M EET T H E FO U N D ER
Phillip Thomas
Celebrating 50 years in real estate and the preservation
of land and historic properties in Hunt Country
Phil Thomas and his agents have invested much time and energy
into the preservation of the countryside and the cultivation of longterm relationships with homeowners and homebuyers here. And
Phil is proud of the fact that, over the years, his firm has bought
and sold nearly every notable property in the area—many of them
more than once. He’s also been instrumental in the protection of
land. Phil worked hand-in-hand with the early champions of land
preservation like Eve Fout, the Honorable Bruce Sundlun, James
Rowley, George Horkan, Esq., the Honorable Charles Whitehouse
and William Backer, among others.
A bill was passed in Congress in the 70’s establishing a state’s
ability to create and hold easements. These efforts helped establish
organizations like the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the Piedmont
Environmental Council and the Goose Creek Association. “My
father, Reed Thomas, assembled many small parcels of land over
many years around Paris, Virginia. He loved the land and it gave
me enormous pleasure to fulfill his dream and convey the 1,250
acres of Ovoka Farm to the Piedmont Environmental Council for
permanent conservation.” This resulted in Phil being the recipient
of the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Land Conservation
Award in 2001.
hil Thomas sits in his beautifully appointed office
surrounded by shelves of wonderful mementos
and memorabilia collected through the fifty years
of success his company has realized in the real
estate business. “Each object,” he says, “has meaning
for me. Each has a story and is part of my history.” There’s even an
original, framed contract that hangs just outside his door, with the
signatures of John and Jacqueline Kennedy.
P
When asked what he thinks about the real estate market today,
he smiles and says, “I’ve seen a number of recessions in my fifty
years in business. It goes up and it goes down. And by the way,
as the market starts to move again with these low interest rates,
there’s never been a better time to buy or sell in Hunt Country.You
see, real estate in this neck of the woods is unlike any in the D.C.
area. You aren’t just buying a home, you are buying into a unique
landscape and a special way of life. This real estate tends to retain
its value because it offers so much more than a house.”
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Phil was raised in the Middleburg area. Fifth generation. In the late
1950’s, after prep school, college and the Marine Corps, his first job
was pulling a surveyor’s chain across a huge cleared field that today
is Dulles Airport. A general contractor that had a quarry nearby
approached him one day with knowledge that Phil had recently
gotten his real estate license. He asked Phil if he would initiate
the purchase of some very rocky land near the airport site to be
quarried and turned into gravel for the miles of runways that were
about to be laid down. Phil’s response was, “Sure, no problem.” Phil
also had no problem cashing that commission check for $14,000.
Especially when, at the time, his surveyor’s salary was only $8,500.
Phil reflects on those times and laughs. “Real estate looked pretty
good to me, even though my first year of business was conducted
either in my car or in my hat.” He goes on to say, “It wasn’t long
before I started hanging out with a real estate guy located in
Middleburg, named John Talbot. We’d meet up at the Coach Stop
restaurant, which was the local social hub in Middleburg at the time.