Douglas Elliman Realty in Dallas has announced that Doris Jacobs, the “Queen of Beverly Drive,” and her daughters have joined the firm. Jacobs brings a wealth of experience selling some of the hottest properties in the Metroplex to the award-winning group of realtors known for selling properties like Emmitt Smith’s Cowboys-themed mansion and custom-designed properties throughout the region.
The Dallas Express got an opportunity to sit down with Jacobs and discuss her career and what it is like to sell some of the most desirable homes in Texas.
“I got my real estate license when my daughters were in elementary school. I always had a love and passion for architecture and interior design, so I decided working in real estate would be a great way to continue utilizing this skill set,” Jacobs said.
Now, her daughters are part of her sales team. Growing up surrounded by the ebb and flow of the local market, her daughters have learned how to be successful even when times are tough. Jacobs said that working with her daughters is an element of selling real estate that brings her joy and helps fuel her passion.
“I love that my daughters are following in my footsteps,” Jacobs said. “The real estate market has had its ups and downs, but we experience it all together and grow along the way. They also share my same interest for architecture and design, and I greatly enjoy sharing this passion with them.”
While Jacobs is known for selling high-end properties, her business does not fixate on only one aspect of the market. Jacobs explained that she works with clients in all markets to find the perfect home, no matter what exceptions or limitations a buyer might have.
“The luxury properties are unique because they often have state-of-the-art amenities you don’t see in other homes,” Jacobs said. “However, I work with clients at every price point and appreciate all properties.”
“The housing market in Dallas is booming due to its strong economy, pro-business environment, and the number of people moving here from across the country. The city is seeing significant growth, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping soon,” Jacobs added.
Among the dozens of properties Jacobs has sold throughout her years in real estate, she remembers her first home in Old Highland Park as one of the most distinctive experiences of her career. It was also the sale that catapulted her into the luxury real estate market.
“My first listing was a beautiful home in Old Highland Park,” Jacobs said. “What made this sale unique was that I flew to Aspen to get the signatures I needed in order to execute the contract because I didn’t want to wait for the post office. This story makes it one of the most interesting properties I’ve listed in my career so far.”
Jacobs added it was that first Highland Park property that opened the door for her to get other listings in the unique and desirable neighborhood. She also said that times have changed and what was once a massive sale now pales in comparison to the cost of houses in Highland Park.
“My entrance into the luxury real estate market was selling a home in Highland Park, which led to me listing other homes in the neighborhood,” Jacobs said. “It was priced around $850,000. If it was listed today, it would likely be over $10 million. I love looking back at my journey to see how times have changed.”
Jacobs’ decision to join Douglas Elliman only happened because the firm was also willing to take on her daughters, who make up her sales team. The family’s togetherness is one of the most critical reasons Jacobs enjoys selling homes throughout the Dallas region.
“Douglas Elliman’s first-class resources in marketing, technology, and public relations plus their extensive reach, nationally and internationally, will allow us to market our client’s properties to a wider audience, amplifying exposure,” Jacobs said. “We will be able to leverage Elliman’s exclusive partnership with Knight Frank to bring increased international exposure to our listings. Additionally, many companies are moving their headquarters to Dallas-Fort Worth. The Elliman network will allow us to connect with potential clients across the country who are moving to Texas.”
The growth of Dallas as a hub of business headquarters has exploded in recent years as companies look for lower tax locations and regions that offer the kinds of skilled employment that are necessary.
Some of the major companies that have come to Texas in the last several years include Tesla, Oracle, and Hewlett-Packard. These tech companies were once the darlings of California’s Silicon Valley, but, faced with a business climate that created significant challenges for growth, they went on to become leading reasons for the explosion of tech companies in Texas.
The International Economic Business Council has ranked Texas as the number one state for business in the nation for eight consecutive years. Quality of life for employees and a central location in the U.S. are key reasons many CEOs and corporate executives decide to relocate to Texas.
Jacobs supports many of the groups in DFW that contribute to the high quality of living and numerous opportunities for entertainment and fulfillment cited by those moving to the region.
Among the organizations Jacobs supports, she counts Cattle Baron’s Ball, Turtle Creek Park Conservancy, Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Opera, Genesis Women’s Shelter, KidneyTexas, Park Cities Historic & Preservation Society, Preservation Dallas, and the Salvation Army as some of the most significant.
Douglas Elliman is one of the U.S.’s most prominent residential brokerage firms. The firm is well-known in New York City, where it leads all other real estate organizations in sales. The company expanded its presence in Texas in 2021, establishing footholds in the marketplaces of Dallas, Houston, and Austin, three of the state’s fastest-growing regions.
While many companies struggled in 2021, Douglas Elliman posted the highest sales in the company’s more-than-100-year history. Nationwide sales totaled $51.2 billion in 2021, with significant sales in Dallas and Austin contributing to the firm’s success.
“I am so proud of our exceptional agents and teams who helped us reach this pivotal moment in our company’s 111-year history,” said Scott Durkin, CEO of Douglas Elliman, in a statement to PRNewswire in February. “Through their hard work and dedication, our brokerage was able to surpass our highest sales and transactions in over a decade.”
Jacobs said she is excited about the opportunities that joining Douglas Elliman brings and the chance to be part of making the Dallas region one of the nation’s most desirable locations. While pairing buyers with the ideal property remains one of her biggest goals for the future, Jacobs said that, like many of the people she helps, her primary goal is to provide a vibrant future for her family.
As for her nickname, the “Queen of Beverly Drive” told CandysDirt.com that she earned it by selling more homes on that street than any other agent. Jacobs recounted in that interview that she had sold 58 homes there, some of them three times.
Her most recent sale was a home in Preston Hollow that sold for $3.9 million on April 22.
