Dallas, October 21, 2025
News Summary
The North Texas Real Estate Summit convened leaders on October 9 to discuss solutions for rising construction costs, shifting tenant demands, and new market dynamics in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With insights from industry experts, discussions revolved around operational efficiency, tenant experience, and innovative development strategies. The event emphasized the importance of aligning construction methods with evolving market conditions to drive long-term growth.
Dallas — The second annual North Texas Real Estate Summit took place on Thursday, October 9, 2025, drawing institutional and local industry leaders to discuss how the region can navigate higher costs, changing tenant demands, and new market dynamics.
Top takeaways
The event highlighted rising construction costs, the continuing appeal of Dallas-Fort Worth to capital, operational moves to cut expenses, and growing attention to tenant experience and mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
Event overview
The event was hosted by Foley & Lardner LLP, CBRE, The Beck Group, and Granite Properties at Foley & Lardner LLP’s office in Dallas, Texas. Prominent voices from the institutional investment, mixed-use, multifamily, and office development sectors attended the summit. Attendees included capital providers, developers, architects, and industry leaders.
Purpose and framing
The summit aimed to discuss strategies for navigating rising construction costs, evolving tenant needs, and new market forces. Panels and conversations were designed to link financing, design, and operations with current market realities and projected risks.
Panel and discussion details
Tyler Johnson, a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group of Foley & Lardner LLP, opened the event with introductory remarks.
A panel discussion featured: Joel Behrens, managing director at Trammell Crow; Greg Coutant, president of development at StreetLights Residential; Cody Armbrister, senior managing director at Crow Holdings Development. The panel was moderated by Paul Bennett, senior managing director at Granite Properties.
Panel topics
The panel discussion addressed several topics:
- Current financing conditions and the role of institutional versus private equity.
- Texas’s competitive advantage in building costs compared to coastal markets.
- Trends in deal sizes, replacement-cost considerations, and selective equity deployment.
Key operational and development themes
Panelists emphasized that Dallas-Fort Worth’s corporate migration and population influx continue to make the market attractive to capital partners. Operational efficiency emerged as a priority, with developers refining internal processes to drive cost savings and accelerate delivery.
StreetLights Residential is shifting to a fully vertically integrated model for certain projects to reduce costs and improve quality. Crow Holdings’ Southstone Yards development in Frisco, Texas, used cross-laminated mass timber, which reduced delivery timelines by up to 25%.
Participants stressed the importance of tenant experience in the office sector, emphasizing hospitality-inspired design and wellness amenities as part of efforts to retain and attract tenants. Mixed-use and transit-oriented developments gained traction, integrating lifestyle, entertainment, and retail components into traditional development models.
Technology and analytics
Developers are starting to utilize AI tools for lease data management and competitive market analysis, applying technology to streamline back-office tasks and to inform higher-level strategic choices.
Market risks and constraints
Panelists identified several key market risks, including higher interest rates affecting property valuations, labor market constraints, inflation in construction costs, and affordability challenges in North Texas markets. These risks were discussed alongside strategies for selective capital deployment and cost containment.
Cross-sector conversation
Following the panel, a discussion featured Damon Evans, athletic director at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Brian Ullmann, executive deputy athletic director, focusing on SMU’s competitive position in college athletics. The conversation highlighted parallels between real estate strategy and the strategies applicable in higher education and sports, noting overlapping priorities of facility investment, talent attraction, and stakeholder experience.
Conclusion and outlook
The summit concluded with an encouragement for developers to embrace innovation, collaboration, and adaptability in response to evolving tenant expectations and market conditions. Attendees left with an emphasis on aligning capital strategy, construction methods, operational improvements, and tenant-focused amenities to meet near-term challenges and seize long-term growth opportunities in North Texas.
FAQ
When did the summit take place?
The second annual North Texas Real Estate Summit took place on Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Who hosted the event and where was it held?
The event was hosted by Foley & Lardner LLP, CBRE, The Beck Group, and Granite Properties at Foley & Lardner LLP’s office in Dallas, Texas.
Who attended the summit?
Prominent voices from the institutional investment, mixed-use, multifamily, and office development sectors attended the summit. Attendees included capital providers, developers, architects, and industry leaders.
What was the main aim of the summit?
The summit aimed to discuss strategies for navigating rising construction costs, evolving tenant needs, and new market forces.
Who opened the event?
Tyler Johnson, a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group of Foley & Lardner LLP, opened the event with introductory remarks.
Who participated in the main panel?
A panel discussion featured: Joel Behrens, managing director at Trammell Crow; Greg Coutant, president of development at StreetLights Residential; Cody Armbrister, senior managing director at Crow Holdings Development. The panel was moderated by Paul Bennett, senior managing director at Granite Properties.
What development strategies were highlighted?
StreetLights Residential is shifting to a fully vertically integrated model for certain projects to reduce costs and improve quality. Crow Holdings’ Southstone Yards development in Frisco, Texas, used cross-laminated mass timber, which reduced delivery timelines by up to 25%.
Were there any cross-sector discussions?
Following the panel, a discussion featured Damon Evans, athletic director at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Brian Ullmann, executive deputy athletic director, focusing on SMU’s competitive position in college athletics.
How did the summit conclude?
The summit concluded with an encouragement for developers to embrace innovation, collaboration, and adaptability in response to evolving tenant expectations and market conditions.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event date and place | Thursday, October 9, 2025 — Foley & Lardner LLP’s office in Dallas, Texas |
| Hosts | Foley & Lardner LLP; CBRE; The Beck Group; Granite Properties |
| Attendee profile | Capital providers, developers, architects, and industry leaders |
| Major themes | Construction costs, financing dynamics, tenant experience, mixed-use and transit-oriented development |
| Operational moves | Vertical integration and use of mass timber to reduce timelines |
| Technology | AI for lease data management and competitive market analysis |
| Key risks | Higher interest rates, labor constraints, construction inflation, affordability challenges in North Texas markets |
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Additional Resources
- Foley & Lardner LLP: Key Takeaways from the Second Annual North Texas Real Estate Summit
- MultiHousing News: Karlin Real Estate Buys Dallas Luxury Tower
- CultureMap Dallas: Matthews Cedar’s Development Update
- PR Newswire: Bigger, Bolder: Legendary Luxury Brokerage Expands in North Texas
- Newsweek: Dallas Housing Market Turns as Number of Homes for Sale Goes Through the Roof
- Wikipedia: Real Estate in the United States
- Google Search: North Texas Real Estate
- Google Scholar: North Texas Real Estate Market
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Real Estate
- Google News: Dallas Real Estate News
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