Sherri Murphy is a native of the DFW area with over 40 years of experience in the Real Estate Industry. She knows the importance of having Listing and Buyer Consultations with her clients and listening to their needs and goals. This enables her to sell timely for the highest dollar or find the right home, at the right price for her buyer, while not missing anything in the market. Sherri is a Certified Luxury Home Specialist with NAR, a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, has qualified for the Guild Designation, and is a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
Here, she talks with Haute Residence about her real estate journey and how the biggest successes can come in the most unexpected ways.
Why did you choose Real Estate?
Ever since I was a little girl I have been fascinated with real estate. My grandfather and uncle were both builders, so it was in my blood. I have tried other things over the years but always came back to real estate. It just comes naturally to me, and I love serving my clients, providing them with the ultimate real estate service, and making sure they find the right home.
What was your journey to where you are today?
After I got my license in 1985, I had 2 children, so it was hard to work nights and weekends showing homes. So, I went to work for a PMI company as an asset manager selling foreclosed properties. This was the next best thing for me since I was able to negotiate the contracts, repair amendments, etc.
From there I went to work for the RTC (or Resolution Trust Corporation) selling portfolios of properties on the open market from failed savings and loans. I was eventually lured away by a property management company that had bought a large portfolio of mixed properties including multifamily, office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use from the RTC. These were non-performing properties, and I was hired to get them profitable again so they could sell them. I succeeded and worked myself out of a job.
I took some time off after having my 3rd child, and then eventually went back to work in the mortgage world. But I soon realized that my heart and passion were in real estate, and I moved back into that arena in 2016 as an administrator for a well-known large brokerage firm. I had let my license go several years before, so I renewed my license and went back into sales shortly thereafter.
What is one of your favorite client stories?
I had a client relocating to our area and they wanted to downsize at the same time. They wanted to settle in the very popular city of Southlake, and we found a very nice home, but it needed some updating. Shortly after they closed, the market went crazy, and appreciation skyrocketed in a very short period of time. Six months after they closed on their home, they realized they did not want to downsize after all and did not want to go to the hassle of updating the home. They called me to list their home and find another home in a neighboring town. They were terrified they would not be able to sell their home high enough to break even and find something else because everything was selling so fast and with multiple offers.
In the end, they sold their home in 48 hours and walked away with approximately 24% more than what they paid for the home, as is, and we won on the first offer we made in a multiple-offer situation on their dream home. The clients were ecstatic! They were able to move from one home to the next without going into temporary housing and are still in love with their home today, almost 3 years later.
What is your biggest success story to date?
I have been sustaining my business with referrals from my past clients and sphere, so I was giving out the leads we generated to my team members. I had a team member leave, so by chance, I took a lead that came in one evening. The gentleman was looking to transfer here from another state and was curious to know how buying a home worked in Texas. He only wanted to communicate via email, and after a few days asked if I could gather information on a property, he saw online. I got the information for him and within a few days, he flew out to see the home and several others with me. He then flew his wife out to see the home he initially inquired about, and after she approved, we made an offer and closed on a $9.575 million dollar home within a month. He is now starting to build luxury homes in our area, and I am his Professional Real Estate Advisor, finding the land for him and I will be listing the homes once they are underway. It has been such a blessing.
What makes your market unique?
The Dallas area has become the home for many major companies moving their headquarters to the area. The fact that the price of land was reasonable compared to other parts of the country, the international airport is so convenient to fly out of, and the price of housing was also a big plus. We have major athletic teams, restaurants, shopping, arts, and entertainment, not to mention our climate here is usually very nice.
Texas is very friendly as well as the Dallas area, and communities are very close and support each other. We also have wonderful school districts, and lots of activities for the kids to get involved in, and it is a great place to raise families. According to bizjournals.com, the Dallas area averaged 328 people a day moving to the area in 2022.
For more information, please contact Sherri Murphy at 817-929-2059 or sherri@theultimateregroup.com
Sherri Murphy is one of the exclusive agents representing the Dallas, TX real estate market as a member of the Haute Residence Real Estate Network. View all of her listings here.
