Jan Moreland remembers the MLS books. Her mother’s office was filled with them—slick covers and newsprint pages, each page packed with tiny squares, each square holding a listing with a single black-and-white photo of a house and a few brief details.
She had been a second grader when her mother, Emily Moreland, began working in real estate. Those listing books would pile up in her mom’s office and sometimes topple over when the stacks grew too high.
By the time Jan was a teenager, Emily had spent years establishing herself in the industry. In 1986, she took the next step and founded her own brokerage, Moreland Properties.
Today, the company has grown into one of the most respected names in Central Texas real estate, with more than 100 agents serving Austin and the Hill Country. Emily remains at the helm as Chairman of the Board while Jan, a 20-year veteran agent, has forged her own career within the brokerage. And now, as Moreland Properties marks 40 years in the industry, granddaughter Perry Coburn has joined the team.
In this milestone year, Jan reflects on her mother’s remarkable accomplishments: “This has been all her, building this all on her own. And it’s fun that this year we’re adding a third generation to the company.”
In its earliest days, Emily founded Moreland Properties alongside a small, unconventional team of three women. Some had never worked outside the home before, and none had real estate experience. Still, “I had what I consider excellent human beings who wanted to work with me,” says Emily. “They didn’t really know how to sell real estate; they were just good, intelligent people.” Before long, they steadily grew their skills and their reputations, becoming top agents in the area.
That momentum was tested almost immediately. Just one year after opening the brokerage, Emily’s husband passed away and she faced the responsibility of supporting her family on her own. At the same time, the market grew increasingly difficult. “We went into a year where I did not sell one thing until—finally—one house sold,” she remembers. “But I loved it and I wanted to make it work, and I kept thinking, ‘it’s going to work.’”
As she pressed forward, the work became both her livelihood and a source of purpose and direction. Emily shares, “Real estate has been a huge benefit to me, not just financially, but also emotionally.”
Years later, Jan found herself following a similar path, establishing a career within the company her mother created. “My mom has built the most amazing company that provided a wonderful life for me and my kids.” During a major life transition while her children were young, real estate allowed Jan to shape her schedule around her family while fully supporting her household.
The work is both demanding and rewarding. “Real estate is a 24-7 job. It wasn’t easy for my mom, and it wasn’t easy for me,” Jan says. Following her mother’s example of hard work and independence, she adds, “I feel very thankful for what was established.”
Since founding Moreland Properties four decades ago, much has changed. Emily laughs as she recalls her first fax machine and how she initially resisted it, insisting that contracts ought to be hand-delivered. Now, those days of faxes and printed MLS books are long gone, replaced by online platforms, social media marketing, drone photography, and 3D virtual tours.
Representing that shift is Perry, who currently works with the marketing team while training to become a buyer’s agent. “My generation is chronically online; we grew up with screens in our faces,” she says. Raised in a digital world, she brings an instinct for social media and the attention economy that shapes how homes are discovered and sold today.
Jan is continually impressed by how quickly and naturally her daughter navigates newer technology. “I just hand Perry my phone and magic things happen,” she quips. “Instagram just starts coming to life!”
As she learns the business from the ground up, Perry embodies the company’s future and its commitment to staying current in a rapidly changing market. At the same time, she values the standards established before her. Looking up to her experienced colleagues, Perry shares, “It’s inspiring to see the way they compose themselves when we’re in front of clients.”
That level of professionalism carries through in the way Moreland Properties builds trusted relationships while offering deep market knowledge and local expertise. “We are dedicated to serving the client,” Jan says. “For many of them, this is the biggest purchase they will ever make. It’s a business transaction, but it’s also very personal.” Agents are committed to guiding their clients, making each step as smooth and thoughtful as possible while working toward the right outcome.
For all of these years, Moreland Properties has remained a family-run, independently owned brokerage, which is increasingly rare in the industry and influences how the company feels day to day. “The fact that it’s a family company—run by a family—has set the tone for everyone to act like a family,” Perry says. As a newer team member, she values the openness and mentorship she encounters across the office. “I can walk into any office and somebody will sit there and answer my question, walk me through it, talk me through it,” she shares.
That sense of familiarity is also tied to the area itself, as the company’s growth has mirrored the evolution of Central Texas. “Our company grew with Austin,” Emily says, remembering a smaller city in 1986, when they watched new neighborhoods pop up and the area’s cultural scene begin to take shape.
Today, she still sees tremendous opportunity and beauty in the region. “I dearly love Central Texas. I think this is a wonderland of what you can build.”
In Dripping Springs, Jan has found her own place within that landscape. “I’ve gotten into my sweet spot; I know this area like the back of my hand,” she says. “I’m living where I want to live forever.” Her connection to the community includes serving on the board of the Dripping Springs Education Foundation and co-chairing the Heart of a Tiger gala.
Over the last four decades, Moreland Properties has moved through many cycles, from periods of growth to economic downturns, from the housing crisis to the post-pandemic surge. Despite these ups and downs, the focus is consistent: “My mom established this company with character and a reputation for treating people how they should be treated,” Jan says.
That steadiness is reflected in the Moreland name itself. While it carries recognition, Emily approaches it with humility: “You want to stand on your own merits.”
Now, as Perry steps more fully into her role at Moreland Properties, she represents the newest layer, bringing fresh tools to a solid foundation. And like her grandmother and mother before her, “She’s taking it by storm,” Jan says.
And so it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. “Now,” Emily laughs, “I just have to figure out what AI is.”
Moreland.com | @morelandproperties
1562 Canyon Crossing View
One of Jan Moreland’s notable properties is a custom estate in the Ranches at Dripping Springs, a gated 389-acre Hill Country community featuring 26 large tracts, each set on 12 to 18 acres of open Texas landscape.
Built by Keith Wing Custom Builders, the home is shaped by its setting as much as its design, with long Hill Country views, native terrain, and a quiet seasonal creek running through the land.
Inside, the home blends refined finishes with everyday function. The gourmet kitchen opens to a well-appointed butler’s pantry with double ovens, additional refrigeration, and custom cabinetry designed for both storage and entertaining.
The primary suite connects directly to the outdoor living spaces, with wide views across the Hill Country. The bath and closets are designed as a private retreat within the home.
Outdoors, the property opens into a resort-style setting with a pool, covered and open-air living areas, and a fully equipped outdoor kitchen made for long evenings under the Texas sky.
A private well and rainwater collection system support the property’s sustainability.
Set within one of the Hill Country’s most distinctive communities, the home reflects the scale, privacy, and natural beauty that define life in Central Texas.
1562CanyonCrossing.com