The cowgirl was mine. 

That usually sounds like the beginning of a story I probably shouldn’t tell.

This one I can.

The cowgirl was mine. 

We were headed into The Pershing in Austin for Capital Title’s client appreciation party, invited by our longtime friend Kierstin.

And somewhere during the evening, it occurred to me that the three of us standing there together had a history that went back more than 30 years—and began with something about as ordinary as a real estate contract.

Back then, I was working at a Prudential real estate office in Georgetown.

C.J. was an escrow officer at a local title company.

One day, she and Kierstin, who worked at the same title company, walked into our office. C.J. was there to receipt a contract for another agent—taking possession of it on behalf of the title company.

At that point of my career, I was becoming pretty confident in my sales skills.

I did what any dedicated young Realtor focused exclusively on business development would have done.

I asked them to lunch.

My presentation was spot on.

Three days later, C.J. and I were dating.

Years later, she told me she actually believed I wanted to talk about business.

We eventually got married, built a life together, and in 2000 founded Pfau & Company Realtors.

And Kierstin?

She became C.J.’s maid of honor.

More than three decades later, she’s still our friend and handles the title work for Pfau & Company Realtors.

Looking back, there was something else I didn’t fully appreciate when C.J. walked through that door.

She had already begun building the kind of broad real estate experience that would eventually become an important part of how we operate Pfau & Company today.

Before entering real estate sales, C.J.’s career included banking, mortgage processing, residential construction and nine years in the title industry, including three years managing a title company branch.

That’s an unusual amount of experience on different sides of a real estate transaction before ever becoming a Realtor.

And it still matters.

Today, C.J. oversees the day-to-day progress of our transactions from contract through closing. She knows where problems tend to hide, which details matter, what needs to happen next, and how easily something seemingly insignificant can become very significant if nobody is paying attention.

She also leads our buyer representation, bringing that same practical perspective to evaluating properties, structuring offers, and helping our clients make decisions that will still make sense long after closing.

C.J. and I have very different strengths.

That’s part of why this has worked for so long.

We collaborate on every transaction, and the experience each of us brings to the table gives our clients something neither of us could provide quite as well alone.

So standing there together last night was pretty remarkable.

More than 30 years ago, C.J. and Kierstin walked into my real estate office so C.J. could receipt a contract.

One became a lifelong friend and eventually C.J.’s maid of honor.

The other became my wife, my business partner, and the person I’ve built much of my life with.

All because I arranged a little lunch meeting in the interest of business development.

And I’d say I closed pretty well.

Preparation. Positioning. Negotiation. Results.