Antonio Matarranz
Avangard Real Estate Services
Dallas, Texas
Background
A native of Barcelona, Spain, Antonio Matarranz graduated from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura as an architect. He worked in Iran in the mid-1970s with an international group of architects whose plans included developing affordable housing for extreme weather conditions.
Antonio moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1980 with a large multinational corporation. When his employer discontinued its operations in the US in 1986, Antonio chose to stay in Texas. At the time, none of the large Dallas Realtors® addressed the needs of the low- to moderate-income family first-time homebuyer. Antonio made it his mission to use education to make homeownership an attainable goal, irrespective of income.
Description of Achievements
He pioneered working with corporate entities to help them recognize the demand for affordable housing. He collaborated with banks, mortgage, insurance and title companies, and house inspectors to help them understand cultural differences when working with the Hispanic population. From 1994 to 2004, Antonio has also built over 400 new homes in older areas of Dallas, revitalizing established neighborhoods.
He developed the first Dallas area seminar for first-time homebuyers and offered it free to the public. Being a bilingual company helped reach the largest minority group in Texas, but Antonio’s programs have always been presented in English also to reach a wider range of families. Today, he continues to host his educational programs, but now they have become events, still free to the public, which attract hundreds of prospective buyers eager to learn about the opportunity to own a home. Guided by the company’s motto, “Eliminate the fear of buying”, Antonio has provided countless families the confidence they need to purchase a home
Innovation
Antonio is knowledgeable about the various types of financing available to consumers, but he was one of the few brokers who studied the rulings of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). While the issue was being overlooked by lending institutions and was unknown in the Real Estate community, Antonio educated himself on the issues regarding the Act. As a result, he has been instrumental in molding and improving CRA lending programs through which a number of first-time homebuyers were able to obtain financing.
Minority Focus
Evidence of Antonio Matarranz’s support in the community is widespread. Attendance at his seminars has increased steadily from 25 people to over 250 at the last one. Antonio’s insight is sought by community activists as well as by lending institutions. He has been asked to sit on a number of Boards and Committees and has been a featured speaker at programs presented by HUD, the Greater Dallas Association of Realtors®, and the Federal Reserve Bank, among others. He has also been interviewed and quoted in both English and Spanish newspapers and magazine articles, and has appeared on multiple radio and television programs.