Tom Thornton
Broker Associate, MBA, ABR, CRS, GRI, EcoBroker
Personal Mission StatementTo counsel, educate, and serve my clients with the highest level of training, education and experience before, during, and after their real estate transaction.
Experience
Tom Thornton joined Realty Austin's team of professional real estate counselors in early 2008. He began his real estate career at Coldwell Banker United prior to joining Realty Austin. He became a broker associate (signifying 900+ hours of real estate education) in 2009. Over his real estate career, Tom has worked with listings and buyers from $100,000 to over $2 million. He is one of only 40 agents (out of over 8,000) in Austin holding all major professional real estate designations: a broker's license, an ABR, a CRS, and a GRI.
Before entering real estate, Tom worked extensively in marketing and advertising, most recently as Vice President at Young and Rubicam's Knowledge Group in New York, which provided brand management and marketing strategy to clients like Yahoo!, Dannon, and Pfizer. Tom's marketing experience also includes time at J. Walter Thompson and Burson-Marsteller in New York working with clients like Sony, Lipton Tea, and Merrill Lynch. He worked for famed UK newspaper The Guardian and for Texas Monthly magazine early in his career.
Education
BBA, Baylor University - Waco, TX (1995)
MBA, London Business School - London, UK (2000)
Awards
Top 150 Buyers Agents in Austin - Austin Board Of Realtors - 2009
Top 4% Of Realtors by Sales Volume - Austin Board Of Realtors - 2009
Designations
Broker Associate, ABR (Accredited Buyer's Representative), CRS (Council of Residential Specialists), GRI (Graduate, Realtor Institute), EcoBroker
Tom has been awarded the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation (the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation) by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) and is a Graduate of the REALTOR® Institute (GRI). He has also earned the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), the highest Designation awarded to sales associates in the residential sales field. The CRS Designation recognizes professional accomplishments in both experience and education. CRS Designees represent the Top 4% of Realtors in the United States. He is certified as an EcoBroker by EcoBroker International. EcoBroker Certified® professionals help clients market properties with green features, save money, and live comfortably, through energy efficiency and environmentally-sensitive choices.
Specialties
Tom Thornton is a Realtor specializing in Central, Southwest, and East Austin residential properties. His neighborhoods of focus include Tarrytown, Rollingwood, Westlake, West Campus, Hyde Park, Downtown, Mueller, Travis Country, Circle C, Legend Oaks, Village at Western Oaks, Lantana, Loma Vista, Travis Heights, Bouldin Creek, Sherwood Oaks, and Barton Hills. Tom has experience and/or specialty designations for buyer agency, green properties, and investment properties.
Community
Tom's favorite Austin charities include Wonders and Worries, Foundation Communities, and the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.
Personal
A native Texan, Tom relocated to Austin from New York City. He understands the trials and changes involved in moving to Austin from another area, and is happy to help clients learn more about our city. Tom lives in the Southwest Austin area with his wife and two daughters, and is also a contributing music and food writer for Austinist, which has won multiple awards as Austin's best entertainment website. He has interviewed musicians such as Snow Patrol, Spoon, Santana, and Crowded House along with celebrities like Will Ferrell. Tom has been interviewed as a featured real estate expert in The New York Times and on KLBJ's "Real Estate Radio" and as an "Austin culture expert" by BBC Radio 2, The Wall Street Journal, MTV.com, KUT, 101X FM, and News 8 Austin. He has also contributed as a writer to Gothamist, Go2.com, and American Songwriter magazine. Tom's interests include travel, wine collecting, NBA basketball, and music. He is always happy to share his knowledge of what Austin has to offer! Please contact him at your convenience.