Opening our brokerage was a big step on a much longer journey. Through it all, we kept in mind an important lesson that helped us arrive where we are today.
Once we unlocked the doors of Hunter Mason Realty in 2010, named after our two sons, it was hardly the beginning, but it was a huge step forward. I’ve always been tenacious with a “burn the ships” mentality. So, we dove all in and never looked back.
By then, Tony and I had been through a lot, including the dot-com bubble burst, the housing market crash, and two children! We had both been in real estate for decades and built our careers within the industry alongside each other. Whatever happened, we found ways to move forward together.
Before the market crash of ‘07, I discovered I also have a passion for teaching and even wrote a book on how to be a successful REALTOR®. I found that through our brokerage, I could incorporate my passion for teaching by training agents and educating clients. It’s the best of both worlds!
Tony worked in real estate technology for decades, and he still had his own career at the time we opened. He worked with the California Association of REALTORS® and was part of the group that founded Realtor.com and many other national programs that REALTORS® use nationwide. While building his career in the foreclosure industry with Hubzu and Auction.com, he became a licensed auctioneer and expert on national property auctions. Through all of this, he continued managing our real estate investments and those of several clients. For six years, while our sons Hunter and Mason were little, Tony was a stay-at-home Dad, and he kept busy consulting in real estate technology and working as a full-time real estate investor buying and managing over 100 doors.
Investing has always been a big part of what we love about real estate. When I was a senior in high school, investing changed my parents’ lives. They bought mobile home parks and other investment properties, and after witnessing their success, I knew I wanted to be in real estate too. We have invested for decades, and we use what we’ve learned to empower our clients.
Tony became a full-time member of my team in 2018, and we opened our Las Vegas office in 2021. While Tony is the managing broker in Vegas, I manage our California office. Our company has grown much bigger than we ever anticipated with 35+ agents speaking many languages across two locations. It’s not quite the small, boutique brokerage I originally envisioned, but we still prioritize building relationships and providing a personal touch with every client.
In 2017, we bought a Harcourts franchise for our brokerage in order to provide more comprehensive support for both our agents and clients, including adding non-distressed auction to our menu of services. Harcourts is one of the top real estate companies in the world with a legacy dating back to 1888, but it still has a fresh feel, and we love the auction approach.
Through all the company changes, market crashes and more, we made time for our family and stayed involved in the community. Tony and I both volunteered for years with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts alongside our boys. Tony took them both through the end to reach Eagle Scouts. He has backpacked over 1000 miles with them since they began that journey – you can drop him anywhere at this point and he will make his way back home!
We have also both been very involved in our local real estate associations and give back to local organizations. No matter what challenge we faced – moving, growing, adapting, even climbing literal mountains – we kept moving forward. We realized long ago that life only moves in one direction: forward!
If you choose us, we will support you as consultants throughout this process. We understand your home is one of your biggest investments, so we don’t take the trust our clients put in us lightly, providing support with our team of in-house experts. As brokers, we see each transaction from multiple sides and draw on our decades of industry experience to best inform our clients of every available option.
We purchased our Harcourts franchise so we could provide a wider range of services to our clients and agents. With Tony’s experience selling 6,000+ auction properties and my 3+ decades of experience helping sellers, buyers and investors, we are experts in our field. Our knowledge of investment properties, property management, auctions, real estate technology, and the communities we serve are not likely to be found anywhere else. We also have decades-long relationships with vendors, industry professionals and other agents because we believe in working together to achieve our goals. Once the transaction is closed, we will continue to support your success as your REALTOR® team for life. We are here to serve our clients before, during and after your transaction.
Sincerely,
Courtney Self Tony Self
Broker-Owner Broker-Owner