HAR congratulates Russell Simmons on his selection as recipient of the prestigious John E. Wolf Community Service Award for 2025. Each year, HAR honors a member that has made an outstanding contribution to the community, primarily outside the scope of the real estate industry. The John E. Wolf Community Service Award is named after 1938-39 HAR President John E. Wolf.

For more than four decades, Russell Simmons has embodied the true spirit of real estate — not just through successful transactions, but through a lifelong commitment to community, integrity, and service. As a broker and investor with Texas Area Properties and owner of the Texas Real Estate Investment Center, Russell has helped countless business owners and investors build lasting portfolios—beginning with the cornerstone of property ownership, whether that means a home, office, or investment facility.

A native Houstonian and licensed real estate broker since 1979, Russell has spent his career revitalizing neighborhoods, restoring historic homes in the Houston Heights, and owning and operating several Class A and B multi-tenant office buildings, warehouses, and hundreds of acres across Fayette and Colorado counties. His approach to real estate is both strategic and mission-driven, rooted in his belief that “it’s never a bad time to invest when you’re solving people’s problems — in any type of market condition.”

Russell’s impact extends far beyond business. When devastating July 4th floods struck Central Texas, he immediately organized and led relief efforts, collecting and personally delivering truckloads of supplies from Houston to hard-hit areas such as Lampasas, Burnet, and Kerrville. His deliveries included essentials like food, water, and diapers — as well as appliances such as stoves, washers, dryers, microwaves, and fans to help displaced families rebuild their lives. He coordinated donations through his own network and worked closely with groups like the VFW, Salvation Army, and St. Thomas University, ensuring relief reached those who needed it most. Russell’s hands-on leadership and humility — never seeking attention, always focused on impact — earned deep admiration from peers and community members alike.

In addition to his community outreach, Russell continues to serve the real estate industry in leadership roles. He is a current HAR Board of Directors member, serves on the HAR CommGate Board, and is a Texas REALTORS® director. His past leadership includes serving as President of the Gulf Coast Commercial Real Estate Network, Commercial Board Member for HAR (2019–2021), and as an Executive Advisory Board Member for the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business Graduate Real Estate Program. He also holds a degree from the University of Houston.

Russell is passionate about mentoring young agents and investors, helping them understand how to build diversified portfolios that can withstand market fluctuations. He often shares his expertise through speaking engagements, encouraging others to pursue real estate not just as a career, but as a means to create stability, opportunity, and long-term success.

Together with his wife, Jene, of 40 years, Russell continues to develop and renovate properties throughout Houston and has recently expanded his passion to ranch restoration projects in West Texas. They share two children, Garrett and Kelsey, and a cherished granddaughter, Avia.

Russell’s dedication to both real estate and humanity exemplify the very best of what it means to serve — leading with action, compassion and purpose.

Q&A with Russell

Q: What was your first reaction when you learned that you were the 2025 honoree?

I was shocked and humbled because I’m surrounded by members that give so much of their time to support HAR, the members and community. It is an honor to work alongside those who nominated me, because I know so many members who are more worthy than me.

Q: What does this honor mean to you?

I looked up the past winners of this award, so it is certainly an honor and encourages me to continue helping our industry and community. I will always cherish the memory that my colleagues over the past 45 years thought enough of me to present me with this award.

Q: What do you find most gratifying about your work as a real estate professional?

The most gratifying aspect of my work has been helping clients build wealth through purchasing real estate and knowing that my focus was always to help them buy for value that stood the test of time. I’m proud that in 45 years of brokerage, during good times and bad, I have yet to have anyone tell me that they felt I put them in a bad deal.

Q: What advice would you offer new real estate professionals or folks considering entering the real estate profession given current market conditions, opportunities and challenges?

Never forget that this business is about people, and we must put their needs before our own—not only because of our fiduciary responsibility, but because it is the right thing to do. Never focus on the commission until you have done your best to ensure the client is taken care of and the deal will close and stand the test of time.

Q: Do you have any other thoughts or comments you’d like to share with our readers?

Real estate is not a job or a career but a lifestyle that you need to embrace every day. If you enjoy helping people, solving problems, doing deals that benefit both parties then real estate is for you. Every day can be different as your knowledge grows and you move into one of the many paths within real estate—whether residential or commercial, as an agent or an investor. I have the privilege of speaking with many agents, encouraging them to be the best they can be as they serve their clients while also investing in themselves by purchasing property. In most of my presentations, I say, “There is never a bad time to buy real estate,” and when in doubt, “Buy dirt!”