Paul and Vince would like to welcome Bridgette Hager from Austin, Texas. A Private Office advisor, Bridgette co-founded Engel & Völkers’ Professional Athlete Advisory. Married to ex-NFL player Britt Hager, ​the couple has four sons, all of whom have also pursued football at the college level or professionally.​ During their time in the NFL, she’s moved over 15 times, inspiring her passion for serving athletes​’ families and their unique real estate needs. Bridgette ranks among Texas’s top 1% Realtors, with honors like Luxury League and Austin Business Journal’s Best in Residential Real Estate.

1.

Paul & Vince: What are the best things about living and working in your market?

Bridgette:  Austin is a fun city, and the whole vibe here is very laid back compared to other cities. We are the live music capital of the world, we have a festival almost every weekend, and we also host Formula One and NASCAR. We have South by Southwest film festival every year, Austin City Limits Music Festival…And then you’re only twenty minutes from a vineyard, you’re close to a ranch, you can go horseback riding, you can go water skiing, you can cycle…We have a lot of very fun, different activities for people..

2.

Paul & Vince: Now, what did you do before you worked in real estate?

Bridgette: I grew up in Odessa, Texas, and then I went to University of Texas at Austin. And while in college, I started working for a property management company – actually one of the largest developers at the time in Austin. I managed nearly five hundred units at the time.

Paul & Vince: Okay, and then when your husband was playing for the NFL, you were transferred to a lot of different teams, different cities.

Bridgette: Right, and I didn’t technically work in real estate then. But the inspiration for our Professional Athlete Advisory was birthed out of my own need for someone to help me get settled in a city really quickly. Because athletes are a very special kind of client: they are relocating very quickly and require discretion. You can’t say, “I’m selling this person’s house” and tip off the public where they think he’s leaving a team.

Paul & Vince: That makes sense…and learning those local ropes quickly can really make a difference when a family is moving often.

Bridgette: Yes, I helped others because I needed it as well. And now, with the Professional Athlete Advisory, we can connect families with all the other agents within Engel & Voelkers. We have representation in almost every city where there’s a major league team: football, baseball, basketball, hockey, so it’s a very enhanced referral network; it’s very efficient. And it’s amazing we can stay all within E&V.

3.

Paul & Vince: So tell us, what’s happening in the Austin real estate market now?

Bridgette: Springtime will be here soon enough and it’s always a huge time in Austin. It’s a beautiful time of year here, and the spring festivals, like SXSW, always bring an influx of activities – new buyers and new eyes on the city. Of course, just like the rest of the country, interest rates and inflation have played a role in our market, but we’re still seeing very high-end comps. Five, ten, twenty-million-dollar homes, they’re selling fast.

4.

Paul & Vince: What you like most about working in real estate and with E&V?

Bridgette: I think real estate’s just natural for me…I’m a problem solver: I like helping people reach their goals and I love making things work. I love the moment when my clients find their dream house, or they sell their house so they can move closer to their grandchildren. The global aspect of E&V is great, and the brand is strong. I love to travel and meet agents in all these different cities, and compared to other firms I’ve worked with, I feel like everyone is just so much more connected and there’s consistent quality and professionalism.

… and one more, Just for Fun

Paul & Vince: Now it’s time for our Just For Fun question. What is one time period in all of world history you would have liked to have been there to witness?

Bridgette: I would choose the Gilded Age…I find that time period so interesting, because there was such a contrast of the migration in the West and the tremendous growth and rise of modern industry in the East. I would have enjoyed seeing the busy city streets, horse-drawn carriages turning into steam trains…I wouldn’t mind being able to drop by and see major events or new buildings happening, the Chicago World’s Fair, the Brooklyn Bridge being built…

Paul & Vince: Well, it’s your fantasy, so you can drop by any scene you like!

Original artwork by Jolisa Robinson, Gavriani-Falcone Team Marketing