Market Moves ETX with David McAtee

Good morning — my name is David McAtee, and I'll be straight with you: I've never sold a piece of property in my life. But I have spent over 40 years standing at a pit, and let me tell you, smoking a brisket has taught me just about everything I know about doing real estate the honest way.

Now, folks ask me all the time, "Who is a famous brisket guy in Texas?" And the truth is, this state is full of legends — from the pitmasters down in Lockhart and Taylor to the world-famous spots in Austin. I won't pretend to be one of those big names, but I will tell you I'm pretty darn good around a pit, and some people have called me a pitmaster (a title I humbly downplay). In this episode I share what four decades of smoking brisket and grilling ribeyes taught me about patience, honesty, and serving people first.

Here's what you'll learn: why a good brisket, like a good deal, can't be rushed — I don't have a crystal ball, and I don't blow any smoke. How showing clients the honest truth about pricing beats telling them what they want to hear. And why every buyer and seller I close with celebrates over a ribeye. It's all about my simple philosophy — I serve, I don't sell.

I'm David McAtee with Realty One Group Rose right here in Tyler, Texas, serving East Texas. When you're ready to buy or sell, give me a call at 903-216-6885 or visit https://marketmovesetx.com — and when we close, the ribeye's on me.

Show Notes

Good morning — my name is David McAtee, and I'll be straight with you: I've never sold a piece of property in my life. But I have spent over 40 years standing at a pit, and let me tell you, smoking a brisket has taught me just about everything I know about doing real estate the honest way. Now, folks ask me all the time, "Who is a famous brisket guy in Texas?" And the truth is, this state is full of legends — from the pitmasters down in Lockhart and Taylor to the world-famous spots in Austin. I won't pretend to be one of those big names, but I will tell you I'm pretty darn good around a pit, and some people have called me a pitmaster (a title I humbly downplay). In this episode I share what four decades of smoking brisket and grilling ribeyes taught me about patience, honesty, and serving people first. Here's what you'll learn: why a good brisket, like a good deal, can't be rushed — I don't have a crystal ball, and I don't blow any smoke. How showing clients the honest truth about pricing beats telling them what they want to hear. And why every buyer and seller I close with celebrates over a ribeye. It's all about my simple philosophy — I serve, I don't sell. I'm David McAtee with Realty One Group Rose right here in Tyler, Texas, serving East Texas. When you're ready to buy or sell, give me a call at 903-216-6885 or visit https://marketmovesetx.com — and when we close, the ribeye's on me.

What is Market Moves ETX with David McAtee?

This podcast is for East Texans who want clear, practical insight into real estate - without pressure or hype. Hosted by David McAtee, a real estate agent with Realty ONE Group Rose in Tyler, Texas, the show focuses on helping buyers, sellers, and local residents better understand the East Texas market before making major decisions.

Each episode breaks down real-world topics like buying and selling homes, local market trends, land and acreage considerations, and common mistakes to avoid. Whether you’re planning a move now or just learning for the future, this podcast is designed to give you clarity, context, and confidence - one conversation at a time.

Good morning, my name is David McAtee, and I'll be straight with you: I've never sold a piece of property in my life. I serve, I don't sell, and around here we celebrate every closing over a ribeye. Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and let's talk real estate the honest way.

So somebody asked me the other day, who's a famous brisket guy in Texas? And I laughed, because folks around here have called me a pit master for years, though I'll be honest, I humbly downplay that title every chance I get. But I have been standing over a pit for more than forty years, so let me tell you what all that smoke taught me about this business.

Now if you want the real famous names, I'll point you to the legends like Aaron Franklin up in Austin, the man who made people line up for hours just for a slice of brisket. There's the old guard too, places like Kreuz Market and Louie Mueller, temples of Texas barbecue that folks drive across the state to visit. I'm not on that list, and I don't pretend to be, but I've cooked enough brisket to know what those men know.

And here's the first thing brisket teaches you: patience. A good brisket takes twelve, thirteen, fourteen hours, low and slow, and you cannot rush it no matter how hungry you are. Patience is the one thing I still work on to this day, both at the pit and in real estate.

Because a house is a lot like a brisket. If you crank the heat too high, if you push too hard, if you try to force it before it's ready, you'll ruin the whole thing. You've got to let the right buyer and the right seller come together at the right time, and that's God's timing, not mine.

I've watched people try to rush a sale the same way an impatient man opens the smoker every ten minutes. Every time you open that lid, you lose your heat and you lose your time, and the same is true when a seller panics and drops the price too soon. You've got to trust the process and let the meat, and the market, do their work.

The second thing brisket taught me is that you cannot fake it. You can put a pretty rub on a bad cut of meat, but the truth comes out the second somebody takes a bite. It's the same reason I don't blow any smoke with my clients, no pun intended, because dressing up a bad price only fools people for so long.

If a seller wants three hundred thousand dollars but the market says the home is worth two hundred sixty five thousand, I'm going to tell them the honest truth. That home could sit six months or more if we price it on wishful thinking, and I'd rather lose the listing than lie to your face. I don't have a crystal ball, but I'll always give you the best market analysis I've got.

The third thing is that good barbecue is about serving people, not showing off. When I'm the chef for a group, I'm not doing it for applause, I'm doing it because I love watching folks enjoy something I made with care. That's exactly how I feel about this business, I serve, I don't sell, and the selling takes care of itself.

I learned all of this a long way from Tyler, back when I was a six year old boy at my grandparents' marina on Lake Corpus Christi. Every night we'd build a big bonfire at my Papaw's house, the neighbors would drag their chairs over, and we'd have a cookout under the stars. My only job was to fetch my Papaw a beer when he ran out, but I was learning something bigger, that food brings people together and that's holy ground.

So no, I'm not the famous brisket guy in Texas, and I'll never claim to be. But I am the fellow who's spent over forty years learning that patience, honesty, and serving people are the only ingredients that ever really matter, at the pit and in real estate.

And when we close on your home, I'll tell you the same thing I've told folks for years: let's celebrate over a ribeye, because I'm pretty darn good around a pit.

Thanks for spending a little time with me today. I don't blow smoke and I don't have a crystal ball, but I'll always put you first and give you the honest truth. When you're ready to buy or sell in Tyler and East Texas, give me a call at nine zero three, two one six, six eight eight five, or find me at market moves e t x dot com, and when we close, the ribeye's on me.