San Antonio’s Southside is home to a very special community of creators, hard workers, and people that inspire—many of whom are leaders across the Alamo city. Our Southside Makers and Shakers blog series celebrates Southsiders making their mark. Each addition to the series offers new insight into the community and the gente that make the Southside so unique.
In this blog, we meet one of the owners of the largest Southside real estate office: Sara Briseño Gerrish.
Interview With Sara Briseño Gerrish
Tell us about yourself.
I am a second generation real estate broker and owner of the largest Southside real estate office alongside my mother, Beatrice Briseño, and sister, Rachel Briseño Bruno. Our company, RE/MAX Unlimited, has been proudly serving the community for over 25 years! I am also one of the partners at Tandem, a community-based coffee house in the historic Southside Mission District.
What inspired you to become Southside leader, and what keeps you motivated to continue your work?
I grew up on the Southside and proudly still live and work in the area. It’s a part of town that has been historically forgotten, and it seems like only now it has been gaining attention with new investments and development. It wasn’t that long ago that there were zero new housing options in our part of town. Now, there are many choices and people wanting to stay in the areas where they grew up now that they have the opportunity to do so in a brand new home.
How do you/how does your organization give back to San Antonio, foster collaboration, or build partnerships with other organizations/leaders?
Our company prides itself in having agents that are civically engaged. Real estate is more than selling houses. This makes us more knowledgeable and stronger agents with the bonus of helping move the needle forward on important issues such as economic development and education.
I am currently the Chair of the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® (SABOR), the city’s largest trade organization. SABOR is an advocate for homeownership and private property rights. Buying a home is most people’s largest purchase of their lives and this is key to creating generational wealth. Everyone deserves professional representation in this journey.
Next year, I will have the privilege of serving as the Chair for the South Texas Business Partnership (formally the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce), an organization committed to stimulating sustained economic prosperity across South Texas through advocacy and collaboration with our partners. I believe being intentional and strategic in development is key.
Looking to the future, what initiatives or projects are you most excited about, and how do you believe they will benefit our city and its residents?
I am excited to see projects that have been in the works for years keep developing like Texas A&M University – San Antonio (proud grad here!), VIDA San Antonio, Brooks and Port San Antonio. The Southside has always been a great place to live AND work! These projects further cement this idea for future generations.
What makes the Southside unique compared to other parts of San Antonio?
What other part of town has a UNESCO World Heritage Site!? I love being able to regularly drive by our Missions throughout my workday and reflect on our city’s beauty and history.