Voyage Houston is a platform highlighting local businesses, artists, and independent entrepreneurs, and we’re so honored and grateful to be selected as one of their Inspiring Stories.

Continue reading below to view the the full interview.

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Voyage Houston: Cabby, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

Cabby: Christina (who, as I like to say, is my partner in real estate in and life) and I used to own different small businesses… I co-owned The Class Room men’s boutique (formerly located in Rice Village), and Christina was a managing/operating partner in a cool nail salon called Dripped in Montrose. We met around August/September 2016 through that small business scene and the fact that our social circles overlapped.

Around this time, my TCR business partners and I were already making plans to close down the store so that we could pursue other opportunities. For me specifically, I had been a licensed real estate agent on the side since 2012, and for the last two years of TCR’s existence, I was doing better with real estate than with the retail store. So it made sense for me to go all-in with real estate.

Unbeknownst to me, Christina was already in the final stages of getting her real estate license when we met each other. In hindsight, it seems serendipitous that we would meet each other as small business owners, both in the process of leaving existing businesses, about to pursue full-time careers in real estate.

Christina and I started dating shortly after we met (our three year anniversary is in October). But it wasn’t until January 2018 that we officially formed the Chris & Cab Real Estate Team (which is under the Keller Williams Memorial umbrella).

VH: Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

C: Much of the first year was us figuring out our branding and how to position ourselves in the market, and how to build a pipeline of clientele and business. A lot of people knew us from our old businesses, and it seems every potential client knows at least 80 realtors. So one of the challenges was creating a new brand for ourselves as competent realtors that stood out from others.

HOWEVER, truthfully the biggest challenge was figuring out how to work with each other. For us, the romantic part of our relationship has always been easy and effortless. But as it turns out, the ways in which we do stuff for work are polar opposites from one another. So, we had to figure out processes, frameworks, and avenues for effective communication that lead to better productivity (and also strengthened our romantic relationship rather than straining it). It took some time but eventually, we were able to work out our systems.

VH: Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Chris & Cab Real Estate Team – what should we know?

C: Christina and I are a realtor duo. The majority of our business is residential real estate (buying, selling, leasing, and investment properties), but doing commercial leases (small office, retail, restaurant, etc.) is a small portion of our business that’s starting to grow. Most of our deals are in and around the loop, but we often do deals in Spring/Cypress/Klein, Sugar Land/Richmond, and Friendswood/Clear Lake also.

I think one of the things we’re most known for is our eye for style and design, particularly design inspired by mid-century modern influences as well as Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism. Thanks to things like Instagram and our blog, we’re able to share with the world the types of places, spaces, and things that we think are cool, and if people are into the same type of things, then they are drawn to us because they know we can relate.

I don’t want to say “proud”, but the reviews, referrals, and smiles we get from our clients after a deal closes are the things that make Christina and me the happiest. Like I said before, most people know multiple realtors, so if they choose to hire us it REALLY matters to us that we do a good job for them. It’s something we really take to heart.

VH: Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?

C: Christina and I simply and honestly just CARE about our clients, and about people in general, so we try to do everything from a place of service. We’re always asking ourselves what VALUE can we provide to people, and that drives most of what we do.

Contact Info:

• Address: 950 Corbindale Rd Ste 100
  Houston, TX 77024

• Website: www.chrisandcab.com

• Phone: (281) 760-4319

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrisandcab

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrisandcab

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/chrisandcab

• Other: https://g.page/chris-cab-real-estate-team?share

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Original article posted on Voyage Houston.

Christina Tran and Jon “Cabby” Caballero are licensed realtors in Houston, TX.  Together, we’re the Chris & Cab Real Estate Team – native Houstonians and local experts servicing the following Houston neighborhoods: the Houston Heights, Montrose, Museum District, Midtown, Rice University / West University, Memorial, River Oaks, Cottage Grove, Garden Oaks, East Downtown (Eado) and East End, Spring, Cypress, Pearland, Friendswood, Clear Lake, and more!