Living in the Central Austin neighborhood of Bryker Woods, Jeff has called Austin home since 2012. With over 23 years of experience in various disciplines of residential real estate, Jeff is not only passionate about assisting his clients in buying and selling homes but also enjoys spending quality time with his family, indulging in fly fishing, relishing exotic cars, wake surfing, and embracing the outdoor life of camping in his Airstream.
Upon earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989, Jeff embarked on his career as a Financial Advisor with Lehman Brothers. The allure of Wall Street led him to New York City in 1992, where he became an equities trader on both the Nasdaq and NYSE.
In November of 1992, Jeff co-founded Block Trading Inc. He was in part credited with nationally popularizing a means of direct-access computerized trading known as SOES (Small Order Execution System) Trading. While attending the Jones Graduate School of Business Rice University Management Program in 1997, Jeff and Block Trading were honored with the #1 ranking in the Houston 100, Houston's 100 Fastest-Growing Small Businesses, presented by the University of Houston Small Business Development Center and the Greater Houston Partnership.
Following Block Trading's success in 1999, Jeff pursued his second passion: architecture, homebuilding, and real estate, leading to the establishment of PAK Interests. This luxury home-building company focused primarily on delivering the highest quality construction in Central and West Houston. Alongside his partner, Stonehenge Classic Homes, Jeff received numerous awards for designing and constructing some of Houston's most distinctive properties.
In 2010, following the economic downturn and subsequent housing crisis, Jeff's reflection on his prior experience in creating new levels of transparency in the equities markets prompted the question: "Why isn't more data made available to consumers in the residential real estate market?" In 2012, driven by this question and his affinity for technology, Jeff founded NuHabitat, a real estate listing search platform for consumers. Its aim was to bring improved clarity, speed, and accuracy of property listing information to home buyers and sellers. Jeff also became a licensed REALTOR® in Houston to sell real estate and provide strategic digital planning at his brokerage.
Having relocated to Austin to join the Capital Factory accelerator program and further pursue his technology startup, Jeff joined Realty Austin in 2015 as the Director of Online Development. His role was to contribute to the strategic direction and development of their technology suite of tools, serving more than 425 Realtors and approaching $3 billion in annual sales. In 2018, Jeff shifted his focus to become a full-time REALTOR®, exclusively dedicated to helping buyers and sellers find their ideal homes.
Upon deciding to concentrate his business on luxury real estate, Jeff received an invitation to become an inaugural Agent in establishing the Douglas Elliman Real Estate office in Austin, Texas. Simultaneously, he was invited to join the #1 real estate team in the country, the Eklund Gomes Team, founded by John Gomes and Fredrik Eklund, renowned for his appearances on Million Dollar Listing.
Most recently, Platinum Top 50® is proud to recognize Jeff as a 2024 Semifinalist with the Finalist awards to be presented by year's end. His achievements in the areas of sales, service, and leadership are noteworthy and rank him at the top of the industry.
Jeff's affiliations, both past and present, encompass the Board of Trustees at The Fay School, the Austin Board of Realtors, the Houston Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, Greater Houston Builders Association, Texas Association of Home Builders, National Association of Home Builders, Membership in the Holocaust Museum Houston, Membership in Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, and Membership in Temple Israel in Schulenburg, TX.
