Our Team
Property Management Principal
Following his mid-80’s real estate years in Austin, Matt further honed his experience in both New York and California, but Austin called him home again in 2004.
Back home in Central Texas, Matt began managing and selling properties in Midtown Austin. Partnering with Deacon Shields and Jeff Tucker, he soon purchased Ely Properties. His understanding of the Austin real estate market catapulted him to his current position overseeing a portfolio of over $200 million in industrial, retail, and multi-family properties throughout the Austin area.
A passionate traveler, Matt has visited many places in 5 continents over the past 8 years, but Austin always calls him home.
Deacon Shields
Broker Principal
Deacon was born in Bogota, Colombia, then raised in Chicago, Illinois. Following his service in the United States Army, Deacon sought a degree in Mathematics at the University of Texas in 1992 and fell in love with Austin.
He began his real estate career in 1994 while attending UT, and in 1996 he became the broker for Ely Properties, which he and his partners were able to purchase just ten short years later. In 1997 he developed his first office building in Austin. Since then he has been a part of a variety of developments including garden home condominiums, high-rise apartments/condominiums, retail centers, and industrial parks.
Deacon gives back to the community he loves by volunteering in several local charities and foundations. In his spare time, he enjoys running, free diving, and paddleboarding.
Maria Claypool
Accounting
Maria was born in La Plata, Argentina. She attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and moved to Austin following graduation. After living in Austin for over 30 years bilingual Maria considers herself a native Austinite who has grown up with this city.
Maria started her career in Real Estate in 2004 and in 2010 she started working in Accounting for a diverse clientele. She joined Ely Properties in early 2017. She has quickly become indispensable.
In Maria’s spare time, she explores the outdoors, jogging Austin’s beautiful lakes, listening to local musicians and traveling around the world.
Jeremy Sanchez
Operations
Jeremy is an authentic Austinite, who spent a majority of his youth growing up in Westlake to graduate from Westlake High School. After graduating he spent 2 years at Austin Community College, then moved to San Antonio where he attended UTSA.
Since joining Ely Properties in January 2017, Jeremy has reorganized the maintenance team, upgraded our management software technology, and brought organizational value to the team.
In his spare time, Jeremy enjoys working with cars and motorcycles, mountain biking, and technology. You might also find Jeremy trying out new Austin eateries and outdoor adventures.
Teresa Ross
Receptionist
Teresa Ross was born in Mississippi and shortly after moved to Texas where she grew up just outside of Austin. Shortly after graduating high school, Teresa moved to Austin where she has been living with her family for the last 20yrs.
With over 25 years of customer service experience, Teresa became part of the Ely team in September of 2017. She has since become the friendly face of the company and is the first person all clients see when they walk through our office doors.
In Teresa’s downtime, she enjoys outdoor activities, traveling, and spending time with her 3 children and husband.