Jim Fite

Fite has obvious reasons to track the Dallas-Fort Worth residential market avidly. His motive for offering opinions and analysis to would-be homebuyers is just as clear as he continues to lead the outfit he has grown from a single-office he took over from his late father, Judge B. Fite, in the 1970s into 22 offices with more than 1,000 employees ranging north into Oklahoma under the Century 21 umbrella. Fite is a frequent source of quotes and commentary in various media outlets in the region, and also offers his perspectives via his brokerage’s blog. 

The Real Deal ranked the firm fourth by headcount as recently as 2024. Fite faced a number of challenges he called out over the course of last year, with the National Association of Realtors settlement in the Sitzer/Burnett case, in particular, raising concerns about effects on affordability. Fite expressed concern for buyers potentially being saddled with commission payments. Fite spent time last year noting to the market that the fundamentals of the North Texas economy remained strong even if higher interest rates had unsettled residential sales. He more recently called a turn based on the backing off of interest rates, billing it as momentum likely to last through 2026 at a minimum.