Matt Ballard, CBRE
Associate Leadership Council Class of 2020 Chair
The Associate Leadership Council program is one of TREC’s flagship opportunities for young professionals to expand their network and grow their careers. What effect did your participation have on your career?
We have all remarked at some point that the real estate industry in Dallas feels like a small world with a large number of inhabitants. I think that my participation in the ALC program made that comment come to life for me. Relationships with my classmates and invaluable exposure to what seemed like an endless supply of accomplished speakers certainly expanded my network in a very meaningful way. More than anything, I think I graduated ALC confident in my ability to accomplish my goals going forward.
Since graduating from the ALC Class of 2014, you’ve helped on planning committees and served on the ALC Steering Committee. Why have you stayed involved with ALC over the years?
Looking back on my ALC experience, I got much more out of it than I bargained for and I think it’s natural to gravitate back to experiences like that. Our class leadership and Steering Committee put a ton of effort into creating meaningful and educational class days. I wanted to help to create that same experience for others, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being around the new classes.
What do you hope to accomplish as chair of the Class of 2020?
I look forward to the Class of 2020 assuming its rightful place as the Best Class Ever, completing a class project that will have a lasting impact on our city and setting a new record for FightNight raffle sales. Beyond that, if I can help cultivate lasting relationships amongst the class members and give them all a truly memorable ALC experience, then I will consider this year a great success.
With ALC application season upon us, what are you looking for in an applicant?
This process consistently produces a pool of tremendously qualified applicants. It’s an embarrassment of riches for myself and the Steering Committee. At the risk of sounding simple, I would love to have thirty applicants willing to completely invest in being a part of the ALC Class of 2020 and all that it entails. I think we can work wonders with that.
TREC’s guiding principle and challenge to its members is to Build the City You’ve Imagined. What does that phrase mean to you?
Dallas is a fantastic city and it feels like something new and exciting is announced every week. The number of our citizens that actually get to enjoy the city’s prosperity is a concern. If we, as a whole, continue to use our professional skills and our wallets to help those that need us most, we will have served our city well.
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