Monday, December 10, 2007

Lauris and Lisa Tam—Charter Equity, Inc.


Community-Minded Realtors Leading Houston’s Prospering Asian-Americans
By Woodie Stephenson


Asian real estate icons Lauris and Lisa Tam of Charter Equity have developed an incomparable partnership in business and life. The husband and wife partners have established themselves as not only a real-estate powerhouse with the potential to sell entire subdivisions, but as a fixture of Houston’s prospering Asian-American community. Lauris, a veritable jack of all trades, with experience in architecture, design, photography, and customer service has exhibited strong leadership as President of the Asian-American Real Estate Association. Meanwhile, Lisa has served as Lauris’ backbone, working alongside him as the secretary of his association and as a successful Realtor at Charter Equity.

Lauris, a Houston resident of 42 years, first arrived in Texas in 1965 via Hong Kong eager to study at the University of Houston. Convinced by his father that a career in civil engineering was the path to take, Lauris began taking classes but hit a major road bump when he flunked a course in calculus mathematics; however, the young student was undeterred and decided to pursue a new path in his education.

“My father wanted my two brothers and I to study engineering,” Lauris shares, “He thought if we were all engineers we would be guaranteed good jobs. I always loved to draw and design—it just seemed so natural to me—so I studied architecture and graduated #2 in my class rankings.”

Lisa, also a native of Hong Kong, arrived in Houston at the age of 17 to live with her parents and grandparents and attend Lamar High School.

Meanwhile, Lauris worked hard studying and waiting tables in his uncle’s restaurant, Hunan II, formerly known as Hoi Sai Gai Restaurant, on Post Oak Blvd. It was through Lauris’ coworker at the restaurant, Lisa’s brother, that he met his future wife. The two Hong-Kong immigrants began a courtship that quickly led to love and marriage.

“She came here to marry me,” Lauris jokes, although there was no such arranged marriage. Lisa remembers recognizing qualities of greatness in a young Lauris that made her believe also that it was their destiny to meet.
“When I first met Lauris, he was very smart, bright, and gentle. He would travel back to Houston from Texas A& M University every Friday afternoon to wait for me in the Lamar HS parking lot, and he would take me out to see the city. I said to myself, ‘this is my future husband. He can take care of our family and he will be an excellent mentor to me in everything.’”

Eager to learn more and excel in his field of study, Lauris earned his Master of Urban Planning degree from Texas A & M University. He returned to Houston to find rampant development changing the face of the city as the Greenway Plaza, West Loop, Galleria, and Downtown areas were booming with growth. Lauris joined the Keiser Architecture Firm as an architect and quickly found himself at the helm of many projects.

In 1980 Lauris established his own architecture firm, Office Interiors, Inc. Lauris’ design company thrived working for high-profile clients such as Gerald Hines, Century Development, and the Horne Company. Office Interiors, Inc. was named in the Top-200 Interior Design Firms in the nation for five consecutive years. At the company’s pinnacle, Lauris employed over 25 architects and engineers with branch offices in Corpus Christi, Austin, and Houston. As the ‘90s arrived, Lauris found his business less pleasant as many of his best clients retired, leaving him to ponder the same option. In 1993 Lauris closed his office and retired from architecture.

As Lauris had been flourishing in the architecture business, Lisa had meanwhile been experiencing her own success in real estate. Serving the burgeoning Asian community in Houston, Lisa earned the respect of her peers and clients through her heartfelt service and rock-solid ethics. Lisa felt that her personality was a natural fit for real estate.

“I enjoy talking to people and being involved in the community,” Lisa says, “I offer my clients the best real estate services, knowledge, integrity, and patience they cannot find anywhere else. I take care of my clients’ business just like my own, and they know it.” When Lisa learned of Lauris’ early retirement, she gave her husband a challenge.

“Lisa told me that I was much too young to retire and sit on my butt,” Lauris says, “ She kicked me out and challenged me to work in real estate. She really didn’t think I could make it, but she underestimated one thing: I had been dealing with clients for such a long time that it had become a second nature for me to please the people I do business with. I love to deal with people and I have always worked extremely hard to sell myself.”

Lauris found himself back in school studying at the Champions School of Real Estate. After learning the business, Lauris, along with his business partner Pius Leung, founded his own real estate company, Charter Equity, Incorporated for Lisa and him to list and sell homes. While the husband and wife team worked to impress Asian clients with their experience and personality, Lauris began working as a consultant for Ideal Builders which was eventually bought out by KB Home. By sharing his expertise in architecture and design, Lauris was able to offer home builders a better understanding of what features and design the typical Asian customer sought in a home.

With Lauris’ new position as a consultant, he and Lisa were able to help sell and market homes that their customers were much more apt to be impressed by. It wasn’t long before Tom Walker of Gateway Homes had his eye on Lauris’ skill and expertise and sought to recruit the Asian real estate sage to work for his growing company.

Tom Walker and Lauris have found great success in their partnership; Lauris has become the #1 national salesmen for Gateway Homes while selling close to 95-percent of his homes to Asian-American clients. Lauris prides himself in anticipating his buyers’ needs.

“The Asian buyer is very particular,” Lauris shares, “They buy houses from us because we are recognized and trusted throughout the community and much of our business is generated through referrals. I always listen to what my clients want, and most importantly, when we make a promise to our clients, we always keep our promise and deliver.”

Lauris and Lisa take pride in the diversity of their skills in serving clients. The two Realtors are able to serve not only Chinese buyers but many Asian clients of varying nationalities.

“It’s very important to speak a client’s language if you want to earn their respect,” say Lauris and Lisa, “We have many Vietnamese clients and we have taken the time to thoroughly learn their language. Being able to speak the different dialects makes a world of difference.”

By combining his expertise in architecture and design with his sensitivity to his clients’ needs, Lauris has been able to help design better communities for Houston’s growing Asian presence.

“Our clients really look for good feng shui in a house,” Lauris says, “They are particular about the design and flow of a house’s space, the architecture design, and even the direction the house is facing. More than 85-percent of our buyers love a house that is facing either north or south because it is more energy efficient.”

“I love it when a client challenges me on design features,” Lauris says, “I spend a lot of time sketching and designing the homes that we sell. After talking with me, our clients are convinced they will get a better home because we know what they want and I’m an architect so I know how to deliver the home they will love.”

Lauris and Lisa’s friends and associates praise their leadership and generosity to the community. Friend and business partner Shawn Guo attributes the Tam’s success to their strong marriage and their “warm” personalities.

“Lauris has a great quality of leadership,” says Guo of RE/MAX United, “He is a man with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and strong character. Most people judge a man’s success based on his earnings and business achievements, but what has made Lauris so successful is his ability to reach out to the community and be a strong leader.”

Guo believes that much of Lauris’ success can be attributed to the driving force in his life, Lisa.

“Behind every successful man you will find a strong and successful woman,” Guo shares, “Lisa is Lauris’ other successful half. Wherever you may find Lauris, Lisa is there supporting him. Together, they have raised a great family and made themselves a strong fixture of the community.”

“Lauris and Lisa are the most giving and generous people I have ever known,” says Trish Bui of First American Title, “Lauris is completely unselfish and he wants genuinely wants to do good for the Asian community. He is a very intelligent and strategic businessman who has always planned the best for our community. Lisa is the strong woman behind him; she has helped and guided him. Without Lisa, his projects would not be as successful. Lisa is a wonderful, kind, and intelligent woman.”

Pius Leung of Realm Business Solutions says, “Lauris and Lisa are extremely dedicated to their profession and to the Asian-American community. Once they commit themselves to a task, they are 110-percent dedicated to accomplishing their goal. They have great honesty and integrity and are highly respected in the community.”

“Lauris and Lisa’s ability to network so well has made them successful,” Kenneth Li of Century 21 Southwest says, “They have a strong bond with the professionals in their industry and everybody wants to work with Lauris and Lisa. As an architect, Lauris knows the details that make a great home and is able to design a satisfying product. He is able to deliver the homes that his clients will love because he knows how to listen to their wants and needs and deliver the results to the homebuilders he works with.”

“Lauris is really connected with the Asian community,” business partner Tom Walker of Gateway Homes says, “He takes the time to listen to their needs and as a result of this we are able to work closely together to provide the homes his clients are looking for. He listens and he genuinely tries to help people. Gateway Homes and Lauris Tam are a great fit because it’s very important that a good company be behind an amazing salesperson. Together we strive to honor our commitments and present our clients with the best possible product.”

Lauris’ efforts to please his clients have generated the eager architect and salesman a slew of top industry awards. In 2002, Lauris was the National Sales and Marketing Council’s Silver Award Winner, the Texas Association of Home Builders’ Star Award Winner, and the Greater Houston Builders Association’s First Salesperson of The Year for the second year consecutive. The following year, Lauris became the only candidate nominated by the Houston Board of Realtors for the prestigious HOPE Award.

Although their efforts have brought the Tams many awards and recognition, the couple takes the most pride in their solid marriage of 35 years and their wonderful family. Lauris and Lisa are the proud parents of 3 college graduates Lyndon, Lawrence, and Liana. Lauris and Lisa are also the proud grandparents of two grandsons and a granddaughter.

The Tams pride themselves in their rich community involvement. In addition to founding and holding the position of Chairman for the Hong Kong Association of Houston for over 15 years, Lauris has served as the President of the Asian American Real Estate Association (AAREA) from 2005 to present. Quite the jack of all trades, some of Lauris’ most interesting activities have included serving on the Houston Mayor’s Asian Advisory Board and working as a Field producer for an Emmy Award-winning special on Hong Kong for local broadcasting station KHOU-TV.

Lisa’s extracurricular activities include serving as Secretary on the Chinese-American Association attending important networking and charity activities. Lauris is proud of the great effort Lisa puts into their family and business achievements.

“Every successful man has a great wife behind him,” Lauris shares, “Lisa always listens to me and corrects me when I am wrong. She is there for me night and day to make sure I never make the same mistake twice. She has instincts like no other woman I have ever known; she takes care of my family, shares her wisdom with those around her, and she is very active in out community. I don’t have the time to mingle very often so she does most of the social networking and helps find our strategic business partners. She is my partner in business and life.”

When the Tams are not busy serving Houston’s Asian community, they enjoy combining their two most avid passions: family and traveling. Every year the extended family of 10 takes a vacation to an exotic international destination. Lauris’ favorite port of call is by far Hawaii, where the family plans to return for another trip next year. A passionate photographer, Lauris buys at least one new camera every year and loves to take colorful family portraits. Although they are mostly busy at work, the Tams admit they can be the life of the party.

“I am a party animal,” Lauris admits, “Every year we celebrate the Chinese New Year by throwing a banquet for over 800 people with the AAREA and Hong Kong Association. Everyone wants to come to our party because Lisa and I sing and dance and show people the most incredible time. We love to share our culture with guests; this past year we invited Hispanic, Vietnamese, and Korean Realtors.”

Lauris and Lisa advise their own staff and new agents to invest in their education first and to practice honesty and patience in their business dealings.

“You must be patient,” Lauris shares, “You cannot make money in a day. In order to succeed, you must have knowledge in real estate. Most importantly, you must be honest to both partners in a real estate transaction, your buyer and seller. If you are patient, educated, and work hard then you will achieve success.”

The Tams have prided themselves in raising their own children and grandchildren according to their values and ethics. Each of Lauris and Lisa’s three children has attended either the University of Texas or Texas A & M.

“Being foreign students, Lisa and I stress education,” Lauris says, “We want to make sure our children and grandchildren get college degrees. We have even set up a college fund so that my grandchildren have every opportunity available to them.”

Strong fixtures of the community, Lauris and Lisa pride themselves in their ability to meet their clients’ needs and surpass expectations. With his background in architecture and design, Lauris is able to listen attentively to the special requests of his majority of Asian buyers. The Tams feel they are here to stay and they couldn’t have picked a better place to run a business and raise a family.

“I’ve been in Houston 42 years,” Lauris says, “and my clients know I’m not going anywhere. When they buy a home from me or Lisa they trust our opinion because my family will always be here in the neighborhood and in the community.”


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