The Dealmakers: Bisnow's Houston 2014 Top Land, Retail and Multifamily Brokers
Meet the Dealmakers: retail, multifamily and land’s most active brokers of 2014. (You didn’t think we’d let office and industrial dealmakers have all the fun, did you?)
Note: We surveyed for the top producer at each firm and did not rank between companies.
TNRG
Top Land Team: senior associates Taylor Schmidt and Reed Vestal
Total 2014 Production: 47 transactions totaling 949 acres and 200k SF of industrial space
Taylor and Reed’s toughest deal of the year was repping an investment land fund in San Antonio—they tracked it for more than two years and had to retrade with the seller multiple times due to endangered karst, beetles and caves found on the property. It wasn’t their largest transaction of the year, but Taylor says it was quite the learning experience. Besides sharing a love of golf, Taylor enjoys hunting and fishing, and Reed likes working out and backpacking.
CBRE
Top Multifamily Broker: EVP Ryan Epstein
Total 2014 Production: 30 sales of 45 individual properties totaling $1.2B
Ryan wasn’t just CBRE Houston’s most active multifamily broker last year—he was the top producer overall. One of his largest transactions was the sale of Alta Heights, which closed in late December. The 218k SF Class-A property has 256 units and upscale amenities like resort-style pool with walk-in beach entry. Two of Ryan’s favorite hobbies are fishing and spending time at the lake.
Top Retail Broker: SVP Matt Keener
Total 2014 Production: 95 transactions totaling 1.2M SF
Matt’s biggest deal of 2014 was the Fit Athletic Club lease for The Shops in Houston Center Downtown. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling to exotic places (like Turkey’s coast) and spreading the gospel of UT (through sign language!). He also likes reminiscing about Ranger School—above is his class photo from ’86.
Stream
Top Retail Team: managing directors Ralph Tullier and Mark Sondock
Total 2014 Production: 1.6M SF
Ralph says the most exciting deal of the year for him was starting the development of The Center at Pearland Parkway. The firm got ahead of the game; it was one of the first power centers to break ground this cycle. The 165k SF property delivered last month. Mark was partial to helping Stream buy Four Corners Shopping Center in Lake Jackson. Both gents love spending time outdoors. (Mark says he particularly enjoys picking flowers on a beautiful spring day.)
Cushman & Wakefield
Top Multifamily Team: Ed Nwokedi, Walter Montague, Brandon Bean, Jacob Saour and Lamont Rattler
Total 2014 Production: 13 transactions totaling 2,900 units
Cushman & Wakefield’s Texas multifamily team put a bow on 2014 with the sale of a four-property, $200M portfolio. They repped Sueba USA and Immofinanz, a partnership spanning Texas and Western Europe that developed the assets. 2015 looks just as bright, as they have $1.5B in the pipeline throughout Texas. Ed enjoys traveling to Nigeria where he serves as a Chief of his Igbo Tribal Kingdom; Walter enjoys visiting Cabo with his family; Brandon is a brand-new dad to twin boys; Jacob enjoys fishing and mountain climbing; and Lamont is a proud father of 5-year-old twins.
Transwestern
Top Retail Broker: managing director Nick Hernandez
Total 2014 Production: 41 transactions totaling 1.7M SF
Nick’s favorite deal of 2014 was selling 32 acres at 290 and Fairfield Creek to Memorial Hermann. But his biggest news of the year was getting married in California a few months ago. Nick leads a team of 15 brokers and reps numerous clients, including Darden Restaurants. He's been working hard at the River Oaks District, the most exciting project of his career, and he gave us some secret insider info into great retailers--he recommends shopping at Billy Reid and eating at Caracol. He enjoys fly fishing, bird hunting, golf and cooking.
JLL
Top Land Team: SVP Simmi Jaggi and VP Elizabeth Clampitt
Total 2014 Production: 72 acres totaling $62M
JLL’s powerhouse ladies particularly enjoyed working on the Post Oak Park Townhomes, because it was their most challenging deal of the year. It was a sexy location just inside the Loop with 102 townhomes that were all individually owned. It got a ton of interest and finally an overseas buyer was selected. However, it was hard to get all the townhome owners on the same page, and Simmi and Elizabeth had some tense meetings. Everything got better, though, when the homeowners were able to cash a check twice the amount they would’ve earned selling their unit on the residential market. The entire team and their families went to Falfurrias, TX, last month for some R&R, deer hunting, and hog hunting out of a helicopter. (See above, Elizabeth’s in the black shirt and Simmi’s in gray.)
Top Retail Broker: SVP Mark Raines
Total 2014 Production: 54 transactions
Mark’s most exciting deal was putting the Thomas Markel Jewelers at Gateway with MetroNational. He loves working with the company, which is a unique luxury brand/Rolex dealer that has been a local best-in-class jeweler since 1981. Mark recently took his son Nolan on his first deer hunt (above, at the JLL retail retreat together), and he’s planning to take his family skiing in Utah late this year.
ARA Land
Top Land Team: principals David Marshall (pictured) and Tim Dosch
Total 2014 Production: 40 transactions totaling $291M
In their favorite deal of 2014, Tim and David sold two acres in the heart of the Med Center (the NEC of Cambridge and Holcombe) to Dinerstein. The developer plans to build a 21-story, 375-unit high-rise on the site. Both gents have been traveling with their families—David took his wife and three young daughters to Yosemite National Park last year, and Tim says he loves to travel with his wife, but they’ve been limited to quick trips to Cabo lately since they have two young kids.
Avison Young
Top Land Broker: principal Lee Jones
Total 2014 Production: 18 transactions
Lee brokered the sale of 70 acres on West Lake Houston Parkway in Kingwood to KB Home. The land consisted of two tracts with multiple owners, and it had restrictions from the original developer that had to be changed. That meant getting approvals from the adjacent commercial businesses as well as the HOAs and homeowners. (That’s not how anyone wants to spend their afternoon.) Lee enjoyed New Year’s in Paris, and recently did a family fishing vacation to Islamorada. His hobbies are running, cycling and saltwater fishing.
