David Collier Believes in The Power of East Dallas Community

Share News:

Despite all of the new technology available to agents today, success is still determined by an agent’s ability to get a deal done, says David Collier, this week’s High Caliber Agent presented by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans. It takes passion, commitment, and consistency to keep clients coming back, and to build a business that thrives no matter what cycle of the Dallas real estate market we are in.

“I’ve been witness to the ebbs and flows of the Dallas real estate market, in which you see tons of new agents piling into the industry believing that it is an easy business that translates to an easy way to make money,” Collier told CandysDirt.com. “But take it from me: You must still be on the ground and dedicated to make buying and selling happen in this marketplace, today or any day.”

Find out more about this week’s High Caliber Agent presented by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans, and how Collier’s dedication to his clients, his community, and his family has given his business the kind of staying power that some Dallas real estate agents only dream of.

The Dallas real estate market is increasingly competitive for agents and brokerages. How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?

At the pace in which Dallas is growing, and the rate in which innovation is transforming all business, there is certainly opportunity within the real estate marketplace for all kinds of agents.

In my 25 years of selling real estate, it has always been critically important to evolve with the tools of our industry, which allow me to be more efficient and productive, to stay connected with my client, and to know the marketplace and my client inside and out. With the saturation of high tech, social media, and marketing buzz, I can see that we are in a time in which technology certainly increases the ability to stay connected and is a great tool in order to market your homes, but in the post-Facebook and Instagram era, one thing for me has rang true to my success — it is exemplary customer service requiring my dedication, time, and presence that is the one required tool that actually makes deals happen.

When business is booming and houses do not stay on the market, you need a real person to jump in and make the deal happen. Equally, when there is a slump, you need real agents to dig in and figure out a way to get a deal done.  I’ve been witness to the ebbs and flows of the Dallas real estate market, in which you see tons of new agents piling into the industry believing that it is an easy business that translates to an easy way to make money. Today it seems we are once again in the era where individuals believe that technology is the only tool needed to be a success. But take it from me: You must still be on the ground and dedicated to make buying and selling happen in this marketplace, today or any day.

Art, design, the outdoors, charity  — tell us: What are you passionate about besides real estate?

Even when I dream at night, truly somehow my dreams have homes, developments, buildings, and architecture in them. As a child growing up here in Dallas, I can tell you where my favorite home was in each neighborhood and who the architect was.

I think architecture, design, and homes are in my DNA, so it’s easy for me to do things off the clock that still  have to do with real estate in some form. I have two young children with whom I joyously coordinate my work life around in order to share my life with them and be fully present, to share my passions, provide them with memorable experiences, and show them that being with your family as well as giving back to your community is the most important thing for a full life. 

Both of my children attend the Dallas ISD public school Hexter Elementary. I invest a lot of my time and money into the school in hopes of ensuring that education and opportunities are possible for all children. Though I sponsor many events for the school, I am passionately committed to producing the White Rock Home Tour, which is East Dallas’ premier modern home tour happening every April. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit Hexter Elementary

Twelve years ago, my husband and I built and created our first modern cabin home in the forest of Hotchatown, Oklahoma, which is about a three-hour drive from Dallas, but a true retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. At that time it was a relatively unknown sliver of paradise. Over time, as more and more people have discovered the Beavers Bend Lake area, we have developed and built numerous modern cabins in the area for second home investments for families in both Texas and Oklahoma. Travel, experiencing other cultures, and discovery has never been more enjoyable as now that I am a father. I always had a wanderlust spirit and always travelled, but now I get to see how that love of travel can be contagious in my own children. 

Now that our children are older and well seasoned for the ups and downs of travel, our destinations are progressively getting farther and farther. In the summer of 2018, I was able to share with them a place that I love and know well — Italy. Our newest, every-chance-we-get destination due to the convenience and most importantly the beauty is Costa Rica. Like our history with Hotchatown, we have all fallen in love with the people and the country, thus we are on target to design and build our family’s very first international getaway home and retreat there this year.  As I think about it all, I know that I am so thankful and so blessed.

The real estate business is all about relationships. How do you keep clients coming back?

If you know a successful Realtor, you know that their phone is always ringing no matter where you are. You’ve honestly got to love people and this business as well as being available at all time, or your frustration level will provide for a quick burnout.  

I think my true love of home, whether buying or selling, and my innate compassion and desire for people and my clients resonates throughout the experience. I feel good when I can help the first-time homeowner find their dream home. I am honored and protective when a family reaches out to me to help them sell their parents home and the house they grew up in. Though real estate, is an exchange of a commodity, it is the greatest investment that a human has and requires your head, your heart, and your instincts to be present to ensure the client is both confident and content in the end. This is where communication far outweighs technological advancements. You must be able to communicate with the other agents as well as your client in order to make anything in today’s busy market work.

I can only guess, but I sincerely believe that my client comes back to me because they know I have always looked out for their best interest and will always have time and share my time to make certain they feel good about their investment. In the end, it’s how we all feel that keeps us coming back, regardless of the industry, right?  

Why is finding the right lender and loan for your clients crucial to your business?

Knowing the right lender truly determines if my hard work as an agent is going to translate into a success for my client. It is the link in the transactional chain, from beginning to end, that determines how content and comfortable your client is and provides the reassurance and trust that we all need when making one of our lives greatest decisions — buying and selling a home.

For me to be a success, especially in a competitive market, it is critical that I align my client not with just any lender, but the right lender up front and immediately, so that collectively we — the client, the lender, and me (the agent) — can all work together knowing the parameters that will equate to the right investment.

Once again, just knowing the right lender requires both experience and knowledge about who is out there and how they work. I have worked for a very long time with Lisa Peters at Caliber Home Loans, and she is always knowledgeable about all of the different mortgage options available that can best suit my client’s specific needs. I trust and know from experience that, in her hands, the client’s needs are the priority in every transaction and my client is truly her client and greatest priority. She has the dedication, commitment, and expedient service that, time after time, have helped me to make buying and selling in Dallas seem streamlined and effortless.

I find my success is never a solo venture, I am only as successful as the people I work with and surround myself with. Once again, I’ve been blessed to find the very best.   


Do you know a High Caliber Agent? Email [email protected] to share their story.

Joanna England is the Executive Editor at CandysDirt.com and covers the North Texas housing market.

Leave a Comment