March 30, 2023
For years, Scott Francis, CPM, CCIM has had a little piece of Virginia with him in Texas. Scott drives a 1969 Ford Mustang, originally purchased in Virginia by his father, an Army captain, stationed at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Virginia. That Ford Mustang from Northern Virginia, with its red body and white interior, has been driving in the background of Scott’s life ever since – a subtle reminder of his family’s connection to Virginia. It cruised his family cross-country on their move to Southern California, and later to Texas when Scott moved to Houston and now San Antonio.
Little did Scott know early on that the Mustang wouldn’t be the only piece of Virginia in his life for long; he just joined Commonwealth Commercial Partners last fall as Managing Director of Texas.
Please join us in welcoming Scott – and yes, the Mustang, too – to our Commonwealth team. You can read more about him and our big plans for Texas below.
ABOUT SCOTT
Scott is a licensed broker and certified property manager with over 16 years of experience across a variety of asset types, predominantly on the West and Gulf Coasts. Most recently at CBRE, he advised a $55B private equity group on their 52M SF industrial portfolio, located across the U.S.
Scott started his career as a leasing consultant for a 200-unit apartment community in Southern California. “There were only three staff members, myself included,” says Scott. “By default, I had to wear a lot of different hats and discovered the world of property management. I always considered myself a jack of all trades and it spoke to my liberal arts education.
”In 2014, Scott moved his young family from Southern California to Houston; a move he says was fueled by the energy, opportunity, and entrepreneurial spirit he saw buzzing throughout Texas.
“It has gotten so expensive to live and do business in California,” said Scott. “The barriers to entry in Texas are much lower. Within six months of being in Texas, we bought our first home. Shortly after, we bought a number of investment properties.”
JOINING OUR TEAM
Scott says the same energy and optimism that first brought him to Texas a decade ago is what attracted him to join the Commonwealth team.
“What really appealed to me was Commonwealth’s culture and values, as well as its nimble, entrepreneurial working nature,” says Scott. “We are team-first. When you take care of your people and your team, everything else falls into line. Every person at Commonwealth is given the tools and trust they need to be successful. Plus, given our smaller size and efficient structure, we can turn on a dime and give our clients the attention they deserve.”
At Commonwealth, Scott is responsible for oversight of the Texas portfolio, implementation of our property acquisition and development strategy, third-party business development, operational budgets/reporting, and employee recruitment and development.
Scott considers himself a lifelong learner. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of the South (“Sewanee”) and studied business administration at the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. Twice in his career, his teams have been awarded the BOMA Building of the Year (TOBY) Award. Scott also holds a black belt in karate, a designation he says embodies his “always learning” philosophy.
COMMONWEALTH COMMERCIAL PARTNERS IN TEXAS
As we continue to build our presence in Texas, Scott and his team will focus on four major markets in the Texas Triangle: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. “These are the economic powerhouses of Texas,” says Scott. “How do we win new business here? First and foremost, by doing an excellent job where we currently have properties. We’re going to leverage client relationships, letting them know about opportunities in Texas and that I’m going to personally be involved in the day-to-day operations. We’re also partnering with our tenants in areas that align with our company values and demonstrating that through community service.”
Our Texas team is already off and running with its community involvement; the Houston Commonwealth team participated in a community service day for the Houston Food Bank in early March.“It’s a good win-win-win,” says Scott. “We’re living our core values, we’re helping the community, and we’re conducting business development. This is what separates us from our competition.”
Stay tuned for more from Scott and our Texas team as we expand our footprint and share everything the Lone Star State has to offer.