New Real Estate Firm Arises From DFW Shifts

Orr says he's back to soloing, much in the same way as he built his career some 40 years ago. "I am not looking to build any giant company," he tells GlobeSt.com. Orr intends to focus on land selection, acquisition, development and disposition in Texas and Colorado. He brought listings, valued at $60 million, with him when he cut his ties to Kennedy-Wilson. Three deals are sitting at a title agency, he says.

According to Orr, there are two brokers left out of 129 who were in place at year's start for the Kennedy-Wilson team. Orr makes no pretenses about the reason for his exit--the departure of Jerry Fults. "Ninety-nine percent of us were there because of him," the former senior broker emphasizes. He has leased an office at 3738 Oak Lawn.

Orr was a founding member of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and the Commercial/Investment Division of the Greater Dallas Association of Realtors. The well-known, high-volume land specialist is a recipient of numerous industry awards.

Cooke, a well-known "heavy hitter" in the region, joins Rebecca Griffin and Jason Lichty at Newmark. The hire is just the beginning of the mainstream names that Newmark is courting to build a staff for its southern region, an insider tells GlobeSt.com.

Cooke, a 13-year professional, spent the last four years at Staubach, where she received top achiever awards each year, according to her new employer. However, a Staubach representative says Cooke and the firm parted ways a year ago. A tenant rep specialist, she previously worked at Grubb & Ellis Co. in Dallas. Her client list includes such names as Janus Mutual Funds, Xetel, United Parcel Service and Frost Bank.

FelCor's new vice president and assistant controller, Jeff Symes, came over from KPMG LLP in Dallas. Symes was a senior manager at KPMG, where he worked for 14 years. At KPMG, he was responsible for a number of commercial real estate clients, including REITs.