Cruisin’ Down the Highway

Lisa Dyer, a former elementary school teacher, packed up in 2017 and joined the long stream of cars, trucks, and SUVs headed for Texas. Virginia was in her rearview mirror. Most people didn’t realize Lisa completed all the courses necessary for her real estate license in 2008 but stopped just short of getting her license.

“I didn’t feel the time was right,” Lisa said. “I had a lot of personal issues going on, plus the DC market hadn’t started bouncing back from the recession. To me, that wasn’t the best situation for making important decisions that included a career change.”

Life choices and directions became clearer for Lisa when she became an official Texas transplant.

“I did a lot of networking,” she said, “and it didn’t take long to figure out it was time to get my real estate license. It only took about three weeks, since I already had nearly
everything I needed.”

I-35 is a 1,569-mile stretch of interstate that spans the entire nation, with 503.9 of those miles snaking through Texas. It passes through five Texas counties, with one 85-mile segment becoming especially important to Lisa – the I-35 West Corridor.

Commercial and residential real estate is literally booming along the corridor. Today, leading developers and builders are filling the former pastureland with imposing, and very expensive, homes.

Living in Justin, Lisa is a dedicated member of her community. She serves on City of Justin committees and has established serious Texas roots. Through diligent research and study, she’s also become an expert in the area.

“Things really began happening for me when I joined Tru-Home in 2020,” she explained. “I was working with another firm, one of the larger ones where it’s difficult to have your work stand out from the crowd. A co-worker switched to Tru-Home, and I asked her about it. She was very enthusiastic. I looked into it. Keisha York is the managing broker and the founder of Tru-Home. At one time, she managed 1,500 agents, so she obviously has the experience. She does an exceptional job and I decided to join her in February of 2020.

“Real estate is a relationship business,” Lisa continued, “and teaching gave me a solid foundation. Standing in front of a class of elementary students means constantly taking in information, processing it, and making rapid decisions. It’s the same in real estate. There’s constant information going from buyer to seller, and vice-versa, with the agent in the middle.

“I feel we’re doing something important and worthwhile. There’s great joy in helping people find their dream home. I consider the 35 west corridor my base, which is why I do all I can to keep an accurate pulse on what’s happening in the area.

“Everyone handles the real estate process differently but, regardless, you must be proactive and put yourself out there. For the most part, I jumped in and figured it out. You become accustomed to forming a fast kind of relationship with people. You get to know them. You laugh with them. Then, the deal closes and, for the most part, the relationship is over, although I do try hard to stay in touch with my clients.

“Some of those relationships stay in your mind. I recently closed a deal with a lady I’d worked with for 1 ½-years. She got a second full-time job so she could buy her dream home. I was so incredibly happy for her that she got her first house after so much dedication and hard work. I also consider it an honor to be a part of the journey of people like this, as they push so hard to achieve their dream of homeownership.”

Lisa’s been married to her husband, Jim, for nearly nine years. She also has three adult children; her daughter lives in Texas and her two sons are in Virginia and Iowa.

Lisa has learned the art of being proactive quite well. She’s been selling real estate for four years, two of those at Tru-Home. Last year, 2021, she was the firm’s top solo agent. That’s quite an accomplishment.