Texas commercial real estate firms are reporting a mix of senior-level hiring, promotions, development planning and investment sales activity across major industrial and office markets.
Partners Real Estate has expanded its industrial platform in Dallas with the addition of Joseph Cooper as an Equity Partner on its Industrial team. Cooper previously served as an Executive Vice President and Principal at SRS Real Estate Partners, where he played a key role in building and scaling that firm's industrial practice. In less than two years at SRS, he rose into the firm's top production tier nationally, finishing 2023 ranked seventh among approximately 200 brokers across the company.
Panattoni Development Company is also reinforcing its industrial presence in Dallas by naming Max Perlmutter as Partner in its Dallas office. Perlmutter brings more than 17 years of experience in industrial investment, acquisitions, development and capital markets. In his new role, he is tasked with leading Panattoni's development and investment strategy across the Dallas market and with broadening the firm's regional footprint while cultivating relationships with customers, investors and local partners.
Design and architecture firm KAI has advanced multiple leaders within its Dallas-Fort Worth operations. K-12 Market Leader Catherine Dalton, AIA, RID, LEED BD+C, has been promoted to Principal, while Civic, Municipal & Cultural Market Leader Brien Graham, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, has also been elevated to Principal. In addition, Principal – Vice President Derwin Broughton, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, WELL AP, has been promoted to Senior Principal – Vice President, and Principal – Architecture Blaik Ritchie, AIA, has been named Senior Principal – Design Operations. The promotions reflect increased responsibilities across education, civic, municipal and cultural practice areas.
On the development front, GPI Crest, a joint venture between Giammalva Properties, Inc. and Crest Realty Advisors, is planning Ninety West, a 202,284-square-foot Class A industrial project in Brookshire, Texas. The project, to be built on roughly 13.88 acres along Katy Brookshire Road on Highway 90 near Interstate 10, is positioned to serve users in one of Houston's fastest-growing industrial corridors. Ninety West is planned as a cross-dock facility designed for modern logistics, distribution and manufacturing requirements. Construction is expected to start in August 2026, with completion anticipated in March 2027.
In the office sector, KBS has completed the sale of Tollway North Office Park, a seven-building, 297,591-square-foot Class A business campus in Plano's Legacy Business Park, within the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. The buyer is BH Properties, a Los Angeles-based commercial real estate investment firm that focuses on value-add acquisitions. Newmark's Chris Murphy, Gary Carr, Robert Hill and Austin Sheahan represented KBS in the transaction. The disposition adds to ongoing capital rotation and investment activity in suburban office campuses within the broader Dallas-Fort Worth region.
