Real Estate Center names new Chief Economist

Since joining the staff in 2005, Gaines has been the Center’s most quoted research economist in state and national media. He focuses on housing and land development issues.

Gaines was previously president of Rice Center, an urban research organization affiliated with Rice University. For five years, he directed the center’s real estate and urban demographic research programs.

Gaines has more than 35 years of experience in a broad array of professional activities, primarily in real estate research and education, urban economics, land-use analysis and development and project risk assessment. He has worked extensively with major corporations, developers, investors, financial institutions and government agencies across the country.

For 16 years, Gaines was a real estate consultant with KPMG and Arthur Andersen.

His work has involved all aspects of real estate analysis, including modeling market potential and economic capabilities, investment and/or development project risk assessments, identifying alternative land uses, financial and valuation issues, site development and construction risks and opportunities, and strategic corporate real estate planning.

Gaines has been an active real estate educator both at the university level and also for professional programs in real estate appraisal, GRI, CCIM and other training courses. He authored numerous professional papers, articles, monographs and technical reports covering a wide array of real estate topics and analyses. At the Real Estate Center, he has written some 40 articles and technical reports to date. He is in high demand as a speaker.

Gaines’ professional career began as an assistant professor of finance and real estate at Kent State University. Later he was an associate professor of real estate and finance at the University of South Carolina. He holds three real estate degrees from the University of Georgia.

Gaines succeeds Dr. Mark Dotzour who retired after 18 years with the Center.