Meet David

He came into real estate to serve, not to sell.

David McAtee didn’t come up through real estate the traditional way. He got licensed in his 60s — during COVID — and quickly learned that markets change, but the way you treat people shouldn’t. Through deals lost, lessons earned and clients served, he developed a simple belief: when you put people first, the selling takes care of itself.

For David, that commitment to service goes well beyond real estate. Faith and community are at the center of his life. At Cross Point Church, he’s part of the Holy Smokers, a cooking team that puts a shared love of barbecue to work serving others, including supporting a ministry for single mothers and their children. It’s a straightforward approach David carries into his business, too: show up, help where you can and tell people what you actually think — not what you think they want to hear.

He serves buyers and sellers across Tyler, Smith County, and Central East Texas. He'll tell you what he actually thinks — not what he thinks you want to hear. And when a deal closes, David and his clients celebrate the old-fashioned way: by sitting down to a big ol' juicy ribeye steak.

Rooted in faith. Invested in people.

For David, the way you serve people matters just as much as the work you do.

David’s faith isn’t something he separates from the rest of his life. It influences how he treats people, where he invests his time and what he considers important.

As a member of Cross Point Church, David has found meaningful ways to put those beliefs into practice. One happens to involve something he knows particularly well: barbecue.

Serving up something good

David is part of the Holy Smokers, his church’s cooking team. The group brings together people who enjoy cooking and turns that shared passion into an opportunity to serve.

Their outreach includes helping support a ministry that cares for single mothers and their children—families who may be navigating difficult seasons and could use people in their corner.

For David, that’s what community looks like. You find what you can give, and you give it.

Sometimes that’s your time. Sometimes it’s your experience. And sometimes it’s a smoker full of barbecue.

There’s always room at the table

Food has a way of bringing people together, and that’s part of what David enjoys about cooking. It gives him an opportunity to slow things down, gather around a table and connect with people personally.

That carries over into real estate, too.

David isn’t interested in being the person who simply tells a client what they want to hear. He’ll tell them what he actually thinks, even when the easier answer would be different. For him, earning someone’s trust means being willing to give them an honest perspective when it counts.

And when all the decisions have been made, the papers are signed and the deal is officially done, David has his own idea of a closing celebration: he and his clients sit down over a big ol’ juicy ribeye steak.

It’s personal. It’s uncomplicated. And it says quite a bit about the way David does business.

Real estate is what he does. Serving people is who he is.

Homes may bring David and his clients together, but the relationship matters more than the transaction. His faith, his community and his commitment to serving others keep that perspective clear.

Whether he’s advising someone on a move, cooking alongside the Holy Smokers or helping put a meal on the table for a family, David approaches it much the same way:

Show up. Be honest. Take care of people.

"I'd rather lose a listing than help someone make a bad decision."

— David McAtee