Each year, Midwest Real Estate News inducts a new class into its Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. This year, we’re running profiles of these new inductees online. Today we look at the busy career of Tripp Hardin, executive director with the St. Louis office of Cushman & Wakefield.
Tripp Hardin ranks as one of the longest-tenured and most accomplished brokers in the key Midwest market of St. Louis. Hardin, executive director of Cushman & Wakefield’s St. Louis office, has worked in the commercial real estate industry for more than 34 years. And he’s done it with an incredible level of success.
During his long career, Hardin has built a reputation as a go-to advisor for his clients. When the stakes are highest and the deals are at their most complex, this real estate veteran finds the best solutions for his clients.
Hardin built his career by forming long-standing relationships with some of the largest tenants and investors in the St. Louis market. He’s known for his two-decade tenures with both Express Scripts and Scottrade|TD Ameritrade, performing several transactions for each of the companies in St. Louis and across the country. His list of repeat clients includes giants such as Duke, Realty Trust Income, Clayco, Pepsi, Merrill Lynch and Siemens.
“I was fortunate to have a great mentor early in my career in Peter Krombach,” Hardin said. “I learned the brokerage business through him and through several of the senior level agents within his company. With that base, I tried my best to earn a reputation for being a strong performer, which comes from dedication, competitive drive and, most importantly, treating people the right way.”
Hardin has taken on several major projects, too, from 500,000-square-foot build-to-suit corporate headquarters to 1.4-million-square-foot warehouse dispositions.
The secret to Hardin’s success? His peers point to his ability to analyze a situation, define a strategy and execute with a high degree of competency. Hardin has also worked hard to create and maintain a positive reputation with his coworkers and competitors alike in the market. He’s proud, too, of his ethics, integrity and cooperation.
His peers pay Hardin the highest compliment when they say it’s difficult to imagine the St. Louis CRE market without his presence.
How does Hardin spend his time away from work? He says that being with his family tops the list. “We are busy, but we try to make it fun,” he says.
Hardin also does his best to keep healthy through exercise and playing sports.
