Briggs-Freeman Real Estate Names Stephanee Bates as Chief Operating Officer; Robbie Briggs, Family Head to China to Explore Investment Opportunities; Will Maintain Leadership Role In Briggs-Freeman.

DALLAS -- Stephanee Bates, senior vice president and sales director since 2002, has been named chief operating officer of Briggs-Freeman Real Estate Brokerage. The announcement was made by Robert M. Briggs, chairman and Charles Freeman, president of Briggs-Freeman.

In addition, Briggs, chairman announced today that he and his family will establish a residence in Beijing, China, and begin researching and developing real estate opportunities in the region. He will continue as chairman of the Dallas firm.

"We are very proud of Stephanee and expect that her leadership will ensure Briggs-Freeman continues to grow as a premier residential brokerage in key Dallas area markets," Briggs said. "At the same time, my family and I view this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience one of the most culturally rich countries in the world. From a business perspective, the advent of the Olympics in 2008 and the explosive growth of the Chinese economy are opening up tremendous high-end residential development and investment opportunities for both citizens of China and foreign investors and executives."

In addition to the Dallas market, Mr. Briggs and his firm have long been active in representing high-end residential real estate projects throughout the U.S. and overseas. He has visited China several times.

Mr. Briggs, his wife and two teenage daughters will be in Beijing in time for the children to enroll in school this summer. The Briggs will maintain a residence in Dallas. They also have a son and daughter-in-law who currently reside in Xiamen, where he runs a leather factory for a Dallas-based company.

Ms. Bates began her business career in commercial banking and, in 1982, transitioned into the securities industry. From 1990 - 1998 she was with the investment banking group of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette.

During Ms. Bates' first year with Briggs-Freeman, she achieved the real estate industry's benchmark of "multi-million dollar producer." She was named a vice president in 2001 and senior vice president in October 2003.

For more information: http://dx.doi.org/10.2121/Briggs-Freeman

About Briggs-Freeman Real Estate Brokerage

Briggs-Freeman Real Estate Brokerage is one of the leading real estate companies in the Dallas area. The firm specializes in the sale of fine homes in Highland Park, University Park, Uptown, Turtle Creek, Bluffview, Preston Hollow, Lakewood and North Dallas, as well as selected farm and ranch properties around the region. Briggs-Freeman has enjoyed rapid growth with approximately $700 million in sales in 2005, and a projection of three-quarters of a billion dollars this year. The firm has been honored for the last two years by SMU's Cox School of Business with a Dallas 100(TM) Award, designed to recognize the city's fastest-growing, most dynamic privately held companies.