Transwestern Poaches Cushman & Wakefield’s Houston Leader

Clint Bawcom is returning to his roots and taking the reins.

The veteran broker is stepping down as head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Houston office to lead Transwestern Real Estate Services’ local operations, a move that brings him back to the firm where he launched his real estate career, the Houston Business Journal reported.

Bawcom, who joins Transwestern on Aug. 11, will oversee more than 400 professionals managing and leasing 82 million square feet of commercial space in the Houston area. He replaces Kevin Roberts, a 36-year Transwestern veteran, who is shifting to a new role focused on strategic relationships, business development and M&A.

Transwestern President Greg Munson said the transition was “the result of significant forethought and succession planning,” calling Bawcom “exceptionally equipped” to lead the Houston office through the firm’s next phase of growth.

Bawcom brings over 25 years of experience and a deep resume that includes stints at Brookfield Properties and Cassidy Turley. During his time at Brookfield, he closed major leases with tenants like TotalEnergies and Direct Energy. He has led Cushman’s Houston team since 2021.

Bawcom’s appointment comes as Transwestern looks to better align its brokerage, property management, development and investment arms, as well as capitalize market disruptions in Houston’s still-volatile office sector.

The leadership change also follows a string of shakeups at Cushman & Wakefield. Earlier this year, the firm lost a seven-person leasing team, including Chip Colvill, to Partners Real Estate. Other teams in Houston and Atlanta have also defected. In April, Cushman hired a three-person team to lead office agency leasing in Houston.

Transwestern is a privately held commercial real estate firm, founded as a development firm by Robert Duncan in 1978. The firm has a strong presence across the Texas Triangle, but it’s also active in Chicago, Los Angeles and many other major U.S. metros.

— Judah Duke