Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Thompson.
Caroline, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a 3rd generation real estate agent, following in the footsteps of my father and paternal grandmother. Real Estate was always part of my life, having spent my childhood in a real estate family. I was born in Dallas, before moving to Santa Fe, NM briefly, and then on to Santa Barbara, CA. My family still lives in Santa Barbara. They are no longer in the real estate business. However, they own an interior design & home furnishings business, called Cabana Home. It is safe to say my family is in the business of homes!
Growing up, my father worked with his residential Dallas clients, and together, my parents would also invest in properties, fully renovate, and then sell them. In total, they renovated 24 homes, 18 of which I lived in a while growing up. I am an expert mover and part-nomad! I have many memories of helping hold open houses with my father and being on property job sites after school with my mother. Real Estate has been a part of my entire life.
Since I was a child, I always enjoyed having my own “hustles” and businesses. Whether it was selling treats at a sidewalk, stand in the neighborhood, a craft jewelry business, offering home organization services, babysitting, dog-walking — you name it, I likely dabbled in it! Every summer and throughout college, I was working. This strong work ethic was instilled at an early age by my parents and one that has helped me in my business today.
After graduating from the University of Arizona in Tucson, I moved back to Dallas to work in advertising and marketing with The Richards Group. From there, I then moved on to a Sales and Social Media role with a start-up specializing in private-jet sharing, before becoming a Jewelry Specialist with a boutique in Highland Park Village. In 2016, I decided to get my Real Estate License (to my father & grandmother’s excitement), as it fulfilled that need to own my business, where I could draw on my professional knowledge and personal experiences, and I haven’t looked back since!
My father has been one of my biggest cheerleaders as well as a sounding board in this business. When my father was a Realtor in Dallas, he worked alongside many fellow top-producing agents, many of which I work with today. I am part of a hard-working, successful team, Jobst Randall Group, led by seasoned Agents, Ralph Randall and Madeline Jobst, with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty.
Has it been a smooth road?
Success is reaching each goal that you have set for yourself, big or small. It is getting to work in a rewarding field. Everyone has their “why” — it is what motivates them to jump out of bed each morning to face the day. For me, it is providing the highest level of attention and customer service to my clients, as well as offering guidance and clear communication. I have learned that to go fast. You have to go slow. It is listening to their wants and needs in their home search, and then finding the best option that checks nearly all (if not all!) of those boxes. It is a victory when my Clients call to share how happy they feel in their new home, condo, or apartment. It is a joy serving my Clients in as many ways as I can to ensure their needs are both heard and met.
Another part of the success that can sometimes get overlooked in our busy day-to-day is sharing that success with others, particularly in taking time to give back to the community. My mother has always been involved in non-profits, sitting on multiple boards, and helping to chair various events, and I am proud that she is my influencer behind the importance of giving. I am a board member of The Joyful Heart Foundation, an active Junior League of Dallas member, and an active volunteer at the Perot Museum of Nature & Science. I love supporting these incredible causes.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As a Residential Real Estate Advisor, I guide my clients through one of their most famous (& expensive) decisions that they will make. Since the home is where everyone begins and ends their day, it’s what makes my role as a “home matchmaker” so important. Dallas is full of incredible areas and individual neighborhood pockets all over the city and surrounding. This profession allows me to meet many people, see all that the city has to offer beautiful architecture, historical homes, and unique design details. No day is ever the same!
I consider myself a full-service Real Estate Advisor, as I wear many hats each day. I love helping my clients with all of their real estate needs – leasing, buying, or selling property, no matter the budget. I enjoy being an advocate for my Clients, negotiating on their behalf, and finding solutions to unforeseen problems that may arise along the way. My childhood experiences of seeing my parents renovate homes, moving walls around, and creating refreshed spaces is a tool I have harnessed for myself when working with Clients. I love sharing my vision of making a space work within a home, suggesting ways to rearrange, especially when my Clients might not see how a few edits could make all the difference. I am passionate about home design, staging, and organizing, all of which come in handy while readying a Client home for the market. Not everyone has the design-eye, so this is something that sets me apart, along with having a great resource list of trusted specialists to contact if a Client has a home repair need.
In 2018, I was named one of People Newspapers “Top 20 Under 30” after being recognized for professional achievements and personal giving in the community. In 2018 & 2019, I was named one of D Magazine’s Top Producing Real Estate Agents. In 2018, I was invited to be a member of the Leadership Circle with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty brokerage. The most important part of this business is the relationships I have made. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to work with such incredible Clients (that have become good friends), that trust me with their home needs.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Dallas is an excellent location for residential real Estate – one of the top cities in our country – whether it’s purchasing the next home for yourself or family, or adding an investment property to a portfolio! There are opportunities all over and in a multitude of price-points. With all of the construction going on around town, it reassures us that there is growth happening and continuing to happen all around us, with no end in sight. Many companies and professionals are relocating to the DFW Metroplex from other cities, states, & countries. When working with clients that are new to Dallas (or the state of Texas), they have all been pleasantly surprised at the opportunity to get more houses (or land) for less than they could in the areas that they have moved from.
In regards to recommendations for someone that is starting out in this business, there are a few key points that I would share. First, try to connect with a seasoned agent, find a mentor within your office that you can learn from, or if possible, join a strong team of seasoned agents that have experience and knowledge of the business and neighborhoods. The best way to learn in this business is by doing, so it helps to have a trusted point of contact to provide guidance along the way. Secondly, your weekends are often dedicated to your Clients, who likely work during the weekdays. To be successful in this business, you need to be 100% all in, and be ready to work and serve your Clients whenever an opportunity presents itself. Lastly – and this applies to ANY profession or situation – it is okay not to have the answer to something right away. People are far more understanding if you are honest from the start about this, and just be sure to follow up with them once you do have the answer or information. Everyone has to get their start somewhere, and I believe it is important to share helpful advice with others, so everyone has the opportunity to succeed!
Contact Info:
- Address: Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
3131 Turtle Creek Blvd. 4th & 5th Floor Dallas, TX 75219 - Website: https://carolinethompson.briggsfreeman.com/profile
- Phone: 214-350-0400 (office)
- Email: cthompson@briggsfreeman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinethompsonhomes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolineThompsonHomes/
Image Credit:
J. Hunter Phillips – Kaizen Productions
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