An enjoyable date night for DeLea Becker and her husband Russ frequently involves driving through select areas of town to look at buildings and talk shop. The two own three businesses in real estate and construction, managing 14 commercial properties — five of which they own.
DeLea (pronounced "De-lee"), who runs the Beck-Reit real estate brokerage and asset management businesses, loves looking at real estate — not necessarily to buy, but to learn what works and what doesn’t. She picks a neighborhood and researches the properties beforehand to get a feel. Once there, she likes to meander down every side street, often touring by bike or on foot, immersing herself in the local vibe.
For vacation, they have been known to rent houses in destination neighborhoods they want to explore.
Beck-Reit bought its first rehab property in East Austin in 2006 and Russ began building spec homes on the east side at SOL Austin, an endeavor that would morph into Beck-Reit & Sons and shift its focus to bridge and highway projects.
During that time, DeLea Becker was still working as an event planner for R Events, a traveling job that she gave up when her son was born in 2006. She jokes that she resisted her husband’s urging to get her real estate license for years but finally did so in December 2012 after they stopped building homes. She then took and passed her broker’s exam in early January 2017 as soon as eligibility allowed.
"I found out quickly I actually enjoyed working with clients. My first two clients were women looking to buy land in East Austin for a development. I worked with Sara Cotner to buy land for Montessori for All, and Amina Haji to buy land for Krisha Community — a Community Wellness & Medical Center. I was quickly hooked," Becker recalled.
Like many small business owners, Becker wears several hats out of necessity. When the last recession hit, she began handling bookkeeping and payroll functions for the construction business, on top of leasing and managing properties for clients.
Although not a numbers person by training, she learned the books by looking back to see how items were accounted for previously and by helping her mentor Gail Whitfield with financials while they both served on the board of the Central Texas Commercial Association of Realtors. She is a firm believer that all small business owners should do their own accounting.
Becker’s penchant for planning and organization was put to the test in 2019 when her husband was diagnosed with cancer.
“The most amazing thing came out of my husband being sick and having cancer. I was forced to work more efficiently. I was able to step out of my comfort zone and remain calm amidst the unknown,” she said. “When the miracle occurred in January 2020 and we received the fourth round of test results showing no cancer, we were so overjoyed that not even coronavirus could dampen our spirits. Navigating our businesses through coronavirus hasn't been easy, but it's a cakewalk compared to the contingencies we were planning around last summer.”
How do you handle everything on your plate? My No. 1 super power is I get out of bed at 4 a.m. My head is full of worry [until] I sit down in my meditation room to read scripture, pray and meditate. I do compartmentalize [and] stack tasks on certain days. I am very protective of my weekends — I do very little work, I do not communicate via email and phone unless it is an emergency.
What are you focused on now? Leasing three properties in East Austin and reviewing insurance for clients. I will continue to focus my efforts in East Austin where I landed right after college graduation. I moved there after UT and my first job was in East Austin. I’ve had roots there for 20 years, longer than any other community in my life.
What is your long-term property acquisition goal? Now, being a planner I do have all the phases of my life sketched out. I want to have built a portfolio of income-producing commercial properties 20 buildings strong. In the long-term, I want this portfolio for my family. I also want my kids, grandkids and down to be able to see their inheritance.
How do you plan for what you don’t know? My motto is get up, suit up, show up. I have gotten very comfortable "flying the plane while I build it." It has come in handy as the pandemic ensued and we have all been left figuring it out by the hour.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in business and what did you learn from it? I started a barbecue business on South 1st, J Mueller BBQ, in 2011. I learned so many things. One, any business I own will have my name on it. Two, any “partner” in the business puts money in, otherwise they are just an employee. Three, don’t get in a rush. We opened in a food trailer rather than waiting patiently to buy a brick-and-mortar location because the pit master was in a hurry to get open. Four, time heals — the more time that is between me and that experience, the less I react to it. The business is a success today. We sold it to LeAnn Mueller in 2013 and it is on Cesar Chavez in East Austin, La Barbecue.
What is the best advice you have received and pass on to others? I can attribute a great deal of my work style to my sister-in-law Randa Becker [who owns R Events]. One, you never come to a client with a problem without having three solutions. Two, you don’t have to dress like everyone else, but you do have to look amazing.
What’s been your biggest accomplishment so far? My biggest personal success was finding my person and sticking with him 21 years. It may sound cliche, but they say the most important decision you make in life is who you marry.
Favorite quote: “Lessons cost money. Good ones cost lots." And, “Chance favors those in motion.”
Best place to meet for networking? My go-to is industry events. CREW, CTCAR, CCIM, ULI, RECA. Commercial brokerage is all about Rolodex. Brokerage is also based on reputation. Commercial brokers gets tons of calls and emails, they return calls and emails from people they know — it's that simple.
What are some efficiencies you have perfected? Pre-plan outfits. I pre-make food on weekends so we have throughout week. I have little containers for everything and pre-measure for each day. I color code everything –– color code paper I write on and print on, the ink I use, and the folders for clients, projects, task, company.
Do you have any collections? Purses and shoes. They are like art to me. Each one, my purse and set of shoes, has a story. I bought a pair of Gucci work boots to celebrate the end of 1201 Cesar Chavez construction. I got a pair of silver Prada shoes in January when I officially finished my service as CTCAR president. I’ve got my eye on a purse for coronavirus survival. Just writing about them makes me smile and relive the joy.
What’s something others may not know about you? I have a very hard time letting go of anything I have ever bought. I always feel that I may want it down the road. And I often find I'm right. Any given week a piece of my outfit will be 20 years old or older. I even kept a box of my favorite Longhorn shirts from my college days. You can spot my 13-year-old wearing them down at the lake this summer. This hoarder is quite pleased with herself.
If not real estate, then what? Like all the old-timers I know in commercial real estate, I’ll be tinkering with it till the day I die. Construction and real estate are it for the Beckers.
Do you have a bucket list? My husband and I want to build or redevelop a property into a community center where they have a food pantry and services for homeless and needy, meeting rooms for 12-step programs and social services on site. I am getting educated over the next five years until my son graduates [from high school] in 2025. I have signed up for the Symposium for Goodness’ Sake at Community First by Alan Graham this August.
What inspires you? An amazing renovation. A redevelopment. A repurposed building. The Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment.
What do you like most about your job? The hunt. Problem solving. Development. Going from idea to finished product
What do you like the least? Dealing with people’s erroneous expectations.
What's your favorite weekend getaway? We have a farm out east by the F1 track. No packing required, just go and hang out in the shop, ride around on the ATV, watch the ducks, donkeys, cows and geese. We just finished a small apartment above the shop last month.
What is your most prized possession? My Rolex watch. It was a six-month anniversary gift for an incredible milestone in my life, from my husband. I am not a watch person, couldn’t even tell you what kind it is. But it reminds me of the biggest blessing in my life. The one blessing that makes all the other blessings possible.
What’s an impulse buy that you later regretted? I’m not very impulsive, at all. I marinate on things longer than most.
What’s the most influential book you’ve read? Emmet Fox's "The Sermon on the Mount." It began my avid reading of the Bible.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Binge-watching TV: Netflix, Hulu. I also love a hot fudge sundae
DeLea Becker
Title: Co-owner, Beck-Reit & Sons, Beck-Reit Commercial Real Estate, Beck-Reit Asset Management
Other roles: Board member at Central Texas Commercial Association of Realtors, where she was 2019 president. Part of Commercial Real Estate Women, CCIM Institute.
Hometown: Clovis, New Mexico. Has also lived in McAllen, Lubbock and New Braunfels before moving to Austin.
Education: Bachelor's degree in kinesiology, University of Texas at Austin
Phone: (512) 786-4589
Email: DeLea@BeckReit.com
