As the broker of Easy Life Realty, Brad Rhodes brings his extensive knowledge of the local market to help you find that perfect place to call home. Outside of his life in real estate, Brad has a passion for giving back. He is now hosting the monthly Texoma City Lifestyle Realty Report which gives a sample of recently sold properties in the area and helps readers with local real estate expectations. We sit down with him to learn about his life and passion for giving back to the Texoma community.
Tell us about yourself and your business.
I grew up in Paris, Texas. I lived in Sherman from 1991 to 2003 and then moved back in 2014. I owned a pool company in Sherman from 1997 to 2003 and then moved into the Dallas area for 10+ years where I was General Manager of a couple of pool companies. After leaving the pool industry in 2010, I worked at a corporate job for 4 years and decided the corporate world wasn’t for me.
I got my license in real estate in January 2015 and joined Keller Williams. In January 2016, I followed Lisa Hitchcock when she opened Easy Life Realty and was one of the original 7 agents. Since getting my license, I had a thirst for knowledge and took as many contract classes as I could. I became the “go-to” person for contract questions and started reviewing and approving the other agent’s contracts. In 2019, I got my broker’s license and became the company’s Broker of Record in both Texas and Oklahoma.
Easy Life Realty quickly became one of the largest real estate brokerages in Grayson County. We currently have a total of 39 agents and have consistently ranked as one of the top brokerages in sales in the area.
Easy Life Realty has a very laid-back culture where seasoned agents are always willing and happy to help the newer agents. It’s great working with a group of people who genuinely care about each other and always cheer for each other’s success! Our mission has always been to make buying and selling easy for our clients.
What is the best part of living and working in the Texoma area?
I can honestly say that there is nowhere I would rather live than Texoma! I love being so close to Lake Texoma and all that it offers. Being somewhat of a wine connoisseur and a foodie, we are fortunate to have some great restaurants and wine bars perfect for hanging out with friends. What I really love about living in Texoma though is the people. Since being back in Texoma, I have made some of the best friends of my life and can’t imagine living anywhere else now.
As far as working in Texoma, there is certainly nowhere else that I would rather sell real estate! We are incredibly fortunate to live in an area that is experiencing so much growth and it’s a very exciting time for North Texas and Southern Oklahoma! I can remember as a kid traveling from McKinney to Lewisville on FM 121 and only seeing a few homes and businesses. I witnessed tremendous growth as it happened in Plano and Frisco and now, I get to see the beginnings of it in Sherman and Denison!
Even before the Texas Instruments announcement and steadily becoming the tech hub that we are, people were already moving here for more affordable housing, to be near the lake, for our great medical facilities.
You are the new president of the Child & Family Guidance Center of Texoma. What called you to be involved with this organization?
I have a passion for mental healthcare and it being available for anyone who needs it. There is a stigma associated with mental health that keeps a lot of people from getting the help they need. It’s also difficult for some families to afford, and don’t have the money for it when they are already struggling to put food on the table. The Child & Family Guidance Center offers mental healthcare at low, and often no cost, based on the client’s ability to pay.
Many of the kids who come to the center have experienced trauma that most of us can only imagine. Being able to see a therapist while they are still young not only gives them a way to process and work through their pain, but also teaches them that it’s okay to get help when they need it. It should be just as natural to get mental healthcare when you’re hurting emotionally as it is going to a doctor or hospital when you’re sick or injured.
Most of the funds to operate the center come from grants, but about 15% comes from the Starfish Benefit hosted by the board each year. We are very excited about this year’s Starfish Benefit on May 4th at the Blue Willow Café in Gateway Central! We will have some great food and drinks, some amazing live auction items as well as on-line items, a wine pull, a raffle for a choice of eight trips and more! It is one of the best attended events in the area raising a lot of money for an amazing cause!
What is your vision for the future of this organization?
The biggest challenge for the center is the availability of therapists. For over 10 years, this region has been designated as a mental healthcare shortage area. As a result, the center usually has a waiting list of about 100 kids to see a therapist and it could be weeks before they can get in.
In 2013, the center created a Licensed Training Academy to help solve the problem by “growing our own” therapists. One part of the academy is allowing Master level students to do their internship at the center to help them complete their education. After they graduate, therapists are provisionally licensed and need to conduct 3,000 hours of supervised therapy sessions to be fully licensed. This has been a huge success and many stay at the center after they are fully licensed. However, there is a limitation to how many therapists a supervisor can oversee, and we cannot bill for any of their sessions until they are fully licensed.
Being able to grow the Licensed Training Academy is a top priority for the center and the board. It appears to be the best way to solve the shortage we are currently facing in the Texoma area with mental healthcare providers. We are also looking at the possibility of partnering with other providers in the area to help solve the shortage problem for all of us. Additionally, the board is starting to look at some different treatment modalities that wouldn’t require a licensed therapist.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about?
I see myself as a very positive person and hopefully an inspiration to others. I’m a health and fitness nut, and I try to encourage others to live healthier lives physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I love to travel; Puerto Vallarta is my favorite vacation spot. I have two grown daughters and two grandkids. I love art and have started a collection from local artists. I am passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and served for three years on the Texas Realtor’s Diversity Committee.
BradRhodesRealtor.com
903.820.6001
Learn more about The Starfish Benefit on May 4th hosted by the Child & Family Guidance Center of Texoma at CFGCenter.org