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She was one of the most successful real estate power brokers in Dallas, a beautiful, blonde powerhouse who almost single-handedly sold out hundreds of the luxury condominiums lining Turtle Creek Boulevard. From the penthouse views to the second-home pieds-a-terre, Judy Pittman dominated Turtle Creek real estate for more than 30 years.
He was an American business magnate and financier, a hedge fund titan known as a corporate raider in the 1980s, and later as a trend-setting hedge fund manager in the 2000s. Boone Pickens is one of Dallas’ most colorful oil and gas wildcatters.
Now their family legacies have joined forces. Introducing Pittman-Stovall Real Estate.
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Judy Pittman was the Grand Dame of Turtle Creek real estate. She exclusively sold out The Claridge, Vendome, and Place des Vosages faster than any agent — just as Dallas was beginning to understand high-rise condominium living. She sold out The Mansion Residences even before breaking ground. Judy Pittman’s niece, Camille Fournier, and Camille’s son, Carter, worked diligently behind the scenes with Judy as she tunneled through Turtle Creek sales.
Carter happened to be close friends with Peter Stovall, Boone Pickens’ grandson.
Judy and Boone developed a strong mutual respect for each other personally and professionally. Boone was one of the few that really understood high-rise living in its infancy in Dallas. Judy sold Boone Pickens numerous homes and penthouses over the years. Little did they know a company would emerge from this connection. Boone and Judy had very similar personalities and bonded over the mutual respect they had for one another, they were both tenacious bootstrappers that weren’t born wealthy.
Camille was more like a little sister to Judy than a niece, as the two were only 16 years apart in age. At Judy’s insistence, Camille attained her real estate license in the 1980s. She learned the business and made important connections early and immediately through her aunt. Judy got the exclusive listing on the Vendome and she and Camille completely pre-sold the building.
“Dallas lenders used to demand that more than 50 percent of a condo had to be sold before you could even start construction,” Camille says. “Judy would sell the vision and have contracts signed before groundbreaking, which is why developers like Caroline Rose Hunt adored her.”
Judy also immersed herself into each project, working with the architects on the specifics of floor plans, layouts, and amenities of each building prior to sales, Camille says. Judy knew what buyers wanted and she translated that to builders and developers for better sales results.
Judy also helped beautify the Turtle Creek Corridor, one of the few early places in Dallas with flowing water, acres of vast green space, and walking trails. She helped found the Turtle Creek Association to protect the corridor, helped organize the first fall home tour, and was heavily involved in beautifying the gardens at Lee Park.
In fact, you can see Judy’s legacy all over Turtle Creek. She dedicated the wedding garden in Turtle Creek Park to her parents Amy and Bobby Goff, and an adjacent garden is named in Judy’s honor. The Turtle Creek Association this year dedicated the vast bed of striking azaleas across from The Warrington to Judy’s memory.
Carter Fournier is Judy’s great-nephew. He may also hold the record for being one of the state’s youngest real estate agents. Carter worked for his aunt from 8th grade through college — starting as back office and eventually becoming a broker.
Carter actually obtained his real estate license while still in high school at Jesuit College Prep.
“When Aunt Judy said I could get my license, I didn’t waste any time and had it a month after my 18th birthday,” he says.
College offered Carter even more sales opportunities.
“My sophomore year of college, Aunt Judy and I strategized how to start a brokerage fully catering to SMU students,” he says.
With her guidance, he recruited fraternity and sorority members to become licensed salespeople. In addition to developing a brokerage, Carter and his team developed townhomes around campus, filling a vital housing need for SMU students.
“She was a huge inspiration and mentor,” Carter says.
After graduation, he dove into commercial real estate investment with Greenway Investment Company and currently keeps a diversified interest as head of Concord Capital Partners, a boutique commercial real estate investment firm with retail and industrial assets across the Southwest. Though Carter’s professional focus became commercial real estate investment, He always remained close to his Aunt Judy and her bustling business.
“My mom, myself, and Judy were ALWAYS talking real estate,” says Carter.
When Judy passed away just over a year ago, she left the business to Carter’s mother, Camille. She then restructured the business with Carter and Peter.
“This company will always be inspired by Aunt Judy’s accomplishments,” Carter says. “Our goal is to carry that on and be good stewards of Judy’s legacy.”
Peter Stovall is one of twelve grandchildren of the late Boone Pickens.
Peter went to Highland Park High School, worked with one of his grandfather’s companies after college, and then transitioned into residential real estate. Prior to Pittman Stovall, Peter held his license with Compass, where he was mentored by Will Seale, a founding partner of the Dallas office.
Stovall says Boone bought homes with Judy for more than 20 years and claimed her as a close friend. The relationship was so close both families ended up dining and vacationing together for years, especially Carter and Peter. Thus it was only natural for them to partner up.
“We are an exclusive, 100 percent boutique luxury brokerage, and will remain that way” Peter says. “We’re not going to get huge, either. The goal is 10 to 15 agents tops, all like-minded individuals.”
That “like-mindedness” means agents with a strong work ethic, who have connections, and who can focus on the core legacy areas of Dallas: Turtle Creek, Uptown, Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Lakewood, and Bluffview.
Last month, Peter brought in Gretchen Manning, bringing the group to five. Gretchen was also born and raised in Dallas, attending ESD and the University of Texas, prior to becoming an agent at Compass.
“Our common thread is that we can easily make deals within our own networks, which overlap so much,” Peter says. “It’s happening at church, at the club, board meetings, even in carpool lines at our kid’s schools now.”
Peter is drawing on the lessons he learned from his grandfather.
“Boone played the typical grandparent role for most of my childhood, but we became quite close during the last ten years of his life,” says Peter, who worked in the family business for nine years.
“The truth is that we just enjoyed each other’s company,” he says. “Those last few years, we worked on the same floor of his Preston Center office, frequently eating lunch together. He allowed me to sit in on many meetings, covering everything from investment opportunities, politics, economics, philanthropy, even sports. I spent many weekends at the ranch with him, as did many of my family members.”
Boone would tell his grandson, “When you are hunting elephants, don’t get distracted chasing rabbits.”
“This is something I remind myself of daily, both in my real estate business, but also with our aviation business,” Peter says. “Often small deals take just as much time, if not more, than the big ones.”
Boone could also build outstanding teams, says Peter, which would produce successful results, much like Pitman-Stovall.
“My grandfather taught us that contacts and relationships, which are the basis of every great deal, is a long game built over time,” Peter says. “You nurture and feed those relationships constantly.”
Carter says in a city now loaded with Wall Street-backed real estate firms, it’s refreshing to NOT be part of a huge organization saddled with stock and private equity and the binds that come along with that.
That’s why Pittman-Stovall is not just trying to grow a Dallas-based brokerage focused on numbers and sales values, polishing it up for future investors.
“We want producing agents, of course,” says Peter. “But we want agents who are in the know, whose reputation makes them WANT to be a part of the family, part of the club. Our only focus, frankly, is selling homes in the legacy parts of Dallas.”
Another Pittman-Pickens legacy that will carry on at Pittman-Stovall — a strong work ethic and holding clients as friends.
“Judy never had kids, so this company was her baby,” Carter says. “She never knew a regular lunch, only a ‘business lunch’, and that translated to just about everything in her life. But she managed it expertly, and she was always available for her friends, 24/7.”
Peter adds, “My grandfather pushed hard work and non-profit involvement with me constantly. He is the major reason, if not the sole reason, that I’m on the Park Cities Quail Board, the Moody YMCA Board, and a member of the Touchdown Club. Putting in the time, giving back, and enjoying the process, is what he always said.”
The Pittman-Stovall brand is a combined Dallas family legacy of representing the finest local homes in the city and selling quickly at the highest market rates.
“Our attention to detail and local knowledge, and our ability to deliver only the highest quality properties, are what set us apart,” Peter says. “This is critical at this low-inventory moment. Our collective personal contacts are more vital than ever. Between us, we know hundreds of potential, qualified buyers.”
In fact, recent reports indicate that up to 35 percent of Dallas home sales take place off-market and off the MLS because inventory is still so limited, and high net worth sellers prefer to remain off the radar. Thus agents’ personal contacts are now, more than ever, pure gold.
Pittman-Stovall is centered in the heart of Snider Plaza, right next to Bicycles Plus, in a family-friendly office loaded with photos and a walk-in, sit-down feel, like you are coming home.
“Carter, Camille, and I have stolen this one right out of my grandfather’s playbook,” Peter says. “During the rebranding and updating of this brokerage, constant communication between the three partners was objective number one. Building a healthy and driven culture is another top priority for us to continue to prosper. We are a family at Pittman Stovall. Through good times and bad, we support each other. “
“Treating your team, and your company, like your family, is very important,” adds Carter. “Peter learned this from Boone, we learned this from Judy. Contacts and relationships are the basis of every great deal. You nurture those relationships. Because it’s never overnight, but a long game — that’s the definition of a legacy.”
A great write-up. One name that’s missing in the piece, however, is a person who played a major role in Judy’s success: Mike Kelly. A great guy, a wealth of knowledge and a loyal supporter of Judy for decades. I look forward to seeing the future success of this company.
Great article about a true leader in the real estate industry. I agree with the other comment. Mike Kelly contributed much of his time and knowledge to Judy’s company. He, too, is a real power-house.
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