EP 333: From Fortune 10 to Selling Dallas: How Darwin Built a High-Performance Real Estate Brand

What makes Darwin Stevens with Raider Group Selling Dallas a good neighbor?

One decision changed everything: walking away from a Fortune 10 career just weeks before March 2020 reshaped the world. We sit down with Darwin Stevens of Raider Group Selling Dallas to unpack how he turned a high-pressure pivot into a reliable, numbers-driven real estate practice with a 90% listing-to-close rate. The story isn’t luck; it’s systems, clear positioning, and a relentless focus on service that stands up under scrutiny.

Darwin breaks down the myth that “Realtors are overpaid” by opening the books on the invisible work behind the scenes—miles on the odometer, premium marketing, staging, late-night contract edits, and the coordination dance between lenders, inspectors, and title. From there, we explore how his corporate background translates into portfolio thinking for multimillion-dollar listings and complex scenarios, including developments and neighborhoods like Bishop Arts where zoning and demand dynamics shape strategy. He explains why selective client intake protects results, and how coaching serious first-time investors builds stronger pipelines and better deals.

We also talk about vertical integration and speed. Darwin shares that he’s now licensed as a national mortgage loan officer, creating a tighter loop between financing options and on-the-ground transaction strategy. For investors and homeowners alike, that means clearer numbers, fewer handoffs, and more confidence when timing matters. If you’re weighing a listing, hunting your first rental, or managing a portfolio in Dallas, you’ll hear practical advice on pricing, marketing, negotiation, and choosing partners by outcomes—not slogans.

Subscribe for more local stories from operators who measure what matters. If this conversation helped you think differently about value and results in real estate, share the episode with a friend and leave a quick review so others can find the show.

To learn more about Raider Group Selling Dallas go to:
 🌐 https://sellingdallas4all.com/

Raider Group Selling Dallas
📞 [phone]

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a real estateagent?
Well, one may be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Darwin Stevens, with RaiderGroup Selling Dallas.
Darwin, how's it going thismorning?

(00:31):
Darwin?

SPEAKER_02 (00:35):
You still there?

SPEAKER_01 (00:37):
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (00:38):
Yeah, okay, we're good.
How are you?

SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
I'm doing well.
Now we are so excited to learnall about you and your business.
Can you start off by telling ourlisteners today a little bit
more about your company?

SPEAKER_02 (00:54):
How much time do we have?
I'm kidding.
Okay, of course.
Here we go.
So uh I'll just start brieflybecause I know we got other
questions that encompasseverything else.
Uh I am the CEO of Radar Group,uh, a locally Texas established
company for my brand sellingDallas.
Um, and yeah, so I'm here withGood Neighbor, really uh excited
to be asked to come on this.

(01:15):
This is super cool.
I'm excited to be able to get mybrand out there and reach more
people within Texas.
Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_01 (01:22):
Amazing.
Now, how did you originally getinto your business?

SPEAKER_02 (01:27):
Great question.
Okay, so I have to touch uhremotely on my prior corporate
career and the transition ofthat.
Okay, so I come from awell-established management,
sales, marketing successfulbackground.
Uh I come from Fortune 10 uhcompanies, uh whatnot.

(01:48):
So obviously the the main goalwhen you're when you're working
in a career is at least for meand many like me, is the
American dream,entrepreneurship, right?
And it's actually encouraged bya lot of these companies uh to
kind of get out and spread yourwings.
Anyway, long answer short, I gotinto real estate because I left

(02:11):
my corporate career in January2020.
Okay, now obviously I waspreparing to leave them to open
up my business.
So uh 2019, I got my real estatelicense.
Now, when I left the companythat I had worked for for four
13, 14 years, long time, okay,long, long time, right?

(02:32):
Uh uh all of a sudden.
January 2020, then March 2020,what happened?
COVID.
So all this preparation, allthis business plan, the things
you do to be successful.
Yeah, so I obviously had to fallback on real estate full time,
but you know what?
It's been a blessing, it's beenreally great, and we'll get into

(02:53):
that.
It's been phenomenal.
I've uh met some really greatpeople and accomplished some
really great things.
But yeah, that's how I got intoit, pivoted into it quickly.

SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
Awesome, awesome.
Always love a good story withsome twists and turns, right?

SPEAKER_02 (03:07):
Yes, oh my god, yes.
So many of them.

SPEAKER_01 (03:11):
I can relate.
Now, what is the most commonmyth or misconception you come
across in the real estateindustry?

SPEAKER_02 (03:20):
Okay, great question.
You know, and I think it's justbecause you know, a lot of
people, unless you're in thebusiness, some people only buy
one or two homes in theirlifetime.
So that's not enough to reallyknow what's going on.
So I think the misconception,not I think, but I think the
biggest thing is going to bethat realtors are paid too much
on some areas.

(03:40):
There's a lot of overhead thatcomes with this role, multiple
trips, multiple gas trips.
I mean, some days you drive100-150 miles, you know, and
that's just for one client.
So I think the myth that they'reoverpaid and then the marketing
and all the overhead that comeswith open houses, all that stuff
realtors pay for, you know,staging, things along those

(04:01):
lines.
I mean, you're running abusiness.
So you've got to, the revenueneeds to come back to you
because you're investing intoyour property to ultimately get
sold.
So the misconception, thebiggest one, is overpaid.
Unless you're in the role anddoing it, the calls we take, you
know, the the late night, thecontract reviews.
I mean, unless you're doing it,you really don't understand it,
you know.

(04:21):
But if you're in a business kindof corporate line of work, you
kind of get a little bit belowthe surface layer, but that is
the worst misconception.
Overpaid.

SPEAKER_01 (04:32):
Wow.
Yeah, I wasn't even, I didn'teven know that was one of the
worst misconceptions about youguys.

SPEAKER_02 (04:38):
Yes, my word.
I mean, you see it in the newshere and there, and I can only
relate, and I'm a little bitmore selective with the people
that I take, especially at thislevel.
I'm I'm dealing with moreportfolio homes and things along
those lines, but there arepeople out there ripping and
running like tires cost money,premium gas.
I mean, I came out with a brandnew Mercedes-Benz.

(04:58):
I mean, that's a lot of gas andpremium gas.
People just don't think aboutthat stuff.
So, yeah, that's one of the mostworst misconceptions is lack of
payment.

SPEAKER_01 (05:09):
Now we know marketing is the heart of every
business.
How are you currently marketingyour business?
And as you're talking aboutbeing selective, who are your
target clients and or yourtarget audience?

SPEAKER_02 (05:22):
Great.
Okay, no, great question.
First of all, I come from amanagement background,
leadership background, a givingback background.
So obviously, I'm gonna have asoft spot in my heart for those
just starting out, okay, thatare serious, first-time
investors.
So I always have time for them,always have coffee chats with
them, and I really like to seetheir growth.
You know, that's the managementleader side of me.

(05:43):
But to answer your question, uhnowadays, with the uh kind of
reputation that I have and theother uh interest that I have
from folks like yourself andother major national and
international channels, uh, I'vereally been able to pivot into
the multimillion dollar kind ofsell status along with working
with portfolio homes, meaningmultiple homes from CEO clients

(06:05):
or clients along those lines.
So it's really more of a uhportfolio kind of analysis, a
lot of predicting and analyzing.
Um, I'm I'm tapped fordevelopments at time.
You know, I just uh adevelopment area over here in uh
Bishop Arts area, I just had alisting over here, uh, and
that's what it's about, youknow, getting the word out and
you know, it's what it's zonedfor and things along those

(06:26):
lines.
So I'm tapp for like higher-enduh scenarios.
And like honestly, I'm I'mseeked out for situations where
others just weren't able toperform, right?
Now I can't take those all thetime, okay, because then I'll be
bogged down because that takes alittle extra, right?
Of me.
But uh yeah, my my my Fortune 10refinement and success and

(06:48):
marketing and sales at thatlevel, uh national, uh, with the
company, well-respected company,uh World Employer, that really
translates well to many people.
So yeah, my clients are umseasoned down to the newcomers,
right?
That really are serious and wantto get it going.

SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
Amazing.
Now, have you ever thought ofhaving your own podcast?

SPEAKER_02 (07:12):
You know what?
You know what?
Um, I you can I show this?
Um let's see, let's see.
So it's funny you ask, okay.
And uh nobody knows this.
Of course, I interact withseveral high-profile successful
people, right?
So maybe like one or two peopleknow this, but does that answer
your question?

(07:33):
Can you see what that says?
MPR's podcast startup guide.
So yes, I definitely have abackground that translates well
to many different individualsand a wealth of knowledge that I
love to share.
So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (07:49):
Perfect.
So you do have a podcast then?
I do not, but you do not have apodcast.
You have a podcast book.

SPEAKER_02 (07:58):
Well, it's a startup.
So that means I may be lookingto start up something soon.
Not as a competitor, but as justlike, you know, the real deal,
you know, holy field typescenario.
So does that answer yourquestion without being too
general?

SPEAKER_01 (08:17):
Yeah, I I think you answered my question.
Now, Darwin, please tell thelisteners one thing they should
remember today about RaiderGroup selling Dallas.

SPEAKER_02 (08:29):
Okay, so I'm a real person.
I come with real results, 90%listing to close ratio.
This is not just saying close,this is actually changing
ownership.
So that's number one, okay?
I'm a sales guy, I'm aboutnumbers, numbers don't lie.
No matter how long you've beenin business or how sought after
you are, your close rate shouldmatter.
Anybody who really wants areturn should want that.

(08:51):
So that means nine out of 10homes that I list actually
change ownership.
So that's super important.
So I want to leave there.
I come with uh VP status, uhnonprofit status.
So I have a really high, high uhlevel of management within uh,

(09:12):
I'll say governmental.
I don't want to say it like thatbecause I'm not a government
employee, but when you startworking with like state senators
and things along those lines, Imean you're kind of you're
governmental.
So I'm intertwined there.
So I've definitely impressedsome great people.
Um I I have I've been in Dallasfor 26 years.
You know, my childhood hometownis Oklahoma City, but I'm

(09:34):
definitely I've lived herelonger than Oklahoma City,
definitely Texan.
Um, and I come with a lot ofsuccess background without
saying it.
You know, I'm number one sellerin America for a worldwide
company uh for the year, top twopercent of sales managers.
I mean, this is these are nottoo shabby numbers.
So I come with a large-scalebusiness acumen, common sense,

(09:56):
and um a reputation.
You know, I'm a former chairmanof the fifth largest realtors
association in America.
So I'm a leader's leader.
So if you really want to dosomething with it, uh, I would
say you'd want to reach out tome if you've got a development
starting, if you've got alisting, multi-million dollar
listings that you need to move.
I I definitely would say reachout to me, you know.

(10:19):
Uh, but I'm partial, but that'sjust the reality.
You know, I'm I'm I'm gonna getI'm gonna get you the results
necessary.

SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
Now, Darwin, speaking of reaching out to you,
I'm sure all of our listeners,what they really want to know
today is where can they go tolearn more about Raider Group
Selling Dallas?

SPEAKER_02 (10:33):
Thank you.
Okay, thank you so much.
So uh selling Dallas, that's mybaby, that's my brand.
So I definitely do allow uhserious inquiries.
Um, you could check out mywebsite at
www.sellingdallasforall.com.
That's the number forall.com.
I've got a lot more about me uhon there.
It's got all kinds of mediaoutlets I've worked with as

(10:55):
well, and I'll put your logo upthere as well.
Uh but yeah, reach out there,contact me there.
Um, and you'll also see, oh duh,it just hot off the presses.
Um, you're gonna see a link towhere I'm recently established
as a national mortgage loanofficer as well.
So this selling DallasPowerhouse is amazing.
So not only can I handle thereal estate side of things, but

(11:15):
for my investor clients and evenpeople who just want to finance,
you know, everyone wants to holdcapital, right?
You don't want to just keepspending your money.
Um, I'm able to get those typeof loans done through me
directly, okay, as a licensednational mortgage loan officer,
not just employed with the bank,i am uh licensed to write loans.
So anyway, uh you'll find a linkon that website soon.

(11:36):
Go to my website, select thecontact us uh uh button, and
you'll just put in yourinformation, then I'll contact
you back, okay?
Or you could shoot me a textnow.
You know, some of the text, weget so many text messages and so
many emails.
I mean, if I'm not reallylooking for, which I'm looking
for, but if I'm not reallylooking for it, it could go to
spam and I'm not looking for it.
So, website.

(11:59):
That's it.

SPEAKER_01 (12:00):
Perfect.
Well, Darwin, I reallyappreciate you being on the show
with us today.
Um, we wish you and yourbusiness the best moving
forward.

SPEAKER_02 (12:10):
Thank you so much, Sophia.
It's been great.
Um, hopefully I didn't over talkbecause I've got more to say,
but you you're great.
You you know you got that whipgoing, so I stayed in line.

SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on the
show, go to GMP Frisco dot com.
That's GMP Frisco dot com orcall four six nine two two one
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