Texas Gets Its First Celebrity Real Estate Broker

Even sporting a face mask, Fredrik Eklund’s voice was undeniable while waiting for the Park House elevator in Highland Park Village. The real estate broker was quickly recognized while scouting Dallas, along with partners Julia Spillman and John Gomes, for a potential Texas headquarters for The Eklund | Gomes Team. In addition to his real estate prowess (the New York-based team is the number one in the country for condominium sales), Eklund also has 1.3 million Instagram followers thanks to his star turn on Bravo’s long running Million Dollar Listing.

The Eklund | Gomes Team landed a space along Travis Street (in the evolving Knox District), with the support of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, one of the largest independent residential real estate brokerages in the United States. Already well-established in Houston, the firm just announced their expansion to Austin and Dallas, where Eklund and his team will run the luxury real estate show.

“I feel like, even more so than Austin or Houston, Fredrik will thrive in Dallas,” Jacob Sudhoff, CEO of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Texas, tells PaperCity.

With so many currently migrating to Texas, the Douglas Elliman expansion is perfectly timed. One asset the American real estate powerhouse can offer both the Dallas and Austin markets is its exclusive partnership with London-based Knight Frank Residential.

“Every listing of ours that’s over $1 million is translated to 33 different languages in 60 different countries through their websites,” Sudhoff says. “We’re able to really expose Dallas and Texas properties on an international scale like no one has done before from a residential component.”

And though the luxury brand’s expansion is a clear reaction to our insanely hot market, Texas real estate has historically been a bit left out of national entertainment media coverage. With the arrival of Eklund and his team, however, the area could begin to see more shine.

“We don’t get the same attention as Miami, New York, LA, or even Chicago. This is the first time where I feel like we’re starting to get that attention and beginning to see these celebrities come to Texas. And yes, Fredrik and John are celebrities. They’re the first celebrity brokers, and I don’t think they’ll be the last,” Sudhoff says. “It’s the beginning of a new chapter for Texas residential real estate.”

 

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As for whether or not we’ll see a Million Dollar Listing Dallas hit Bravo in the future, Sudhoff can’t say, though he did admit, “The show goes where Fredrik goes.”