NewTrust Real Estate

““As long as we’re serving our clients and giving them as
much information as possible, then we are doing our
job.”

– Chris Stelly

Photos by
Kelley Sweet
Photography

The pandemic kicked home prices higher than
ever before, so is buying a home still a good financial decision? According
to NewTrust Real Estate, formerly J Carter Breed Properties, absolutely. The
team works primarily in Houston’s Spring Branch and Memorial area, but knows
the city like the back of their hand. J Carter Breed built his name in real
estate over the past 30 years and strongly believes in real estate as a
wealth-building tool over the long run.

He has the market analytics to back it up.
Part and parcel of that is the detailed information provided to clients
selling homes. Sellers with NewTrust Real Estate get a bird’s eye view of the
market through detailed statistical reports on homes sold in their area, size
of the homes, number of bedrooms and baths, and high, low, and average price
per square foot. Understanding where their house falls in the market is
key.

NewTrust Real Estate realtor Chris Stelly
believes in home ownership so much, he confesses a surprising bit of advice.
When homeowners ask him if they should sell their house or lease it and buy
the other one, “Even if it hurts my business, I say keep it and build wealth
and equity. I make money when I sell houses, but I tell them to keep
it.”

Creative, Dedicated Team

A former oil and gas worker, Stelly likes
finding unique ways to make property work, turning land and housing into an
investment. Real estate steadily appreciates three to four percent every
year, explained Stelly. As such, it presents a creative way to save and pay
for college.

“Buy your kids an investment house and sell
that house when they turn 18,” he says. “That’s a great payoff when they’re
older.’

Ultimately, NewTrust Real Estate’s
community-oriented approach is one Stelly says he learned from Breed
himself.

“As long as we’re serving our clients and
giving them as much information as possible, then we are doing our job,
” said Stelly. The honorable and transparent philosophy for client
service guides the team’s day from start to finish. The younger agent even
confides

that forgetting any detail that could impact the client’s bottom line will
pull him up from bed in the middle of the night to send off an informative
email. Commitment to client welfare is something neither he nor NewTrust Real
Estate will falter on in any area of the business. Having a diverse base from
which to serve, helps them see the terrain the way clients
do.

Carter has three pockets of business,
explained Kris, Breed’s wife. “One is finding and selling a home, one is the
investment side, and one is the management. That started years ago when he’d
help people buy a home. Then they would say ‘My oil company is transferring
me overseas for a couple of years. It’s only a two-year assignment, and I
want to come back to this house.’ He would manage it for them, inspect it,
keep it maintained, and really take care of the home.”

Breed agrees that his management team works
both for homeowners and other types of property holders, skillfully and
concisely explaining the financial path towards investing in property when we
spoke on the phone.

Home Turf Advantage

Both Houston natives, Breed and Stelly
knowledgeably explain both the city layout and the points of interest for
families looking to put down roots, crucial for those who may not know the
city or where to find the best new home.

Says Stelly, “East is heavy industrial ship
channel and chemical plants. Downtown is urban living, and further west were
the original suburbs. A lot of those homes started holding value. Once you
get outside the beltway you have more new
builds.”

Drilling down further into specifics of the
Memorial and Spring Branch areas, adds J Carter Breed, “Memorial is bisected.
West Memorial and Memorial Villages are east and run along Memorial Drive,
which is an east-west street. A very big driver for the area is the trees,
schools, and the community. West Memorial is basically served primarily by
Stratford High School. East Memorial is served by Memorial high school.
Prices have continued to grow in those areas forever. The Spring Branch
Independent School District is a big driver for our area.”

Breed himself grew up in the Memorial area
and attended Stratford High School too.

Giving Back

Breed also served as a former trustee for
Spring Branch Independent School District until a year ago.

“I had a great childhood, so I wanted to move
back into the area and have my kids have the same experience. That’s why I
gave back and that’s why I wanted to serve on the school board,” said
Breed.

Driving career and technical education was a
huge part of Breed’s time on the school board, but he credits the leadership
and teachers in place before, during, and after his time on the board with
ensuring the bond money approved for career training was well spent. In part
because of Breed’s efforts, students in the district have access to training
in “everything from business classes, to engineering, to cosmetology, farming
and agricultural areas of business, computer science, culinary programs, and
many others.”

From NewTrust Real Estate’s perspective, when
one person succeeds, we all do. Ushering in that success with service at all
levels, from school board involvement, commitment to transparency, knowledge
of Houston, and looking out for the best deals for clients is all part of the
package.

NewTrust Real Estate will soon widen their
net, advertising client home sales through marketing which skillfully
utilizes social media tools to get their clients the best
buyers.

“Depending on client needs, we are here to
help guide them,” said Breed. With NewTrust Real Estate, he will expand his
reach while keeping the same community-building approach to Houston real
estate.