Ben Jones Builds Relationships That Last With A-Listers And Family Alike, and Charmed the Doyenne of Turkey Hill Road

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CandysDirt.com talked recently with Ben Jones, Senior Vice President for Allie Beth Allman & Associates, which markets luxury properties primarily in the Park Cities, Preston Hollow and Lakewood areas.

The 20-plus year real estate veteran has his own team, Ben Jones Real Estate Group. He is one of the most sought-after agents in the Dallas area and thought we’d find out more about him.

CD: Where are you from? 

Ben: I came to the bright lights of Dallas from the small West Texas town of Abilene.  I went to Baylor University.

CD: Where is home for you in Dallas?

Ben: I have a mid-century Dilbeck in Lakewood. I like the architecture of the neighborhood, it is a good location for getting around Dallas and the people are laid-back and friendly. Of course I like being so close to White Rock Lake.

CD: We hear that you are almost as hot for cars as you are real estate?

Ben: Guess you can say that. My father restored antique cars, leaving me a collection that I enjoy.

CD: And you drive a… let me guess, Mercedes Benz???

Ben: Despite the stereotype of all successful realtors driving Mercedes Benz, I’d like to say I’ve only had my Mercedes for the past two years! I really love my 1955 T-Bird, which my father bought for me when I was 6 years old.

CD: What’s your favorite ‘hood in Dallas and why?

Ben: If I could afford it, I’d live in Greenway Parks. I appreciate the green spaces that can probably never be duplicated again in Dallas, the historic architecture of the homes and the strong sense of community.

CD: How the heck did you get started in Real Estate?

Ben: When I was in college, my frat brother’s mom was one of the top producers for Ellen Terry. She sold a lot in Highland Park and had a car with a cell phone in it. I found the glamorous life of a Realtor very appealing!  In 1985, I started my career with Merrill Lynch’s residential division and quickly worked my way up to their Fine Homes team. After a couple of years there, I joined Abio & Adleta for 10-12 years. I stayed with Betty Abio when the team split up. After Coldwell Bank bought out the company, I looked for a new team, working briefly with Keller Williams and Virginia Cook before landing at Allie Beth Allman & Associates where I’ve been for the past five years.

CD: What’s your best/highest/coolest sale? (You’ve really BEN everywhere!)

Ben: One of my most memorable sales was selling the house of and bringing the buyer to actress Angie Harmon and her husband, New York Giant Jason Sehorn.

I’ve sold two different acreage lots on Lakeside Drive – one of them twice – that were amazing sales.

CD: How quickly have you ever turned a house?

Ben: I’ve had contracts in my hand in 24 hours.

CD: How much did you sell last year?

Ben: When I moved to Allie Beth Allman I doubled my annual production the first year.  My team currently sells $50-$60 million a year.

CD: Secrets to marketing a house?

BJ: I don’t know about “secrets,” per se. My team of dedicated, proficient and highly experienced agents work hard to kick ass.  We match our clients to the perfect home for them and build relationships that last for decades. We take good care of them and they remember us later.

Many of my clients refer me to their friends and family, and they come back to me whenever their home needs change. Just to give you an idea, one of my first sales from more than 20 years ago came back to me recently to buy another home. I have another client who has completed her 10th transaction with me!

CD: If you ever change careers for an encore career you’ll…

Ben: Own a vineyard in Napa Valley and make wine.

CD: Where is your second home?

Ben: I am currently looking for a second home in the Santa Fe area. I have a friend with a vacation home outside of Florence, Italy, that I visit often. If I ever own a home outside the country, it will be near there.

CD: You are also quite the chef, and you once prepared an elegant lunch for a famously persnickety food expert?

Ben: She’s so famous… that I cannot mention her name. Well, OK, you can.

CD: You cooked lunch for Martha Stewart, and she liked it?

Ben: She did.

 

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  1. Anonymous Agent on November 8, 2012 at 10:03 am

    Great about Sharon, but we love Ben! He is a true gentleman to work with, and his clients LOVE him!

  2. Anonymous Agent on November 8, 2012 at 10:03 am

    Great about Sharon, but we love Ben! He is a true gentleman to work with, and his clients LOVE him!

  3. Annie Vreeland on November 8, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    I was one of Ben's first clients — my currently 25 year-old daughter was then in a baby carrier! I could not be happier with the friendship, camaraderie and brilliant service that I have received from Ben over the years. I have said many times that he is the adopted godfather of both of my now grown children. Besides being a creative, astute and intuitive realtor who knows the market and his clients, he also has a terrific feel for the price that will make the deal, whether selling or buying. Ben has also been a good and trusted friend over many years and I hope will be for many more. I will often (not kidding) get a call or a text at exactly the time I was thinking about him or at a time when I needed to hear from a really good friend. We have cooked together (he does most of it – I am sous-chef!), and I can vouch for what a great chef he is. (Ask him about his smoked rice…….) I just counted the transactions we have completed together — 13! I must also say that his team is simply wonderful and they have all been great to work with as well. Can't say enough about Ben!

  4. Annie Vreeland on November 8, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    I was one of Ben's first clients — my currently 25 year-old daughter was then in a baby carrier! I could not be happier with the friendship, camaraderie and brilliant service that I have received from Ben over the years. I have said many times that he is the adopted godfather of both of my now grown children. Besides being a creative, astute and intuitive realtor who knows the market and his clients, he also has a terrific feel for the price that will make the deal, whether selling or buying. Ben has also been a good and trusted friend over many years and I hope will be for many more. I will often (not kidding) get a call or a text at exactly the time I was thinking about him or at a time when I needed to hear from a really good friend. We have cooked together (he does most of it – I am sous-chef!), and I can vouch for what a great chef he is. (Ask him about his smoked rice…….) I just counted the transactions we have completed together — 13! I must also say that his team is simply wonderful and they have all been great to work with as well. Can't say enough about Ben!

  5. Stacy Fore on November 8, 2012 at 4:05 pm

    Ben is a great realtor who has become a great friend. He showed us so many houses before we found our dream home in the "M" Streets and we've never been happier! He knew it was out there somewhere and worked long and hard to help us find it. We will always use Ben and recommend him to anyone who is looking for that personal touch in finding the perfect home!

  6. Stacy Fore on November 8, 2012 at 4:05 pm

    Ben is a great realtor who has become a great friend. He showed us so many houses before we found our dream home in the "M" Streets and we've never been happier! He knew it was out there somewhere and worked long and hard to help us find it. We will always use Ben and recommend him to anyone who is looking for that personal touch in finding the perfect home!

  7. Michelle Kreft on November 12, 2012 at 10:28 am

    I can not say enough good things about Ben Jones both personally and professionally. What strikes me when I read the other comments is the same theme," Ben has become more than a realtor to me, he is also a friend". My husband and I feel the exact same way! I have lived and traveled all over the world and have a places in both London and Manhattan. Although I have met and used competent realtors over the years, no experience has ever come close to what my husband and I encountered with Ben. We met Ben when we were moving back to Dallas from NYC. It was an incredibly stressful time in our lives, but thankfully we were working with best. Within a few minutes of meeting us, Ben threw out a stack of the listings that he had planned on showing us and came up with several more. When I asked him why, he said "I know they won't make you happy", and he was right. He has a special gift in reading people and knowing exactly what their needs are. I look forward to continuing to work with Ben, recommending him to all my friends and family, and most of all, a lifetime friendship.

  8. Michelle Kreft on November 12, 2012 at 10:28 am

    I can not say enough good things about Ben Jones both personally and professionally. What strikes me when I read the other comments is the same theme," Ben has become more than a realtor to me, he is also a friend". My husband and I feel the exact same way! I have lived and traveled all over the world and have a places in both London and Manhattan. Although I have met and used competent realtors over the years, no experience has ever come close to what my husband and I encountered with Ben. We met Ben when we were moving back to Dallas from NYC. It was an incredibly stressful time in our lives, but thankfully we were working with best. Within a few minutes of meeting us, Ben threw out a stack of the listings that he had planned on showing us and came up with several more. When I asked him why, he said "I know they won't make you happy", and he was right. He has a special gift in reading people and knowing exactly what their needs are. I look forward to continuing to work with Ben, recommending him to all my friends and family, and most of all, a lifetime friendship.

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