David Pinsel

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to recognize the good in people. Those of us in the hyper-competitive commercial real estate world often get lost in business development, recruiting, cap rates, lease rates, etc., and fail to step back and recognize that this is a business based on real people and relationships.

About a year ago, I posted my first blog post for RealPoints. "A Transplanted Californian’s View of Dallas" was written a few weeks after I had moved here from Manhattan Beach. Now that a year has passed, I’ve had ample time to reflect on those first impressions and come up with a few new ones.

After only four months in North Texas, I'm honestly not an expert on anything Dallas—yet. So I'll write about something I do know: people. More specifically, young people looking to grab that first rung on the mythical “corporate ladder.” Trust me when I say that I can relate, as I'm not too far removed from that time in my life.

A few months ago, prior to moving to Dallas, I participated in a panel discussion in California. The topic was “Keeping Businesses from Moving to Texas.” After nearly 90 minutes of spirited dialogue, I came to the conclusion that this problem might take a generation to fix. Three months later, I'm working in Texas, doing my best to lure corporate business out of California. The irony is not lost on me.