Podcast: The Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth and its Impact on the Region

Location Cubed

In the latest episode of Weaver’s Location Cubed, a Weaver: Beyond the Numbers podcast, hosts Howard Altshuler, partner-in-charge, real estate and construction services at Weaver, and Aaron Grisz, partner, tax services at Weaver, are joined by Karen Vermaire Fox, executive director, The Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth (REC of GFW), to discuss the impacts of the real estate council and how it serves as beacons for development in Tarrant County and Fort Worth.

Karen is a voice for action throughout the city and a connector of people in Fort Worth’s real estate circles.

Key Points:

• The REC of GFW works to expand relationships and develop leaders, address development challenges and address community challenges
• Fort Worth is uniquely positioned for future development, specifically in areas like Panther Island and the north side, due to the recent growth and interest in residential and commercial opportunities

Karen explains that the city of Fort Worth is heavy on residential and less heavy on the commercial development side. “We need to flip that,” Karen says. “[We need to] bring more tax base in on business and less tax base on residential.” They discuss the phenomenon that so many families are moving to Fort Worth, but at the same time, the city needs ongoing development for its commercial tax base. Karen poses the question, “How do we bring in business so that we can continue to have jobs, grow our economy and create a great place that we love to live?”

The conversation also explores other aspects of the real estate council, drawing attention to its significant influence on community growth. The discussion then ventures to how the council manages to retain ongoing interest in their programming. Following the pandemic, The REC of GFW maintained a steady attendance and participation at their four annual events. Karen attributes this to the association’s unwavering support of its members through each stage of the pandemic. Today the association also hosts monthly gatherings and other events for its members. The annual events include:

• The Cowtown Poker Run
• The Real Estate Forecast
•  Annual Meeting
•  Golf Tournament

The real estate council has experienced notable growth over recent years and maintains its focus on making Fort Worth and Tarrant County one of the best places to live in the state of Texas. Additionally, they are committed to ethical development that benefits everyone as well as creating opportunities for companies of all sizes. The episode concludes with a brief discussion on the impact of small businesses in Fort Worth, as the city has historically served as a launching pad for many notable businesses today.

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