in this issue…
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995™
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MARCH 2019 • VOLUME 23 • ISSUE 11
• Wake Up YPN! • North American Title "Thrive for Five" Networking Event • Austin Title Agent One Class • Stanberry REALTORS Awards Luncheon • Highland & Scott Felder Homes Caliterra Lunch & Home Tour • RRC Networking with a Cause • KW Round Rock Awards • ABoR Happenings • Relocation Information • Meet the New WCREALTORS CEO & much, much more!
WCREALTORS welcomes CEO Bryan Hutchinson
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By Riki Markowitz
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he Williamson County Association of REALTORS (WCREALTORS) has kicked off 2019 by welcoming new association executive Bryan Hutchinson to the 1,900 member association and its multiple listing service. He started on Feb. 1, 2019. Cyndi Bell, 2019 president, introduced Hutchinson to members, saying “WCREALTORS is committed to laying a healthy and strong foundation as our family grows.” Hutchinson comes to WCREALTORS from Denton County, near Fort Worth.
There, he was a managing partner at The Victor Myers Companies where he led his team on different aspects of business development, customer service, marketing, branding and implementing strategies for meeting company goals. When his youngest child was getting ready to graduate from high school, Hutchinson and his wife realized it was time to look ahead to their next chapter. “We both had a strong desire to move someplace else. We started that process and considered different positions, including one in Maryland.” Hutchinson learned this position was soon opening. The Hutchinsons sensed in their gut that this is where they belonged. “Leading non-profit organizations is what I was seeking to do, particularly in the real property world. And these positions are so few and far between.” Hutchinson is right. There are some 70 real estate associations in the state and WCREALTORS is one of the 10 largest. Before settling in Denton with his wife and kids, Hutchinson did a lot of traveling — he describes his early years as “nomadic.” He was born in Florida, and then moved to Texas — from Minnesota — around age 7 or 8. “We moved 18 times before I graduated from high school,” said Hutchinson. “That’s one reason why real estate is so important to me. I know what it’s like to live in a gated community and what it’s like to live in the backseat of a car.” Come again? Around seventh grade, Hutchinson’s parents hit a rough patch and the family home was foreclosed on. “We had to move out in the middle of the night. We spent a night or two in our Plymouth Fury.” The Hutchinson’s were soon able to secure a small apartment. There, they bartered work around the complex in exchange for a place to live. His parents eventually did get back on their feet. But the experience of being homeless and moving so often played a significant role in how Hutchinson would go on to live the rest of his life. “That’s what has driven me, in part, to where I am today.” Comparatively, the rest of Hutchinson’s young adult years were much less chaotic. He
joined the Army soon after graduating high school. There, he was a paratrooper and a military policeman. He worked his way up to the rank of sergeant. He also traveled a lot and had his first opportunity to volunteer with a non-profit group, which he continued doing throughout the remainder of his nearly six years of service in the Army. He then became self-employed, working in consulting and leadership positions, and always kept one foot in the non-profit world, typically with churches or education-based organizations. After hearing about the association executive position at WCREALTORS, and then becoming a candidate for the job, the interview
process took about three months. "For me, aside from faith and family, there’s nothing more important than to advocate on behalf of society and fight for people and housBryan Hutchinson ing," he says. Association Executive Some of the reasons he was chosen out of a small group of extremely qualified candidates is that the board WCREALTORS: Continued on page 28
RELOCATION REPORT: where are all these new Central Texas buyers coming from? By Riki Markowitz
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ationally, the economy is the strongest it has been in decades. But in Texas, based on certain measurements, it’s just a little stronger. Last month, when Texas REALTORS released its 2018 Texas Relocation Report, it shined some light on what to expect for the rest of 2019. Analysis of current reporting data shows, “This is the fourth consecutive year that Texas added more than 500,000 new residents from out of state. [Texas experienced] a net gain of 87,656 residents this reporting period.” The authors of the Texas REALTORS annual survey evaluated statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, migration trend data compiled by U-Haul, and relocation figures from 40 of the largest demographic areas in Texas. The resulting report reveals relocation numbers for metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and counties in Texas show, specifically, that Austin, Round Rock and Travis County are attractive destinations
for new residents from within and out-ofstate. The largest number of folks moving here from out-of-state are coming from other large MSAs, like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Austin and Round Rock had the third highest net gains of out-ofstate residents among the four major Texas MSAs — 17,280 new residents arrived here from California, New York and Illinois. On the list of counties experiencing the largest rise in population from out-of-state, Travis County ranks No. 5 (32,542 new residents) and Williamson County ranks 10th (16,105 new residents). New residents are coming to Texas mostly from California, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Florida. But U.S. migration accounts for just 55 percent of new arrivals. More than 44 percent are moving to Texas from abroad. Travis County is also appealing to fellow Texans living in other counties. In terms of the in-state counties that Texans relocate to the most, Travis County ranks No. 4. This past year, 1,741 Harris County residents RELOCATION: Continued on page 28