Great Western Featured Realtor: Tommy Wooten Knows When Its Crunch Time!

What don’t we love about Tommy Wooten? Nothing. Seriously, this guy has great stories from the frontline of new construction, and that’s a big deal considering how fast builders are working to put up new inventory. Wooten is creative, driven, and passionate about selling homes, but the first thing you’ll notice about this hardworking Realtor is his approachable demeanor. He has a fantastic sense of humor, too!

You want a Realtor who is going to roll with the punches and still have that optimism he had at the beginning at closing. You can trust Jeff Lindigrin at Great Western Home Loans to be the same way. What has your lender done for you lately? Find out what you’re missing by getting in touch with Jeff Lindigrin at Great Western.

For more about Tommy Wooten, including one of the best “getting discovered” stories I’ve ever heard, jump!

CandysDirt.com: So, where are you from?

Tommy Wooten: Born and raised in Carrollton.

CD: So, how did you get into real estate? What’s your specialty?

TW: It’s a funny story actually. I was about 28 and working as a national trainer and bartender at PF Chang’s on the Tollway. You know the “Bless your Heart’” guy on TV (Bob Lovell)? His commercials have been running in Dallas for years. One of my bartenders says to me “Tommy, look it’s Bob Lovell.”

I had no idea who she meant until I turned around and saw this man that would remind many of John Gotti with his flash but with hair that stood 6 inches high on his head. Well I took care of him that day and gave him the best service I could even though I couldn’t remember exactly why he was always on TV. But the position that I was in, I saw him as a way out of the service industry. So as he was wrapping up I told him that the next time he came in he should try the Moo Goo Gai Pan because of it’s similar mild taste to what he was having. I then walked away to close him out but then I saw him say something to the lady he was with, as if to say “he’s just what we need.”

When I walked back to him he handed me his card and told me to call him. Several weeks later and after I did some research on what HMS was, I called him hoping to set up a meeting because I thought I could produce some commercials for him to replace his low class, seemingly low budget and poorly written TV ads. I ran a record label for 7 years and was good in audio/video production so I was hoping that this was my break. Well this was a break, but not the break I looked for. I met him in his office and I was blown away at the flashiness of his North Dallas office. Personalized autographs and celebrity portraits featuring Bob, and plenty other fine things littered his office. You got the feeling that this man was serious about making money when you walked in.

When the dust settled he told me that he wanted me to get my real estate license and if I did, he would pay me back after I sold five homes for him as a new construction buyer’s agent (that was our niche). So I got my license and proceeded to sell 22 homes for him my first year and 19 in the 8 months after that. But the marriage was over after 20 months when I was left with no choice but to leave after a spat with Bob over money, and decided to become a Coldwell Banker agent.

Working at HMS taught me everything I know about new construction. Since leaving, I’ve been honored as the preferred Realtor of several builders such as Bloomfield and Cheldan Homes, and also to be McSam Realtor of the year finalist in 2014 with DBA.

CD: How do you stay sharp in a challenging market?

TW: Mobile devices. In this market, buyers see a property and want to know information on it immediately. I can do that. Buyers right now have to make quick offers. I can do that. But I couldn’t if it wasn’t for my mobile devices. Pretty simple really. The thing is, I’m faster on mine than others on theirs. #millennialrealtors #YPN

CD: Where is home for you in Dallas?

TW: West Frisco. But to my family in South Oak Cliff … Oklahoma.

CD: And you drive a … let me guess, Range Rover?

TW: Yes. But I keep it on the Range Rover lot and drive my 2014 Hyundai Sonata most of the time.

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

TW: Kessler Park. My wife and I named named our son Kessler after the neighborhood that we first lived in together before moving to Frisco.

CD: What was your best/highest sale?

TW: My best deal FOR SURE was brokering the lots between Impression Homes and Centurion American to build the Lake Arlington community, Waterfront at Enchanted Bay.

CD: Likewise, what was your most challenging or memorable transaction?

TW: My first. I had only had my license for 2 weeks before I was out with a qualified buyer at Meritage Homes at Glenbrooke Estates in Prosper. I showed my buyers 1 spec and I was told that if I couldn’t close them that day, I wouldn’t at all. After seeing the spec they asked if I had anything else to show them and I remember putting on a stone-cold face and saying “No. That is the best home for you guys,” and waiting for their reaction.

Instead of “let us think about it” or “we want to see something else,” they signed a contract with Meritage Homes that day.

Waiting for a client’s response when it’s crunch time is the ultimate dramatic pause.

CD: Tell us: What was the most interesting thing to happen to you while working with a client?

TW: I had a buyer run out of gas so I had to help them push their car into the gas station. Thank God we were almost there to begin with.

CD: How quickly have you ever turned a house?

TW: I’ve received multiple offers within minutes of a home going live and had it close within 3 weeks.

CD: How much did you sell last year?

TW: 19 units equaling about $3.6M and closed about 50 builder-developer lots.

CD: What words of wisdom do you often share with clients?

TW: This isn’t the market for your bargain but you don’t have to over-offer for you to get a home. There are other ways to make the offer stand out.

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

TW: Produce music or audio for video.

CD: Do you have a second home? If so, where?

TW: No second home and no need for one with VRBO and HomeAway.