Born, raised and educated in Iowa. Graduated from Boone High School, Buena Vista University (B.A.) and Iowa State University (M.S.)

Worked as a lifeguard and pool manager growing up. First “real” job was as Program Manager for the Ames Chamber of Commerce. Moved to Texas and worked at Texas State University as a Student Affairs professional and adjunct faculty. Spent one year as a Special Education teacher, and one year recovering. Have been in Real Estate for the past 4 years and looking forward to several more.

Professional affiliations have included and do include Iowa Chamber of Commerce Executives, Ames Jaycees, ISU Graduate Student Senate, Higher Education Graduate Student Organization, American College Personnel Association Wellness Committee, Hockey Club advisor,  Challenge Course facilitator, Leave No Trace trainer, Graduate – Realtor Institute, Sellers Representative Specialist, Austin Board of REALTORS Education and Professional Development Committee, and Cancer Connection volunteer.

Affiliated with Hugh Parrish at Parrish & Associates, REALTORS®.  My broker has been in the business for 27 years, sits 10 feet from me most days and is just a phone call away when one of us is not in the office. We’re a small firm, with incredibly high standards, and impeccable client relations. Our new clients become lifetime clients, and our lifetime clients continue to refer their friends and loved ones to us on a consistent basis. This is the way business should be done everywhere…and it’s how we do it every day.

I can’t honestly say that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to be in Real Estate…but I can tell you that I figured it out in High School but at the time the “right thing to do” was to go to college. If you don’t have time or don’t care, you’ll really want to skip this section!

Growing up in a small Iowa town, I enjoyed playing outside with my neighbors and riding my “green machine” around the block. Mom always reminds me that I wore the wheels out because I would always go as fast as possible then skid to a stop in front of the house.  We had a “little garage” that became our playhouse when I was about 8. We thought we had struck gold!

After High School I attended Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. While in college I participated in as much as possible – student activities board, newspaper, radio station, tv station, university relations newsletter and cheerleading for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. At the time I had no idea how easy life was – nor how long it was going to take me to pay back all those student loans! One thing to note – during my senior year of college I discovered I had “the big C word”…cancer. Slight change of plans – and I had to move home to undergo surgery and radiation therapy. I had motivation to get healthy quickly though – a senior trip through Europe during the month of January!

 One thing I tell everyone when we discuss my experience with cancer is that you really learn how much people care about you – and how many!

Each summer – from the time I was able to work at 14 - I spent working at pools, either as a lifeguard or as a manager. My favorite job was managing a pool for a tiny little town of 300 people…seeing all the businesses willing to support us in programming was pretty neat. I remember the City Manager saying “Chad, pools never make money – don’t worry about that. We want you to give our kids a fun and safe place to hang out…”  Much to all of our surprise we turned a profit that year – almost unheard of in a community pool. We programmed the heck out of that place…activities every night…water aerobics 3 times a week. Adults only nights, float-in movies…and rules. People always complain about rules – but you know they all appreciate the end result. I think that’s where my passion to provide outstanding customer service experiences really took hold.  

So the summer after college I hadn’t found a job yet….and went back to the Stratford pool.  About a month later I was hired by the Ames Chamber of Commerce as their Program Manager. Responsible for coordinating efforts for the Downtown Business Association, Campustown Business Association, Government Affairs Committee and Leadership Ames programs. Kinda sad to leave the pool, but it was time for a real job!

The job was fantastic – and I had a great time. During my time with the Chamber I was able to get heavily involved in programs at Iowa State University, which led me to my next big aha moment. Through my business relationship then friendship with then Student Activities Director Terri Houston – I was drawn into the Higher Education Administration arena.

With Iowa State University so close and a supervisor that was very supportive – I enrolled in the Higher Education Administration program.  Each year there are two professional conferences for Higher Ed professionals – and when one was held very close to home (4 hours away in Missouri) I jumped at the chance to go. Several friends and I piled in my car and headed down to check things out and see what we could learn. While we were there I joined the American College Personnel Association Wellness Commission – it was great to be with a group of like minded people that were already in the profession that I wanted to get into.

After enjoying a week of learning and exploration it was time to head back to Ames for both school and work. When I walked in the office on Monday morning – I could tell something was odd. Things were quiet. People looked sad. Even the phones seemed quiet. As soon as I sat down at my desk my boss came in my office and shut the door. I remember thinking “holy cow he’s going to fire me!”… as glad as I was to be wrong – I was very saddened by what he told me. You see when I first started our secretary came in to my office and told me that she had recently had breast cancer….so if I noticed her gone for lots of appointments and such I would understand. What my boss came in to tell me was that Shirley had been hospitalized while I was gone – with a recurrence of breast cancer. Being a cancer survivor myself – you can’t imagine all the things going through my mind. To make a long story short…the experience reminded me how short life was…and that the job I was in was not the job for me anymore.

That realization led me to leave the Chamber and attend graduate school full time. Scary. No more paychecks. I remember very clearly telling my parents what I was going to do….and my dad saying “are you #)&% CRAZY?”  I took that as his blessing to follow my dream.

Thank god for student loans (at least that’s what I thought at the time!) 1 year. Full time. Lots of friends, lots of fun, lots of new experiences. Kinda started to miss a regular paycheck though – so I started job hunting and that led me to Texas (it was February in Iowa…very cold…and the grass was green here in Texas!) Thankfully I was able to meet all of the requirements in two solid summers and one full academic year. Sure seemed longer. Sure missed that paycheck!

In 1999 I packed up everything I had in a truck we rented from one of my Dad’s buddies that owned a delivery service – and off to Texas we went. Straight down Interstate 35 for 16 hours….to San Marcos, Texas…home of Texas State University (then Southwest Texas State University). Texas State provided tons of opportunity to work with students – both in the residential environment as well as in the classroom.  Working with students was incredibly rewarding – so rewarding that I thought I wanted to be a k-12 educator.  Circumstances aligned themselves such that I was able to participate in an accelerated certification program and after several months and lots of hours of training and testing, I received a special education teacher certification.

Often things happen all at once….and this was a perfect illustration of how true that is. In just 15 days I had resigned from my job at Texas State, purchased my first house, started my new job as a special education teacher, and had my first day of chemotherapy. Yes…I had cancer again! Again I learned how many people care about me, and how deep that care and friendship really is. Far from home, my friends helped me through the tough times and helped keep my spirits up. They also helped reassure my parents who were still in Iowa that they would take care of their baby boy!

After spending just one year as a 4^th and 5^th grade teacher in a behavioral modification room, I realized that being that type of teacher was certainly not for me.  With the encouragement of my partner and friends, I took a year off to really think about what I wanted to do. After some serious soul searching and evaluation  – the answer was Real Estate….that career I had always thought would be fun but never had the guts to go for.

People always tell me that things have a way of coming together for me…

 I met Hugh Parrish through my partner Rick Shaffer – another example of things coming together for the best.  After working on Hugh’s home for several months (yes – complete remodel – and no, I don’t do that anymore!) we began talking about the possibility of me coming to work for him in his real estate office.

Hugh offered me a chance to work in his office for two weeks while one of his assistants was on a cruise with her family. During those two weeks I got to learn first hand how the property management services worked for Hugh’s biggest clients, Fannie Mae and Washington Mutual REO. Shortly after, I began taking the classes needed to become a licensed Real Estate salesperson in Texas.  Once those courses were complete, I spent a full year working in Hugh’s office – watching, learning, fixing computers, and learning some more.  

As that year came to a close I took my real estate exam and was able to begin helping people buy and sell homes – as a new agent that actually knew how the process really worked and how to work in the best interest of my clients – even when that means I don’t make any money. I’m pretty sure there are no other agents in town that have had the same fantastic opportunity. I know that my clients have benefited greatly from the knowledge and experience that I gained from working with Hugh and his staff, and the resources and knowledge that he continues to share with me on a daily basis. Unlike most agents, I have total access to my broker – he sits 10 feet from me nearly every day – and when he’s out, he’s just a phone call away. That means answers…correct answers, real answers, and quick response.

After two years as a licensed salesperson, a company called By Referral Only was recommended to me by two of my mentors – and I thought that this could be another example of things coming together for the best. After attending a short introductory session I knew that their business model was for me and I signed up for a week long intense workshop held in San Diego, CA. During that workshop it became clear that by incorporating the By Referral Only systems with the resources and experience afforded by my association with Hugh I could provide a full experience that no other agent could touch.  Aligning with the By Referral Only model – I explain to clients that I am more than a real estate agent, I am a Real Estate Consultant. A real estate agent often functions as a salesperson – working for their commission regardless of the outcome or the best interests of the client. As a Real Estate Consultant, I ask deep, thought provoking questions and work very closely with my clients through every step of the transaction. This allows me to meet their needs at a level that is very rare in the profession. It has also resulted in every single client referring a friend or loved one to me. That’s 100% and that really says something.

I have this habit of immersing myself in my career. At the Chamber I participated in tons of organizations both as a chamber professional and as a community volunteer. At Texas State I spent a lot of my free time advising student groups and organizations, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. As a Real Estate Consultant, I have been spending time on committees at the Austin Board of Realtors – as a member of the Education and Professional Development Committee, as a beta tester for the new MLS system, and most recently as a member of the Grievance Committee. Additionally, I have spent a lot of time immersing myself in educational opportunities related to my career – earning the GRI and SRS designations, and working toward the CRS and ABR designations. Check out my blog for more information on what this means to my clients.

One important thing I haven’t shared yet….I’m a firm believer that things come to you when you give what you can.  In the What’s Important to Me section, you’ll find some of the things that make me tick…some of the things I give my time and attention to, and some of the organizations, people and causes I support.

Education.    

Buena Vista University (www.bvu.edu) I’m a bit biased, but I really believe this is the best small college on the planet!

Iowa State University (www.iastate.edu) One of the best Higher Education programs in the United States. Yup…probably biased some about that too…but you know how it goes…

Texas State University (www.txstate.edu) A rising star in Texas.

Region XIII (www.esc13.net) A fantastic group of professionals completely dedicated to helping teachers and students succeed.

Austin Institute of Real Estate (www.austininstitute.com) Likely the best source for licensing courses in the State of Texas, and that’s no bull!

Austin Board of Realtors (www.abor.com) Comprehensive educational opportunities for both REALTORS® and assistants.            

Environment.

Diesel Green Fuels (www.dieselgreenfuels.com) I fuel my car with 90% (or higher if available) biodiesel – reducing my environmental impact every day.

Recycled Paper – mine comes from a local paper supplier called Xpedex. Everything I print comes out on recycled paper, and everything that comes to me gets recycled!

Eco-Wise (www.ecowise.com) Where I get my biodiesel, and a few assorted gifts when the need arises.

Carbon Offsets (www.terrapass.com) I make a conscious effort to minimize my impact on the environment – recycling, driving with biodiesel, being mindful of my power usage, etc. I can’t eliminate all use of our resources, so I also offset anything I can’t eliminate with the help of www.terrapass.com.

Buying Local.

You know – it just makes sense. Why not support the people in the community that support me??? We’re lucky here in Austin…farmers markets, small and home based businesses, and the Austin originals are everywhere. Do what you can. Check out www.keepaustinproud.com for more.

Amy Krause – Mortgages Direct www.amykrause.com

Sandi Gillis – Land America Austin Title www.austintitle.com

Alan McLaughlin  – Q Avenue Internet Productions www.qavenue.net

John Paul Fiero – South Austin People www.southaustinpeople.com

Claire Bondy-Hyder – Acupuncture Works of Austin www.austin-acupuncture.com

Matt Hyder – Color Works of Austin/Vibe of Austin

Richard Shaffer – Shaffer Chiropractic

Karen Greif  – Cancer Connection www.cancareaustin.org

Dennis Tweedy (and entire staff) – Southwest Regional Cancer Center www.swrcc.com

Scott Gordon – By Referral Only  www.byreferralonly.com

Scott Curry – Austin Sports Performance www.austinsportsperformance.com

Duane Peed (Seller)

Jessica Salinas (Seller)

Robert Weir (Buyer and Seller)

Robert Buckner (Buyer)

Heather Wheeler (Seller)

Judith Cornelius (Seller)

Claire & Matt Hyder (Buyer and Seller)

Charles Alexis (Buyer)

Joe Norville (upcoming Buyer)

Tom & Judy Gentry (Buyer)

Joe Norville (upcoming Buyer)

Scott Shepperd (upcoming Buyer)

Brad Stribling (Property Management)

Vu Doan (upcoming Buyer)