Presented by The Dallas Regional Chamber

The expansion of RealPage to Dallas-Fort Worth is a clear illustration of advantages that North Texas presents in keeping and attracting software and computer systems specialists, and the companies that employ them.

RealPage, which develops computer software and smartphone apps for real estate property management, employs about 1,000 developers and project managers in the United States and Asia. The company started at a small location within the International Business Park in Plano, and grew rapidly, moving to locations in Carrollton, both suburbs of Dallas.

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Where ‘Big D’ Stands for Digital

At that point, RealPage could have moved anywhere to continue its upward trajectory. It chose Dallas-Fort Worth, landing in a building formerly owned by Nortel in the rejuvenated Telecom Corridor of Richardson, another Dallas suburb.

“We needed a new facility, and we were attracted to Richardson, and I have to say, of all the selling points that swung the deal was this idea of government and business cooperating,” RealPage CEO and Founder Stephen T. Winn said.

“Partnering together, we’ve got greater organizations. We employ people all over the United States. We’ve got several large offices outside of Texas. But no one even comes close to the success and cooperation that we get here. This is why Texas is winning. It is obvious when you go around the country, and you say, ‘Why is this great state growing the way it is, attracting the jobs we attract you want to attract?’ It’s because of the work you folks have done, in partnership with business.”

As an example of public and private cooperation, RealPage faced an industry upheaval when software developers switched programming languages. The company worked with the Texas Workforce Commission and Richland Community College to train existing and incoming workers in the “hot” new language — PHP — to meet that challenge.

As part of that initiative, TWC provided a $1.3 million Skills Development Fund grant that helped hone the skills of about 700 RealPage employees, 200 of which were new hires. Instructors from Richland provided about 26,000 hours of customized training, half of which involved emerging information technology.

This story first appeared in Dallas Innovates 2018, an annual magazine that showcases Dallas-Fort Worth as a hub of innovation. Read more about the region’s game changers, disruptors, creatives, and our new frontiers in the digital edition.