A FEW MINUTES WITH DUNCAN GRATTON OF CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
Duncan Gratton is Executive Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield.
What is Cushman and Wakefield?
Cushman & Wakefield is a global real estate service firm.
What do you actually do for Core?
For Core, we’re doing the leasing and marketing for the first phase of life science buildings in the On the Dot® development. There are three potential lab buildings in the first phase. We’re finding tenants, that’s our job. We’re the leasing agents for Core.
What else do you do besides work for Core?
My primary focus at Cushman & Wakefield is marketing large scale commercial development projects, both office and life science. Our major clients include Hines at South Station Tower in Boston, 245 Fifth Avenue in Waltham for Anchor Line [Partners], 66 Galen Street in Watertown for Boston Development Group and The Davis Companies, and 808 Windsor Street in Somerville for DLJ [Real Estate Capital Partners] and Leggat McCall Properties.
What did you do before Cushman?
I’ve been in commercial real estate my entire career. The most interesting part of my career — other than now — is the middle 15 years. I worked for Equity Office Properties Trust, before that [it was] Beacon Properties, doing in house leasing. My first project was The Wellesley Office Park. I worked for the owner directly, mostly on office assets. I started with the Beacon Properties, which was acquired by Equity Office Properties in 1997, ultimately growing to almost 13 million square feet in Greater Boston. I was in charge of leasing assets. In 2008 EOP was sold to Blackstone. That’s when I went back to the commercial brokerage business with FHO Partners, which ultimately merged into Cushman & Wakefield.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Boston University. I was a political science major. I thought I might want to be a lawyer.
And where did you grow up?
In Worcester. My dad was a lawyer. Back then, growing up in Worcester, most of us wanted to get to Boston as fast as we could. I like to say that “Harvard was full at the time, so I went to B.U.” But I loved BU and being in Boston and I never left.
Where do you live now?
I live in the Seaport, after 25 years in Wellesley. Moved in 2015, been there ever since.
Have you got good views?
Absolutely! We’re on the 18th floor overlooking the Fort Point Channel and the city skyline.
What do you do to have fun when you’re not working?
My biggest hobby is I’m an avid golfer. I try to play a lot of competitive golf. There’s a senior circuit I play in. My wife recently retired after 40 years as a flight attendant for Delta. As a result, we have some very nice travel benefits and enjoy traveling, mostly to western Europe. I’m also chasing around my first grandson, who is 8 months old.
What’s your golf handicap?
Currently 2.8.
Wow! What’s a favorite place of yours in the Boston area?
We have a summer home in Marion, which is on Buzzards Bay. I would say I’m a big fan of the North End and the Waterfront. I don’t have a favorite restaurant.
Is there anything else new in your life?
My grandson is the newest — that’s a big one. I love to hang out and spend time with him. They live in Hoboken, New Jersey, but they’re moving back to Boston in May. They were in Hoboken for three years, and we didn’t think they were ever coming back to Boston, so that was happy news.