Dallas-Based Polsky Porpino Team Leans into New Construction Expertise

By Grace Cassidy In recent years, the demand for luxury residential real estate in the U.S. has outstripped the supply of new development. Compounded by the sharp rise in relocations and scramble for new homes amid the pandemic, real estate prices have soared nationwide—and Dallas is no exception. “The Covid migration really hasn’t stopped,” said Harrison Polsky , an agent at Douglas Elliman based in the Texas metropolis. “It amplifies the issue.” As the cofounders and principals of the Polsky Porpino Team at Douglas Elliman, Polsky and his partner, Levy Porpino , are navigating the headwinds in the Dallas market by focusing almost entirely on new construction. Of the team’s $120 million in annual sales, about 90 percent has come from ground-up builds. “We have both been around construction in some shape or form for over 15 years,” Polsky said. “We have spent our entire adult lives focusing on it.” A native New Yorker who moved to Dallas at 17 to attend Southern Methodist University, Polsky started out working as a marketing intern for the Dallas Mavericks and a commercial property analyst for Charter Holdings before earning his MBA and turning his attention to residential real estate. After meeting Porpino, a Portuguese native who was working for the development and construction firm Serene Global, he began a years-long effort to persuade him to become an agent and partner with him. They joined Douglas Elliman in January 2022 and established the Polsky Porpino Team, which now includes agents Ferral Roark , Lauren Purdy and Ace Lahli . While Dallas is more affordable than places such as California and New York, the combination of inflation, high interest rates and inventory scarcity has sent the cost of living skyward in desirable neighborhoods such as Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, and Bluffview. As result, prices have jumped more than 20 percent since Covid started, Polsky said. “All these people moved here with disposable income, but the incomes of people already living here did not go up,” he said, leaving many homeowners in a “golden handcuff situation” where the prospect of a tax hit and high interest rates is discouraging them from moving and freeing up inventory. One of the team’s new construction listings, 6622 Lakehurst Avenue in Preston Hollow, exemplifies the kind of new construction properties that are appealing to Dallas homebuyers. Built by Catēna Homes, the 7,490-square-foot six-bedroom, seven-and-one-half-bathroom residence features soaring ceilings, expansive windows, imported countertops and Walker Zanger tile in the kitchen, along with two stunning courtyards and a covered kitchen outside. Designed by renowned architect Richard Drummond Davis, the home boasts a seamless blend of classic charm and modern luxury. The home’s blend of traditional elegance and contemporary features is what many Dallas homebuyers are in search of, said Polsky. “They’re looking for something more classic and timeless,” he said. “They want a home that feels like it’s been there for a hundred years, but also feels brand new.”