In 2023, Kevin Hunter left his longtime software sales role, hoping to launch a real estate business. “It hit me that a lot of individual contributors when I was in direct sales leadership had told me that they thought I would be really good in real estate,” Kevin says. His colleagues had honed in on how Kevin put his customers first, listened to them, understood their needs, then applied every reasonable measure to exceed their expectations. Desiring greater flexibility to leverage these strengths, Kevin took the leap and launched his eponymous real estate venture, Hunter Realty, in 2023. Now, he uses that same skillset to stand out within Dallas’ luxury residential market.
Kevin’s wife, Stacy, joined Hunter Realty a few years after it took off, following more than three decades serving as a finance leader for a leading DFW hospitality brand. At first, she got her real estate license with the intention of helping Kevin on weekends, but in the process, she fell in love with the new field. “I love the challenge of helping people find their amazing home,” Stacy says.
Kevin specializes in negotiating and perfecting an offer and contract, whereas Stacy excels as the face of Hunter Realty, connecting with everyone from clients, to builders and elevator manufacturers. She always has an up-to-date working inventory of homes in Park Cities and Preston Hollow, as well as a rolodex of vendors and specialists who could answer any question or play out any potential renovation a client could want. “A lot of the listings she is aware of aren’t even on the market yet,” Kevin says. “That’s a key example of what we bring to the table.” Stacy adds, “We both work with every single client, because we both have our strengths.”
Kevin says the activity real estate market goers would normally expect in the summer may get postponed to fall if current events change and interest rates fall into the fives. “If they dip into the fives, it will get crazy,” Stacy echoes. Additionally, the continued relocations from businesses moving their headquarters to DFW will draw additional homeowners to Park Cities and Preston Hollow. “That’s what keeps the market hot for us,” Stacy says. “We’re seeing some amazing homes at $1.5 million. The majority of them are between $2.5 and $5 million,” Kevin says.
The couple is also seeing a lot of buyers completely rebuild an older pier and beam home that sold for $400,000 or $500,000 into a million-dollar home of their dreams. “We have been seeing it a lot in Park Cities and Preston Hollow, and we are starting to see it grow elsewhere—into Farmers Branch, Addison, Carrollton, that whole area,” Kevin says. Those homes will grow in equity substantially over the next few years, he explains.
Often, Kevin and Stacy will bookend a deal, working with both the seller and the buyer. For sellers, the couple says keys to success include honing in on updates that can maximize ROI, as well as investing in good staging and photography. “These are just little tips and tricks where you are going to get the most bang for your buck,” Kevin says.
On the buy side, Stacy emphasizes the current market enables buyers to make requests. “You can ask for the seller to buy down your rate. You can ask for the seller to pay the HOA fee—different things. We help our buyers take advantage of those things,” she says. Kevin calls out the need for an active agent honing in on key search criteria. “I don’t like to settle, and I
don’t like my clients to settle,” Stacy adds.