David Collier: A Dallas Native With a Heart For Real Estate

Everyone has a different path that has led them into the wild and crazy real estate roller coaster. David Collier is the epitome of a Renaissance man and had quite a ride before landing at David Griffin and Company.

Candys Dirt: You’re a Dallas native!

David Collier: Yes, I was born in Casa View and went to Skyline High School’s music cluster. When Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts opened in 1977, all Skyline clusters moved there. I was in the second graduating class. The legendary Paul Baker was the school director. It was a great experience.

CD: So you were on track to be a musician?

DC: I always played keyboards. My older brother was a drummer and gave me an extra set of his drums between 10th and 11th grade. After Booker T., I started playing in different bands and was in Buster Brown when I was 21. By the time I was 27, I was pretty burned out. It was a lot for me because I was the super sheltered kid who didn’t drink. 

CD: What was next? 

DC: Larry Wallace, a music director whose wife was Paula Kay Evans, asked me to audition for American Jukebox, opening at the Plaza Theater in Snider Plaza, and I got in! They knew me from my time with Buster Brown. Edward Love was an Alvin Ailey dancer and the director and choreographer. He directed Tina Turner and Whitney Houston music videos, so the show was outstanding. We toured for four years. We always came back here and played the Majestic, which was great because you had the audience facing you, paying attention, a lot different than playing in a club!

CD: How did you decide on a real estate career?

DC: In 1981, my grandparents had a 50th wedding anniversary, and one of my mom’s friends said I should get into real estate. It was that simple. I got my license but didn’t use it for 10 years! I came back to Dallas in 1991 and went into real estate. 

CD: Why did you choose David Griffin and Company?

DC: They had an edge and were listing and selling more architecturally interesting modern homes.  

CD: What do you do to relax? 

DC: I love listening to live music. I don’t play music anymore, but I still have a drum set! We love to travel and invest in real estate!

CD: Where have you invested?

DC: We fell in love with Costa Rica, built a house, and planned to live there for a year and let the kids learn Spanish. With a global pandemic and some family needs, we decided to put it on VRBO and lease it out for now. We also have a family home in Anna and are considering leasing that out. We built the first modern cabin in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It’s all glass on one side, and people loved it, so we built a second. It’s become a thing! We’ve flipped quite a few properties there. 

CD: Tell us about your family.

DC: My partner, Greg O’Neal, is a designer. We have been together for 20 years and have been parents for 10. Summer is 12, and Thomas is about to turn 14. When we decided to become parents, we went to Hope Cottage, and one of the people there asked if we would consider fostering as a route to adoption. We started the process and got licensed. We got a call through a bit of kismet that siblings needed foster parents. They were 16 months and three at the time and came to us on January 28th, 2011. On my birthday, December 20th, of the following year, we got the news we could proceed with the adoption, the best birthday present ever!

CD: Are there any transactions near and dear to your heart? 

DC: There is a modern ranch-style home at 8222 Garland Road. I would go by as a kid, and I remember seeing through the window that there was a TV in the kitchen, which was very impressive then. Years later, I got to sell the house I’d loved since I was a kid! 

CD: Most influential person in your life? 

DC: As a child, my mother and grandmother. As an adult, I would say a personal friend, David Lampl. He taught me a lot about business and life. 

CD: Do you have a phrase you try to live by? 

DC:  Be kind to everyone you come across and try to live with no regrets. 

CD: What do you enjoy most about working with David Griffin and Company? 

DC: I like the people! It feels like a family to me, and I’ve always felt comfortable there. I like David Griffin’s philosophy about work. I’ve learned a lot from him about balance and how to live life.