Next Generation Leader: Bret Hefton

Those in real estate spend a lot of time picking the brains of the oldest—or shall we say wisest—men and women within a company. At our Next Generation Leaders event on Sept. 15, we're taking a different approach. We rounded up some young'uns who have already become heavy hitters. We sat down with one of our panelists, Avison Young principal Bret Hefton, to hear his thoughts on the future of commercial real estate and what he hopes to accomplish moving forward. 

Bret (here with his wife and children) says he's in the relationship business—or more accurately, the problem solving business. These days, he works as an office tenant rep, mainly with Dallas-based companies that may have locations all over. Avison Young's offices across North America allow Bret to find feet on the ground for his clients in any market. 

But Bret didn't start out in the office world. After graduating from Baylor University in 2003, he got into repping industrial tenants with Dillon Corporate Services (before Avison Young acquired its Dallas office). After a few months on the industrial side, the office market came calling. Bret soon learned the Uptown and Las Colinas markets like the back of his hand.

Since then, he's become more of a generalist in the market than one who focuses on geographic markets. While he knows the Tollway, Uptown and Richardson (his hometown) office markets well, he'll go wherever clients send him. "Over time, I was drawn to the client relationship more than the geographic area," Bret tells us. 

Bret plans to stay in the relationship business, but isn't opposed to expanding his offerings in the future. "When the right opportunities come along, I would enjoy continuing to having some ownership in properties because then you can meet others' needs with not only a service, but also with a real product. I’d love to do more of that at some point, but I’m very happy right now solving problems," he says.

As for the near future, Bret thinks DFW remains well-positioned for economic—and real estate—progress. He forecasts a slight correction within the next 12 to 18 months. But, he remains optimistic with all the new external capital continuing to come to the area. 

Hear more from Bret and several other Next Generation Leaders at our event on Sept. 15. Register here.