Stream recently established a new healthcare division and has started beefing up staff to handle strategic leasing, facility development, investment sales, lease administration, and portfolio analysis and management for this new outlet of clients. John Huff will head up the DFW market as managing director, though he will work in all major Texas markets. We caught up with John to hear about his transition from Duke Realty to Stream and his plans for this new division.

Bisnow: Describe the healthcare market in DFW.

John: It will continue to grow and grow as the population surges. Baby Boomers will need more healthcare. The area will need more access to providers and centers. That all means more real estate. With the urban sprawl, healthcare must follow the people so our delivery model must get doctors and providers where populations are growing.

Bisnow: How'd you come into this new role as managing director?

John: I've been talking to Stream for a couple years about launching into the healthcare space (where I have a lot of experience). This position appealed to me because I could chase more regional—and statewide—services work and development. I was also drawn to the fact that Stream wants you to go into any portion of healthcare that makes sense for the client.

Bisnow: What challenges will you tackle first?

John: Since this is a new format for Stream, it's all about brand awareness. I've been making calls to get the word out to our existing clients and to everyone else that if they have a healthcare need, we have an avenue to address it. Every single one of our brokers has already hit the ground running and are helping out with this. But I'm working on many things already. My fear is that people will assume I only focus on one aspect like development or tenant rep, but I can do it all. We're figuring out what services are needed to take on first.

Bisnow: Are we overbuilding ER centers?

John: That'll be interesting to watch. Some say we are, but it seems to me that we aren't because you don't see ER centers failing around here. They're a retail concept at the root, so we'll see how they fare in the coming years along with other retail concepts.

Bisnow: What inning are we in?

John: There's so much money out there buying healthcare real estate. That causes healthcare to line up exactly with the rest of the market. I'd say we're in the seventh. But from a delivery standpoint, we're perhaps in the fifth. We're insulated from population and employment growth. And people will get sick and older and need care regardless of real estate cycles—it's just a matter of how that care is delivered.

Fast Facts

Hometown: Technically Des Moines, but moved to Dallas as fast as he could.

Alma mater: Majored in English literature and minored in French at The University of Texas at Austin.

Family life: Two young sons, Henry and Sam, with wife, Jennifer (above)

Spends his free time: Coaching his sons' baseball, flag football and soccer leagues

Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere in Mexico

Best business lunch: Kenny's Wood Fired Grill in Addison

Professional organizations: American Cancer Society North Texas Region board member