Andre comes to us most recently from Riverside Equity Commercial Group, a boutique brokerage based in Houston, TX. Prior to, he served as Vice President of Caspian Enterprises, a vertically integrated real estate investment company with a focus in Historic Preservation and Land Banking.
Andre is a born and raised Houstonian, graduate of the University of Houston. As a dedicated member of his community, he continues to serve on the Board of Directors for the East Downtown Management District since 2014.
Andrew Alvis brings over 10 years of entrepreneurship and over five years of commercial real estate development and brokerage experience. He began his real estate career with NewQuest Properties, where he excelled in both leasing and tenant representation, brokering over $100 million in closed transactions over the past five years.
Andrew is currently a Development Partner at NewQuest Properties, playing an integral part in the acquisition and development of nearly one million square feet of retail and mixed-use commercial projects around Houston and Central Texas, totaling well over $150 million in asset value.
In addition, Andrew is an active franchisee of Fat Tuesday, holding the exclusive franchise development rights in the Houston MSA market, where he has three locations open. Andrew is also the founding and managing partner for Wild Concepts, where he successfully merged a coffee shop, an award-winning cocktail program, a restaurant, and a retail wellness store with an e-commerce platform. To date, he oversees operations of three Houston locations, with annual revenues exceeding $10 million. Andrew holds a BS in Business Management from Louisiana State University and is a member of ICSC and YNG.
Ashley is Vice President of NewQuest’s Healthcare & Wellness Division specializing in medical sector development and tenant representation. Leading this division, Ashley represents and assists healthcare providers, developers and investors in identifying and implementing the best solutions for their real estate needs. Working on behalf of both the landlord and tenant, she’s negotiated deals with several big name health systems and providers: Hospital Corporation of America, Kelsey- Seybold Clinic, Village Family Practice, Memorial Hermann and Texas Children’s Hospital. From individual lease transactions to ground up development, collectively Ashley’s teams’ skillsets include: regional market knowledge, site selection, feasibility analysis, engineering and infrastructure design, strategic planning, and lease advisory services. Ashley received a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance from Southern Methodist University. She currently serves on the board of several development councils and is an active committee member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Austen Baldridge is a Senior Vice President on the Project Leasing and Investment Sales teams at NewQuest Properties. Austen joined NewQuest in early 2016, getting his start in project leasing for NewQuest developments and third party-owned shopping centers. He built his leasing portfolio to approximately 3 million square feet of retail space in Greater Houston and beyond. In the years since Austen has been very active in Investment Sales, Land Brokerage and Tenant Representation, earning NewQuest’s Top Rookie Award in 2018, Top Hybrid Producer in 2020 and 2021 and the Houston Business Journal’s Heavy Hitter designation for Retail in 2021. As a hybrid broker, Austen brings a unique perspective and wide-ranging skillset to provide value at all stages of a transaction and continuing asset investment cycle.
Prior to joining NewQuest, Austen was a Senior Analyst with Genesis Energy LP in their Refinery Services division. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers after earning his BBA/Masters of Accounting at Baylor University. Born and raised in Houston, Austen leverages his relationships, market knowledge, analytical skills, creativity and attention to detail to provide value for his clients.
Bob Conwell is a native Houstonian with more than 31 years in real estate – 27 of those years have been with NewQuest Properties. Prior to NewQuest, he was Vice President at University Savings and Loan. Bob has represented such clients as Inland, RPI Management and NewQuest, and currently represents Malibu Tan and Shogun Japanese Grill and Steakhouse. He attended the University of Houston and is an avid supporter of Cougar football. Bob is also a member of Preservation Houston and the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Brad LyBrand is a land brokerage specialist with a decade of experience of successfully advising clients in a wide variety of asset classes throughout the Greater Houston metro area. Brad has bought and sold land on behalf of clients that include developers of retail centers and restaurants, medical offices, multifamily apartments, corporate campuses, senior housing facilities and school districts. This broad experience in asset types is matched by the geographic range, as Brad has active listings and client-based assignments across a variety of Houston submarkets including Pearland, Manvel, Conroe, I-10 US 290 and Cypress, The Woodlands, Kingwood and across the Inner-Loop.
His knowledge and background allow him to market properties across an unusually large and diverse set of contacts, which ensures maximum pricing for his clients while minimizing execution risk.
Brad LyBrand been awarded the Houston Business Journals prestigious “Heavy Hitters” award multiple times. Brad has also been awarded the top NewQuest land broker.
Brad is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and enjoys participating in local charitable and business organizations. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and licensed real estate broker in the state of Texas.
Brett Strake is a native Houstonian and Vice President of NewQuest Properties who specializes in Tenant Representation. He works closely with both regional and national retailers across the greater Houston area. Brett has advised and represented restaurant groups and retailers in purchase and sale agreements, NNN leases & ground leases.
Strake’s areas of expertise include providing clients with detailed market analysis, REC packages and master brokerage services. He has been in charge of several market roll-out strategies throughout the state of Texas and beyond.
A graduate of Texas A&M with a BBA in Finance, Strake is a licensed real estate agent in the State of Texas.
Brett enjoys playing golf, attending Texas A&M sporting events, Astros baseball and hunting in south Texas.
Charitable Experience & Org
• Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
• Texas A&M Association of Former Students
• Champions Golf Club
• Spring Spiritanizations
Cobo Fajardo joined NewQuest Properties in 2023 as Leasing Representative for NewQuest owned assets. As a Houston native, Cobo’s strengths lie within his market knowledge, understanding of client demands and market needs. Cobo has worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and physical therapist. Over the past decade, he’s cultivated a strong personal discipline and servant-leadership mentality – making pointed recommendation while mindful of client goals.
Cobo is a proud Texas State University graduate and an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Dakota Workman joined NewQuest Properties in 2019 specializing in Investment Sales. A native Houstonian and ninth-generation Texan, Dakota advises clients in acquisition and disposition utilizing his market knowledge to discover promising investment opportunities. He is also a proud University of Houston graduate and an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Dave Ramsey specializes in the acquisition and disposition of large residential and mixed use properties. With more than 32 years of experience in the real estate industry, Dave has been involved in transactions totaling more than 11,000 acres of property. Dave is consistently listed among the “Heavy Hitters in Commercial Real Estate” in the Houston Business Journal. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with B.S. degrees in Real Estate and Marketing. Dave is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Texas.
Davis comes to us most recently from Moody Rambin Commercial Real Estate. He is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin where he studied Economics and minored in Business.
Diandra is most recently from Frankel Development Group, where she handled project leasing for third-party-owned shopping centers and land sale transactions. Prior to Frankel Development Group, she worked with Social Studies in New York, where she focused on partnerships and growth strategies. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has a background in event production, marketing consulting, and retail leasing.
Glenn Dickerson’s experience runs the gamut in real estate. Glenn’s real estate career began in Beverly Hills, California where he was a top producer in the high-end residential market. Glenn has also worked at AmReit, a publicly traded real estate trust, and has worked with Hines, Kairoi Residential, Shilla Development, Medistar Corporation, Choice Hotels, Extended Stay America, U-Haul, Allied Orion Realty, Dollar Tree, and the City of Rosenberg in their transactions for real estate in Austin and Houston. Glenn works across all categories of commercial real estate ranging from raw land, existing multifamily apartment projects, hotels, and covered land plays. Glenn is consistently recognized as a Heavy Hitter by the Houston Business Journal, an award presented to the top brokers in Houston. Glenn is a proud father of five daughters and is also a former ATP professional tennis player.
Heather Nguyen is NewQuest Properties Development Partner. With over 23 years of diverse real estate experience, Nguyen spearheads development opportunities and the re-positioning of retail assets – creating ‘internet-proof’, regional destination of unmatched values.
Nguyen’s impressive development portfolio includes: The Shops at Pearland Parkway, Carrollton Town Center, Frisco Ranch Shopping Center, Marketplace at Ninety-Six, The Shops at Katy Grand, and most recently – Chandler Ranch Shopping Center located in Chandler, Arizona.
Carrying through a philosophy of persistence, tenacity, and patience, Nguyen brings a unique combination of client focused development and leasing knowledge. Her work and expertise proves to deliver the highest level of results. Over Nguyen’s career, she has produced more than $6.5 billion in real estate transactional value. Nguyen joined NewQuest Properties in 2000 and has since won multiple accolades: Top Producer Awards at NewQuest Properties, H Texas Magazine Women in Business Award, 2018 Women in Real Estate, and routinely named to Houston Business Journal’s Heavy Hitter list.
Nguyen served on the board of Commercial Gateway, Midtown Redevelopment Board, and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Nguyen, along with her husband Dr. Shawn Taher, are involved in a number of charity organizations. Through The Body Balance Foundation, their efforts range from delivering Christmas toys to the children of Houston to organizing fundraisers, benefiting Texas Children’s Hospital.
Hugh Ruggles has 42 years of experience in commercial real estate. He formed Texas/Southwest Group which became known and respected throughout the restaurant and real estate industry. Specializing in representing restaurants with their real estate expansion, his company has been involved in over 500 real estate transactions. In 2012, Texas/Southwest Group became a division of NewQuest Properties which provided many additional benefits for their clients. Prior to entering the real estate profession, Hugh attended North Texas State University and The University of Texas, obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. Hugh’s military career involved both active duty and reserve time in the U. S. Army Special Forces. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Hugh is married and has two adult children.
Jeff Lokey brings more than 30 years of commercial brokerage experience to NewQuest Properties. He serves as Executive Vice President of the land brokerage division in Houston, where he has been employed since 2000. During this time, he has captured the title of Top Producer, as well as being named a eight-time “Heavy Hitter” by the Houston Business Journal. Jeff brings an “added value package” to the table. With extensive experience and in-depth industry knowledge, he provides a solid directional foundation needed to develop assets to their fullest potential. Jeff represents a wide spectrum of land owners, from individuals to corporations, and banks.
In January 2021, Joe joined the NewQuest Land Division as a Land Specialist to continue pursuing a lifelong passion of service and teamwork. He believes integrity, building strong relationships and exceeding clients’ expectations are requisite in any business enterprise. With a traditional approach to relationship development, he focuses on the developing markets located north and northwest of the Greater Houston Area. As a resident of Montgomery County, his goal is to be the foremost, professional land advisory team in the northern outlying land markets.
Joe joins a Land Division with over 50 years of real estate experience successfully advising landowners, investors and developers achieve their real estate objectives. Joe brings over 20 years of Active Duty Marine Corps service to the table. As a Marine, he led teams, planned training and operations, and developed policy for decisionmakers. He enjoys being “in the field”, “rolling his sleeves up” to solve problems and overcoming challenges.
Joe is committed to living a Christ-centered life while putting others interests ahead of his own. Joe is happily married to his wife of 20 years, Michele. They have four children – Sarah, Emma, Buddy, and Emmett.
John Nguyen serves as a Senior Vice President for NewQuest Properties and specializes in project leasing, tenant representation, and land transactions. Since joining NewQuest in 2013, John has focused on providing landlord representation services for various destination and grocery-anchored assets and tenant representation strategies for an expansive roster of local, national, and international concepts.
John’s primary responsibilities include leasing transactions, market research and strategy, and asset analysis. In 2023, he was named in the top five Heavy Hitters by Houston Business Journal. John has provided real estate services for H-E-B, 99 Ranch Market, Daiso Japan, 85°C Bakery Café, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 7 Leaves Cafe, BCD Tofu House, Jinya Ramen Bar, GEN Korean BBQ, TESO Life, and many popular chef-driven food and beverage concepts. In recent years, his focus has been on land acquisitions for retail, industrial, and multifamily developers.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, John received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Houston, an MBA from Texas A&M Mays Business School, and completed the Real Estate Investment and Development Program at Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business. He is highly educated and equipped with the knowledge and expertise necessary to excel in his field.John is an active member of the community. He is a member of Young Catholic Professionals and a lifetime member and volunteer of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Josh Friedlander joined NewQuest Properties in 2010, but has been active in the retail real estate industry for over eleven years where he specializes in project leasing, tenant representation, land, and investment sales. Josh has represented a multitude of landlords including NewQuest Properties, Braun Enterprises, Inland American, RPI Management, RPD Catalyst, and A&M Capital RE among others.
Josh graduated from The University of Texas where he received a degree in finance. He is currently an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). In his spare time, Josh enjoys skiing Lake Travis, watching sports, and spending time with family.
Kaishu Okada serves as Business Development Consultant for the Asian Pacific Retail Brokerage Division, and is based in Tokyo, Japan. Kaishu’s primary responsibility is sourcing and developing potential leads and opportunities with Japanese retailers and restauranteurs interested in exploring, initiating or expanding their physical retail presence in the U.S.
Prior to joining NewQuest, Kaishu was with Newmark Knight Frank in New York, accomplishing exclusive agreements with GEO Holdings and Nitori. Kaishu also has extensive real estate experience in Japan, where he has been in the industry nearly 20 years and owns a real estate consultancy business specializing in international expansions and rollouts in the U.S.
He is a graduate of Keio Academy in New York and completed master’s degree in political science at Keio University.
Kelley K. Workman is a Vice President on the Investment Sales team at NewQuest. A native Houstonian and an eighth generation Texan, Kelley spent over two decades owning and managing single family homes before becoming the developer and owner of multi-tenant medical/retail properties, managing everything from leasing to tenant improvements. Her areas of expertise include client representation, multi-tenant and single tenant retail, medical, and office assets. Prior to joining NewQuest, Kelley was a senior associate at Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, Houston, Texas. Her real estate portfolio includes representation of numerous clients, with $146 million closed in multi-tenant and single tenant retail, medical and office assets.
Before making the plunge into real estate, Kelley studied in business at the University of Houston and is a third generation Cougar. Kelley also lends her real estate expertise as a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Commercial Real Estate Women – Houston Chapter (CREW), and a current Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) candidate. She actively volunteers at Bo’s Place, HISD Reading Program, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Houston Food Bank and the Houston Marathon. Outside the office, Kelley enjoys the great outdoors and spending time with her six children.
Kevin, formerly with Radius Realty Advisors, has recently joined NewQuest working with the Leasing Team. Prior to Radius Realty Advisors, Kevin worked as a Director for Weingarten Realty Investors (WRI: NYSE) for over 10 years in their Houston corporate headquarters. He is a graduate of The University of Houston and has worked in the commercial real estate industry for over fourteen years.
Krystal Peeler is a Vice President on the Land Brokerage and Tenant Representation team at NewQuest Properties. Prior to joining NewQuest, Krystal was a Senior Associate of Edge Realty Partners in Houston. With seven years of experience, Krystal’s primary focus is on raw land ranging from retail pad sites to large tract acquisitions and dispositions. In addition, she focuses on tenant representation accounts such as The Alder Group, Blue Beacon Truck Wash, Quick Weight Loss, Zales, Jared’s and Kay Jewelers. Krystal has an extensive knowledge of the Houston market and brings a competitive drive to the NewQuest team.
An active member of ICSC, Krystal has acted as the President of the Southern Region for the past two years. Prior to joining NewQuest, she graduated from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi with a degree in marketing. Away from the office, Krystal enjoys cycling, summers in Colorado and spending time with her friends, family and dog, Kami Rae.
Originally from Beaumont, Lara Lee returned home in 2020 after living in Australia for six years. During her time abroad, she worked as a conveyancing paralegal and courthouse registrar. She obtained her real estate license in July of this year and moved to Houston soon after.
Lara Lee currently oversees the leasing of over 7 major shopping centers including NewQuest’s development, Stableside.
Marc is Senior Vice President of NewQuest’s Investment Sales Division. With over 10 years of commercial real estate experience, he specializes in the acquisition & disposition of single and multi-tenant commercial properties nationwide. With his unparalleled amount of customer service, Marc utilizes his relationships and market knowledge to deliver “top notch” service while representing the industry’s most prominent developers, private investors, institutions and REIT’s coast to coast. Having worked with major developers across the country, he also has an eye for ground up development projects in both growth areas and under-served markets.
Prior to Joining NewQuest, Marc was an Associate Director of Investment Sales at the Stan Johnson Co. specializing in retail, medical, industrial and office assets where his team transacted over $600 Million in net lease assets. He is an avid golfer, enjoys spending time at the coast & the hill country and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Neal Thomson joined NewQuest Properties in 2013 and has been in the real estate industry since 2009. He has specialized in land acquisition on both the buyer and seller side, tenant representation, and third party project leasing. Neal has advised and represented buyers and sellers in site selection, market analysis and contract negotiations throughout his tenure at NewQuest. Born and raised in Houston, he has extensive knowledge of the Houston market. Neal graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance.
Nick Ramsey joined NewQuest Properties in 2018 and serves as a Senior Associate on the Retail Services team. Before Nick joined CBRE in 2017, he worked with RPM Exploration Ltd. where he was responsible for title examination and lease negotiations for oil and gas prospects. He also generated lease check reports and bill of sale assignments in the dissolution of exploration partnerships. During the past year and a half, Nick has provided advice on diverse aspects of real estate, including investment and lease evaluation and marketing, financing, tenant representation, site selection, strategic planning, and general consulting to local, national, and international restaurant and retail clients.
Nick’s experience includes providing real estate counseling to such client as Peli Peli, Salata, Cafe Express, Island Grill, Sushi Sakura Express, and Hot Pot.
Nick graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Political Science, and also completed the Professional Land Management program at the University of Houston.
Randy Nerren is an executive vice president in NewQuest’s land brokerage and office development group. A 35-year Houston office brokerage veteran, Nerren most recently was senior vice president of NAI Partner’s office leasing group. He spent the majority of his 30-plus-year career at MetroNational, a privately-held real estate investment, development and management firm founded in 1959 and headquartered in Houston.
Nerren is considered one of the Houston area’s leading commercial office real estate experts, specializing in the sale and leasing of income-producing office, medical, retail and mixed-use properties. He has represented some of the most prestigious and best-known portfolios in Houston, including Memorial City during their prolific growth phase. Some of his more significant corporate relocation transactions are Memorial Hermann, Air Liquide, Nexen, Murphy Oil and others to Memorial City, easily totaling over two-million square feet of high-rise office development.
Rebecca Le serves as Senior Vice President at NewQuest Properties and has over 23 years of experience in the real estate industry. At NewQuest Properties, Rebecca specializes in project leasing, disposition, investment sales and tenant representation. She has considerable experience in handling all project types, from small strip centers to power anchored projects. Rebecca currently oversees the leasing of over 25 shopping centers for landlords including NewQuest Properties, HEB Grocery Company, MC Management, Lovette Commercial, and Sam Moon Group.
Rebecca earned her B.S. in Finance from the University of St. Thomas.
Rick brings over four years of commercial real estate experience in the multi-family and net lease sectors to the Investment Sales division. Prior to starting at NewQuest, he was an associate at Marcus & Millichap for three years and most recently an investment analyst at Stan Johnson Company. He has established many relationships with investors across the Southeast and Gulf Coast. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in Finance. One attribute that really sticks out about Rick is his empathy for his clients. He is always finding ways to increase their return on investment or help re-strategize their investment portfolio. When Rick is not in the office, he enjoys fishing, hunting, going to concerts and spending time with his family.
Whitaker, previously the owner and manager of Whitaker Company Brokerage, possesses more than 45 years of experience in land brokerage in northwest Harris County and southwest Montgomery County. He will leverage the full-service support and resources of NewQuest Properties with his knowledge, experience and relationships in Houston’s commercial land development and investment sector.
Whitaker has been directly involved with many high end developments like High Meadow Ranch and High Meadow Estates. He has extensive experience in residential development, commercial development and large land tracts for investment opportunities. Whitaker has also specialized in farm and ranch sales, as well as appraisal services.
Whitaker has been married to his wonderful wife, C. Kay Whitaker, for over 45 years. They have two children and three grandchildren. His hobbies include golf, traveling and spending time with his grandchildren.
Sam recently worked for PennyMac Loan Services as a loan originator and has worked in the mortgage industry for four years. Having graduated from the University of Houston where he majored in finance, he has over eight years of sales experience.
Shireen Owlia has proudly been with NewQuest Properties since 2014. She specializes in full-service retail tenant representation, with clientele including national and regional soft goods retailers, restaurants, medical professionals, fitness concepts, boutiques, and businesses rendering personal services. Shireen also focuses on land sales and investment brokerage transactions.
As a native Houstonian, Shireen began working on real estate transactions with her family at an early age. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law. Prior to joining NewQuest Properties, she practiced as a commercial litigator and real estate attorney.
Thomas Tuner joined NewQuest Properties in 2021 as an Advisor for Investment Sales. Originally native to Mississippi, he made the move to Houston to hit the ground running in the rapidly developing and vibrant Texas market. Prior to joining NewQuest, Thomas was a part of the Investment Sales Team at NAI Partners. He is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Real Estate Finance and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). When Thomas is not working, he enjoys playing golf and tennis, attending Astros and Ole Miss sporting events, hunting, snowboarding, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Mr. Yoshihide Murata joined NewQuest in 2020 as Senior Business Development Consultant and brings over three decades of business development expertise to NewQuest. As a part of the Asia – Pacific Retail Team, he serves Japanese clients in their expansion needs in the United States, including retailers, restaurants, entertainment users, and distributors.
Prior to NewQuest, Mr. Murata was the Senior Vice President of Daiso Holdings for 14 years where he developed and executed strategies that resulted in $130M in sales and established over 75 stores in the United States. Mr. Murata helped develop and execute the corporate growth strategy for Daiso in the Unites States including site selection, logistics and distribution, and operation management overseeing over 1,800 employees. Mr. Murata gained his experience in logistics and distribution with Japanese companies through his 14 years at Itochu International, Inc. in New York City, during which time he was instrumental in developing licensing, imports, exports, in addition to establishing supply chain protocols and international trade for these companies. Prior to Daiso and Itochu International, Mr. Murata’s first role in the U.S. was with American President Alliance in Oakland, CA, one of the largest shipping companies in the country. Mr. Murata worked with clients including Toyota, Canon, and Sony to set up their international trade strategies.
He received his B.B.A from the University of Missouri and Kanazawa University. Mr. Murata is married Yuki Murata, and they have three adult sons. In his spare time, Mr. Murata enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors, and is avid golfer.
