After earning a degree in architecture, Vipin Nambiar got an MBA in finance and economics and focused on real estate, working for Hunt Realty before going out on his own in 2017. His $1 billion portfolio—a milestone he recently reached—includes local hotspots like the W Hotel, Virgin Hotel, and the Mansion on Turtle Creek, which he acquired in September 2022. The company has expanded beyond Texas to select opportunities in New York and California.
Birthplace: Mumbia
Education: The University of Chicago (MBA), The University of Texas at Austin (MS)
First Job: “I assisted an art director at the end of high school on two films in India. It’s an experience the nudged me into architecture school. Our developments tend to focus on the underlying consumer experience and theatrics of the spaces we create; I think it’s roots lie in my very early exposure to set construction.”
Best Advice: “Think long term. I believe the easiest competitive advantage is the ability to think long term. The system is set up for consensus having a shorter-term outlook; you can make sound bets by just arbitraging time horizons.”
Dinner Party: “If I could choose any two business leaders to have dinner with, they would be Harlan Crow and John Goff. I find Harlan to be an incredible enabler of talented people with an exceptional ability to build relationships. And John’s Crescent is one of the real estate companies I most admire, so there is much to learn from him.”
Destinations of Choice: “The Amalfi coast, London (mostly for its amazing Indian food), and Peruvian Andes”
I Collect: “Mostly old books”
Hobby/Passion: “I love hiking—time in the mountains is magical.”
Industry Change: “I think of my primary vocation as real estate development, and I think consumers are beginning to express that the neatly demarcated specialists in ‘office’, ‘multifamily’ and ‘hotels’ should be thinking about the overlaps that enhances the life experience of our consumers. I wish capital providers enabled such thinking.”
Guilty Pleasure: “Historic documentaries”
Fun Fact: “Not surprising, but my ski skills are that of a 6 year old”
Go-to Adviser: “I’ve had several mentors, but Chris Kleinert at Hunt is probably the one that has had a lot of impact on my career.”
First Car: “I grew up in India in an era when there were basically two or three manufacturers and was fascinated by the range of cars in the U.S. but had a thing for Ford Mustangs. They were such a classic American symbol. I bought one as soon as I could pay for it!”
Proud Moment: “We recently ticked over $1 billion in assets. For a small company that started without much capital that’s a milestone we celebrated.”
A Better DFW: “Things are pretty good here right now, but if I could make a policy suggestion, it would be to incentivize the technology and innovation industries to the city.”
Must-read: “In nonfiction, I have a few that have made an impression: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, The Lessons of History by Will & Ariel Durant, and for something deeper, The Book of Life by Jiddu.”
Alternate Reality: “I’d be an architect. I like buildings, they are units of how we live and work, and I like how design impacts life. I trained to be one, but felt I was a better business guy than designer, so switched.”
Bucket List: “I climbed Kilimanjaro with some friends. It was a great experience, and I actually want to do it again.”
Key Strategies: “Humility, enabling excellence, empathy, and clarity of strategy”
Future Forecast: “Real estate and hospitality assets in particular are going through a significant change in the preferences of its median consumer. As millennials and Gen Z become the largest parts of our workforce, real estate will have to respond. This is going to be an underlying theme for a while and one that HNCP will be mindful of.”
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