History & Legacy
Many of the successful characteristics that define TCC the company, are direct reflections of the man who founded us, Trammell Crow.
A Visionary Founder
Trammell Crow was a visionary developer, a formidable deal maker and a warm, engaging, charismatic leader who believed deeply in other people and partnership. He gave us his name, his business philosophy, and an enduring example to follow.
Trammell Crow was born in 1914, the fifth of eight children who came of age during the Great Depression. He worked his way through college, started his career as an accountant and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. At age 33 he launched his legendary career in commercial real estate, building a warehouse in the Trinity Industrial District near downtown Dallas.
Mr. Crow reshaped the city’s skyline before expanding nationally and internationally, a significant achievement in an industry largely dominated by local builders at the time. He was a master at identifying properties, valuation, business strategy and negotiation. The firm was one of the first to design and build spaces specifically tailored to clients’ needs and one of the first to build on spec. In 1971, Forbes named Trammell Crow the largest private real estate operator in the U.S. The firm went public in 1997 and was acquired by CBRE in 2006.
Mr. Crow died in 2009, at age 94. Mr. Crow was known for his extraordinary creativity, modesty, boundless energy, and intense work ethic. He modeled the virtues that inform and inspire the way TCC operates today: partnership, entrepreneurship, innovation, grit, and persistence. He was passionate about both real estate and relationships. As he once told Inc. Magazine, "Partnerships make for a humanly rewarding life.”
Mr. Crow reshaped the city’s skyline before expanding nationally and internationally, a significant achievement in an industry largely dominated by local builders at the time. He was a master at identifying properties, valuation, business strategy and negotiation. The firm was one of the first to design and build spaces specifically tailored to clients’ needs and one of the first to build on spec. In 1971, Forbes named Trammell Crow the largest private real estate operator in the U.S. The firm went public in 1997 and was acquired by CBRE in 2006.
Mr. Crow died in 2009, at age 94. Mr. Crow was known for his extraordinary creativity, modesty, boundless energy, and intense work ethic. He modeled the virtues that inform and inspire the way TCC operates today: partnership, entrepreneurship, innovation, grit, and persistence. He was passionate about both real estate and relationships. As he once told Inc. Magazine, "Partnerships make for a humanly rewarding life.”