About Us history and founders
Austin-based HPI Real Estate Services and Investments is a locally owned and operated business. D. Kent Lance Jr., Dick Anderson and Richard Hill, all successful former Trammel Crow Co. executives, co-founded the company based on knowledge, integrity, and exceptional client services. HPI clients appreciate the founding partners’ 70 years of combined experience, personal involvement and availability. The partners serve on many boards in the Austin community, including the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, The Austin Texas Exes, and the UT Business School Advisory Board, to name a few. Being involved in the community helps HPI maintain relationships and provide unique insight for negotiating deals with Austin businesses. Through valuable leadership and expertise, HPI has grown to be a leading provider of commercial real estate services in the Central Texas community.
Dick Anderson
Dick Anderson immediately joined the Trammell Crow Co.'s Austin office after graduating from Southern Methodist University in 1987. Within a year Dick progressed from an internship to marketing representative. Crow promoted Dick to marketing director of its industrial division in January 1992. Five years after joining the company, Dick and fellow Crow executives D. Kent Lance Jr. and Richard Hill left the firm to form HPI at the end of 1992. Dick oversees HPI’s day-to-day operations. His tasks range from development to acquisitions and sales, leasing, and assembling private equity deals. Though Dick may be tackling several issues at any given time, he prides himself on constant attention to detail, through understanding and relating every element to larger objectives. Dick serves on the boards of directors for Active Power Inc. (NASDAQ: ACPW) and the Busby Foundation. His past associations have been on the board of directors for the ARC of the Capital Area, NetBotz Inc., and Ballet Austin. He is a former director of Keep Austin Beautiful. He also served as account executive for United Way and was a member of the Cedar Park Economic Development Committee.
Richard Hill
Richard's real estate career draws strength from a background in accounting - After earning a business degree at the University of Texas in 1976, Richard continued at UT's business school to complete an MBA in 1978. Richard served as senior accountant at Arthur Young & Co. in Dallas for two years after graduation, and during his years at Trammell Crow, he served on the company's national audit committee. Richard Hill co-founded HPI in 1992, concluding more than a decade of service at Trammell Crow. At Crow, Richard was the partner in charge of the office and industrial divisions at the Austin office as well as the industrial division in San Antonio. Richard generally limits his direct involvement at HPI to capital deals such as acquisitions and sales, financing, and recruiting new equity partners.
D. Kent Lance Jr.
D. Kent Lance Jr. earned a degree in business administration from the University of Texas in 1984 and went to work for the Trammell Crow Co. upon graduation. At Crow, he served as a marketing principal from 1984 to 1989, and as project partner of the industrial division from 1989 to December 1992. Kent was one of the most successful leasing agents at Trammell Crow before he left the firm to co-found what is now HPI with Dick and Richard in 1992. In 1986, Kent earned Crow's National Annual Leasing Award for the most service center office space leased. Kent understands that HPI owes much of its success to the growth of its tenants. With that in mind, Kent works to strengthen relationships with existing tenants and establish ties with new and potential customers by staying involved in the Austin community.