As a longtime research executive at CBRE, Henry Chin is used to giving his outlook on how the world economy will affect the commercial property market. But making predictions about life in Dallas after decades in Asia and the United Kingdom proved to be a different ballgame.
In March, CBRE promoted Chin, who is from Taipei, Taiwan, to serve as global head of research and oversee nearly 600 research professionals at the firm. Several months before that, he relocated to CBRE headquarters in Dallas from Hong Kong, where he had worked since 2010.
"It's a lot better than I thought because I didn't think of Dallas as a place for tourists, but Dallas is actually a fascinating place for people to live and to set up," Chin said this week in New Orleans, where he presented the 2025 Economic and Property Market Outlook at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference.
During what he described as "my first major press gig in the U.S.," Chin said demand should remain healthy for high-quality properties, and opportunistic investors likely will seize opportunities in distressed assets.
As for his new city, Chin said he's discovered lots of good restaurants in Dallas, something that's important to him. He also said he likes the amount and quality of amenities at his condo. "But it's not cheap," Chin said. "It's a lot more expensive than what I originally thought, to be honest with you."
And soon, Chin said, when he gets homesick, it will be easier for him to travel back to his native Taiwan, where he earned his bachelor's in economics at National Taipei University before earning advanced degrees in the U.K. Starting Oct. 3, Taiwan's EVA Air will offer direct flights between Taipei and Dallas three times a week.
"It definitely helps out," he said.