Leaning In

Ray Washburne joins host Terry Montesi on Leaning In for an in depth conversation about real estate, leadership, and the evolving landscape of Dallas. Ray reflects on his early entrepreneurial years, the lessons that shaped his investment approach, and the principles that guide his work across sectors from hospitality to mixed use development. He and Terry dive into the transformation of Highland Park Village, the challenges and opportunities within downtown Dallas, and the broader economic signals influencing commercial real estate today. They discuss: Ray’s early path into real estate and the mindset shaped by growing up in DallasThe strategy behind acquiring and revitalizing Highland Park VillageWhy reputation and long term relationships drive success in Dallas and WashingtonThe future of downtown Dallas and major projects that could reshape the cityHow consumer behavior, construction costs, and AI are influencing the real estate cycleChallenges in office, adaptive reuse, and where new opportunities may emergeLinks: Gillon Property Group Trademark Property Terry on LinkedIn Audio Topics (00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:25) - Ray’s career and background(00:04:38) - Leadership philosophy(00:09:23) - Luxury retail and Highland Park Village(00:20:48) - Challenges and future of Dallas real estate(00:23:44) - Downtown Dallas development and vision(00:32:12) - Incentivizing real estate investment(00:36:35) - Shifts in domestic manufacturing and tariffs(00:38:17) - Challenges in real estate development(00:41:19) - Office space and adaptive reuse strategies(00:44:34) - Institutional real estate investment trends(00:49:43) - Creating unique experiences in real estate(00:52:55) - Lessons from public sector experience(00:58:30) - Advice for young real estate professionals