When Virginia Cook left Henry S. Miller Realtors to start her own independent mid-sized brokerage firm in 1999, she also left tradition behind. Vowing to "wow Dallas," Cook decided that key to her new company's success would be a contemporary, technology-based interior design for her three office locations.

The Miller offices were decorated with antiques in safe blues and rose tones. While a certain here-to-stay reliability was conveyed by the interior design, it also had a do-not-touch formality that underscored the maturity of the company's agents, brokers and managers.

"I don't want to be an old lady in the new millennium," Cook told her interior designer, Kathy Adcock-Smith. "I want a modern office."

Cook's vision of her new company was that it should have an international contemporary appeal, provide a place for agents to network while away from their home offices, and serve local and transferring corporations with complimentary meeting space.

In addition to Adcock-Smith, she hired a Washington-based architectural firm and a branding firm.

The corporate office of Virginia Cook Realtors is startlingly modern in sleek crushed aluminum, sand-blasted glass, lacquer reds, and yellow-golds. Despite the first-floor location, the office is open and light-filled.

Agent work stations are Greek-keyed into pairings and are open to other agent station groups. Noise is cut by half walls at every station which allows privacy as well as interaction. Each station is served by two phone lines as well as a high-speed connection. The company downloads the local MLS into private servers, enabling agents to dial in from home and continue their work at the office when they want to be around other agents.

Adcock-Smith worked with Cook's favorite colors - red and yellow - to inspire Cook's branding which would also carry over to the company's collateral and advertising. "Red is an energy color, and intense yellow shouts optimism and confidence," explains Adcock-Smith. "Virginia wanted to build a fixed environment as opposed to a landscape plan - open office."

Office trends, says Adcock-Smith, are gearing toward moveable components so that spaces can be flexible. Fixed environments are less costly to build, but are more visually attractive. However, as business changes, fixed environments can be risky without a glimpse into the future. Could a fixed environment accommodate new trends in how agents work?

One trend Cook saw coming was teaming - agents working together to capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Teaming can range from sharing ideas to sharing commissions.

"We were ahead of the game," says Cook. "We took teams, new people, individuals and we have vignettes devoted to all three. We support teams because there are many business models that work."

Most agents have a home office, which causes many brokers to wonder how much cost they should put into office space. But is cutting costs by installing moveable "Dilbert" cubicles tantamount to cutting agent productivity?

Cook believes so. "I thought about what I would want as an agent," says Cook. "A working environment is very important. I do better and the agents do better when we have everything we need right here."

"The objective," says Cook."was to create a business environment where associates can work on strategies to give the best service. And I think we hit the mark."

Published: March 22, 2002

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