When we launched D CEO Real Estate (formerly D Real Estate Daily), we wanted to bring in a team of experts who could write about the industry from their on-the-ground perspectives. We looked for informed thought leaders who also wouldn’t be shy about sharing their opinions. More than five years later, the lineup has grown to more than 95 professionals across all sectors. Want to get the latest on design and urban planning? Read columns by the heads of three top architecture firms: Dan Noble (HKS Inc.), Bob Morris (Corgan), and Don Powell (BOKA Powell). Want to keep up with DFW’s white-hot multifamily market? Look for quarterly reports from Brian O’Boyle of ARA, a Newmark Co. Looking for the latest on development? Hear from Mike Berry (Hillwood Properties), Steve Van Amburgh (KDC), Michael Dardick (Granite Properties), and Bill Cawley (Cawley Partners). Along with returning favorites like Susan Arledge (E Smith Realty Partners), Randy Thompson (Cushman & Wakefield), Brant Bernet (CBRE), and Riis Christensen (Transwestern), the 2017 roster includes new writers like Diane Butler (BBG), Rob Huthnance (Port Logistics Realty), Kourtny Garrett (Downtown Dallas Inc.), and Frank McCafferty (Savills Studley). From Mike Ablon (PegasusAblon) to Steve Zimmerman (The Retail Connection), we’ve got you covered.
Susan Arledge
Managing Director, E Smith Realty Partners
Eight Proven Strategies for Success
From: Sept. 6, 2016
Even when everything else seems stacked against you, effort and persistence can still be your competitive advantages—and they may be the only advantages you truly need. Here are eight proven strategies for success:
Do your most-feared thing first. It’s often the task that can have the greatest impact.
1. Do your most-feared thing first. It’s often the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and results.
2. Take strong stands. Even the most skeptical people tend to be at least partly persuaded by a confident speaker. So be bold.
3. Tap into the power of now. Then do one extra thing.
4. Feed your winners, starve your losers. Stop wasting your coaching time trying to make a bottom producer better; instead, invest that time in making your winning team members even more productive.
5. Learn to be both decisive and to purposefully delay decisions.
6. Learn when to cut your losses. Too many people hang on too long.
7. Write it down. Emmitt Smith, our E Smith Realty chairman, learned a life lesson from Dwight Thomas, his high school football coach in Pensacola, Fla., who told him, “It’s just a dream until you write it down, and then it becomes a goal.”
8. Do what others are unwilling to do. A quote I have on my desk reminds me every day: “Successful people form the habit of doing what unsuccessful people don’t want to do.”
Scott Beck
President and CEO, Beck Ventures
Millennials and Rapid Urbanization
From: Sept. 20, 2016
It’s no secret that “millennials,” defined in 2015 as adults aged 18 to 34, are in the process of reshaping the social, political, and urban landscape of the United States. They now comprise a majority of the labor force (53.5 percent) and, with a population of 75.4 million, the largest American generation.
Millennials are reshaping the urban landscape in the U.S.
The arena in which millennials are effecting perhaps the most palpable, immediate change is the real estate market. They’re eschewing home ownership, with some choosing to live with their parents and others seeking an urban environment that offers public transit and a lot of entertainment options. North Texas cities are recognizing this trend and working with developers to subsidize and accelerate mixed-use growth. Plano, for example, has Legacy West, a $3 billion mixed-use development that features hudreds of apartments and a series of new shops and restaurants. The city of Dallas is working with local developers to facilitate mixed-use development near downtown and in Dallas Midtown. The new Park District project along Klyde Warren Park will be anchored by a big lease from PwC, whose move is designed to cater to its millennial employees.
DFW is projected to add 3 million more residents by 2030, and urban growth will continue to characterize the region’s real estate market for the foreseeable future.
Ran Holman
Dallas Market Leader, Cushman & Wakefield
Dallas is Growing Up
From: Sept. 22, 2016
Firms like Google, Facebook, and Apple have taught us that office environments, to be desirable, have to do more than their designed function. There is now an experiential component to environments requiring them to be more than what they are. This can mean a lot of things.
Dallas is no longer “Fly over” territory. It is a legitimate player on all levels.
In Uptown, we’re seeing a financial district unfold, with the Ritz being the center of that universe. That confluence of amenities, parks, arts, sports, the trolley, and general coolness, make this area unique and defined. Most companies considering Uptown know exactly what they want, and they are willing to pay for it. A happy employee is typically a productive one, and a few extra bucks in rent pales in comparison to payroll.
But this “urbanism” is not restricted to traditional urban environments. What we are seeing in Legacy and Legacy West in Plano is another example of the sum of components being greater than its parts. Same with the micro market of Preston Center. In these markets we are seeing the highest rents, lowest vacancies, and lowest cap rates. It is no mistake. These areas are easy to get your mind around. Their energies are palpable.
Corporations are taking note, and so are investors. Dallas is no longer “fly over” territory. It is a legitimate player on all levels of the commercial real estate business.
Tim Hughes
President and CEO, Falcon Realty Advisors
Practicing Conscious Capitalism
From: May 11, 2016
Conscious capitalism is a business model with a mission to inspire, educate, and engage with all stakeholders. I was introduced to the philosophy a long time ago, but it has taken years to see its full-circle impact. What began as a desire to give back to the community has grown into a holistic relationship between Falcon Realty and the communities we serve.
Some people may believe the real estate industry does not always appreciate the impact land development may have on the environment or community, and a business can’t possibly have both a positive impact and also be profit-driven. Although it is a lofty goal, I believe that an intersection can be accomplished by incorporating “conscious capitalism” business practices.
I was introduced to the philosophy a long time ago, but it has taken years to see its impact.
Two companies that have mastered the art of this are Whole Foods Market and Trademark Property Co. Partnering together, they’ve created the first ground-up “conscious place” known as Waterside in Fort Worth.
At our company, practicing conscious capitalism includes not centering our purpose on the amount of deals we are working on, but on supporting and elevating the brands we represent and the communities we serve. My goal has been to not only turn Falcon into a conscious company, but build and maintain relationships with companies that also practice these principles.
Linda McMahon
President, The Real Estate Council
Bringing the Middle Class Back to Dallas
From: March 30, 2016
The city of Dallas and its partners have made great strides toward positioning the community for robust growth. But if we are to experience long-term economic strength, city leaders must now adopt mixed-income housing policies that will attract the forgotten middle class back to the city.
There is a severe deficit of [housing] options for the middle class.
Growing demand for housing in the region has resulted in Dallas having the highest rental rates in Texas. Additionally, fewer opportunities for middle class home ownership are exacerbating this rental squeeze. Although there is a severe deficit of options for the middle class, there are essentially no policy tools or funding streams available to help them secure affordable housing. This housing crisis is a complex issue, and it’s one that The Real Estate Council members have been studying for more than four months. After a comparison of the housing policies from 17 peer cities across the nation, our members determined the best ways to tackle the issue is to develop policies that will facilitate the creation of mixed-income housing. Recommendations include creating new sources of funding for the creation of affordable housing; a review of existing zoning policies to allow greater density; and creation of a Housing Trust Fund and a Land Trust. We firmly believe these recommendations will expand housing options.
Brian O’Boyle
Vice Chairman, ARA, A Newmark Co.
Shifts in DFW’s Multifamily Market
From: November 1, 2016
During the last few months, the multifamily market has been witness to significant changes. Right now, buyers seeking properties in the Class A sector have an abundance of choice and, as a result, have become much more selective in their offer process. In the conventional “best and final” process, we are seeing a reduction in the number of participants. A year ago, six or seven potential buyers participating in the best and final round was the norm; today, that number is closer to three or four.
Buyers in the class A sector have become much more selective.
The underwriting process has also changed. Buyers are generally underwriting deals more conservatively. Even so, brokers are typically achieving their strike price—they are just having to work a little harder. Unfortunately, there has also been an increase in the number of deals that are falling out of escrow, with brokers having to opt for their second choice in the buyer pool.
That being said, Class B and Class A communities that have a strong value-add component continue to receive strong interest across the sector. Furthermore, we have seen substantial appreciation in the Classes B and C market and still frequently see new high-water marks set. The North Texas job growth story helps mitigate some of the concerns about the robust new construction pipeline, and Dallas continues to find itself on more buyer radar screens.
2017 Contributing Editors D CEO Real Estate
Mike Ablon
PegasuAblon
Marc Allen
Transwestern
Jon Altschuler
Altschuler and Co.
Susan Arledge
E Smith Realty Partners
Dan Avnery
NAI Robert Lynn
Randy Baird
Cushman & Wakefield
Scott Beck
Beck Ventures
Eric Beichler
Mohr Partners
Brant Bernet
CBRE
Mike Berry
Hillwood Properties
Walt Bialas
JLL
Anthony Bolner
Stream Realty Partners
Cliff Booth
Westmount Capital
John Brewer
Transwestern
Bill Brokaw
Hillwood Properties
Linda Burns
Burns Development Group
Bill Burton
Hillwood Urban
Diane Butler
BBG
Kim Butler
Hall Group
Bruce Carlson
CMA
Bill Cawley
Cawley Partners
Riis Christensen
Transwestern
John Conger
Colliers International
Brian Cramer
Newland Communities
Steve Crosson
Capright
Peggy Daly
Monogram Residential Trust
Chuck Dannis
National Valuation Consultants
Michael Dardick
Granite Properties
Steve Everbach
Colliers International
Collin Fitzgibbons
KDC
Celeste Fowden
CBRE
Rob Franks
JLL
Lisa Gardner
OMS Strategic Advisors
Kourtny Garrett
Downtown Dallas Inc.
Mike Geisler
Venture Commercial Real Estate
Jack Gosnell
CBRE | UCR
Robert Grunnah
Novus Realty Advisors
Karra Guess
E Smith Realty Partners
Allen Gump
Colliers International
Susan Gwin Burks
Colliers International
Ran Holman
Cushman & Wakefield
Tim Hughes
Falcon Realty Advisors
Rob Huthnance
Port Logistics Realty
Ryan Johnson
SRS Real Estate Partners
Craig Jones
JLL
Sam Kartalis
Novus Realty Advisors
Justin Keane
Wynmark Commercial
Blake Kendrick
Stream Realty Partners
Beth Lambert
Cushman & Wakefield
JJ Leonard
Stream Realty Partners
Steve Lieberman
The Retail Connection
Tanya Little
Hart Advisors Group
Torrey Littlejohn
JLL
Terrence Maiden
Corinth Properties
Frank McCafferty
Savills Studley
Linda McMahon
The Real Estate Council
Rick Medinis
NAI Robert Lynn
Marshall Mills
The Weitzman Group
Terry Montesi
Trademark Property Co.
Bob Morris
Corgan
Charlie Myers
MYCON General Contractors
Lauren Napper
Cushman & Wakefield
Dan Noble
HKS Inc.
Brian O’Boyle
ARA, A Newmark Co.
Kathy Permenter
Younger Partners
Ian Pierce
The Weitzman Group
Jennifer Pierson
Pierson Retail Advisors
Don Powell
BOKA Powell
Jeff Price
JLL
Emily Rankin
Transwestern
Ari Rastegar
Rastegar Equity Partners
Mark Reeder
SRS Real Estate Partners
Ken Reese
Hillwood Urban
Andrew Schendle
Hunt Construction
Alan Shor
The Retail Connection
Paul Smith
Velocis
Eliza Solender
Solender/Hall Inc.
Jo Staffelbach Heinz
Staffelbach
Chris Summers
Xceligent Inc.
Tom Sutherland
Colliers International
Chris Teesdale
Colliers International
Steve Thelen
JLL
Randy Thompson
Cushman & Wakefield
Sanders Thompson
Transwestern
Steve Van Amburgh
KDC
David Walters
CBRE
Michael Walters
Falcon Realty Advisors
Herb Weitzman
The Weitzman Group
King White
Site Selection Group
Steve Williamson
Transwestern
Craig Wilson
Cushman & Wakefield
Jim Yoder
Velocis
Bob Young
The Weitzman Group
Moody Younger
Younger Partners
John Zikos
Venture Commercial Real Estate
Steven Zimmerman
The Retail Connection
This article appears in D CEO’s Real Estate Annual 2016 issue.