Gary: Our team at The Woodmont Co. has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with many local, regional and national retailers as well as landlords alike which have allowed us to form a host of strong relationships within our industry. We will continue to deeply value and appreciate those relationships and utilize the assets of our team members to seek out new relationships in the markets and regions where we can leverage our competitive advantage, market knowledge and ability to bring an enhanced level of service to future clients and customers. We are also focused on strategically adding additional team members to our brokerage department who align with our vision and values and are able to deliver the level of service we demand at The Woodmont Co.

GlobeSt.com: Can you share your thoughts on the state of retail leasing in Texas?

Gary: In my opinion, for a retail real estate professional, there is now better place to be in the country right now than Texas and the statistics are there to back it up. We have all heard about the growth occurring in Texas, be it the major corporate relocations or the energy boom occurring in our state. This has spurred growth in all sectors of our economy, including job growth, population growth and higher levels of disposable income, to name a few. All of these factors contribute to a very strong state of affairs and a high degree of velocity in the retail leasing sector of our economy and we are fortunate to be in a position to capitalize on this tremendous opportunity in Texas.

GlobeSt.com: How have you seen the retail market change since you started in the business?

Gary: As in life, we have seen many changes in the retail market over the years, although I believe the biggest change in our industry is the proliferation of internet retailing. This development has single handedly changed the way almost every retailer conducts its business and it has transformed the retail real estate industry. Stores are smaller, inventories are leaner and omni-channel retailing has emerged. Although change can cause uncertainty and fear, I believe this is an opportunity to embrace change, go against the mentality of “this is how it's always been done” and treat this as an opportunity to become better service providers in this new retail landscape.

GlobeSt.com: Are there any major areas or projects you are watching with special interest?

Gary: I am very closely watching several areas within our industry, specifically the grocery sector, power centers, outlet centers and urban infill development. All of these categories except the power center segment are currently experiencing a high degree of new growth and development and we will be closely following the progression of this activity over the next 12 to 18 months in order to strategically align ourselves and our partners to enhance the sustainability of our organization.