Can you tell us something about your business as a Real Estate Agent?

About my business: I am a licensed real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Keller Williams is an American technology and international real estate franchise with headquarters in Austin, Texas. It is the number one franchise in the United States by sales volume and the largest real estate franchise by agent count in the world, and one of the largest privately held global residential real estate brokerages. I have recently formed a team with two other realtors, BRJ Realty Group, which was established to provide exceptional service to our clients in North Texas and abroad. We also work closely with our worldwide offices in order to be able to offer our clients a seamless transition to North Texas.

Why did you choose to do business in Texas?

My father was a diplomat with The Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. and that is also where I met my wife who is from Texas. She introduced me to all the wonderful things this state has to offer. I vividly remember the first time I set foot in Texas in 2000 and it was a beautiful day with deep blue skies. Being born and raised in The Netherlands I was impressed by how spacious Texas truly is and how friendly the Texans are. I knew immediately that I was going to be happy here. We bought a house west of Fort Worth and with the ongoing growth that Texas has been experiencing it made perfect sense to be active in real estate.

What advice can you give to Dutch entrepreneurs who want to do business in Texas?

Advice for entrepreneurs: Having owned several business in Texas my advice for entrepreneurs would be to utilize all the free resources the State of Texas has made available to you, and of course the services offered by our Netherlands Business Support Office! There are countless state & local agencies, chambers of commerce, and local communities that are willing to help companies set up shop in Texas. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like me to point you in the right direction. Many international companies have already made the jump to North Texas, such as Toyota which recently moved its North American Headquarters to Plano. With the presence of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, a highly skilled workforce, a low tax burden, a reasonable cost of living, fewer land-use restrictions and a predictable regulatory environment North Texas has proven to be the best location for a large variety of businesses.