Agent Recruitment · May 2026
If you are a licensed agent in Austin who has been quietly wondering whether the brokerage you are at is the right long-term fit — this post is for you. Not a pitch. Not a list of perks. A straight conversation about what The Davis Agency is, what we are looking for, and whether there is a fit worth exploring.
Start a Conversation Call (512) 608-8811
| $2M+ Avg Transaction Size 78704 luxury focus | 78704 Primary Submarket Barton Hills · Zilker · Travis Heights | Boutique Brokerage Model Small team. High standards. | Off-Market Deal Access Builder + developer network |
I have been licensed in Texas since 2006 and running The Davis Agency as a boutique brokerage for a number of years. In that time I have seen what a good agent fit looks like and what a bad one costs — in time, in energy, and in the kind of reputation that takes years to build and one bad transaction to damage.
I am not looking to grow a roster. I am looking for the right people. If that sounds like the kind of brokerage you want to be part of, keep reading.
What The Davis Agency Actually Is
The Davis Agency is a boutique luxury brokerage based in Austin, Texas, with a primary focus on the 78704 submarket — Barton Hills, Zilker, Travis Heights, and Bouldin Creek — and the Houston luxury market. We specialize in three specific transaction types: luxury residential sales, new construction, and off-market infill land and teardown opportunities.
We are not a franchise. We are not a team inside a larger brokerage. We are an independent boutique operation with our own brand, our own systems, and our own client relationships — built over years of focused work in one of Austin's most active luxury submarkets.
The model is simple: fewer agents doing more focused work in a better-defined market, supported by strong marketing infrastructure, direct builder and developer relationships, and a broker who is active in the same transactions our agents are working. No passive ownership. No absentee leadership. I am in the market every day alongside the people on this team.
What Boutique Actually Means
At a large brokerage, you are one of hundreds or thousands of agents. Your broker may not know your name. Your transactions compete for marketing attention with dozens of others. At The Davis Agency, your success is directly connected to the brokerage's reputation — and that means we are invested in helping you succeed in a way that a volume-focused operation structurally cannot be.
What 78704 Specialization Means in Practice
Specialization is one of those words that gets thrown around in real estate without much meaning behind it. Here is what it actually looks like at The Davis Agency.
We track the 78704 permit pipeline actively — not by reading news, but by pulling records. We know which builders are active in the submarket, which lots have been permitted, and what the exit pricing on recently completed new builds looks like down to the street level. We maintain direct relationships with the boutique builders and developers who are acquiring teardown properties and infill lots in Barton Hills, Zilker, and Travis Heights. We have closed six off-market transactions in 78704 — $925K to $1.4M — without a single public listing.
That depth of submarket knowledge is not something you accumulate by accident. It is the result of years of focused attention on a specific geography, and it is the primary competitive advantage we bring to our agents. When you join The Davis Agency, you are not starting from zero in a market you are trying to learn. You are plugging into a network and a knowledge base that took years to build.
For agents, that translates directly into opportunity. Knowing which lots are coming to market before the MLS knows, which builders need buyer representation, and which sellers are quietly evaluating their options — that is the kind of real-time intelligence that produces transactions. We share it with our team.
What We Look For
I will be direct about this because it saves time for both of us.
We look for agents who are already producing. The Davis Agency is not a training ground for new licensees. If you are in your first year in real estate, this is probably not the right fit right now — and that is not a criticism, it is just an honest read on where we are and what we need. We are looking for agents who have closed transactions, understand the mechanics of a deal, and are ready to move upmarket rather than find their footing.
We look for agents who are genuinely interested in the luxury and new construction space. Not because they think it pays better (it does, but that is not a sufficient reason), but because they are curious about how these transactions work, how builders think, how land gets valued, and how off-market deals get structured. That intellectual engagement with the product is what separates agents who excel in this space from agents who show up for the commission.
We look for agents with a service orientation. My background is in hospitality — I have a degree from the University of Houston's hospitality program — and I have carried that client-first philosophy into everything we do at The Davis Agency. Luxury clients have options. They choose their agent based on how they are treated, not just on how many listings the agent has. If you believe the same thing, we are probably aligned.
We look for agents who are self-directed. We are not a micromanaged environment. We do not have mandatory floor time or scripted cold-call sessions. What we do have is high expectations for accountability, professionalism, and follow-through. If you need someone to manage your schedule and motivate you to make calls, this is not the right structure. If you are self-motivated and just need the right market, the right support, and the right deals to work, we should talk.
Does this sound like the right environment for where you want to go?
The conversation is low-pressure and confidential. You are not committing to anything by reaching out — you are just exploring whether there is a fit worth discussing.
Email Derrik Directly →What You Will Not Find Here
Being honest about this matters more than the recruiting pitch, so here it is plainly.
You will not find a large team infrastructure. We are small by design. If you are looking for a large support staff, an in-house transaction coordinator on every deal, or a dedicated marketing team producing content for your listings, we are not that. We have strong systems and strong marketing at the brokerage level, but we are lean operationally and that is intentional.
You will not find a volume-at-all-costs mentality. We do not take every listing that comes through the door and we do not work every price point. We turn down business that does not fit our lane. If you are motivated primarily by transaction count rather than transaction quality, our model will feel limiting rather than liberating.
You will not find passive leads handed to you. The Davis Agency generates strong inbound interest through our content, our SEO, and our market presence — but this is not a lead farm where you pick up calls and convert them to transactions. Building your book of business here requires genuine market engagement: knowing the submarket, building relationships, and creating value for clients before they become clients.
You will not find a culture of competition among agents. We are too small for internal politics and too focused on a specific market for territorial behavior to make any sense. When our agents succeed, the brokerage's reputation grows and that benefits everyone. That alignment is something I protect actively.
The Honest Trade-Off
What you give up in joining a boutique brokerage is volume, brand recognition at the national level, and the passive infrastructure of a large operation. What you gain is deep submarket focus, direct access to off-market deal flow, a broker who is in the market with you, and a brand that means something specific in the luxury 78704 space. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends entirely on where you are and where you are trying to go.
What Working Here Looks Like
Agents at The Davis Agency work primarily in 78704 and the broader Austin luxury market, with access to our Houston network for agents who want to work that market as well. Day to day, that means:
Staying current on the submarket. Tracking permit activity, monitoring new build completions, knowing which builders are active and what they are building. This is not optional — it is the foundation of the value we deliver to clients and the credibility that earns referrals.
Building and maintaining relationships. With buyers in the pipeline, with sellers considering their options, with builders and developers who are the lifeblood of the off-market transaction channel. Relationship management in this market is not about social media follower counts — it is about being the person who calls with relevant information before anyone else does.
Working transactions with high professional standards. Luxury clients expect a level of communication, preparation, and follow-through that is higher than the median transaction. That is not a burden — it is a standard that, once internalized, makes you better at every transaction you ever work.
Contributing to the brokerage's market presence. Content, events, referrals, community. The Davis Agency's reputation is built collectively and every agent's conduct reflects on the brand. We take that seriously and expect the same from the people we bring on.
Compensation and Structure
I am not going to put specific split numbers in a public blog post — compensation is something we discuss directly and structure based on the individual situation, production history, and scope of the role. What I will say is this:
The Davis Agency operates on a competitive split structure with no desk fees for agents who are producing. We invest in marketing at the brokerage level — SEO, content, digital advertising, professional photography and video for listings — and that investment benefits our agents directly. The expectation in exchange is professional conduct, consistent market engagement, and transactions that reflect well on the brand.
For the right agent, the combination of a focused luxury market, off-market deal access, strong marketing support, and a broker who is actively working the same deals is worth more than the split differential between us and a larger operation. That is the value proposition, and it is one I am happy to walk through in detail on a call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have luxury experience to apply?
Not necessarily luxury experience specifically — but you do need transactional experience. If you have been closing deals at any price point and are ready to move upmarket with the right support and market knowledge behind you, we are open to that conversation. What we are not equipped to provide is foundational real estate training for brand-new licensees.
Do you work with part-time agents?
No. The Davis Agency requires full commitment to be worth anything to an agent, and a part-time agent cannot deliver the submarket knowledge and client responsiveness that luxury transactions demand. If real estate is not your primary professional focus, this is not the right fit.
What markets do you work beyond 78704?
Our primary focus is 78704 in Austin — Barton Hills, Zilker, Travis Heights, and Bouldin Creek — with coverage across the broader Austin luxury market. We also work Houston's luxury residential market through our network there. Agents who want to specialize exclusively in one market or the other, or who want to work both, can do so.
Is there a non-compete or exclusivity requirement?
Standard TREC licensing requires that you hold your license at a single brokerage, so exclusivity is built into the structure of Texas real estate licensing. Beyond that, we do not have non-compete provisions that would restrict your ability to move your license if this is not the right fit. We want agents who are here because it is working, not because a contract is keeping them.
How do I start the conversation?
Email me directly at [email protected] or call (512) 608-8811. Be specific about where you are in your career, what you have been working on, and what you are looking for in a brokerage change. The more specific you are, the more useful the conversation will be. I respond to every inquiry personally and I keep these conversations completely confidential.
Learn More About The Davis Agency's Market
→ The Off-Market Advantage: How The Davis Agency Closes Deals Before They Hit MLS
→ The 78704 Land Value Report: What Infill Lots Are Actually Worth in 2026
→ Luxury New Construction in Barton Hills: A Buyer's Guide from Lot to Keys
→ The Agent's Playbook: Breaking Into Luxury New Construction Sales in Austin
Let's Find Out If There's a Fit
If what you have read here resonates — if the market focus, the off-market deal access, the boutique model, and the kind of brokerage culture described above sounds like where you want to be — reach out. The conversation is confidential, there is no pressure, and it starts with a simple email or phone call.
Email Derrik Directly Call (512) 608-8811
[email protected] · All inquiries handled personally and confidentially.
Derrik Davis · Broker/Owner, The Davis Agency · CLHMS Certified · TREC License #558841 · Austin, TX
