2011-12-05
Promotion of Bright Realty Projects in National Spotlight

Three unique promotional campaigns for Bright Realty have gained national recognition. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) awarded Bright Realty’s Castle Hills with five Silver Awards for “superior marketing achievements” from the NAHB’s National Sales & Marketing Council. Bright Realty is the developer of Castle Hills, a master-planned community located in north Dallas. Castle Hills was recognized with three distinct Silver Awards: Best Special Promotion, Best Social Marketing Program and Best Overall Advertising Campaign for the one-of-a-kind “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” branded entertainment feature. “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” is a 51-minute, family-friendly feature film that BCM produced for client Bright Realty. The unique movie vehicle incorporates film-making and social marketing to tell a real estate story in a completely new, engaging and relevant way.

Castle Hills also won Silver Awards for Best Website for a Community and Community of the Year for client Castle Hills. The marketing campaigns were created by Bright and Co. Marketing (BCM) which serves as in-house marketing communications and advertising agency for Bright Realty. As Silver Award winners for their region, BCM is eligible for the National Sales and Marketing Council’s prestigious national Gold Awards at the NAHB’s upcoming 31st annual national sales and marketing awards ceremony, to be held in conjunction with the International Builder’s Show in Orlando, Florida in February.

2011-11-11
Bright Realty Brokers Mammoth-Size Lease

Bright Realty brokered the lease of a 46,500 square foot site in Allen for Billings Productions. The site, located at 1277 Republic Pkwy, will serve as the new and expanded headquarters for Billings Productions, North America’s leading provider of life-size animatronic dinosaurs for zoos, museums and theme parks. The lease was brokered by Bright Realty associate Tony Albanese. John Hendricks of CBRE represented the landlord.

Billings Productions has created dinosaurs for clients all over the world, including the Fort Worth Zoo, Houston Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo and Gardens, Detroit Zoo, France’s Dinovotion and Japan’s Misaki Park. With the move to its new headquarters, all dinosaurs—from the Allosaurus to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, each with its own electronic brain to activate and control movement and sounds—will be created on-site at the new Allen headquarters.

2011-10-18
Lunada Tex-Mex Grill Signed to Castle Hills Village Shops and Plaza

Bright Realty announced the signing of a new restaurant in the Castle Hills Village Shops and Plaza. The family-friendly Lunada Tex-Mex Grill will open December 2011 at 2560 King Arthur Blvd. in the Castle Hills community. The 2,561 square foot space will feature both traditional and unique Tex-Mex menu items in addition to an original taco menu. The lease was brokered by Bright Realty associate Elizabeth Ocando.

The restaurant is being opened and operated by award-winning local restaurateur Lisa Galvan, who launched and previously owned Luna de Noche restaurants in the Dallas area. With Luna de Noche, Galvan received recognition for the restaurant’s menu items from D magazine, Travel Host of Dallas, AOL City Guide and the Dallas Observer, among others.

Galvan’s partner in Lunada is food and beverage consultant Gerald Walker, former president of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association and owner of several popular franchise restaurants. Also making up the Lunada team are Arnold Nitishin, partner and principle in CT Restaurant Management Services Group and Galvan’s son, Vance, who has managed several full service restaurants.

2011-10-05
REO Sale on 17,510 SF Fort Worth Site

Bright Realty announced it brokered the sale of a 17,510-square foot retail site in west Fort Worth. The one-story strip center is located at 5750. W. Vickery at Bryant Irvin Blvd. The REO sale of the partially built shopping center was brokered by Bright Realty associates Tony Albanese and Kerry Assa . Buyer and price are undisclosed.

2011-09-13
Bright Realty’s “The Lakes at Castle Hills” Golf Course Opens with Extensive Renovations

Bright Realty announced the upcoming grand opening of The Lakes at Castle Hills. The golf course, which has undergone a complete renovation, is located at 699 Lady of the Lake Blvd., in the Lewisville master-planned community of Castle Hills. The grand opening, which will be marked with a limited number of commemorative golf rounds, is Saturday, September 24, 2011. Formerly The Golf Club at Castle Hills, The Lakes at Castle Hills has been renamed as part of the new ownership by Bright Realty.

The September 24th grand opening festivities will showcase the club and course via various events that are open to the public. Golfers will have the opportunity to experience the new course via the purchase of a commemorative round of golf. A limited number of commemorative rounds are available and are expected to sell out. Each all-inclusive commemorative round includes a round of golf, all food and non-alcoholic beverages, a commemorative bag tag, $50 gift card to the pro shop plus a chance to win Par 3 and hole-in-one prizes. Following the rounds, players will enjoy a long drive exhibition with Nyle “Nyleator” Pruitt. Opening day festivities will conclude with a complimentary Hank Haney golf clinic at the practice range.

The focus of the grand opening is the golf course, and players will get the chance to experience first-hand the comprehensive renovation completed over the summer. The 18-hole, 7,152 yard course has reconfigured fairways with the addition of a number of lakes, fountains and streams. As part of the renovation, the Jay Morrish-designed course now features premium mini verde greens throughout the course—one of very few courses in the area with this superior surface—and Bermuda grass fairways and roughs. The course also features premier white crushed quartz bunker sands, used by the Colonial and Dallas Country Club.

“We are pleased to offer golfers an experience on this level,” said Chris Bright, Bright Realty CEO. “Our newly renovated course will offer an unmatched golf experience to both novice and experienced players. The overall club experience will also offer a level of personal service unmatched in the area.”

Coinciding with the extensive renovation, Hank Haney recently announced he has chosen The Lakes at Castle Hills as world headquarters of the Hank Haney Golf Schools and the site of a new Hank Haney Golf Academy. Haney brings to the course state-of-the-art instruction along with an award-winning teaching staff. It was also recently announced that The Lakes at Castle Hills will host the North Texas PGA’s 2012 Texas State Open.

Future planned improvements at The Lakes at Castle Hills include a redesigned club house and resort-style swimming and outdoor dining facilities. A fitness facility, tennis courts and upgraded locker and storage facilities will also be added. Casual and formal dining options feature menus from Star Certified Executive Chef Calbert McDonald, who has more than 20 years of experience and is classically trained in French cuisine. The Lakes at Castle Hills offers a wide range of meeting and special event packages and a full-service pro shop. The club is open for daily fee rounds and dining until it becomes a fully private country club. A variety of membership options are currently available.

“Castle Hills is the fastest-growing community in the DFW area and has always offered outstanding amenities. The Lakes at Castle Hills is yet another unmatched amenity we offer the community and the ultimate golfing experience,” adds Bright.

For information about The Lakes at Castle Hills and to purchase commemorative opening day golf rounds, visit www.TheLakesatCastleHills.com or call 972-889-7400 ext.224.

2011-09-06
Bright Realty Announced as New Title Sponsor of the Texas State Open

Bright Realty is pleased to announce its role as new title sponsor of the Texas State Open. The Bright Realty Texas State Open will be conducted at The Lakes at Castle Hills in Lewisville, Texas. The golf course (formerly The Golf Club at Castle Hills) has been renamed as part of the new ownership by Bright Realty, which will serve as sponsor of the Northern Texas PGA’s tournament for three years beginning August 2012.

"We are honored to host the 42nd Annual Texas State Open golf championship at The Lakes at Castle Hills and excited about many years of partnering this great Texas tradition with our great golf course," said Chris Bright, Bright Realty CEO. “We consider this another significant step forward in the rebirth of our classic North Texas golf course. The combination of some of Texas' finest golfers and one of its best new courses is a tremendous win for our community, golfers and fans.”

The Lakes at Castle Hills features a Jay Morrish-designed 18-hole championship course and is home to the world headquarters of the Hank Haney Golf Schools and the site of a new Hank Haney Golf Academy. The newly updated 7,152-yard course has undergone a complete renovation with reconfigured fairways and the addition of several lakes, fountains, premium grass and bunker sand. PGA professional Chris Martinez serves as general manager of the course.

“To see the future legends of Texas golf play on this greatly improved and renovated course at The Lakes at Castle Hills will be very exciting for local golf fans, our many outstanding Lone Star golfers and our great community here. With a past winners list including Ben Crenshaw, Lee Trevino and Jeff Maggert, we look forward to hosting the Texas State Open and seeing who emerges as champions over the next several years,” said Martinez.

"The Texas State Open has a long and storied history with many great champions and wonderful host sites. It is fitting that an event of this stature will be played at The Lakes at Castle Hills. Bright Realty is creating a world class golf experience and the Northern Texas PGA is very excited to be able to conduct the Bright Realty Texas State Open at the facility," said Mark Harrison, executive director of the Northern Texas PGA.

NTPGA Website

2011-08-12
The Lakes at Castle Hills Chosen as New Site for World Headquarters of Hank Haney Golf Schools

Lewisville, TX (August 15, 2011) – Renowned golf instructor Hank Haney has chosen The Lakes at Castle Hills as home and headquarters for the Hank Haney Golf Schools and the site of a new Hank Haney Golf Academy. The Lakes at Castle Hills is located at 699 Lady of the Lake Blvd., in the Lewisville master-planned community of Castle Hills. The course (formerly The Golf Club at Castle Hills) has been renamed as part of the new ownership by Bright Realty.

Hank Haney is considered a world leader in golf instruction. Haney has taught over 50,000 golf lessons in his career, his students have won every major championship and he has worked with hundreds of top-ranked pros and is most known for the six years he spent coaching Tiger Woods and the 25 years he spent coaching Masters and British Open champion Mark O'Meara.

“With the great support of Bright Realty in creating a truly world class golf facility, coupled with the latest golf teaching technologies, we have a chance to make learning golf a great experience here at The Lakes at Castle Hills,” says Haney. “We are proud to include The Lakes at Castle Hills Academy as one of our premier teaching and training centers in Texas,” adds Haney.

“It is an honor to have been chosen as the site for Haney’s internationally recognized Golf Academy and its Golf School world headquarters,” said Chris Bright, Bright Realty CEO. “The world class golf services offered by Haney’s associates will complement The Lakes at Castle Hills, a 7,152-yard championship course and club which is currently undergoing a complete upgrade and renovation with plans to re-open in September.”

The Hank Haney Golf Academy at The Lakes at Castle Hills will feature Haney’s elite instruction and his award-winning staff, as well as an outstanding practice facility:

Instruction
Hank Haney Golf instruction is considered the finest in the world, based on the practical, experience and formal technical training of swing plane mechanics taught through the Hank Haney Certified method. Hank Haney Golf teaching methodologies at The Lakes at Castle Hills include a variety of personal and group lesson options, specialty seminars and workshops. The Academy features advanced state-of-the-art teaching and training technology including indoor swing lab offering Online Skills Coach video and motion analysis, Cool Clubs custom club fitting center and innovative studio devoted to the intricacies of putting.

Staff
The award-winning teaching staff at the Academy includes six full-time instructors led by Director of Instruction Peter Krause. Krause is a PGA National Teacher of the Year and a GOLF magazine Top 100 Teacher in America. He was awarded the Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year six times and named Spalding Top-Flite National Teacher of the Year.

Facility
The Hank Haney Golf Academy at The Lakes at Castle Hills currently exceeds the standards of most golf practice facilities in Texas with enormous grass tees at either end of its 510-yard range and three full-length practice holes (a par-3, par-4 and par-5).

“Our partnership with Hank Haney speaks to Bright Realty’s commitment to the significant improvements underway at The Lakes at Castle Hills and the Academy,” says Bright. “Castle Hills is the fastest-growing community in the DFW area and has always offered outstanding amenities. The addition of The Hank Haney Golf Academy at The Lakes at Castle Hills is yet another unmatched amenity we offer the community,” adds Bright.

2011-07-18
Bright Realty’s “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” Crosses the Ocean with London Coverage

Dallas, TX (July 18, 2011) - Bright Realty’s “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” was recently featured in a special edition of London’s “Global Innovation Report,” a quarterly publication that highlights the latest emerging trends in retail and hospitality across the world. A feature titled “Broadcast Your Brand” touches on “the future of product placement” and “turning viewers into customers” while highlighting the ten top product placement projects around the world. “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” was among the ten, taking creative license and branded entertainment “a step further.”

2011-07-06
Bright Realty Successfully Leases Castle Hills Village Shops Phases I and II

Dallas, TX (July 1, 2011) - Bright Realty is pleased to announce that the Castle Hills Village Shops and Plaza Phases I and II are 90 percent leased. The leasing success of Phases I and II will be marked with the planned groundbreaking for Phase III, located within the same site.

Currently, the Village Shops includes more than 82,861 square feet of retail and office space in the heart of Lewisville’s master-planned Castle Hills community. Bright Realty successfully leased the space in spite of challenging economic conditions and a location that is relatively unknown outside of Castle Hills.

“The challenge with the Village Shops, which is situated in the middle of a community and not readily accessible from any major intersections, was to capture an audience outside the neighborhood, in addition to capturing those already there,” said Tim McNutt, director of commercial leasing. “The current economy added to that challenge.”

In order to meet the challenge, Bright Realty developed an extensive marketing plan that focused on the right use for the Castle Hills Village Shops, which built momentum in leasing activities and ultimately led to the lease-up. “That plan included a Residential Strategy Summary Report that gave us a residential insight for target use,” said McNutt. “We tackled visibility challenges with marketing incentives and took it to the streets. The marketing plan also included partnering with BCM, Bright Realty’s marketing arm, for weekly events in the Plaza to draw outside traffic. In addition to hosting a Saturday farmer’s market, the Village Shops and Plaza location serves as venue for concerts, game nights, and family-friendly activities.” The Village Shops now buzz with activity and tenants offering a wide variety of conveniences and dining options.

“The success in leasing this location shows that Bright Realty is up to any task,” added Elizabeth Ocando, commercial leasing and sales agent. “We are proud that our research, analysis, planning and solid expertise allow us to meet the needs of our clients.”

Phase I of the Village Shops opened in 2004, and Phase II opened in 2008. Groundbreaking on Phase III is planned for the coming year. Phase III is pre-leasing now, with approximately 20,000 square feet for retail and dining, including an expanded outdoor dining and entertainment area, fountains, beautiful landscaping and stone elevation. The second floor office space featuring approximately 25,000 square feet is successfully pre-leased. With the addition of Phase III, the Village Shops will total 128,000 square feet in office and retail space.

The Castle Hills Village Shops and Plaza is located at 2560 King Arthur Blvd. in the Castle Hills community, which is ranked as the fastest growing master-planned community in DFW. Village Shops tenants in the “walkable” community include That’s the Cake! Bakery, TRU Salon, Escape’ Coffee and Donuts, The Village Market, Twisted Spoon Café, Sushi Wa, Hill Brothers Cleaners, Celebrate it! Balloons & Gifts, Castle Hills Chiropractic, Edward Jones, Choice Nails, Crepe & Cream, Doors 4 Pets & People, Liberty Postal, Castle Hills Dental, Castle Hills Day Spa, Taekwondo America and The Enchanted Artist.

2011-06-20
Developer Casts Its Community in a Movie's Starring Role

It’s the ultimate product placement.

Castle Hills, a 2,500-acre mixed-use master-planned community in Lewisville, Texas, served as the set for a 51-minute family friendly film, “Cooper & The Castle Hills Gang,” which the community’s developer, Dallas-based Bright Realty, produced with an eye toward creating a unique marketing tool.

“Marketing is no longer about selling. It’s about engaging,” says Tracy Lucas, Bright’s director of marketing. Initially, Bright Realty intended to shoot a seven-minute infomercial, “and 10 years ago, that’s probably what we would have ended up with,” says Lucas. But the filmmakers hired to make that video, Ditore Mayo Entertainment, convinced the developer’s owner, Chris Bright, that something more ambitious might be more effective.

The film, which cost an estimated $500,000 to produce, according to The Internet Movie Database, debuted in April at the Dallas International Film Festival’s Family Day. It was then screened for 2,000 guests at the community’s Village Shops and Plaza. The movie is now available for free viewing online at www.castlehills.com.

Once it was posted online, Bright Realty saw a 40% increase in traffic to the Castle Hills website from the previous month and an 85% increase from the same month the year before. Lucas tells Builder that while the Internet traffic from the movie has receded a bit, Bright Realty thinks the DVD could have “a pretty indefinite shelf life.” It’s available in the sales offices of all the builders active at Castle Hills (including Bright’s home-building division, American Legend Homes). It’s showing on the flat-screen TVs in all of the community’s model homes. And it’s being distributed as collateral marketing material to third-party buyer leads, such as people relocating to Dallas.

This Fourth of July, the movie will be rescreened during the community’s three-day “Freedom Festival.” And Bright Realty has received a number of inquiries from companies about its marketing efforts, including GDR, a London-based trends consultancy specializing in retail and?hospitality. GDR produces a global innovation publication called Global Scanning, which focuses on forward-thinking concepts. It’s planning to run a feature on Bright Realty in a coming issue, according to Jamie Hawkes, a spokesperson for the developer.

The movie is a coming-of-age drama, set on the Fourth of July, about a precocious 11-year-old Cooper Callaghan, who lives in what he calls “the best neighborhood in the entire world.” The plot involves Cooper and his posse of friends helping an elderly, retired attorney, Jack Wilson (whose last name can’t help but evoke the irascible Mr. Wilson in the “Dennis the Menace” comic strip) find his wedding ring before Wilson’s wife returns home from a trip to Phoenix.

That mission sets the kids off on a journey through Castle Hills, with stops at several of its amenities—its pool, the golf club, trails, and gardens—to retrace Wilson’s steps of the previous few days. (The movie includes some creative animation to highlight the community’s commercial and retail components.) Along the way, the self-centered Cooper learns about the value of teamwork and community, and even how to get along with his annoying older sister Penny.

The ring is found, of course, with fireworks going off in the background. “Everybody got what they wanted or needed,” says Cooper. “Everybody got happy.”

These life lessons, though, are secondary to the movie’s real purpose: to show off Castle Hills, which when completed will have 3,324 homes whose selling prices start in the $200s and go up to more than $3 million in the community’s gated Enchanted Hill, which is prominently featured at a key juncture of the film.

2011-06-18
Bright Realty Sells 23,000 Sq. Ft. Building in Empire Central Submarket

Bright Realty’s REO Team successfully negotiated the sale of 1120 Empire Central Place, a 23,000 sq. ft. three-story office building located in the Empire Central submarket. The property sold to a private investment group that plans to re-tenant the asset. Bright Realty associates Kerry Assa and Tony Albanese negotiated the sale on behalf of SB&T Assets Corp. Bright Realty used its extensive contact database to market the project to more than 50,000 real estate professionals nationwide, resulting in several competing offers. After selecting the best offer, the sale closed in just 15 days.

2011-06-01
2011 Bright Realty Celebrity Golf Classic Raises $270,000 for North Texas Children

Dallas, TX (June 1, 2011) – Bright Realty, title sponsor of the 2011 Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters, is proud to announce this year’s golf tournament raised more than $175,000 for North Texas children. Along with an additional $95,000 raised at the tournament’s Party at the Palladium, the combined events raised more than $270,000, enough to take 540 children off the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ waiting list.
This is the third year that Bright Realty has served as title sponsor of the event that teams sports and media celebrities with participants for 18 holes of golf. The tournament hosted more than 230 golfers and celebrities including former Dallas Cowboys Patrick Crayton, Charles Haley, Everson Walls and many more. The Bright Realty Celebrity Golf Classic is annually rated as one of the Top 10 Charity Golf Events in the DFW Metroplex by the Dallas Business Journal.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters plays a major role in the lives of children, helping them make positive life choices that create confident, goal-oriented young people,” said Chris Bright. “Playing in the golf tournament is a great way to support this very important cause, and we are always pleased to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

2011-05-20
Lucas Patterson Joins Bright Realty

Bright Realty is pleased to welcome Lucas Patterson as Director of Retail Development. Patterson’s primary focus is the development of The Bridges at Castle Hills, a planned mixed-use project located in the Lewisville area. The Bridges at Castle Hills will offer major anchor locations, prime retail, office, dining and entertainment sites, as well as multi-family living. The 56-acre site is highly visible from State Highway 121 and easily accessible from the Plano, Carrollton, Frisco and Castle Hills areas.

Patterson will also focus on the existing Castle Hills Village Shops, located within the 2,500-acre master-planned Castle Hills community, currently with more than 2,000 single family homes. The Village Shops currently offers convenient dining, retail and office space for the “walkable” Castle Hills community and features expansive green space and water features. In addition, Patterson will assist in the growth of Bright Realty’s third party management leasing and asset disposition services.

Patterson brings with him an extensive network of contacts within the retail and real estate sectors. He is a graduate of the University of Texas with a bachelor of arts in English and an MBA with a concentration in real estate finance from the McCombs School of Business. Patterson is a licensed Texas real estate agent and has been working in commercial real estate for nine years. Patterson spent the last six-plus years with Lincoln Property Company and was successful in leasing more than 1.3 million sq. ft. of LPC's shopping center developments in the Austin area, as well as aiding the company with the acquisition, leasing, management and partial disposition of a third party portfolio in excess of 1 million sq. ft. in Central Texas.

“I am excited to be a part of the growing Bright Realty team,” said Patterson. “The Bridges at Castle Hills is an exciting project, a leisurely ‘urban village’ environment with entertainment, sprawling green spaces, retail and dining, as well as residence and office space, creating a great synergy for the far north Dallas area.”

Mr. Patterson, his wife, Ali, and their three children are excited about making Dallas their new home and joining the Bright Realty family.

2011-04-01
Castle Hills Recognized as "2011 Realtor’s Choice Community of the Year”

Bright Realty is excited to announce that Castle Hills was selected as the “2011 Realtor’s Choice Community of the Year” by the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Dallas. The announcement was made at the HBA’s annual McSAM Awards on March 24, 2011. This is the second time that Castle Hills has won a McSAM “Community of the Year” award; the community was also recognized with the honor in 2007. The McSAMs were created in 1979 to recognize builders and developers who show “maximum creativity in sales and marketing.”

The prestigious “Realtor’s Choice Community of the Year” award was determined with the help of a market research firm – Market Research Answers, Inc. – to conduct a survey of real estate agents throughout the Dallas area via email. The contacts totaled nearly 30,000 unique email addresses and queried respondent’s feedback about their experience with a particular community on topics such as customer service, community lifestyle, overall satisfaction and, specifically, how likely Realtors would be to recommend a particular community to a friend or family member.

“Meticulous planning has gone into Castle Hills and we are proud to be recognized as ‘Community of Year’ not once, but twice,” said Chris Bright of Bright Realty. “Our goal was to create an ‘old-style’ neighborhood, one with a sense of belonging for neighbors and a place where people want to live. This award confirms that the things we are doing in Castle Hills to make it the area’s most desirable place to live resonate with the real estate community.”
Castle Hills is a 2,500 acre mixed-use golf course community located west of the Dallas North Tollway and Park Blvd., with easy access to Hwy. 121. It features unrivaled amenities, including a Jay Morrish-designed golf course, five community swimming and splash pools, 30-plus parks, sports fields, lakes, a hike-and-bike trail and exemplary-rated schools. At its center is the Village Shops and Plaza, a one-acre-plus site featuring tree-shaded walkways, gardens and numerous water features, a permanent stage and outdoor seating. The Village Shops and Plaza serves not only as a site for community retail, dining and office space, but a gathering place for developer-sponsored community events from free movie nights and farmers’ markets to live music performances and the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Homes in the community range in price from the $200s to more than $3 million and include custom luxury homes in the gated Enchanted Hill neighborhood as well as low-maintenance luxury homes in The Retreat and patio homes in The Reserve.

2011-03-31
Wall Street Journal- Dallas Developer Touts Project With Family Film

Chris Bright, scion of the Texas Bright dynasty built on oil and banking, has gone beyond snappy brochures and business cards to market the family’s 2,500-acre Castle Hills development near Dallas.

His Bright Realty this Saturday will unveil an atypical marketing tool for its project: a 60-minute, family-focused movie shot entirely in the neighborhoods, shopping centers and golf courses of Castle Hills. The film, produced by Ditore Mayo Entertainment, will debut Saturday at Dallas’ NorthPark Center mall as part of the Dallas International Film Festival. Thereafter, it will stream on the development’s website.

The movie, “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang,” follows the quest of 11-year-old Cooper (played by Kyle Kirk), his three friends and the elderly Mr. Wilson (played by J.B. Edwards) as they canvass Castle Hills for a lost wedding ring. The film, featuring experienced but not well-known actors, focuses on its story rather than lingering on obvious marketing shots. One of its few hiccups comes when Cooper uses the term “mixed use urban center” in casual conversation.

Mr. Bright, 58, said he foresees the film helping his Bright Realty to market Castle Hills’ commercial parcels. The community, which the family started developing in 1997, has 2,500 homes built, with another 600 planned. One third of its potential 1 million square feet of shops is built. An office-and-residential complex of more than 2 million square feet is in the planning.

The film cost less than $1 million for the Bright family to produce. “It’s a way of letting the community tell a little bit about itself through the residents and showing the community as a backdrop and not the focus,” Mr. Bright said. The Bright family otherwise is known for Mr. Bright’s father, H.R. “Bum” Bright, owning the Dallas Cowboys from 1984 until selling the team to current owner Jerry Jones in 1989. Castle Hills is in Denton County north of Dallas and near Lewisville, Texas.

2011-03-09
Bright Realty Celebrity Golf Classic

The 44th Annual Bright Realty Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters is just around the corner - sign up your team today to ensure your spot in the best charity golf event in the Metroplex!

Annually rated as one of the Top 10 Charity Golf Events in the DFW Metroplex by the Dallas Business Journal, this event features an outstanding golf venue, unsurpassed celebrity interaction as well as the best post-party in town.

The celebrity host for the golf tournaments as well as the Party at the Palladium will be none other than San Diego Chargers' wide receiver Patrick Crayton. He was a originally drafted in the seventh round (216th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Northwestern Oklahoma State. Currently, Patrick is splitting his time between California and Texas. He has a great heart for Big Brothers Big Sisters and is happy to be a part of these events.

Tee gifts this year will include custom fit sunglasses, embroidered golf shirt and pullover jacket, replay certificate for Las Colinas Country Club, two tickets to the "Party at the Palladium" and much more.

Registration
Online registration is open, please click on the Purchase Team Reservations link below to register.
http://bit.ly/fcIJvn

Bright Realty Celebrity Golf Classic

2011-02-24
Bright Realty Debuts “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” at 2011 DALLAS International Film Festival


February 23, 2011 (Dallas, TX) - Bright Realty is excited to announce its participation as presenting sponsor of the DALLAS International Film Festival’s (DIFF) Family Day. The world premiere of “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang,” a 60-minute family-friendly movie shot entirely on location in the north Dallas community of Castle Hills, will be screened for audiences as part of Family Day events taking place Saturday, April 2, 2011, at NorthPark Center in Dallas. DALLAS DIFF Family Day events begin in the Center at 11 a.m. and the movie will be screened FREE to the public at 2:00 p.m. at AMC NorthPark 15. The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac is one of the fastest growing film festivals in the world and has gained the reputation as the “Filmmaker’s Festival” for its dedication to the art.

“We are thrilled that the world premiere of ‘Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang’ will be a showpiece of DALLAS International Film Festival’s Family Day,” said Artistic Director, James Faust. “This day is such an integral part of our 11-day Festival and families flock to enjoy the events. I just know that this fun, energetic film will be a huge hit.”

Audiences of all ages will enjoy “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang,” an action-packed, family-friendly story that takes lead character Cooper on a quest to help Castle Hills’ favorite grandpa, Mr. Wilson, find something he has lost. The movie gives the developer, Bright Realty, an opportunity to showcase every aspect of the master-planned community. The movie follows Cooper all over Castle Hills in his quest, through its 30-plus parks, hike-and-bike trails, fishing lakes, sports fields and outdoor plazas. Cooper eventually outsmarts his older temperamental sister, Penny, and (spoiler alert!) ultimately overcomes his own pride to save the day.

Developer Chris Bright, of Bright Realty, sees the movie’s purpose as two-fold. He hopes to use the film to position Bright Realty as the foremost developer of master-planned communities and mixed-use developments. While the film is certainly a unique marketing strategy, it is also a way to showcase a project that is close to his heart. “Castle Hills was originally our family farm and holds childhood memories for the entire Bright family. Everyone loves movies, so what better way to engage the community than through the making of the movie – more than 10 percent of the community’s 9,000-plus residents participated as extras,” said Bright. “With ‘Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang,’ we’re not just making a movie, we are documenting great memories for years to come.”

In addition to “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang,” DIFF’s Family Day event will feature several family friendly movies, activities, performances, arts and crafts and much more. To reserve free tickets to DIFF’s screening of “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” and for more information about Family Day, visit dallasfilm.org. The box office opens on March 17, 2011.

Following its DIFF world premiere, “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang” will be featured at a free outdoor community screening event in Castle Hills and available on the internet. Visit www.CastleHills.com for screening information. “Cooper & the Castle Hills Gang,” a Bright Realty project to showcase the Castle Hills Community, was directed and produced by Ditore Mayo Entertainment. The production was managed Bright & Co. Marketing, Bright Realty’s sister company specializing in real estate marketing.

2011-02-22
Judges select Best Real Estate Deals finalists | Dallas Business Journal

A panel of North Texas real estate insiders has selected more than 40 projects as finalists in the Dallas Business Journal's 2010 Best Real Estate Deals. The finalists were selected from more than 150 nominations. Judges considered a range of factors, including the project’s impact on North Texas! Winners will be announced soon. Read more by clicking the link below!

Dallas Business Journal

2011-01-14
Bright Realty Signs Two Properties

Bright Realty is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the leasing assignment for the 35,818 sq. ft. Braewood Shopping Center in the heart of Coppell. New tenants can join United Community Bank and Daddy Jack’s restaurant just south of Sandy Lake Blvd. on Denton Tap Rd. Spaces from 1,200 sq. ft. and up are available for immediate occupancy in this high growth area.
Bright Realty commercial leasing agent Tony Albanese handled the Braewood transaction and said, “Bright Realty is excited to expand our relationship with Eagle Equity as we take over the leasing assignment for Braewood Shopping Center. This is Bright Realty’s second assignment for Eagle Equity and we look forward to continuing our relationship.”

Bright Realty also signed American Way Plaza, located near Southwest Center Mall. The highly visible American Way Plaza offers 15,000 sq. ft. near Highway 67 and Interstate 20, making the location ideal for companies needing quick highway access. Bright’s commercial leasing agent Kerry Assa brokered the American Way Plaza transaction.

2011-01-06
Cooper & The Castle Hills Gang

Castle Hills/Bright Realty is making a movie!
Filming has wrapped and production is underway!
Watch for more!


castlehillsmovie.com

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