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After riding the wave of the dotcom boom (and bust) and a real estate career of more than two decades, Dirk Hmura decided to step into a leadership role when The Agency came looking to expand into the Portland, Oregon, market. The Portland native was a natural fit, and as a new empty-nester, was excited to put his time and energy into the new venture.
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“Creating a supportive, family-like culture is a top priority for me,” Hmura said, “and I work hard every day to ensure our brokerage reflects those values.” Working with The Agency “felt like the natural progression in my real estate journey, a chance to shape something from the ground up and build a culture I truly believe in.”
Health and balance are key parts of the brokerage culture for Hmura, who said he “used to be a bit more of an athlete; these days I just try to keep moving and stay healthy. That’s why I’m so excited about our partnership with LifeTime Fitness — we now offer memberships to all of our agents.”
For Hmura, “It’s about promoting well-being and creating the right environment for people to thrive, both professionally and personally.”
Find out how this managing partner and his childhood friend and Managing Principal Broker, Andrew Misk, have grown in just 18 months to two offices and 35 “outstanding” agents.
Name: Dirk Hmura
Title: Managing Partner of the Agency Vancouver, Washington, and The Agency Portland, Oregon, and leader of The Dirk Hmura Team
Experience: 22 years
Location: Portland, Oregon
Brokerage name: The Agency Vancouver, Washington, and The Agency Portland, Oregon
Rankings: No. 5 in the Portland metro area
Team size: 4
Transaction sides: 90
Sales volume: $90 million per year
Awards: RealTrends Verified, The Agency Chairman Award, Best of Rose City: Luxury Real Estate Team
How did you get your start in real estate?
I had been working in high tech, and the dotcom meltdown gave me some time to think about what was next for me. In one of my many informational interviews, I met with our Realtor, and he said: “Real estate, it’s tough. It’s exhausting, it’s hard on the family, you have to always be on … but, if you’re up for it, I’d love to have you.”
I had always liked real estate, homes, and people, and I loved the challenge. I got my real estate license in three weeks and immediately got to work. I loved wearing all the different hats. I loved working hard. The harder I worked, the better I was, the more money I made. Coming from the corporate world where bonuses were capped, this was fun!
How did you choose your brokerage (first or current)?
The Agency came calling. Over the years, I had received several recruiting calls. A few were a quick “No.” But this one was different. Ricardo Beer from The Agency called in March of 2021. It was a fun call, he was easy to talk to and it didn’t feel like a sales pitch, but I told him no.
We all remember the market in ’21; I didn’t have any additional time or interest in starting something new. I left the door open and told Ricardo to call me in a year. Fast forward one year, and he came calling again.
The market was starting to shift. My kids were getting closer to college and I had just returned home from Inman Connect New York, where several of the brokers on the stage were from The Agency. I was a bit more receptive this time, so one conversation became two, and then I brought my team into the calls. It just felt right.
Then, I asked our now Managing Principal Broker, Andrew Misk, to grab a drink, hoping he would talk me out of this. He said the opposite. Now, here we are. We have loved our relationship with the Agency. We have enjoyed getting to know Mauricio, Billy, Rainy and everyone in the company. It truly is a family.
What are 5 things you’d like readers to know about you and your brokerage?
Culture: This is why we did this. We are surrounding ourselves with fun, hardworking and smart people. We challenge each other to do better, be better, and we have a hell of a time doing it together.
Collaboration: I didn’t know this existed between offices. I was at a local company before, so it’s fun to be part of something larger. The collaboration between each office in different cities and states and even countries — I didn’t know that was possible.
Events: We love throwing events. We recently had our grand opening party, and we rented out the soccer stadium in Portland. It was quite an event; we kind of blew the budget, but it was one heck of a party.
Marketing: The Agency is known as a marketing machine, and this is one thing that attracted us to the company. But what we love most is the flexibility to make it our own. Portland and Vancouver aren’t Beverly Hills — so instead of Ferraris in our ads, we may feature a Subaru.
Energy: I have a ridiculous work ethic. I show up for my clients every day. You can still find me planting yards, vacuuming or moving heavy furniture. Now, other brokers at The Agency are surprised that I still do this. They assume I have my team to do the heavy lifting.
Where does all this energy come from? Being active and engaged in work, the community, The Agency, my family — I bring my full energy to it all.
What’s your top prediction for 2025?
Back to the basics: This is going to be an interesting year. We all had high hopes for lower interest rates and additional inventory, but the current stock market ups and downs and the unpredictability of interest rates have put the busy spring market in jeopardy.
So, it’s back to the basics. Follow up with clients, collaborate with co-brokers and get involved in your community.
What’s your top tip for freshly licensed brokers?
Join a team or find a mentor who is willing to work with you. When I started, I joined a team and was thrown right into the mix. In my first year, we sold over 50 homes, and I was involved in every single detail. That’s a quick education. If I hadn’t joined a team, I feel I would have floundered, wondering where to even start.
Name 3 people you admire
My team (Yes, I know that isn’t one person): I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful brokers who pour in so much energy and effort every single day. I wouldn’t have taken this leap without their amazing support. Cathi Render, Kendall Westphal, Josh Gainer and Maggie Deuth, thank you!
Lee Davies: Lee is the person who first offered me a job in real estate. I worked on his team for eight years. When I went out on my own as an independent agent and became the top salesperson at his company, he celebrated my success.
We would challenge each other to be better. I learned so much from him and it gave me the confidence to tackle this new challenge after 22 years.
My Mom: I am the youngest of three kids and have wonderful relationships with my sister and brother. My mom was the glue: an amazing woman. I lost her early when she was 56 (I was 26). She was a single mom, and money was always tight. She worked hard, and we even had a paper route together at one point in high school to help pay the bills.
My mom was always present. She volunteered at every school event and was the loudest cheerleader at my soccer games. As a parent of twins and having a wonderful and supportive wife, I have no idea how my mom did it on her own.
When I talk with my brother and sister about that, we are all blown away as we all felt that we were the favorites. Love you, Mom!
