A Hot Hand in Houston: Sports & Entertainment Agent Laura Mudd
by ELLIMAN INSIDER TEAM
December 2024
Most any agent will tell you that a desire to learn and the capacity to connect authentically with people and earn their trust are prerequisites for success in residential real estate.
With Laura Mudd, a Houston-based agent for Douglas Elliman, you get the sense that being insatiably curious, genuinely empathetic, and trustworthy are themselves the true measures of success. Working as a top-performing real estate just happens to be an effective way of achieving them.
“I love what I do,” she said. “With every deal I’ve done—whether it's $200,000 or $2 million—I’ve learned something new each time. I’m so grateful when I’m able to work with fabulous agents who bring something to the table that I can learn from. And I hope that I bring something to the table that someone else can learn from.”
Over her nearly 20-year career, Mudd has earned a reputation for market expertise and versatility, with experience in sales of high-rise condominiums, farm-and-ranch properties, and single-family residences. Now a member of Elliman’s Sports & Entertainment division, she is building her roster of clients connected to the vibrant professional sports culture and growth in film and TV production in and around her native Houston.
Mudd credits her uncle, a custom home builder in Houston, for putting her on the path to a career as an agent.
“He told me, probably 24 years ago, ‘You ought to get into real estate,’” she recalled. “I asked him why, and he said, “because you can never go wrong in real estate.’ Whether as an investor or a broker or an agent, he said, real estate generally will always go up in value. And to some degree, he was pretty spot on.”
Mudd has also seen real estate in Houston go up in altitude with the growth of the high-rise market, which she attributes in part to the security they offer during hurricane season.
“My business started with single-family homes, and I love doing those, as well,” she said. “But high-rises have been a game changer for me. I've enjoyed learning all about them.”
Mudd is especially gratified to have so many friends and business associates who entrust her with their real estate affairs.
“It's such a blessing to have family and friends who trust me enough to handle their business and believe I handle my own business in a very discrete manner,” she said.
In addition to emphasizing the importance of integrity, transparency, and proactive communication (“I could be accused of being an over-communicator,” she admits), Mudd makes a point of simply being kind, particularly in the course of negotiations. However, she is quick to note that her kindness should not be mistaken for weakness.
Recounting a transaction she handled on behalf of her personal attorney, who had been ready to concede on the negotiated price, she recalled insisting that a fairer price was attainable and persuading her client to let her attempt a counteroffer.
“At the end of the day, I saved him several thousand dollars,” she said. “And I remind him of that all the time.”
Indeed, Mudd’s commitment to professionalism and discretion is essential for her work with sports and entertainment clients. While she isn’t required to be a sports fan, as an avowed NBA aficionado since high school, she was only too happy to when a referral led to representing a player for the Denver Nuggets and ultimately a relationship with members of the Houston Rockets organization. And she is excited for the opportunities presented by the influx of entertainment productions.
Like the Sports & Entertainment designation, the affiliation with the Douglas Elliman brand and organization is a source of pride for Mudd, who joined the brokerage in 2020.
“I love the fact that we’ve been around since 1911; I think that lends a lot of credibility,” she said, noting that the brand reputation has been a powerful draw for clients. “I also love our equestrian association. And I really love the management—honestly, it feels like a family!”
With lower interest rates on the horizon, Mudd is excited for what’s next in Houston’s housing market.
“It’s been busy for the last three years—even though interest rates have been higher, that hasn't stopped people from buying,” she said, noting that the cost of living in Houston hasn’t spiked the way it has in other big cities. “So, I'm looking forward to seeing how things will change when rates come down.”
However things shake out, Mudd will be doing what she always has—hitting the road to survey the inventory, researching comps, gathering intel from her network of fellow agents.
“The bottom line is that I do my due diligence,” she said. “My clients depend on me—they put their trust in me. I have to live up to that, and I'm proud to help them.”
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