With Her Back Against the Wall, Judi Wright Proved Real Estate Was The Way

By Rick Mauch
Candy’s Dirt Contributor

Ebby Halliday Realtor Judi Wright had planned on getting into the real estate business when she retired from the corporate world. But the corporate world had other ideas.

When she was laid off from her position as a marketing executive, Judi moved up her real estate timeline. She began taking real estate classes and soon, everything just clicked. She found she really liked it, and that she could be good at it.

“My husband was freaking out when I said I wanted to do real estate full-time for a living,” Judi said. “He was self-employed and we had four kids, so my corporate insurance had been covering all of us for about six years. He said, ‘You will never replace that big six-figure income,’ … and we were off. 

But Judi earned her real estate license in April 2002 and sold a house her first week, thanks to a referral from a friend. 

“It was a challenge to prove him wrong. Of course, it didn’t happen in one year and it took a lot of work,” Judi said.

Woman About Town

Judi says her husband of 23 years is very proud of her today, as she has now been a success in the industry for almost two decades. She has been named a top Realtor in Dallas 16 years by D Magazine.

Today she’s the team leader for The Judi Wright Team in Ebby Halliday’s successful Frisco office. Together with her team of agents who include Monica Otis, Cristy Russum, and Lynn Varan, the Judi Wright Team serves the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“I live in Frisco so I sell a lot in Frisco, but we have agents in The Colony, Plano, and Frisco on our team.  We work predominantly in Dallas, Denton, and Collin County but we do go outside these areas occasionally,” she said.

Judi loves her home in Frisco, but she holds a special place in her heart for Lewisville, where her family moved to from Indiana, right before she began high school.  

“I will always be proud to be a Lewisville Fighting Farmer,” she said.  

Tales to Tell

Judi has plenty of interesting stories to tell from her time in the business.

“I have walked in on people taking showers, had a homeless person hiding in a closet at a vacant property in Dallas — that scared me, and him, to death — and things like that, but my most interesting one was a sad one,” Judi said. 

“I was concerned and had a bad feeling when I couldn’t reach the seller of a listing. I brought my husband to this listing to check on her and unfortunately, she had passed away in her upstairs bedroom.”

Challenges and Rewards

Judi said the biggest challenge in the industry today is finding enough homes to sell in order to achieve annual goals.

“We’re always looking to grow our business and it’s hard when no one is moving. So we have to figure out how we are going to recreate and improve on our year every year,” she said.

As for the biggest reward? She said it’s knowing she has helped her clients make a smart buying or selling decision.  

“I know the value we bring to the table in terms of negotiating, pricing analysis, and marketing, so that’s a given. But when a client allows us to fully represent them and takes our advice and we later get to see the fruit of our labors in a great investment or return for them, it makes me happy,” she said. 

“Real estate brings you home, but it is also wealth building, and many of our younger clients are just starting out and we utilize our experience and skills to help them.”

When Judi’s not working, she loves playing tennis and golf, along with traveling and spending time with her dogs.

“I love dogs. I have a boxer/bulldog mix rescue named Charley.  We love her so much,” she said.

Judi and her husband have been married for 23 years and have a blended family of four grown children, Jimmy, Shane, Jennifer, and Chase.