Atlanta CRE Vet David Danhof, 56, Dies Of COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed one of Atlanta's commercial real estate veterans.
Atlanta office veteran David Danhof, 56, died May 28 after a battle with COVID-19, family and friends told Bisnow. Danhof, who most recently joined DTSpade in Atlanta, worked for many storied commercial real estate firms in Atlanta during his career, including Hines, Equity Office Properties Trust and Lincoln Property Co.
“We just loved the man. This is such a loss, for not only our business, but his friends,” said Bill Hollet, Danhof's friend and a senior vice president at Cousins Properties. "David has a lot of good friends, and that says a lot about him. I'm honored to have been his friend for a long time."
Born in 1964 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Danhof made his way to Atlanta after graduating from Purdue University to begin a career in commercial real estate. He joined Equity Office in Atlanta and quickly rose up the ranks.
Hollett said what made Danhof special to him was how he wanted to know more about his co-workers than just their names, asking them genuine questions about their lives and families. And once he established a friendship, he remained loyal to them.
“He's the reason I got into commercial real estate,” said Danhof's brother-in-law, Grahame Wood.
Danhof was dating Wood's sister in the 1990s when they met, and he helped his future brother-in-law land internships in the industry while he was in college. Upon graduation, Wood joined Richard Bowers & Associates, where he remains to this day.
“He really never let go of those relationships,” Cushman & Wakefield Senior Director Caroline Nolen said. Nolen was friends with Danhof for 20 years, having worked together, along with Hollett, at Equity Office.
Ackerman & Co. Senior Vice President Frank Farrell said his loyalty to his friends extended to when they had setbacks. After Farrell was let go from a previous employer, Danhof reached out to help him land another position somewhere.
“A lot of people say, 'Hey, sorry.' But he went and did things for me,” Farrell said. "That's just the kind of person he was."
Danhof also was active with the congregation of the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, having joined past missions to Kenya to install water filtration systems. He was also a gearhead, specializing in classic Porsches. He was a driving instructor at Road Atlanta and the Porsche track in Birmingham, Alabama, according to a family obituary.
“Whenever you had a car problem, you could ask David about it. Didn't matter the make or model,” Hollett said.
Danhof is survived by his wife, Anne Wood, and their daughters Maggie and Allison, along with his parents and numerous siblings.
"He loved our industry and had the kindest heart," said Kristin Lamb, the former CEO of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors. "He volunteered endlessly throughout my career and he was such a wonderful, positive presence, always. I am still so shocked and heartbroken."
