess what the home and the client needs, and then get to work! Sometimes that includes staging their home, sometimes it includes getting our contractor in the home to make repairs to prepare the house for sale, sometimes it’s getting things out of the house or helping out with yard work. We are very hands-on, many times our team will help powerwash, lay mulch or plant flowers, or play the role of general contractor by helping our clients get the trades they need. We have an array of solid (and affordable) contractors we can utilize for specific needs of clients. We also offer other services such as video and drone photography. The most important thing we provide is our knowledge and experience… from selling new construction to historic homes. We have seen just about everything you can imagine, and have the resources & solutions to work through issues. Having an agent that knows exactly what to do and when to do it, is crucial in this field. One thing I love about this job, every client is different, every home is different, and every sale has its own set of challenges. It keeps things exciting and keeps us on our toes. We try to make ourselves available pretty much 24/7. Many of our clients say we go above and beyond. We strive to meet their goals, all while helping to manage expectations and counsel them in the buying/selling process. We pride ourselves on clear and honest communication. We give clients current market data and sound advice. Our clients really appreciate our candid approach and trust is earned. Many of our clients use us time and time again, which is a humbling thing to witness. We appreciate them so much!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
I am definitely not afraid to take risks. You only get one chance at this beautiful thing called life, so I hope that I don’t have any regrets when my time here is done. I risked a salary job after 11 yrs. in education and took a leap of faith into real estate. We have also flipped a few homes ourselves, and of course there is always some risk with those. When my wife and I met in 2006, we took a risk and got married after only knowing each other a few weeks! She even stayed here in the USA to start a life with me (talk about risk!) instead of returning to her home country of Venezuela. I think you just have to go with your gut in life and take your shots when you get them. I am a believer in educated risks, of course, so obviously it’s a good thing to project ahead and run the potential scenario through a few times. Not all risks pay off, but man it feels great when they do. Our two kiddos (Isabel & Thomas) are living proof that the 2006 risk we took was SO worth it.
AWARDS:
Contact Info:
- Email: SamBullard@dpmre.com
- Website: https://homesourcedallas.com/
- Instagram: SamBullardRealEstate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.bullard.1650 https://www.facebook.com/BullardJonesGroup
Image Credits
Karen Leger Photography
