Philosophy

Question: So, you have been in commercial real estate industry for more than 25 years now and have worked with 70 plus city jurisdictions throughout the US.  How important is it to your clients that you bring a variety of experience?

Pam: I’ve learned over the years that the more hats you wear or at least understand, the better you are at meeting your client’s ever changing needs.  What’s the old saying…”When all you have is a hammer – you see everything as a nail.”

At Goodwin Commercial, we bring the whole toolbox – as a developer, broker, and consultant involved in a wide variety of real estate activities, including Tenant and Landlord representative, site selection, feasibility and due diligence studies, governmental approvals, geotech and environmental services, design coordinator and construction project manager of retail properties. All of these hats better prepare us to stay ahead of this industry and bring new ideas to our clients.

Question: Does this variety of experience impact the team you build?  How does it help to get a job done?

Pam: Absolutely it matters who we partner with.  If there is anything I have learned in 25 years in this business that is you need to have the expertise in knowing who to call and when for your project’s success.   Having the right architect, land planner, civil engineer, landscape architect, geotechnical engineer, environmental consultant, transportation consultant, market researcher, legal counsel, Title Company, mapping consultant, and aerial photographer can save your project time and money.

I’ve learned the hard way that you hire the individual and not the firm to get the job done.  We have high expectations of our consultants/team and hire only the best.  We are a team who respond quickly, have the knowledge and know how to get the job done despite the obstacles.

Question:That’s a good point.  What kind of obstacles do you encounter?

Pam: Well, you name it and we have had to fight our way through it.  I’ve learned over the years how to fight city hall and win.  I know that it’s the nightmares in a project that keep my clients up at night.  So, I see my job is to help them sleep well at night and leave the headaches to us.

Question: Can you give us some examples?

Pam: While at Brinker, I’ve had to fight city hall over signage issues when they wouldn’t let us put up the Chili’s 3D pepper icon.  We refused to take “no” for an answer and went so far as to get a  40-year-old sign ordinance at the City of Dallas changed so Chili’s 1,000th restaurant would have their iconic pepper.  Needless to say Chili’s slept very well because of my expertise in making things happen.

BJ’s Restaurant was another client that let us go to work for them and change the City of Mesquite’s ordinance stipulating that the bar portion of the restaurant could not be visible to the entryway or dining area.

My team went to work and requested the changes we needed and educated them regarding the BJ’s prototype and the importance of the visibility of the bar and why it was a factor in their success as a national restaurant company.  Our renderings were presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council.  The ordinance passed and BJ’s became the first restaurant in the City of Mesquite not required to separate their bar area from their patrons as they entered or dined in the restaurant.

It’s definitely our expertise in maneuvering through these kinds of obstacles that make us different from our competitors.

It’s what we do best!