Brandon Call
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Fifth-generation New Mexican. Art lover. Millennial. Traveler. Tennis fan. Gardener.
Articles by Brandon Call
25 Plants That'll Transform Your Dallas Garden
A quick jaunt to your local nursery can quickly turn overwhelming, as in addition to sunlight and soil requirements, home gardeners need also consider what purpose they want their plants to serve. Are you looking to provide privacy from neighbors’ prying eyes, or are you hoping to attract a little more attention from winged species? Whatever your goals, there’s a plant for that.
Celebrity Chefs and Private Beaches Abound in Los Cabos and Costa Palmas, Mexico
For those unfamiliar with the region, the various “Cabos” can be confusing. Here’s a primer: the Los Cabos region is home to both Cabo San Lucas, known for its active nightlife scene, and the more artsy San José del Cabo. They’re connected by a resort-strewn corridor that makes up most of the southern tip of Baja California Sur. The peninsula is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Sea of Cortez on the east.
Third-generation, Family-Run Company Dee Brown Inc. Has Had a Hand in Some of North Texas' Most Iconic Buildings
Whether it is suspending 22,000-pound boulders in an underground parking garage or creating a large-scale art installation within a volcanic cinder cone, masonry and stonework experts Dee Brown Inc. have seen it all. “There’s not anything we can’t do,” says President and CEO Robert Barnes III.
How Dee Lincoln Entered Dallas' Steakhouse Market On Her Own Terms
Dallas has a long tradition of over-the-top steakhouses. And Dee Lincoln Prime at The Star in Frisco is no exception. The vast dining room boasts a luxe aesthetic reminiscent of old Hollywood, featuring ornate slatted ceilings, dark wood tones, and gold accents. Banquettes covered in shimmery silver fabric and booths with crushed black velvet add glamour, while a grand glass-enclosed wine library greets visitors with more than 2,000 bottles of fine wine.
Art of Style: Ashlee Kleinert is a Fan of Socially Responsible Fashion
Ashlee Kleinert is the founder of Ruthies For Good, a staple among the collection of food trucks parked around Klyde Warren Park. Her grilled cheese food truck fleet—which highlights local nonprofits on its exteriors and delivers meals to local organizations and individuals in need—was born in 2011 after Kleinert attended a conference on nonprofits.
Four-Day Workweek is Gaining Momentum. Could It Be the Solution to Back to the Office?
Remote and hybrid work are key differentiators in employee recruitment and retention, and most companies are seeking solutions. The four-day workweek is gaining traction around the world. Could this be the key to getting people back into the office? Office brokers probably hope this is the case.
The Million-Dollar Question: Is A Recession On the Horizon?
The term “recession” has been thrown around a lot lately. Rising interest rates, high inflation, and an unexpected banking crisis have all been in the news recently as potential triggers of recession. Still, some economists are pointing to the growing labor market and expanding GDP as signs of an economy that remains too healthy to stall.
What is the Economic Cost of Urban Heat in Dallas?
When the inevitable heatwaves arrive in Dallas, community discussions around the need to mitigate our urban heat island effect and expand our tree canopy coverage arrive with it.
How DFW’S Retail Market Quietly Became Commercial Real Estate's Strongest Category
Despite decades of back-to-back challenges, the Dallas-Fort Worth retail continued to evolve and transform to evade every obstacle to its growth and emerge stronger. In the case of challenges like ecommerce, Amazon and the pandemic-induced shutdown of 2020, the market not only evolved, it embraced the challenges and learned how to creatively bounce back stronger.
How DFW’S Retail Market Quietly Became Commercial Real Estate's Strongest Category
Despite decades of back-to-back challenges, the Dallas-Fort Worth retail continued to evolve and transform to evade every obstacle to its growth and emerge stronger. In the case of challenges like ecommerce, Amazon and the pandemic-induced shutdown of 2020, the market not only evolved, it embraced the challenges and learned how to creatively bounce back stronger.
Meet Park Cities' Butterfly Whisperers
It’s 11 a.m. on a mid-September morning, and Amy Genender meets me in the front yard of her Highland Park home. She wears a hat and sunglasses to shield herself from the blazing sun and offers me water on this unseasonably hot fall day. We’re getting together for a tour of her fall garden in the waning weeks of its existence. Gone are the burgeoning days of spring when her yard bursts to life with endless color.
How Multifamily Owners Are Capitalizing on a Changing Market
We’re halfway through 2023 and, well, what a year it’s been so far! We’ve endured a relentless stream of rate hikes from the Federal Reserve over the course of more than a year now and are facing a situation where equity and debt markets for commercial real estate are especially challenged. This is true even in multifamily, which, unlike other asset classes like office and retail, continues to be supported by relentless tenant demand.
The Importance of Training Students in a High-Speed Society
What does a day in the life of an architect mean, and how can I describe it in one sitting? When visiting with students at my son’s Career Day, I recently faced this question. There’s enough pressure to pitch my expertise to potential clients who expect me to be a competent professional worthy of a design commission.
Ten Things Tenants are Thinking About When It Comes to Supply Chain Real Estate
It’s no secret that the industrial real estate market has been on fire since Amazon forever changed the global supply chain with same-day shipping turning delivery speed to consumers into a Formula One race for shippers and logistics companies around the globe driven by the rapid, seemingly never-ending accumulation of Supply Chain Real Estate. Then, the Covid pandemic turned the Formula One race into Fast & Furious Part 20, again disrupting the global supply chain.
Five Lessons I've Learned in My First Year as a CEO
Last year, my company, Skiles Group, celebrated its 50th anniversary in business. The construction industry has undoubtedly realized considerable change over this half-century, but important observations and lessons learned don’t require decades to acquire. Part of our golden anniversary celebration included a leadership transition, as I took over the helm as our firm’s CEO.
Conversation With: Tiffany Woodson, Ink + Oro
Restaurants Dallas’ Most Baller Restaurant Bathrooms During the pandemic, our city’s top spots doubled down on the destination bathroom, where every carefully curated inch is an extension of the aesthetic, and full immersion is the goal. Here are our maximalist favorites, old and new. Coronavirus COVID-19 Bulletin (12/02/21) The omicron variant has arrived in the U.S. as Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers is blocked by a federal judge.
We (and You) are Spoiled: A Retail Broker’s Perspective
No state income taxes. Predominantly pro-business government. Generally mild weather (okay – except for the summer). Convenient access to national and international freeways (great distribution networks). Two major airports: Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (#2 busiest airport in the world with 73,362,946 passengers). 43 Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth (54 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Texas).
Jenica Oliver Wants to Make Fractional CMOs the Next Big Thing
Sitting down at a table at true food Kitchen in Preston Center, Blueprint Marketing Group founder Jenica Oliver welcomes me with a hug and a big, friendly smile. As she orders the Ancient Grains Bowl (sesame-glazed sweet potatoes, charred onions, snap peas, portobello mushrooms, avocado, and a pumpkin seed pesto) and I opt for the Tuscan Kale Salad with chicken, Oliver shares how much she loves her profession. “Marketing has always been my passion,” she says.
Ross Perot Jr. Warns A Real Estate Recession May Be on the Horizon
Hillwood founder and chairman Ross Perot Jr. was on Bloomberg Markets this week, talking about the future of the commercial real estate industry. The outlook? Not so rosy. When asked about how banking jitters and financing woes have affected commercial real estate, Perot didn’t mince his words. “The key to commercial real estate today, though, will be banking,” Perot said.
Designing Luxury Hospitality Experiences Around the Globe
Award-winning architect Nunzio DeSantis and his son Marc aren’t afraid to face off against the giants of the industry. Their namesake firm, Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects has had an outsized impact since it launched in May 2017. For Nunzio, it was a chance to get back to the roots of design after 40-years in hospitality architecture at HKS led him into a leadership role that was more administrative than creative.
Sara Terry Is Leaving Colliers to Join Pacific Elm Properties
Brokerage pro Sara Terry, who specializes in the urban Dallas market, is leaving her role as executive vice president and director of agency leasing with Colliers DFW to join Pacific Elm Properties executive team as its new chief marketing officer. “The company’s rapid growth in recent years has been impressive, and I have the unique opportunity to witness how they work as a company as they have expanded,” Terry said in a statement.
Three Challenges that Multifamily Owners Face Right Now
The County Appraisal Districts seem oblivious to the fact that commercial property values have declined, as the cost of capital has increased over the last year. On March 16th, 2022, the Federal Open Market Committee started one of history’s most aggressive rate hiking journeys. As the interest rates increased, capital inflows decreased due to market volatility; as a result, cap rates increased, and property values declined.
La La Land Kind Cafe's Francois Reihani Dresses With a Unique European Flair
In 2022, Francois Reihani doubled the store count for his coffee shop brand La La Land Kind Cafe, entering the Los Angeles and Houston markets and opening its first drive-through-only location in Richardson. The most exciting things for Reihani? “Watching what La La becomes,” he says. The coffee shops only hire foster children as employees. Here, he expands on his mission with La La Land Kind Cafe and talks about what inspires his signature style.
First Look at Three New Offerings Coming Soon from Harwood Hospitality
Along with the highly anticipated opening of Hôtel Swexan, Harwood Hospitality has released details on three food and beverage offerings that will debut at the forthcoming swanky hotel. Open to both hotel guests and the public, the concepts include Stillwell’s and Isabelle’s, both slated to open this summer, and an underground cocktail bar, Babou’s, which will debut later in 2023.
Well Traveled: An Enchanting Escape to Zihuatanejo, Mexico
I’m almost embarrassed to confess that I’ve never seen The Shawshank Redemption. So, I didn’t understand the reference to Andy and Red’s embrace at the end of the movie when someone commented about it on my Instagram post during my recent trip to Zihuatanejo. Thanks to Google, I learned that the final scene was not filmed in Mexico but featured a different tropical locale: St. Croix. But that doesn’t stop curious visitors from seeking out this sleepy resort town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
Creating the Office Environments of the Future for Workers Today
Businesses face many challenges, from attracting and retaining top talent to getting teams back into the office. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to either, one crucial aspect that companies often overlook is the significant role real estate plays when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent. In fact, real estate is one of the many reasons countless companies have relocated to Texas over the past decade.
The Concilio President and CEO Florencia Velasco Fortner on the Power of Education
One of Florencia Velasco Fortner’s first jobs when she moved to Dallas in 1998 was mentoring students in the Education is Freedom after-school program. In 2005, she was handpicked to lead The Concilio, a Dallas nonprofit working with Latinos to build better lives for themselves and their children. Since then, Velasco Fortner has helped grow the organization’s annual operating budget from $400,000 to $5.4 million. Here, she shares her immigration story.
Rex Glendenning and Ray Washburne Inducted Into the NTCAR Hall of Fame
Two veteran commercial real estate leaders—one the catalyst behind The Star in Frisco development, the other the owner of Highland Park Village—were recognized Wednesday for their contributions to the Dallas-Fort Worth community. That’s when the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors inducted Rex Glendenning, owner of land brokerage Rex Real Estate, and Ray Washburne, chairman and CEO of real estate investment firm Charter Holdings, into the NTCAR Hall of Fame.
Navigating Turbulence in Today's Commercial Real Estate Market
The commercial real estate market can be difficult to successfully navigate these days. Interest rates are at 15-year highs, banks are failing, and expert opinions change with the wind seemingly every week. It’s easy to feel like there isn’t much good news on the horizon. Danny Lovell of The Rainier Cos. As great as North Texas real estate has performed in the last decade plus, we are unfortunately starting to see some cracks.
Art of Style: Margie Aguilar Embraces Bold but Timeless Looks
ISP Creative is a full-service bilingual production company that was founded in 1998 and provides branding, full production, post-production, studio, and streaming services for all mediums. The Irving-based woman- and minority-owned firm works on national campaigns for some of the largest consumer brands, including Ulta Beauty, JC Penney, and more. At its helm is tour de force Margie Aguilar, whose background as a producer for Spanish-language network Univision led her to found the firm.
Introducing the 2023 D CEO Real Estate Contributing Editors
In a region as deep, broad, and active as Dallas-Fort Worth, it would be impossible for any individual to single-handedly keep on top of the market’s commercial real estate news. That’s why we invite a select group of individuals to share their on-the-ground insights as contributing editors to our digital news site, D CEO Real Estate.
Well Traveled: World-Class Art, History, and Cuisine Abound in Charleston
Like a glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day, few places are more refreshing than Charleston, South Carolina. Dubbed one of the friendliest communities in the United States, it is a treasure trove of natural beauty, antebellum architecture, and world-class cuisine that buzzes with the energy of a major metro while retaining its undeniable small-town charm. Steeped in history, Charleston was founded a century before the United States became a country.
See the Winners of D CEO's 2023 Commercial Real Estate Awards
Dallas-Fort Worth continues to percolate, so it’s not surprising that we received a record number of nominations for D CEO’s 2023 Commercial Real Estate Awards. But it wasn’t just the volume of entries that made judging this year’s program such a challenge; it was the caliber of the projects and deals and the impact they are destined to have on our region for years to come.
The Top Real Estate Stories of 2022
Layoffs in the tech and financial sectors are making headlines nationally, but, as of yet, the Dallas-Fort Worth market continues to push on. So, too, does North Texas’ mighty commercial real estate engine. Flight to quality is driving most office decisions, as companies figure out the remote versus in-office work conundrum.
The Land Man: Meet REX Real Estate's Rex Glendenning
I “To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” Mahatma Gandhi From land brokerage to the cattle business. In 1985, Glendenning received his first four Longhorn heifers from J.B. Hunn, a client who insisted that he pay half of his commission in cattle. Today, that number has grown to more than 300 head.
D CEO Releases Its 2023 Power Broker List
Methodology: We asked the leaders of North Texas brokerages to tell us who generated the most revenue for their companies in 2022. The number of names they were allowed to submit was based on their total number of licensed brokers, with a couple of exceptions for equal partners. In all, executives at 91 firms employing more than 2,400 brokers participated. Members of the 2023 class of D CEO Power Brokers are presented below in alphabetical order, by area of specialty.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: An Industry-Wide Effort that Starts in North Texas
Work smarter, not harder – a fitting phrase for a market booming with millions of square feet of commercial and residential real estate currently under development around Dallas-Fort Worth with no slowdown in sight. To meet the demand, innovation is the name of the game, and modular construction, an off-site building method gaining popularity across the globe, is a growing trend we must leverage to meet our exponential growth here in North Texas.
Can American Jack Sock Make it Back to the Top of His Game at the Dallas Open?
Jack Sock is no stranger to comebacks. He was nominated for the ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year award after his career was nearly derailed in 2019 by a right thumb injury. He dropped out of the rankings entirely that season, wondering if a return was even possible. The 30-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska, native bounced back to his signature aggressive baseliner form last season.
Here's A Look at Local Retail Market Trends of 2022
The Dallas-Fort Worth retail market has right sized! After a years-long trend toward steady leasing at a time of extremely low construction, the market’s population and housing growth have caught up to its formerly overbuilt retail space inventory. As a result, retail occupancy in DFW is now 94.4 percent, the first time occupancy has surpassed 94 percent since Weitzman produced its first retail market survey in 1990.
Outlook: What’s Next for DFW’s Multifamily Market?
The new year provides an opportunity for economists and analysts to look ahead. Most are optimistic about Dallas-Fort Worth’s strength as a growing metro, which provides some insulation against projected downturns. Indeed, the region added 303,700 new jobs in October for a 7.82 percent increase year-over-year, per the latest Texas Workforce Commission figures. DFW’s unemployment rate was equally encouraging, remaining at a low 3.4 percent.
Finalists Announced: D CEO’s 2023 Commercial Real Estate Awards
In a testament to an industry that keeps on growing and fueling DFW’s growth, D CEO received a record number of nominations for this year’s program. It wasn’t easy, but after culling through all of the nominations in our 11th annual Commercial Real Estate Awards, we have named finalists in all 21 categories. Launched in 2013, D CEO’s annual program recognizes outstanding projects, deals, and industry players.
Industry Veteran Robert Blount Leaves JLL to Return to CBRE
Robert Blount is officially a ‘boomerang’ employee, returning to CBRE as a vice chairman on its Dallas-Fort Worth advisory and transactions team. An 18-year industry veteran, Blount previously spent 10 years with CBRE from 2008 to 2019 before departing to join JLL. Before that, Blount was a development associate for Endeavor Real Estate Group’s Dallas office. He began his career as a debt and equity analyst at HFF.
The Office is Changing: Here are Five Topics the C-Suite Can’t Ignore
If you just read the headlines regarding the return to office without looking deeper, it can be disheartening.
Meet Vipin Nambiar, Dallas' Next Major Placemaker
Aesthetics matter. Just ask Vipin Nambiar, the founder and managing partner of HN Capital Partners. His growing $1 billion portfolio of popular, design-centric concepts includes local hotspots like the W Hotel, Virgin Hotel, and, most recently, the Mansion on Turtle Creek, which was acquired in September 2022. “All of our investments have a hospitality play,” the 42-year-old says.
The Transformative Power of Retail Real Estate
The last two years have been eventful, to say the least. Through the changes, one thing remained incredibly clear to me–human beings have an innate need for community. But, while the sense of community that you develop in an office environment is important, what I missed the most was the community that I hadn’t realized I depended upon so much–like the barista at the coffee shop who knows my name and order the moment I walk through the door.
Universal Studios Is Bringing a New Theme Park to Frisco
North Texas may soon be home to a new Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, or Minions-themed amusement park. “I’m going to be advocating for Mario Brothers, that’s my favorite, and Minions,” Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said at a press conference on Wednesday announcing the groundbreaking of a new theme park by NBCUniversal that will occupy 97 acres of land along the Dallas North Tollway at Panther Creek Parkway in Frisco.
An Update on Dallas-Fort Worth's Industrial Market
The DFW industrial market is continuing to see unprecedented levels of construction activity, with a record 76.4 million square feet actively in the pipeline. With over 51 million square feet of leasing activity this year and dozens of large “big-box” users (200,000 – 1 million square feet +) eying DFW to consolidate, relocate or expand their presence, the landlords have had the upper hand in the market.
Daniela Bell’s Personal Style Is Casual Cool
Kate Middleton Coordinates With Prince William in Green & Blue Plaid Coat With Suede Gianvitto Rossi Pumps Princess of Wales Kate Middleton and her husband, Prince William, paid a visit to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital while in Liverpool, England. The pair visited to thank those working in healthcare and mental health support for their work during the winter months.
Daniela Bell's Personal Style Is Casual Cool
WHAT I DO “I’m a celebrity makeup artist and the owner of Daniela Bell Beauty and Makeup Studio, where we provide permanent makeup, special occasion hair and makeup services, makeup lessons, and a luxury lash line.” STYLE ICON “Olivier Rousteing has revolutionized the way fashion is marketed and personalized; his business strategies, as well as his passion, have been very inspiring to me.
Universal Studios Announces New Theme Park Coming to Frisco
North Texas may soon be home to a new Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, or Minions-themed amusement park. “I’m going to be advocating for Mario Brothers, that’s my favorite, and Minions,” Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said at a press conference on Wednesday announcing the groundbreaking of a new theme park by NBCUniversal that will occupy 97 acres of land along the Dallas North Tollway at Panther Creek Parkway in Frisco.
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