Kim Butler heads up leasing for HALL Group’s many projects around DFW. HALL Group is behind the development of HALL Park, which features a 193-key boutique hotel, a 19-story luxury residential tower, 30 residential luxury suites, and a 10,000-square-foot food hall.
In Butler’s extended 2023 Dallas 500 Q&A, she talks about that development, what she would like to change about commercial real estate, and what key leadership strategy she values the most.
Birthplace: Fort Worth
Education: Southern Methodist University (MBA), Texas Tech University (BA)
Destination of Choice: “Prior to the pandemic, I took two big trips and looking back, I am so glad that I did. One trip was Machu Picchu with commercial real estate girlfriends and the other was a Mediterranean cruise for our 35th wedding anniversary. We hiked, visited wineries, biked, and toured Barcelona for the first time.”
Hobby/Passion: “Too many to name! One has to be college football. I also love water skiing. And I enjoy cooking for family and friends.”
Industry Change: “With the advance of technology in all industries, we have lost the interpersonal connection to a certain extent. All the best transactions that I have done have been closed around a table with all parties present. I wish we had more of that in business today. When sitting in person, everyone works towards a win-win outcome.”
Go-to Advisor: “Hall has many seasoned veterans and leaders, so there are always wise colleagues to weigh in on business advice, such as Craig Hall, Don Braun, and many others. My husband, Bruce, is also very wise and always a great sounding board.”
First Car: “My first car was an orange Volkswagen ‘Thing’ model.”
Proud Moment: “Over the last year, our company successfully kicked off the redevelopment that will evolve HALL Park from an office park to a mixed-use development. The new development will include a new Class AAA office tower, 193-key boutique hotel, 19-story luxury residential tower, 30 residential luxury suites and a 10,000-square-foot food hall, all surrounding a programmed community park. It will truly bring HALL Park into the future as a mixed-use development.”
Pivotal Moment: “The greatest challenge I’ve faced over the course of my career was recovering from an upper management shake-down at a previous company that I did not see coming and was out of my control. The silver lining was that this challenge forced me back into leasing, which I have always loved, and in turn led me to HALL Group, which has been a great place to be the last 12 years.”
Must-read: “The book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey has always been one of my favorites and so much of the book sticks with me. His ‘Think Win Win’ has resonated with me time and time again as we negotiate in our business. How do both parties succeed? That is the key to often starting a relationship off on the right foot. I also strive to achieve his ‘First Things First’ habit, spend time on what is important and not just react to the seemingly urgent call of the day.”
Spirit Animal: “A honeybee, they are hard workers and make teams efficient!”
Alternate Reality: “I would be calling play-by-play for college football!”
Key Leadership Strategy: “Team building is the leadership strategy that I value most. If you work hard on the front end to hire high performers with servant leader mentalities and build a cohesive team, then your team will go a great distance because everyone is pulling for each other moving toward success.”
Future Forecast: “The delivery of the next phase of development at HALL Park in late 2023 has me most excited about the future. The new office space will be very well-timed for capturing great tenants in the market. As tenants compete for the best talent, they want new product with the latest and greatest amenities.”
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