Realtors | 2023

REALTORS ®

Like the rest of the country, Amarillo’s housing market has gone through a turbulent couple of years. Buying a home is always a big step for anyone. But with uncertainty within the market— related to everything from inventory to interest rates—it’s critical to partner with a professional who can help navigate the buying or selling process. Amarillo has no shortage of knowledgeable, experienced real estate professionals. We are thrilled to highlight a few of them in the following pages.

Charli Rae Gause Lyons Realty

How long have you been serving the local market? I have started my ninth year serving the Amarillo area real estate market. This year, I will be taking my test to become a licensed broker. I believe education is important, especially in real estate. In addition to my license, I hold two certifications: Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) and Senior Real Estate Specialist® (SRES).

What do you love most about what you do? A large portion of my transactions have involved estates, relocation and divorce. Each of these situations can be full of emotions and legal issues that need to be resolved. That can be stressful on every side. I understand that, and love being able to offer experience and solutions to help navigate through some of the hardest times of my client’s lives.

In a competitive market, how do you stand out? Along with my real estate experience, I have a design degree and a professional background in marketing and design. This truly helps my clients. When listing their home, I set up a marketing game plan, and keep many services in-house when other agents might have to hire those out. For both sellers and buyers, my design skills help them see potential and possibilities in a home.

What single piece of advice would you give to local buyers? Stay patient and be adaptive and open to possibilities. The “perfect” house doesn’t exist, but the one that offers the best fit for you is surely out there. Always consider how you and your family will be able to live and function in a home. Take in the big picture rather than worrying about small updates or a fresh coat of paint.

What advice would you give to sellers? Be realistic and price accordingly. So many times, we see sellers price too high, overinflating their home’s value or trying to leave room for buyers to negotiate. Today’s buyers are savvy. If a property is overpriced, they’ll avoid it. Often, when sellers start making price reductions over time, the house becomes stale and buyers wonder if something might be wrong with the property. If sellers don’t price according to market trends, they end up netting a LOT less at the closing table. They typically end up staying on the market longer. At the end of the day, any property is only worth what buyers are willing to pay. That is the true market value.

What are some challenges facing the local market this year?

Definitely a housing shortage. This is something we have faced for several years, but the pandemic years really brought light to the issue. Supply-chain issues amplified the shortage by slowing down construction on homes that were being built. This area has great need for more apartments for rentals and more homes under the $200,000 threshold.

What excites you about the real estate market in 2023? Hopefully, a shift to a more normal market. I think the market in Amarillo will continue to remain strong, but it’s definitely transitioning into a healthier market. We should see home values remaining pretty steady and more inventory coming to the market.

Leslie Cunningham Keller Williams Realty

How did you first become interested in the real estate world? With degrees in Banking and Finance and Managerial Finance—including a strong emphasis on real estate—I was eager to enter the industry after graduating from Ole Miss in 1986. However, the economy was not what I expected, and opportunities in commercial real estate and mortgage lending were scarce. I moved instead into the technology industry, then spent a brief time pursuing residential home building, which segued into real estate. Though varied, everything I’ve done has prepared me for what I do today.

How long have you been serving the local market? For the past 35 years, I have served the Amarillo community in various ways, with attentiveness to the needs of my clients. For the last nine years, I’ve focused on residential real estate with seven years as an agent and two years as a licensed broker.

What do you love most about what you do? This career makes my heart happy. I understand that a house is not just an investment, but a place where memories are made, families are raised, and lives are lived. One of the best parts of creating a listing is being able to tell the story of a home, so that prospective buyers can imagine how it will fit the way they want to live. In a competitive market, how do you stand out? I genuinely care for my clients and want the best for them. I believe in an old-school approach to real estate, and I’m always present and involved in every step of the process. I even make it a point to inspect the homes I show, ensuring they’re ready before each viewing. Communication is key, and I excel at keeping my clients informed and engaged with the help of my dedicated team. I am fully committed to fulfilling my fiduciary responsibilities.

What single piece of advice would you give to local buyers? Several weeks before you’re ready to make a purchase, I recommend finding an agent through referrals. Start early. The right agent will help with preapproval and neighborhood research, while helping define a client’s needs and priorities. My advice: “Marry the house, date the rate.” Refinancing is an easy option, and interest rates may fluctuate.

What advice would you give to sellers? Sellers should be aware that the market is shifting towards buyers, and it’s crucial to prepare their home for sale. A clean, tidy and well-maintained home will sell faster and for a better price. Deferred maintenance can be costly, so it’s better to address any issues before listing.

What are some challenges facing the local market this year? Our area’s biggest challenge is inventory. We need more homes because Amarillo is poised for success due to our city and economic leaders.

What excites you about the real estate market in 2023? Amarillo is a fabulous place to live, work and raise a family. The initiatives of AISD, CISD, Amarillo College, WTAMU and Texas Tech to prepare the workforce is very exciting. I believe the Panhandle is about to shine and explode. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this community, and I’m honored to help people make it their home.

806.236.7466 | LESLIECUNNINGHAM.COM

Amarillo’s Parkview Realty, LLC

How did you first become interested in the real estate world? It actually started at a very young age. I grew up in the Bivins area and was surrounded by unique homes that had so much character. I guess my love for architecture eventually grounded me in the business of selling it. My love for the process of building is fulfilled through our general contracting business.

How long have you been serving the local market? I’m beginning my 14th year as an agent.

What do you love most about what you do? The relationships I build with the people I work with on a daily basis. This is a business with a lot of moving pieces, and most of those moving pieces are very relationship-based. I love helping my clients meet their goals, whether they are buying, selling or investing. In a competitive market, how do you stand out? With a good reputation and work ethic. My focus has always been on my clients and what’s best for them throughout the process. That’s also how I earn referrals and have repeat clients.

What single piece of advice would you give to local buyers? If you want to build financial wealth, investing in real estate is one of the best investments you can make. I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact it has had for my clients over the span of my career.

What advice would you give to sellers? With so many factors that go into an assessment/valuation of your home or property— such as local market conditions, condition of the home, location, and financial goals, to name a few—do your homework when picking a Realtor. Make sure your assessment of them includes their knowledge of those conditions. They should also have a personalized strategy for getting your home or property sold.

What are some challenges facing the local market this year? The daily ebbs and flows of the market can affect the buying power for anyone looking to purchase real estate. Also, for those buyers, we are still dealing with limited options of inventory.

What excites you about the real estate market in 2023? I’ve started the year off with several new clients, and I look forward to getting to know them better and helping them reach and exceed their real estate goals.

Shelby Massey Capitol Peak Realty

How did you first become interested in the real estate world? My first introduction to real estate happened when I interned with Rockrose Development. While most of my internship involved weed-eating, picking up trash, and other tasks, I must say Matt Griffith and Tracy Byers made it a point to always explain real estate and development projects they were working on. That is really what piqued my interest in real estate.

How long have you been serving the local market? I have been selling real estate for more than 10 years in the Amarillo and Dallas markets. I originally got my start working in a boutique brokerage in Dallas, which mainly focused on homes. When my family moved back to Amarillo in 2018, I transitioned my focus to commercial real estate. I obtained my broker’s license in 2021, which led me to open Capitol Peak Realty.

What do you love most about what you do? I love that not all deals are the same. I like problem-solving and working with the involved parties to come up with a solution to get the deal done. I love that I can be a good steward of the community. I enjoy connecting with people within it and creating meaningful relationships, and the real estate world allows me to do that.

In a competitive market, how do you stand out? I think, just like any business, you need the ability to be creative and innovative within your industry, while also providing your customers the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. I also find it very important to listen to your customers and talk with them—not over them—and always be present.

What single piece of advice would you give to local buyers? Amarillo is the next Texas city to be put on the map, and now is the time to invest and capitalize on the growth ahead. I am excited about the future of this great city.

What advice would you give sellers? The most important thing is setting expectations, for sellers because transactions in the commercial market can tend to take longer and have more moving parts than in the residential market, where the clients are more custom.

What are some challenges facing the local market this year? We will see a bit of a correction in the real estate market due to higher interest rates and a slowdown in the economy. The good and the bad about the Amarillo market is that we don’t see the big swings like some other cities in Texas.

What excites you about the real estate market in 2023? Our population has grown, and we are now over 200k people, which means that companies that may have skipped over Amarillo will now stop and look at us as a location to expand their businesses. Also, the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation has done an amazing job of bringing large companies to our community. Businesses like Cacique, Amazon, Producers Owned Beef, Bell Textron CVMR, and Albers Air are going to provide great employment opportunities in Amarillo. With this growth, we should see a good uptick in both residential and commercial real estate needs.

806.513.7299 | CAPITOLPEAKREALTY.COM

Marie Bean Wieck Realty

How did you first become interested in the real estate world? About 7 years ago, my current broker was helping us sell our home and suggested I consider getting my license as she thought I was a good fit for the industry. I’m thankful every day that she spoke those words of encouragement to me.

How long have you been serving the local market? I’ve been in real estate for 6 ½ years and in the Amarillo market for 4 ½ years.

What do you love most about what you do? I love helping people. The obvious ways are buying and selling homes, but I love the relationships built throughout the process. Sometimes I get to help clients find a job or the right school or daycare for their family and those opportunities bring me so much joy.

In a competitive market, how do you stand out? Follow up and follow through! I work very hard to communicate and educate through the process.

What single piece of advice would you give to local buyers? Don’t let interest rates scare you out of the market; this shift is giving buyers opportunities we haven’t seen in a few years.

What advice would you give to sellers? More than ever, pricing your home right from the start is key!

What are some challenges facing the local market this year? Low inventory—a balanced market is around 5 to 6 months of inventory, and we currently have less than 2 months. Rising interest rates continue to be a challenge and have impacted affordability for buyers.

What excites you about the real estate market in 2023? Though inventory is still low, it is encouraging that we have nearly double the number of homes available compared to a year ago. I’m excited to see where opportunities emerge in an everchanging market.

Michelle and Andy Justus Wieck Realty

How did you first become interested in the real estate world? We were hooked after we bought our first home. Home ownership was lifechanging and we fell in love with the process. Buying a home is one of the single biggest decisions of your life, and we love helping our clients walk through the process.

How long have you been serving the local market? Michelle originally got her license in 2005. She started selling, and then convinced me to get my license in 2015. It’s the best decision we’ve made. We make a great team because we love working together.

What do you love most about what you do? Building relationships is the most satisfying part of our job. Our clients become like family, and we love helping them make life-changing moves. In real estate, we find that we wear many different “hats.” From counseling and coaching to motivating, it is a journey we find can be much more personal than just a business transaction.

In a competitive market, how do you stand out? We work hard, we are available and we consider our jobs part of our ministry. Helping the community and growing Amarillo is our mission.

What single piece of advice would you give local buyers? Get approved with a great lender as soon as possible. In doing so, it allows us to fine-tune the process and know exactly what to look for.

What single piece of advice would you give to sellers? Give yourself time to get your home market-ready. Identify needed repairs and start clearing out what you don’t need. If your home is clean and organized, you have a head start on 25 percent of other homes on the market. Buyers do love updates, but if that isn’t feasible, then getting your home clean and decluttered will be the next best way to attract buyers.

What are some challenges facing the market this year? Interest rates are up and inventory is low. We probably won’t see rates go as low as during the pandemic again. Even though they are getting higher, we are hopeful they will start to even out. Let’s remember, though, they aren’t nearly as high as we’ve seen them go in the past.

What excites you about the real estate market in 2023? Amarillo’s housing market won’t see the decline we are seeing nationally.

The Amarillo and Canyon area will continue to see positive growth. Thankfully, our region tends to be shielded from the drastic rise and fall of some of the larger markets. We are always hopeful that our area will continue to grow and produce more opportunities.

806.673.9271 | 806.584.6295 WIECKREALTY.COM

How did you first become interested in the real estate world?

The Gaut name has been synonymous with commercial real estate in Amarillo for more than 124 years. J & Jeff Gaut represent two generations of the Gaut name, along with owners Ben Whittenburg and Aaron Emerson, agents Cathy Derr, Kristen Chilicote, Sheril Blackburn, Bo Wulfman, Gabe Irving, Miles Bonifield, and office manager, Nancy Marston. Our property management team is headed by Director of Property Management Jennifer Webber.

How long have you been serving the local market? Since 1899, the Gaut name has been the leader in the Amarillo commercial real estate market.

What do you love most about what you do? We do our best to create a relaxed environment that is enjoyable for our agents and clients. It is possible to produce good results and have a good time doing it! The team’s business philosophy is to take care of our clients, all the time. We customize our service to fit each of our client’s unique goals, which keeps our work exciting.

In a competitive market, how do you stand out? Our agents. Each of them are an expert in their specific specialty. Our company’s history and our large number of listings separate us from the competition. Currently, we have 232 exclusive listings, closed 327 deals in 2022, and closed more than 1,600 deals in the past five years.

What single piece of advice would you give to local buyers? Do your homework. Buying or leasing a property is a significant investment. Hire a professional that knows the market and all the nuances of getting a deal done and completed properly. We have devoted a lot of time over the years helping clients out of situations that could have been avoided had they had property representation early on.

What advice would you give to sellers? Hire a qualified professional. Make sure you are hiring an agent who is competent in the type and geographic area of the property you are buying or leasing. The cost of the right agent will likely be offset by your broker getting the most the market will bear for your property. Do it right up front.

What are some challenges facing the local market this year? Interest rates are a big topic in 2023. While the rapid increase hit the market hard, it appears to be leveling off with the market beginning to absorb the higher rates. High inflation is an ongoing issue, especially in the retail market. It is yet to be seen what lasting effect it will have on our market. We believe it’s a good time to live in Amarillo—it doesn’t take much to swing the pendulum in the right direction.