Chapter 3Ronald Terwilliger
1Trammell Crow Residential, Dallas, Texas, USA

The secret to living is giving
Of all the Real Estate Titans I had the pleasure of interviewing, none displayed so much passion for addressing the affordable housing problems in the United States as Ronald Terwilliger. One of his current life missions, which can be summed through this quote—“In my philanthropic life, I’ve tried to demonstrate my belief that hope begins with access to a decent, affordable home. I want to help ensure a leveraged, sustained impact beyond my lifetime and inspire others to make the commitment to support affordable housing”—is truly inspiring to hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Ronald Terwilliger continues to make colossal improvements in the lives of tens of thousands of low-income families around the world by enhancing their housing conditions.
Love What You Do
I have learned that it is important to find an occupation that you truly enjoy. Going to work on Monday morning should be something you look forward to just as much as taking family time on a weekend. My 30 years at Trammell Crow Residential were a great joy to me as I worked in a partnership culture where everyone had aligned interests. We had a work hard/play hard culture, and while the partners became great friends, it was clear that business was our first priority.
I came from a modest beginning ...