Commercial Real Estate Fish Tales
It’s exciting when you land major clients, but that happens all the time. (You’re kind of a big deal.) But you only haul in a 300-pound marlin once in a blue moon. (They are rarely looking for industrial space.) Today, we share six of your fish tales, and they’re way better than the time we bought that singing bass.
Paul Layne, EVP, Howard Hughes
The commercial real estate family that fishes together stays together. Here’s Paul with his sons Avison Young’s Kevin Layne and HFF’s Kelly Layne in Galveston Bay. (Finally, clear photographic evidence that developers and brokers are better fishermen than finance guys!) Paul’s team in The Woodlands has 3.5M SF under construction across sectors. That includes Exxon’s 500k SF at Hughes Landing and 704 apartment units. And of course that’s not Paul’s full focus—he's also working on projects in Bridgeland and across the Sunbelt.
Ed Ayres, prez, Houston Realty Advisors
Ed and his son/mini-me Deane ventured to Northern Canada, 50 miles from the Arctic Circle, to catch this 42” pike. (You see about half of it here.) The pair also caught more walleye than they could count or eat. (Ed jokes they had to fight off bears just to get to the boat—hopefully on the way back they shared some conciliatory leftovers.) Ed just renewed Innovative IDM for 19k SF at 13770 Hollister. Landlord EastGroup was repped by Insite’s Clay Reichenbach.
Michael Johnson, VP, AIG Investments
Michael loves to go fishing with his son and his Jack Russell Toby. (All three have facial hair, must run in the family.) Michael funded a loan on the Hilton Americas last year and is very excited about the City’s plans for the GRB and all the activity Downtown.
Kent Willis, senior associate, Avison Young
Kent (left, with friend Lee Bull) caught this 42-pound wahoo while trolling the weed line. The pair also went two for two on white marlin and two for two on sailfish on their three-day trip from Grand Isle, La., to Freeport. Kent just repped General Insulation Co on a five-year renewal of 26k SF in Houston, and now he's working on a 40k SF requirement for it in South Louisiana.
John Frazier, associate, McCord Development
Talk about a great golf game--McCord Development associate John Frazier caught this bad boy on the ninth hole.
