You get to choose a lot of things in life, but your siblings are not one of them. Growing up, you may have attended the same school, participated in the same activities, shared a bedroom, or worst yet, found yourselves in matching outfits. But for better or worse, they were the ones who helped you back up after a fall (even if they were the ones who knocked you down) and provided the utmost love and support through thick and thin.
When most reach adulthood, this special bond keeps them united across cities, states or even countries. But for the (un)lucky few, their bond keeps them even closer. In honor of National Siblings Day on Monday, April 10, we tracked down some TREC siblings who remain partners in crime in commercial real estate.
COLLINS DOUBLE TROUBLE
De’Juan Collins, Invesco; De’On Collins, HFF
De’Juan, De’On
- Describe your relationship.
In one word, synergistic. Growing up, we always ran parallel paths, so it only makes sense we both ended up in the same industry. We both studied finance in college, developed an affinity for real estate at the same time and now are working at two firms with synergistic business practices. Because of this, even our firms have done a great deal of business together which is very cool for us. - What is your favorite thing to do together?
One of our favorite things to do together is to travel. We work a little too hard to travel leisurely often, so when it happens we make the best of it. In 2013, we instituted an annual “Brothers” trip to New York to have a little fun in the city and also attend the U.S. Tennis Open. We both understand that life is only getting busier for us so this trip has served as a way to continue to stay close. - Since you all work in the same industry, do your paths ever cross? If so, has your relationship changed?
Given how small the Dallas CRE community can be at times, our paths cross often in our everyday course of business. As mentioned before, the beauty of working for our respective firms is that my brother and I don’t compete with each other. That said, most times we tend to be each other’s first call for market intel, an introduction or just a gut check when working on transactions across the country. - How did the three of you end up involved in TREC?
When we started in the business, we had no family or friends in the industry. So we knew early own we needed to expand our relationships. Of course Dallas is full of great trade organizations, but TREC stood out because the things TREC valued mirrored what was important to us (i.e. giving back to the community & building meaningful relationships). We also loved the thought of having one trade organization that allowed the ability to fraternize with individuals in all verticals of the commercial real estate industry (i.e. investments, construction, banking, etc.). - What is the best part about being involved in TREC together?
As identical twins, most people can’t tell us apart. There are many times that other commitments prohibit us from making the same events, but the best part about both being involved in TREC is that we have the ability to “be in two places at once!”
LUNSFORD TRIPLE THREAT
Holden Lunsford, Holt Lunsford Commercial; Hutton Lunsford, Hamilton Realty Finance; Hayden Lunsford, Quadrant Mezzanine Partners
Hayden, Haley, Hutton, Hannah, Holden
- Describe your relationship.
Holden: Being the oldest, wisest, smartest Lunsford brother, I’d say we keep our friendship intact with a mutual spirit of humility, recognizing each other’s strengths. Said differently: Best friends, 100 percent loyal allies, each other’s #1 and #2 fans. We have a lot of fun together.
Hutton: Holden is wrong 99 percent of the time. His last sentence is however true.
Hayden: I just try to mediate issues and outsmart them both. - What is your favorite thing to do together?
Generally joke around, wherever/whenever. We love hunting, sports, travel, exercise, and of course, real estate. - Since you all work in the same industry, do your paths ever cross? If so, has your relationship changed?
Oh yes. Holden leases office space, Hutton is real estate investment banker, Hayden is real estate mezz debt originator. We share mutual clients and invariably run across each other’s deals frequently. Our relationship has become much more fun, now that we can directly help one another’s business. Business is fun, business with friends (especially best friends…brothers) is very fun. - How did the three of you end up involved in TREC? We grew up watching our father, Holt, invest in TREC and create lasting friendships with its members. We eagerly joined upon landing our first jobs in CRE, and have come to love it ourselves.
- What is the best part about being involved in TREC together? It’s pretty fun to walk into a TREC event and see your brother there talking with your friends…or introduce you to his friends. Great brothers afford you instant credibility, expand each other’s network faster. We’re all each other’s ambassadors, and TREC really enables that process for us. The result is a huge friend group!