W. A. Spencer Morris: Heading multiple developments locally and across Sunbelt

W.A. Spencer Morris recently became president of The Allen Morris Company, one of the largest real estate firms in Florida and in the Southeast. He is now responsible for overseeing the investment portfolio and projects under development. The company currently has $2.5 billion in its development pipeline, 718,000 square feet in office space, 232,000 in retail, 4,280 residential units, and 1,280 hotel rooms. 

Prior to becoming president, he was chief investment officer, scaling up the company by increasing projects developed by year from one or two to six or eight. Mr. Morris also worked on the conceptualization of an entire district in Atlanta, Star Metals District, a pioneering mixed-use project that he feels deeply proud of. 

As the new leader of the family-owned company, he is focused of keeping the number of starts and continuing to build projects of the highest quality, bearing in mind the customer experience.

At the same time, he strives to follow the steps of his father and his grandfather and continue the family legacy. “He’s seen so many economic cycles, but is not as fazed by them,” Mr. Morris said about his father, W. Allen Morris. “He’s seen these cyclical markets play out so many times that he has a great perspective. [He has] an internal optimist mindset, and it’s something that I really admire and strive to pursue.” 

When asked about his grandfather, L. Allen Morris, he said he felt an utmost respect for him and he is an inspiration. “He was given $100 at the age of 19 when his father passed away and with that, he built an incredible company, built over 50 buildings over his career and one of the largest real estate companies in South Florida while he was alive,” Spencer Morris said. “I just have the utmost respect for him and what he went through to create the foundation that allows me to do what I do today.” 

W.A. Spencer Morris spoke with Miami Today reporter Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow.

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