July 19, 2015


By Randy Jelinek
– Commercial Appeal –

Mark Halperin, executive vice president of Boyle Investment Co., says success in the commercial real estate business is all about setting appropriate customer expectations — then exceeding them.

Halperin, 60, has been leasing and managing office buildings with Boyle for almost 37 years, a length of service that mirrors the longevity of some of Boyle’s clients, he says.

"This week, we just signed a second-generation lease with a tenant (pediatric dentist Dr. Wes McCann) that, when their lease runs out, will have been with us for 42 years," he said.

After studying accounting and real estate, Halperin graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1972. He joined Boyle in early February 1973 and has worked there ever since.

As Boyle’s executive vice president, Halperin focuses on multitenant and single-purpose office properties, and oversees the leasing and management of more than 2 million square feet of office space. Boyle properties managed by Halperin include The Marsh building on Ridgeway, the SunTrust building on Shady Grove, and Thomas & Betts corporate headquarters in Southwind.

In 2007, Halperin was named Commercial Broker of the Year by the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council. In 2008 he received the Realtors Commercial Alliance National Award from the commercial division of the National Association of Realtors.

Halperin says his success in business isn’t based on what he does, but on who he does it with.

"I don’t mean to be flippant, because the recognition is nice, but what I do, I don’t do by myself," he said. "Here at Boyle, it is really a team effort."

Halperin says he spends a lot of time on the leasing process, meeting and working with prospective tenants to establish long-term relationships.

He says his personal and professional philosophies are based on a point his father always made.

"I make my rabbi crazy," Halperin said, "because there are 10 commandments and in Judaism, really more than 600 commandments altogether."

But, "My father said, ‘All you have to do is follow one and it covers every commandment known to mankind. All you gotta do is the right thing. It may not always be in your best interest. It may not be convenient. It may be painful, but if you do the right thing, your life, as far as you can control it, will be pretty good.’"

Halperin’s father, who died 15 years ago, is still Halperin’s role model. "I hope the people around me recognize that trait in me as well," Halperin said.

Profession: Executive vice president, Boyle Investment Company

Age: 60

Education: B.S. in accounting, University of Tennessee

Family: Wife, Diane (22 years); sister, Laurie in St. Louis; brother, Scott in Houston