Our History

The History of Dave Murray & TexasLand

From his early days selling small lots in Central Texas to helping build one of the state’s leading land and ranch brands, Dave Murray’s career has been shaped by vision, grit, relationships, and a deep understanding of Texas real estate.

Forty Years of Texas Land

A career that began with a drive through Spicewood became a statewide land and ranch platform.

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Pre-1984 01 / 15

Asset — young portrait, college photo, travel ephemera

An Adventurous Beginning

Dave grew up in Beaumont, Texas. Soon after graduating from high school he attended universities in Texas and Hawaii, before taking a gap year in Australia. He came back to the States and finished his college degree at Arizona State University.

After college Dave traveled through Europe and Asia for nearly a year, gaining experiences that shaped his independence and adventurous spirit.

1984 02 / 15

The Road Through Spicewood

While driving down Fall Creek Road in Spicewood, TX, something clicked for Dave. He realized that following his father into insurance sales was not the path for him, and that a desk job never would be either.

Looking out at the beauty of the land, he knew he wanted to build a career helping people buy their piece of Texas.

Asset — Fall Creek Road / Spicewood landscape

1984 03 / 15

Asset — Point Venture / Lago Vista plat map or early listing

The First Lots

Just a few weeks after that drive, Dave entered the real estate business. He got his start selling $5,000 lots in Point Venture and Lago Vista.

$5,000 LOTS

1987 04 / 15

Asset — Murray Investment Properties business card

Asset — Liberty Hill property photograph

Murray Investment Properties

Dave went out on his own and started Murray Investment Properties. His primary focus was in Liberty Hill, Cedar Park, Burnet, and the Lake Travis area.

1990 05 / 15

Asset — Coldwell Banker-era office or team photograph

Joining a Larger Network

After spending three years working independently, Dave joined Coldwell Banker to be part of a larger network of agents and expand his reach.

1991 06 / 15

The IBM Breakthrough

Seven years into his career, Dave got his first major break when IBM relocated hundreds of employees from New York to Austin. He helped relocate nearly a hundred IBM employee families and gained significant market momentum.

Shortly after, he became the number one agent for Coldwell Banker in Greater Austin.

No. 1 Agent, Greater Austin

Asset — archival Austin / IBM relocation imagery

1994 07 / 15

Asset — early Dave Murray Team / DMTX photograph and branding

DMTX Takes Shape

Dave launched the Dave Murray Team under Coldwell Banker as he began bringing agents under his leadership. Not long after, he changed the name to DMTX so the business would represent something bigger than just himself.

At this time Dave continued to expand his business by selling land and ranch properties, helping him enter into the top 1% of agents in the area.

2004 08 / 15

Joining Austin's Elite 25

Dave was first invited to join Elite 25, an exclusive luxury real estate organization representing the top 0.2% of high-producing agents in Austin.

TOP 0.2%

Asset — Elite 25 recognition or event photograph

Mid-2010s 09 / 15

Asset — Dave and Josh together, or ranch tour photograph

A New Vision for Land and Ranch

As the ranch and land sales expanded, Dave brought in Josh Smith, who had left the digital marketing world after selling his company to pursue his passion for land and ranch sales.

Soon after, the two began thinking seriously about growing the land and ranch side of the business into a standalone business.

Exact year to be verified

2017 10 / 15

Asset — Texas Ranches / early TexasLand branding

Texas Ranches Becomes TexasLand

Dave and Josh launched Texas Ranches, which soon evolved into TexasLand. Dave brought more than 30 years of real estate experience, while Josh brought deep expertise in SEO and social media, creating a strong foundation for future growth.

2018 11 / 15

A Lake Austin Record

Dave sold a home on Lake Austin, setting the record at the time for the highest-priced residential listing ever sold through the Austin MLS.

Asset — the record-setting Lake Austin property

2019 12 / 15

texasland.com

Asset — early TexasLand website screenshot

TexasLand.com Launches

Dave and Josh officially launched the TexasLand website, giving the brand its own digital home and creating a platform for statewide growth.

2020 13 / 15

Asset — Keller Williams transition or team photograph

A New Brokerage Home

After Coldwell Banker changed ownership multiple times, Dave began exploring a move to a new brokerage. After meeting with several options, he chose Keller Williams, believing its network, software, and training would support the continued growth of both TexasLand and DMTX Realty Group.

2022 14 / 15

$447 MILLION

Record-Breaking Growth

Dave and Josh worked together on a deal that set the record for the largest land sale in Taylor, TX. That same year, TexasLand achieved its highest annual sales volume, $447 million.

Asset — Taylor, TX land-sale imagery

2026 15 / 15

A Statewide TexasLand Team

TexasLand continues to grow, with more agents in more cities than ever before. Today, the team works across the Texas Triangle, including Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, while maintaining a strong presence in Austin and the Texas Hill Country.

Even as the team has expanded, the mission and values have stayed the same: to provide full-service guidance that goes far beyond closing, to tour more than 300 ranches each year, and to deliver a level of market knowledge that few teams in Texas can match.

Asset — current team photograph

Where It Stands

TexasLand has grown from one agent's decision to pursue a life outside the office into a team serving buyers and sellers across the Texas Triangle. The scale has changed, but the mission remains rooted in relationships, firsthand knowledge, and time spent on the land.

The Story Continues

Find Your Place in Texas

Connect with a team built on more than four decades of Texas real-estate experience.

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