Ron Holmes was invited to participate in an expert panel discussion at the Bisnow 2012 Real Estate Summit. Held at the Westin Galleria in Dallas, the discussion centered around real estate opportunities in the North Texas area.
Some of the points made during the summit:
- Residential capacity (and occupancy) in downtown Dallas has risen exponentially since 2000. While downtown residency targets have not been met yet (if Dallas wants to be more like peer cities), residential projects planned for downtown and the neighboring Uptown will help move downtown closer to the city’s goals.
- The Central Business District (CBD, downtown) is currently offering lower leasing rates that trendy Uptown. Consensus was that Dallasites love trendy, but the best value between the two is in the CBD.
- Ron Holmes brought up the topic of the new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, and discussion moved to south of the Trinity. Panelist are optimistic about the bridge helping to open the southern sector, creating demand and opportunity for development.
- Marketing of properties is moving from paper-based (printed brochures) to digital-based (searchable portfolios). Potential tenants want to be able to find leasing options by searching for features and amenities from their computer or notepad.