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Commercial real estate 路 Dallas
Murphy D. Cheatham II. Real estate built to last a generation.
Two decades in real estate development, city housing and business development, brokerage, and private client work. Today Murphy is Private Clients Director at CBRE, host of The Murphy Cheatham Podcast, and the real estate voice of Tierra Firme.
20+ yearsin real estate
$300M+mixed-use projects planned
MRED '07Arizona State, inaugural class
On the podcastJaylon SmithTyson ChandlerRISE Family OfficePaul WigginsJade Parrish Marks
A short film 路 1:57
Who is Murphy Cheatham?
Commercial real estate executive, podcast host and founding member of Tierra Firme, on where capital is moving next and how anyone, from any starting point, can build wealth and a legacy.
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Read the transcript
Where you start does not decide where you finish. Murphy D. Cheatham II has spent more than twenty years on every side of the table. Development. City government. Private capital for families and high net worth investors. More than three hundred million dollars in projects planned. On The Murphy Cheatham Podcast, NFL veterans, NBA champions, founders and researchers reveal how they built wealth, and how you can too. Now the ground is shifting. Capital is moving, faster and farther than at any time in years. In the first half of 2026, cross-border money made up more than a fifth of all commercial real estate investment worldwide. Sixty percent of family offices surveyed by UBS plan to change how they invest. JLL projects data center capacity will nearly double by 2030. And Mexico jumped six places in Kearney's index for foreign investment. When the world shifts like this, the winners are rarely the ones who predicted it. They are the ones who were structured for it. Income in more than one currency. Assets that pay in more than one economy. Debt matched to the asset. Partners who know the ground. With Tierra Firme, Murphy takes that discipline to the ground in Colombia and Latin America. And every month, in Borderless Capital, he breaks it down. One deal. One market. One question. Free, for people building a global balance sheet that pays them, wherever they choose to live. No matter your position in life, you can prosper. Measure twice. Cut once. Murphy Cheatham. Build your legacy.
Work with Murphy
How can Murphy help you build what lasts?
"Real estate is a product of the needs of society's use of space." Murphy Cheatham, ASU W. P. Carey interview, 2023
Be on the podcast
Guest and sponsor requests for The Murphy Cheatham Podcast, where leaders, athletes and founders share how they built wealth.
Pitch a conversationTierra Firme seminars
Learn how to evaluate real estate and capital in Colombia and Latin America with Murphy and his Tierra Firme partners.
Join the next seminarAsk Murphy a question
Straight answers on cap rates, financing, family offices, investing abroad and career moves. New questions become new answers.
Get answers20+ yearsDevelopment, public sector, brokerage and private client advisory
$300M+Mixed-use real estate strategically planned with HDR, Inc.
ChiefHousing and Business Development, City of Shreveport
DirectorPrivate Clients, CBRE, Dallas
MRED '07Inaugural Master of Real Estate Development class, Arizona State
BoardGrambling State University Foundation
HostThe Murphy Cheatham Podcast, with guests from the NFL, NBA and family offices
Tierra FirmeFounding member, commercial real estate seat
At a glance
Murphy Cheatham: key facts
Sources: CBRE, Arizona State University W. P. Carey School of Business. Last updated .
- Full name
- Murphy D. Cheatham II
- Role
- Private Clients Director, CBRE (Dallas, Texas)
- Experience
- More than 20 years in commercial real estate: development, public sector, brokerage and private client advisory
- Projects
- Strategic planning of more than $300 million in mixed-use real estate with HDR, Inc.
- Public sector
- Former Chief of Housing and Business Development, City of Shreveport, Louisiana
- Education
- Grambling State University; Master of Real Estate Development, Arizona State University (inaugural class, 2007)
- Service
- Grambling State University Foundation board; helped create the ASU and Grambling State real estate partnership
- Media
- Host, The Murphy Cheatham Podcast (YouTube: @themurphycheathampodcast)
- Ventures
- Founding member of Tierra Firme, covering commercial real estate in Colombia and Latin America
- Philosophy
- Measure twice. Cut once.
Career
What has Murphy built?
A career that runs from sustainable development to public housing to private capital, each step adding a layer of how real estate actually gets financed, approved, and owned.
- Development
Galleries at Turney, The Modus Development Group
Managed a multi-million-dollar project with a focus on energy-efficient design and development.
- Planning
Mixed-use strategy with HDR, Inc.
Instrumental in strategic planning for more than $300 million in mixed-use real estate projects across several states.
- Public sector
Chief of Housing and Business Development, City of Shreveport
Managed multi-million-dollar budgets to revitalize underserved communities and grow local business.
- Brokerage and coaching
CBRE, Dallas
Commercial real estate brokerage, then Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Manager, coaching commercial real estate producers to establish a foothold and grow toward market leadership.
- Today
Private Clients Director, CBRE
Leads a team serving private families and high net worth individuals: sourcing and servicing debt and equity, optimizing portfolios, and managing properties.
- Giving back
Grambling State University and Arizona State University
Serves on the Grambling State University Foundation board. Connected ASU's Master of Real Estate Development program with Grambling State and helped bring the partnership forward, so GSU students can graduate with a focus in real estate and enter the industry early.
Tierra Firme
What is Murphy's role in Tierra Firme?
Tierra Firme is a consortium of three practitioners producing educational content and seminars for people weighing capital in Colombia and Latin America. Murphy holds the real estate seat: what a property abroad is worth, what your income reaches there, and how to own it without getting burned.
The Ground
Murphy D. Cheatham II
Commercial real estate. The asset, the deal structure, and how ownership actually works.
Market access
Shawn Christopher Leamon
Business and operations on the ground in Colombia.
Research
Todd Allyn
Macro, currency, and country intelligence from Sovereo Intelligence Research.
Tierra Firme is educational. It does not list property or broker transactions. Learn more about Tierra Firme.
The Murphy Cheatham Podcast
Watch all 36 episodes and clips
Where can I watch Murphy?
On The Murphy Cheatham Podcast, Murphy talks with leaders, founders, athletes and professionals about business, leadership, wealth and the decisions behind long careers. One rule runs through every episode: measure twice, cut once.
Latest episode 路 28:46
Jaylon Smith: NFL Veteran, Father, Brother, Founder
Plays right here on Murphy's site.
Answers
What can Murphy answer for you?
Straight answers on commercial real estate, financing, generational wealth, investing abroad and building a long career. 38 questions and counting.
What is a cap rate?
A capitalization rate is a property's net operating income divided by its price.
Read the answerShould I use debt or equity to finance a property?
Debt carries a fixed cost and a repayment obligation, but you keep full ownership and leverage can amplify returns.
Read the answerWhat is a family office?
A family office is a private firm that manages a wealthy family's investments, taxes, estate planning, philanthropy and often real estate.
Read the answerWhy is real estate used to build generational wealth?
Real estate combines several wealth builders in one asset: income from rent, appreciation over time, leverage that lets a family control more property than its cash alone could buy, and tax treatment such as depreciation.
Read the answerCan Americans buy property in Colombia?
Yes.
Read the answerWhat does 'measure twice, cut once' mean for decisions?
It is the philosophy behind The Murphy Cheatham Podcast.
Read the answerFree monthly newsletter
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Borderless Capital
Real estate and private capital across borders: one deal, one market, one reader question and the practical side of a global life, every month. Tierra Firme seminars announced here first.
FAQ
Questions people ask about Murphy
Last updated
Who is Murphy Cheatham?
Murphy D. Cheatham II is a commercial real estate executive based in Dallas, Texas, with more than two decades across development, public sector housing and business development, brokerage, and private client advisory. He is Private Clients Director at CBRE and a founding member of Tierra Firme.
What does Murphy do at CBRE?
As Private Clients Director at CBRE, Murphy leads a team that works with private families and high net worth individuals. The work includes sourcing and servicing debt and equity, optimizing real estate portfolios, and managing properties.
What is Tierra Firme?
Tierra Firme is a consortium of three practitioners in commercial real estate, business and family capital, and intelligence research. It produces educational content and seminars for people weighing capital in Colombia and Latin America. Murphy covers the real estate side.
Does Murphy give investment advice on this site?
No. Videos, articles and seminar material on this site are educational. They are not investment, tax or legal advice. Decisions stay with you and your own advisers.
Where did Murphy study?
Murphy is an alumnus of Grambling State University and Arizona State University, where he was in the inaugural Master of Real Estate Development class (MRED 2007). He helped create a real estate education partnership between the two schools.
Does Murphy have a podcast?
Yes. Murphy hosts The Murphy Cheatham Podcast on YouTube, with conversations on leadership, business, wealth and long careers. Guests include NFL veteran Jaylon Smith and NBA champion Tyson Chandler. Every episode plays on this site.
How do I contact Murphy?
Use the contact form on this page. Speaking, media and Tierra Firme seminar inquiries are answered first.
Contact
How do I reach Murphy?
Send a note about speaking, media, panels, or Tierra Firme seminars.