former professional soccer player
When CJ Sutherland tired from all the travel that came with being a professional soccer player, he returned to Dallas to be near his close-knit family. It didn’t take long for him to start coaching kids in soccer, a feeling he says surpassed any he ever had while playing professionally. One of the parents of his students was a high-producing agent who encouraged him to put his passions to work in real estate. It was confirmation of a pursuit that was already stirring in him. He was in class the following Monday.
He spent a year with Coldwell Banker learning the ropes and moved with a team to Compass for about 18 months, but experienced a lot of “ups and downs,” he says. “All of which prepared me for what I’m doing now.”
Longing to go out on his own, Sutherland bumped into Dustin Wright, team leader at Dallas DFW. “I wanted something different … I wanted a fresh start. There was just something special about Dustin and Keller Williams. He’s excited about real estate and he knows how to paint a big vision for the future,” Sutherland says. “The office just had a completely different vibe. The supportive culture is so refreshing.”
It wasn’t long until the culture of support began to reflect in Sutherland’s GCI.
“I made more money in two months at Keller Williams than 18 months at Coldwell Banker and Compass combined,” he shares. “It’s because everyone wants to know how you’re doing and how they can help you.”
With the support of Wright and his office, Sutherland is confident he will grow his business and expand his brand – which was a challenge at Compass.
“Compass has nice signs, but the agent’s brand is not there,” he shares. For Sutherland, the ability to build a brand that reflects his unique identity was non-negotiable.
When he moved with his family from Glasgow, Scotland, to Dallas-Fort Worth when he was 14, Sutherland combined his Scottish allegiance with his newfound Texas pride. The logo for his new company, The Alba Tex Group, showcases his dual affections. Alba is the Gaelic name for Scotland. And the symmetrical shield tells the story of his journey from a childhood in the United Kingdom to a Texas teen with a soccer dream who went from the Houston Dynamo Academy into the life of a professional player that took him to cross-country.
Although he’s no longer in professional soccer, he carries the same level of enthusiasm that helped him excel in the sport and is fired up about the next chapter of his journey.
“For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m doing exactly what I was put on this earth to do. There’s so much to look forward to. Keller Williams can not only change your life, but also that of your buyers and sellers, especially with the power of the technology that the company is giving out now.”
