Purchasing or listing lakefront real estate along the Highland Lakes calls for a different skill set than standard residential transactions. The six-lake Colorado River chain stretches from Lake Buchanan south through Lake Austin and contains properties where water depth, dock permits from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), flood classifications, shoreline exposure, and the difference between constant-level and seasonal-level impoundments all drive usability and price in ways most general agents never learn. The specialists who close these deals effectively are local residents or longtime community members who understand the regulations, lake-specific characteristics, and private networks where waterfront listings move before hitting public boards. This review highlights five local lakefront property experts in 2026, including a waterfront-only brokerage, a four-decade Horseshoe Bay native, an appraiser-broker, a third-generation family office, and a regionally ranked Keller Williams team.
How to Select Top Highland Lakes Lakefront Property Experts
Choosing the right agent comes down to verifying the right qualifications before you sign.
Local residency and community depth: Agents who live beside the lakes they sell bring direct knowledge of dock wear, seasonal water behavior, and neighborhood culture that out-of-area brokers cannot match.
LCRA regulation and permit experience: Waterfront deals here involve LCRA dock permits, boat house approvals, flood maps, and water documentation, so confirm your candidate has closed recent transactions that required these steps.
Board memberships: Active participation in the Highland Lakes Association of Realtors (HLAoR) signals working knowledge of local MLS tools, private networks, and the professional community unique to this region.
Property type range: The market spans luxury estates, resort condos, raw lots, ranches with water access, and entry-level lake cottages; verify your agent has sold the category you're buying or listing.
Appraisal or valuation credentials: Waterfront values hinge on frontage, depth, cove versus open exposure, and orientation; working with firms that hold appraisal licenses or trusted appraisal partnerships prevents pricing mistakes.
Best Local Experts for Highland Lakes Lakefront Properties
Based on transaction volume, local tenure, and regulatory knowledge, the top five specialists are:
Best Highland Lakes Lakefront Property Experts
1. Fokus Waterfront
Principal: Greg Gaynor, Broker/Owner, Fokus Waterfront & Hill Country; based in Kingsland, Texas.
Experience: 20+ years selling only waterfront and lake properties across the Highland Lakes of Central Texas.
Lakes served: Lake LBJ, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, Inks Lake, Lake Marble Falls, and Lake Buchanan.
Recognition: Ranked #1 waterfront home sales agent on Lake LBJ in 2025; member of the Austin Board of REALTORS® and Highland Lakes Association of Realtors.
Differentiator: Greg and Stephanie Gaynor own a vacation home on the Highland Lakes, bringing personal ownership insight into every listing and sale.
Company Overview: Fokus Waterfront & Hill Country is a waterfront-only brokerage led by Broker/Owner Greg Gaynor, who has spent 20+ years closing transactions across Lake LBJ, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, Inks Lake, Lake Marble Falls, and Lake Buchanan. Ranked the #1 agent for waterfront home sales on Lake LBJ in 2025, the team brings direct homeowner experience, Greg and Stephanie own a lake house themselves, into every deal, addressing dock permits, water depth, LCRA rules, boat house paperwork, and flood records as routine practice.
Best For: Buyers and sellers on the Highland Lakes chain, especially Lake LBJ and Lake Travis, who want a dedicated waterfront specialist with LCRA knowledge and first-hand ownership experience on the same water.
Standout Feature: The #1 sales ranking for waterfront homes on Lake LBJ (2025), paired with Greg and Stephanie Gaynor's personal ownership of a Highland Lakes vacation property, creating client-side lake insight that agents without waterfront homes cannot offer.
2. HSB Sales (Chad Thibodeaux)
Principal: Chad Thibodeaux, Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Horseshoe Bay Resort Sales Co.; born and raised in Horseshoe Bay; 40-year area resident.
Experience: Salesman's license since 1992; broker's license since 2001; 30+ years in Horseshoe Bay and Highland Lakes real estate.
Education: Texas A&M University, BBA Finance, Class of 1991; Llano High School Class of 1987.
Service area: Horseshoe Bay, Lake LBJ, Marble Falls, Kingsland, Applehead Island, Summit Rock, Sunrise Beach, Highland Haven, Granite Shoals, and Meadowlakes.
Memberships: Member of the Highland Lakes Association of Realtors; consistent top producer at RE/MAX Horseshoe Bay Resort Sales Co.
Company Overview: Chad Thibodeaux is a fourth-decade Horseshoe Bay resident who has operated as Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Horseshoe Bay Resort Sales Co. since earning his broker's license in 2001, with local roots going back to childhood and a real estate license active since 1992. His service area covers Horseshoe Bay, Lake LBJ, and surrounding Highland Lakes neighborhoods, with specialization in waterfront homes, golf course lots, condos, lakefront parcels, new builds, and ranches. A repeat top producer at his firm, Chad holds Highland Lakes Board of Realtors membership and maintains professional ties with title offices, lenders, surveyors, and inspectors across the area.
Best For: Buyers and sellers in Horseshoe Bay, Lake LBJ, and nearby resort communities who want a 30+ year local Broker/Owner with childhood ties, resort amenity knowledge, and a proven professional network.
Standout Feature: Forty years of continuous Horseshoe Bay residency as a Broker/Owner with a license since 1992, making Chad Thibodeaux one of the longest-serving local waterfront agents in the Highland Lakes resort market, supported by decades of client referral and repeat business.
3. D. Green & Associates
Principal: Donna Green, Broker/Owner, D. Green & Associates Real Estate Co.; also Owner of Highland Lakes Appraisers; based in Highland Haven, TX since the mid-1980s.
Location: 100 Wren St, Highland Haven, TX 78654; open Monday through Sunday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Credentials: Texas State General Certified Real Estate Appraiser; FEMA Floodplain Administrator for Highland Haven and Granite Shoals; Real Estate Broker; FHA approved.
Service scope: Works across four to six counties covering residential, acreage, and commercial properties; specializes in waterfront homes, ranch and land deals, and relocation support.
Coverage area: Marble Falls, Burnet, Horseshoe Bay, Kingsland, Sunrise Beach, Granite Shoals, and the wider Highland Lakes region.
Company Overview: Donna Green has owned and operated D. Green & Associates Real Estate Co. in Highland Haven since the mid-1980s and simultaneously runs Highland Lakes Appraisers, making her the only principal in this guide who holds both Texas State General Certified Real Estate Appraiser credentials and an active broker license. She also serves as the FEMA Floodplain Administrator for Highland Haven and Granite Shoals, a regulatory position that gives her direct insight into flood zone classifications and their effect on lakefront property pricing across the region.
Best For: Buyers and sellers of lakefront, residential, acreage, and commercial properties across the Highland Lakes who want an agent with in-house appraisal credentials, FEMA floodplain authority, and 40+ years of continuous local market presence.
Standout Feature: The simultaneous ownership of a real estate brokerage and a certified appraisal company, combined with her role as FEMA Floodplain Administrator for Highland Haven and Granite Shoals, providing clients with an appraisal-level grasp of waterfront values and flood impacts no other local brokerage delivers.
4. Walker & Associates
Established: Walker & Associates was founded around 1985 by the Walker family; now a third-generation family brokerage led by Broker Associate Courtney Wing (broker license 2019), whose father has served as broker since 1997.
Location: 304 Hwy 281, Marble Falls, Texas 78654; serving clients seven days a week.
Coverage: Marble Falls, Burnet, Bertram, Horseshoe Bay, Granite Shoals, Kingsland, Meadowlakes, Llano, Buchanan, Spicewood, Sunrise Beach, Highland Haven, Johnson City, Smithwick, and Lampasas, plus Burnet, Bell, Travis, Llano, and Williamson counties.
Recognition: Gary Wing named "Best Male Realtor in Burnet County" multiple times in the Highlander Readers' Choice award; designated "Five Star Professional in Real Estate" and featured in Texas Monthly.
MLS access: Full access to the Highland Lakes Multiple Listing Service across all region properties.
Company Overview: Walker & Associates is a multi-generational family real estate brokerage established in Marble Falls around 1985, now led by third-generation broker Courtney Wing, whose grandmother founded the company, whose father has served as broker since 1997, and who earned her own broker's license in 2019 after completing the Texas Realtors Leadership Program in 2021. The firm covers all property types (residential, waterfront, acreage, and commercial) across 15+ Highland Lakes communities and five counties, with full Highland Lakes MLS access and seven-day contact availability. Agent Gary Wing has been repeatedly named Best Male Realtor in Burnet County (Highlander Readers' Choice) and was featured in Texas Monthly.
Best For: Buyers and sellers across the broader Highland Lakes region, from Marble Falls and Burnet to Kingsland and Llano, who want a 40-year multi-generational family brokerage with full MLS coverage, seven-day availability, and repeat Burnet County award recognition.
Standout Feature: Three generations of continuous family brokerage, from founder to current broker Courtney Wing, with 40 years of institutional knowledge, full Highland Lakes MLS access across 15+ communities, and an agent who has earned Best Realtor in Burnet County recognition multiple times across a long career.
5. The Lakefront Group
Founded: The Lakefront Group was founded in 2017 by Hunter Croan; headquartered at 8610 FM 725, McQueeney, TX 78123; affiliated with Keller Williams Realty (the largest real estate company by agent count).
Principal background: Hunter Croan entered real estate in 2006 after graduating from Texas A&M University (Marketing, Class of 2004); born and raised on Lake McQueeney.
Rankings: Top 1% of REALTORS® at Keller Williams Realty; ranked #1 or #2 producing group at Keller Williams Heritage (the largest KW office globally) every year from 2018 to 2023.
Recognition: Featured twice on HGTV's Lakefront Bargain Hunt and Lakefront Bargain Hunt: Renovation; 200+ five-star reviews across Google, Zillow, and Facebook.
Coverage: Highland Lakes chain (Lake LBJ, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake), plus Canyon Lake, Lake McQueeney, Lake Dunlap, Lake Seguin, Meadow Lake, Lake Placid, and the Guadalupe, Comal, San Marcos, Blanco, and Pedernales Rivers.
Company Overview: Founded in 2017 by Hunter Croan, a Lake McQueeney native who entered real estate in 2006 after earning a Marketing degree from Texas A&M (Class of 2004), The Lakefront Group operates inside Keller Williams Realty and ranked #1 or #2 at Keller Williams Heritage (the world's largest KW office) every year from 2018 to 2023. With 200+ five-star reviews, two HGTV Lakefront Bargain Hunt features, and proprietary systems for surfacing off-market and non-MLS waterfront listings, the team brings structured marketing and regional scale to the Highland Lakes and wider Central Texas waterfront market.
Best For: Buyers and sellers across the full Highland Lakes chain and broader Central Texas waterfront market who want a Keller Williams top-1% team with HGTV-featured experience, off-market listing access, and modern digital marketing including drone video and targeted campaigns.
Standout Feature: #1 or #2 producing group at Keller Williams Heritage (the world's largest KW office) from 2018 to 2023, plus two HGTV Lakefront Bargain Hunt features, backed by proprietary systems for uncovering off-market waterfront listings unavailable on public platforms like Zillow and 200+ five-star client reviews.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Highland Lakes Lakefront Property Expert
Identify Which Specific Lake or Lakes You Are Targeting Before Shortlisting Agents
The Highland Lakes chain includes six distinct bodies of water with different regulatory frameworks, water level characteristics (constant versus seasonal), HOA structures, and community types. An agent whose transaction history is concentrated on Lake LBJ may have limited specific knowledge of Lake Buchanan or Inks Lake, so confirming that an agent has recently closed deals on the exact lake you are targeting produces better due diligence outcomes than selecting based on general Highland Lakes experience.
Confirm LCRA Regulatory Experience as a Non-Negotiable Requirement
Dock permits, boat house approvals, shoreline modifications, and water rights documentation on the Highland Lakes are governed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). Selecting an agent who can explain current LCRA requirements for your specific property type and location without referring you out to a third party demonstrates the depth of knowledge that prevents costly compliance surprises during a transaction.
Assess Whether Appraisal Access Is Available Through or Connected to the Agent
Lakefront property values are driven by highly specific factors: frontage footage, water depth at dock, cove versus open water exposure, and lot orientation. Standard residential comparables often fail to capture these accurately, so identifying whether an agent has in-house appraisal credentials or a trusted affiliated appraiser specific to waterfront properties before engaging reduces valuation risk for both buyers and sellers.
Verify Off-Market and Non-MLS Property Access Before Committing
The most desirable lakefront properties in the Highland Lakes frequently sell before public listing through agent networks, private buyer databases, or direct owner relationships. Confirming that an agent has specific mechanisms for surfacing off-market inventory (not just access to the MLS) before retaining them is the only way to know whether you are seeing the full available market.
Consider Long-Term Residency as a Signal of Community Knowledge Depth
An agent who has lived on or alongside a specific lake for 10, 20, or 40 years accumulates neighborhood-level knowledge: flood events, water level histories, dock repair contractors, title issues on specific streets. No amount of MLS research can replicate that depth, and for lakefront purchases that involve large capital commitments and long-term lifestyle decisions, that local knowledge is a material asset in transaction outcomes.
Final Thoughts
The most important qualification in the Highland Lakes market is lake-specific experience. An agent who has closed multiple deals on your target lake in the last 24 months will assess dock condition, LCRA compliance, flood zone placement, and comparable values with a precision that outperforms broader market volume or regional brand recognition. Off-market access and local residency are the two factors most buyers and sellers underweight; prioritize both when interviewing agents. Request a list of closed lakefront transactions from the last two years on your specific lake before retaining any agent. That single step filters out generalists and confirms you're working with a specialist who knows your water.
Post a Comment