116. Leaders as Politicians, Not Politicians as Leaders with Mark Halperin

Mark Halperin joined Boyle Investment Company in February 1973, earning $600 a month. More than 53 years later, he’s still showing up seven days a week, having helped develop and lease approximately 12 million square feet of commercial real estate and witnessed firsthand the forces that have shaped Memphis.

In this episode of Driven By, Mark sits down with Sam Coates to reflect on more than five decades in real estate, the relationships and principles that have guided his career, and what he believes Memphis needs to move forward.

He shares the story of a major office acquisition that nearly fell apart as COVID-19 shut down the country, why some of Boyle’s greatest successes came from deals the company walked away from, and the time the firm returned nearly $500,000 to a tenant who never would have known it had been overcharged.

Mark also offers a candid assessment of Memphis’s economic challenges, from the loss of Northwest Airlines’ hub to the widening gap between Memphis and Nashville. He discusses why he believes data centers could represent a transformative opportunity for the city, provided the right safeguards are in place, and why Memphis needs more “leaders as politicians, not politicians as leaders.”

Along the way, Mark reflects on the mentorship of Henry Morgan Sr., surviving a heart attack at 39, the power of saving and compound interest, and the importance of honesty, hard work and picking up the phone.

His philosophy after more than half a century in business? “I can’t always be right, but I can always be on the scene.”