Tony A. Ramirez

Overall, Southwest and American Airlines serve two very different operations. Southwest = 100 destinations, mostly domestic American = 350 destinations, domestic and long haul international

@NathanDWebb Uncovering the seller’s motivation helps to write the strategy.

CRE Brokers (and resi agents): There are two main questions that should be asked and answerable for any deal being worked. -Why are they selling? -What will they do with the proceeds? However, that is a blunt and vinegar way to ask for information and we catch more flies with honey so asking these with some sugar on top will help the medicine go down. Try: "Wow, this seems like a wonderful property! Why on earth would you want to sell it?" Seems over the top, but this question is phrased with an oblivious almost innocent flair in order to pull out as many problems with the property and ownership as possible. Even if the property is clearly vacant, overleveraged, deferred maintenance, etc., the objective of the question is not to point out the problems on stage, it's to pull back the curtain. The potential partnership problems, estate transfer issues, other assets, bills, loans that are causing distress, etc. Find out the real motivation for the decision maker, which sometimes isn't even the property in question. Asking what someone is going to do with the money directly can also gain a sour reaction. Try: "If I was able to write you a check for the property today, what would you do with it?" Reinvest in other property? Put it in the stock market? Pay off a bunch of other debts? Retire to a house on the beach? Give it to the grandkids? Go on a cruise? Spend it all in Vegas on hookers, blow, and gambling? Doesn't matter the answer, the important thing is this question provides a segway from problems and motivations into goals and solutions. It activates the left side of the brain, gets them thinking creatively and positively. It is also a great icebreaker to talk finance, taxes, and price if they haven't already started that direction. There are a great many other questions to ask to take these both further along their intended path. Those questions tend to reveal themselves along the way, just go with the flow. The goal is to stay along those two paths (motivation and goals) and take them as far as you can, gathering as much information as you can along the way. That information will help get the right offer in front of the client with a higher level of success because the problem and solution the client wants and needs can now be clearly articulated. Counsel accordingly.

Companies don’t make decisions on which city to expand to. People do. Deep inside the boardroom its politics, personalities, and power plays. Thats where decisions toil. Economic developers go beyond showing sites. They read the room and adjust to win the project.

@elonmusk Mr. Musk selected Texas for this massive project. Manufacturing and growth in the state continue to impress.

Terafab was the final missing piece of the puzzle

The world belongs to the loud, not to the long winded.

@CollinRugg If only the frontrunner had a way to see competition gaining on him.

NEW: American Nathan Martin wins the closest Los Angeles Marathon in race history, beating Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau by just 00.01 seconds. Martin was seen chasing down Kamau at the end of the race. “I made an actual move five miles out… when I saw no one else was picking up the pace. I decided I needed to push,” the 36-year-old said. “At a mile and a half to go, I could see the leader and with 800 meters to go, I was thinking, ‘I’m catching him.’” Martin finished the race with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 16.50 seconds.

US jobs growth fractured — employers CUT 92K jobs in Feb, worst surprise in years. Unemployment ticking up to 4.4%. This puts massive pressure on local economic developers for your city. Time to get creative: incentives, place-making, talent magnets, whatever lights growth.

Visiting a construction site. One of my favorite action items as an economic developer. If needed we help with power, txdot, permitting clarifications - and especially just thanking them for being in our city!

@Chris_Smth City planning and zoning Listening to understand not to respond

Skills they should teach in real estate school: Copywriting Public speaking Budgeting Networking Understanding people Communication What would you add?

For cities, deal flow comes from these three channels: Inbound - company or broker Outbound - internal cold outreach Community Partners - RFIs We fuel each one relentlessly. Companies have lots of cities as options to pick from. We don’t wait.

@ElonGerberg Everyone I have ever met who has worked at Enterprise is a max hustler.

My wife told me she was pregnant. I quit my job that same day to go all-in on Commercial Real Estate. Putting yourself in a "make it or you're screwed" position is the ultimate motivator. Failure isn't an option when you have a family to feed. BURN THE BOATS 🚢🔥

@twallyweb IF it pencils, consider adding more green space especially along the road and build in buffers between existing resi.

Recommended for denial 🫠

Texas pop growth slowed in ‘25, but we’re cushioned here in DFW. Aging boomers? No biggie. Even with an Immigration dip, the metroplex kept legal flows steady. Jobs are also flat elsewhere. Not DFW — construction & tech still humming. Less noise, more opportunity.

Grateful to join Gov. Abbott to be a part of Site Selection Magazine’s prestigious Governor’s Cup. It marks an unprecedented 14th consecutive and the states 22nd overall win for this Economic Development Powerhouse known as TEXAS!

Love to see these classic VW busses. The design details are impressive.

@Revolvermag The Toadies!

✮ With Texas death-metal powerhouse Frozen Soul announcing a star-studded new album, we ask you this. Let us know what you think, and we'll tabulate the results next week.

That one building everyone notices - for all the wrong reasons. On a highly visible intersection. A large corporation has been sitting on a site and no real rush to sell. Been a struggle for us. So much potential.

@TonesOfMusic Jimbo Wallace of Rev Horton Heat

Name the best bass player you've seen live?

In Grand Prairie a dramatic turnaround in net absorption — the market went from absorbing negative 1.27 million SF a year ago to a positive 490K SF today, a 141% swing. The next 12 months will reveal whether the absorption recovery is a trend or a blip.

I am hearing more about the need for soft skills from companies than ever before: “We need hires to be decisive.” “We need hires to collaborate in teams.” “We need folks who can listen - then problem solve.” “People who can relate.”

More than likely the city will run an analysis and offer a fair and compatible incentive package. Sometimes rebates. Sometimes grants. Sometimes job training. Abatements, trade zones exemptions, state resources, sometimes federal suggestions. All depends.

Types of jobs and the quality of the roles are always important to have ready if asked. Always good to know ahead of time if the project meets the region's targeted industry desirability. Hot take: They may not want you! Ex. Pollution, water strain, etc....

Here's how incentive negotiations typically break down in Texas and why. No product - no project. If your city does not have a strong labor pool, access to power, and a strong real estate option, you are toast. This is where deals can die.