S
t. Louis-based residential brokerage Clark Worth Realty has recently expanded its presence in the Dallas-area market by acquiring a 15-agent team in Azle, bringing its total number of realtors to 80. Founded in 2009, Clark Worth has been growing rapidly, despite a decline in transactions across the entire residential real estate market in the first quarter this year. In fact, their transactions grew by 12 percent year over year and 13 percent in the second quarter, according to their chief growth officer Ryan Michaelis. This impressive growth has earned them a spot on Inc.'s 5000 List of fastest-growing private companies this year, ranked at No. 4,132 with 108% revenue growth from 2020 to 2023.

    The brokerage recently announced the acquisition of South Estates Realty, which had a remarkable $54 million in sales volume and 157 transactions last year. The deal was made to "relieve" former broker-owner Jackie South of "operational burdens," and South is now Clark Worth's DFW managing broker. The specifics of the deal were not disclosed, but Clark Worth has promised to help "alleviate" South of maintaining the office, along with rent and utilities.

    According to Michaelis, now is the time of year when broker-owners tend to reevaluate their options, leading to an increase in walkovers as they look for better brokerage options. He believes that South was attracted to Worth Clark's competitive edge, offering agents 100% commissions, no desk fees, partial equity, and occasional leads. In a video on their website, Michaelis emphasizes that "real estate is changing," and the traditional commission splits, franchise fees, and desk fees are becoming less relevant.

    South was particularly drawn to the managing broker opening in Clark Worth's Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, and Longview markets, where officials reported a combined $148 million in sales volume and 348 transactions last year. Despite the model being relatively new in the Midwest when Clark Worth staked its claim in the St. Louis market, competition is stiffer in the DFW metroplex, where several brokerages with similar 100% commission models had established roots before Clark Worth entered Texas markets in early 2021.