Movers: The Agency in Dallas Lands Ebby Halliday Standout

Chase Duran, the 26-year old winner of Ebby Halliday’s “rising star” realtor award in DFW last year, has staked his future with the Agency.

The luxury resi brokerage run by Mauricio Umansky opened its first Dallas branch in March, operated by local agents Damon and Megan Williamson, formerly of Compass. Sources told The Real Deal the Williamsons have recruited around 20 agents so far and are looking to hire around 50. The brokerage will service the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area and will have a focus in the high-end market.

Duran sold $18 million and ranked third in sales at Ebby Halliday’s Frisco office last year, according to firm’s website. Ebby Halliday is the top brokerage by sales volume across Dallas-Fort Worth. The firm did over $2 billion in sales in Dallas alone last year, according to The Real Deal’s 2022 brokerage rankings.

Duran decided to join the firm after the Williamsons reached out a few months ago but left Ebby amicably, he said.

“There was nothing wrong with Ebby. But The Agency’s vision, their core values, just aligned with what I was looking for,” Duran said. “I need a broker that’s going to help me scale my business to the next level. I felt that I wasn’t getting as much guidance to properly sell luxury homes, and I knew the Agency was going to help get me there.”

Duran said long-term he hopes to expand into the Miami, Los Angeles and New York markets.

In other news …

Dallas-based SRS Real Estate Partners hired Jeff Enck as senior vice president with a focus on the investment and sale of unanchored retail assets throughout the Southeast (he is based in Atlanta) and around the country. With retail occupancy figures above 90 percent across the country, the firm believes long-term investment in unanchored retail spaces, including restaurants, will show strong returns.

Jefferson Bank, a family owned bank in San Antonio, has expanded into the Austin Market. The company opened a 5,000 square foot branch in March at the Norwood Tower in the city’s Central Business District, according to a company news release. The firm is projecting its Austin team to grow commercial loans by $100 million this year and $500 million in the next five years, the release stated.