Cody

No matter which newspaper you pick up today, you’re going to find a great selection of homes for sale by The Ebby Halliday Companies. 

On the back page of the Business Section of today’s Fort Worth Star-Telegram, you’ll find a great collection of incredible kitchens.  From a more than $4 million Vaquero estate (pictured above) to well under $500,000 - you’ll find a kitchen perfect for your holiday entertaining.  See the online version of the ad here.

Meanwhile, in The Dallas Morning News, (also on the back page of the Business Section) you’ll find more than 50 DFW homes for sale.  These homes are all listings of our Breakfast of Champions winners - Associates who had the highest number of listings and sales in their office for Third Quarter 2009.  No matter your style, desired location or budget, you’re sure to fall in love with at least one home from this incredible collection.  See the full ad from The Dallas Morning News here.

And speaking of ads, today we’re going to deck the halls on Deloache Avenue in Preston Hollow.  Our friends at Dr. Delphinium Designs & Events are transforming another Ebby listing into a winter wonderland which will appear in a December ad.  Stay tuned for more information on that and if you’re in the area, stop by and say hi - just look for the big Dr. D truck and lots of busy workers trying to make the home perfect before the sunset photo shoot.

Cody

Ebby Halliday is comprised of some of the best Sales Associates in the Metroplex.  And maybe we’re a bit biased, but we think there’s no better broker than Ebby for an Associate to build and grow a successful business. 

 
But don’t just take our word for it – there’s no better testament to this than an Associate who has returned to Ebby after being with another broker – just like Donna Trayler (pictured above with Vice President & Director of Sales Offices, Betty Misko and Company President & CEO, Mary Frances Burleson). 

 
Donna started her real estate career with Ebby in 1990 and quickly achieved Top Team status for Ebby Halliday companywide for almost a decade. In a recent interview about her return, Donna had this to say about Ebby Halliday Realtors:

 “It’s true that you don’t fully appreciate what you have until it’s gone.  I started in this business as an Ebby Associate and I know now that I’ve always been an Ebby girl at heart.  I missed the traditional real estate business model and having a dedicated relocation department to better serve my corporate clients.  But most of all, I missed Ebby’s high standard of ethics.  The Ebby name is synonymous with integrity and is respected throughout our community – and that’s an invaluable benefit to any Associate. “     

 
To learn more about Donna’s recent return, see the full article from The Dallas Morning News here.

Cody

Comprised of three brands and more than 1,600 Sales Associates and staff in 30 offices that serve more than 12,000 square miles in North Texas, The Ebby Halliday Companies continue to grow.  We are pleased to welcome the following new Associates in October:

               Linda Ward Ambrose       Douglas

               George Bryant                  Flower Mound/Lewisville 

               Wendy Burr Gaule            Ellen Terry - Park Cities 

               Kim Burrough                   Sherman 

               Rebecca Castonguay        Rockwall 

               Bobbie Collier                   Campbell/Coit 

               Alvin Cooper                     Douglas 

               Melody Doll Warren          Irving/Las Colinas 

               Kaylon Ethridge                Douglas 

               Denise Fitzgerald             McKinney 

               Pat Halback                      Frisco 

               Lori Hoyt                           Preston Keller 

               Steve Hustoles                  Plano 

               Nina Knell Sache              Dave Perry-Miller - Highland Park 

               Jolene Landis                   Rockwall 

               Barbara Martin                  Preston Plano Parkway 

               Dennis McBride                 Flower Mound/Lewisville 

               Craig McClain                   McKinney 

               Teresa Neumann              Frisco 

               Lee Osteguin                    Allen 

               Roy Palvadeau                 Preston Plano Parkway 

               Angela Porow                   Tri-Counties 

               Amy Rakoczy                    Southlake 

               Melanie Reneau                Frisco 

               Cindy Singleton                Sherman 

               Cathy Sullivan                   Whitesboro 

               Debrah West                      Frisco 

               Jauana Williams                Flower Mound/Lewisville          

If you would like to learn more about a career with The Ebby Halliday Companies, contact Debbie Watson, Director of Career Development, at 972-980-6610 or debbiewatson@ebby.com.

Cody

If you’re planning to tour Open Houses this weekend, there’s no better place to start your search than the Ebby Open House Search page!  This weekend you’ll find almost 300 to choose from!  Happy touring!

Cody

Week 1 of Ebby Academy is coming to a close today and the almost 40 new Associates in this month’s class have had quite a week, learning from the top down why Ebby is the best place to begin a career in real estate.  Case in point, Ebby herself and Company President & CEO Mary Frances Burleson opened the class Monday morning and since then, Associates have been schooled on everything from Business Development to Social Media Networking.  And all these classes are taught by experts in those respective fields, including current Ebby Associates, Managers and Executive Staff. 

Yesterday’s highlight was a Panel of Achievers (pictured above), featuring 4 current Ebby Associates who shared their experiences about getting started in the business.  A special thank you to Jeff Weaver of the Preston Plano Parkway office for serving as the panel moderator and our four panelists: Chris Hickman of the Lakewood office, Kristi Davis of the Irving/Las Colinas office, Stacey Zimmerman of the Preston Plano Parkway office and Francisco Aguayo of the Flower Mound/Lewisville office.

Today’s class is Financial Management: You and the IRS, taught by Ebby CFO Ron Burgert, along with a little help from Ralph Stanford of The Levee Singers. 

“When new Associates complete our two-week training course, they have not only learned how to start and build a successful business but they also have confidence in their skills.  And we don’t stop there - our department provides comprehensive continuing education with an array of classes each month at the Corporate headquarters and in our branch offices,” says Debbie Watson, director of career development.

And if you’re interested in a career with The Ebby Halliday Family of Companies, contact Debbie to set up a confidential interview at 972-980-6610 or debbiewatson@ebby.com.

Cody

Our friend Candy Evans (you know her as DallasDirt blogger extraordinaire) has chosen another Ebby listing as the “D Sale of the Week”.  This time it’s 11036 Creekmere in the Lochwood area of East Dallas, listed by Jeraldine Wooldridge. 

This modern gem is located on a beautiful greenbelt and has never been remodeled - consider it a blank canvas.  But judging by the contract pending flag on ebby.com, someone already has. 

But fear not, ebby.com has many other options to choose from, start your search now.

And to learn more about 11036 Creekmere, check out D Magazine here.

Cody

The front page of today’s Dallas Morning News states that pre-owned home sales in North Texas were up 11% in October from a year ago - that’s the first year-over-year gain since September 2008 and one of the best signs yet that the local housing market has turned the corner!

The article cites the $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit as one of the reasons for the increase and with the recent extension of the credit and the addition of a $6,500 credit for buyers who have lived in their current home for at least 5 years, the Spring 2010 market is already looking bright.

Mary Frances Burleson, president & CEO of The Ebby Halliday Companies is quoted at the end of the article saying:

“Every time a house sells, it adds to our economy.  People buy furniture.  They pay the moving company and the title company - it brings a lot of dollars to many businesses.  Every time we come out of a real estate downturn, housing leads the way.”

To read the full article by Steve Brown, click here.

Cody

Every other month, The Ebby Halliday Companies welcome new Associates to the two-week Ebby Academy, a world-class, results-driven new agent education program at the Ebby Halliday training center. 

Today marked the first day of the November class with close to 40 new Associates who will be trained in lead generation, open house techniques, lead conversion, client presentations, business planning, negotiation, marketing, risk management and more.  

Led by Debbie Watson, director of career development, new Associates will enjoy presentations from leaders in the industry to better prepare them for a successful career in real estate with the #1 independent residential real estate company in Texas. 

As a special treat, on the final day of class, Associates are entertained with a special serenade by Founder & Chairman of the Board, Ebby Halliday on her infamous ukulele.  If you’d like to experience that for yourself, check out the video below from a 2006 class - much like the Energizer Bunny, she’s still going and not much has changed since this 3-year-old performance.

A warm welcome to all our new Associates who started class today - you’re going to love it and we’re so glad to have you at Ebby Halliday!

And if you’re interested in a career with Ebby, contact Debbie Watson to set up a confidential interview at 972-980-6610 or debbiewatson@ebby.com.

Cody

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend and there’s no better place to start your Open House Search than the Ebby Open House Search page!  This weekend you’ll find almost 250 to choose from!  Happy touring!

Cody

There’s no better place to start your weekend Open House Search than the Ebby Open House Search page!  This weekend you’ll find more than 200 to choose from!  Happy touring & Happy Halloween!