If you've been paying attention to the Austin commercial real estate scene lately, you've probably heard the name J.D. Lewis floating around. The HPI Real Estate honcho has been putting his fingerprints all over some of the city's biggest office deals — but his path to the negotiating table started a lot differently than most of his peers in the industry.
Lewis didn't exactly cut his teeth in a cubicle. Before he was signing off on major office leases around town, he was suiting up for the Longhorns on the basketball court at UT Austin. Not a bad place to learn about competition, pressure, and reading the room — skills that apparently translate pretty well when you're trying to close a deal in a market as wild as Austin's.
These days, Lewis is one of the names you hear when big tenants are shopping for serious square footage in Central Texas. HPI has been a steady player in Austin commercial real estate for a while now, and Lewis has become one of their go-to guys for landing the kind of leases that actually move the needle.
It's a classic Austin story in a lot of ways — someone who put down roots here through the university, fell in love with the city, and ended up building a career in the middle of one of the most talked-about real estate markets in the country. From three-pointers to term sheets, Lewis has found a way to stay in the game long after the final buzzer.
Keep an eye on this guy. With Austin's office market continuing to find its footing post-pandemic, having a dealmaker with his background in your corner seems like a pretty solid play.