Aarica Mims
Senior Vice President / Director of Leasing
- 19 years of experience
- 3 years at KDC
Aarica Mims
Senior Vice President / Director of Leasing
When Aarica Mims joined KDC in 2021 as senior vice president and director of leasing, she took on a newly established role responsible for building the company’s leasing team from scratch. She approached the task as she does all tasks – with enthusiasm, positivity, and competitiveness.
Whether I’m pursuing a deal with a new or existing tenant or adding people to my team, I’m always positive, and I always want to win. Positivity and competitiveness are my strengths, along with communication.
Leading KDC’s leasing team is a dream come true for Mims, who made the decision in high school to pursue a career in commercial real estate. A family member at The Staubach Company (now part of JLL), initially sparked Mims’ interest in the commercial real estate sector.
“When it comes to leasing, every day is different,” Mims says. “It’s based on relationships and requires a lot of strategizing for complex deals terms. It’s a daily mix of analysis, communication, and strategy.”
In her role at KDC, Mims pursues tenants for KDC’s built-to-suit business, as well as any multi-tenant buildings that KDC acquires or develops.
Prior to joining KDC, Mims served as leasing manager for a Plano, Texas-based property owner. She was responsible for leasing a portfolio of 4 million sf of Class A/AA office and mixed-use projects. She was also actively involved in the design, implementation, and leasing of speculative office projects in Plano, Dallas CBD, Uptown, and Southlake.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about real estate,” Mims says. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Leasing is challenging and exciting at the same time. It’s high risk and high reward.”
Mims’ entire career has been in commercial real estate leasing. She interned for The Staubach Company and Cushman & Wakefield while attending East Central University in Oklahoma. After graduating with a BSBA in Finance, she took a position in Peloton Commercial Real Estate’s agency leasing group.
Of all the deals that Mims has been involved in, the one that sticks in her memory and makes her smile is a 300,000-square-foot build-to-suit with Fannie Mae. The deal, which involved the agency consolidating from four older buildings, was intensely competitive. The lease was negotiated in a seven-day sprint in Washington D.C.
Outside of work, Mims is a devoted wife and mother to two young sons. Mims and her husband, who is also in commercial real estate, are proof that high school romance can last – they got married in Mexico, and every year, they travel somewhere new to celebrate their anniversary. Prior to becoming parents, they traveled constantly, she says.
Together, Mims and her husband have explored Bali, Italy, Japan, France, Monaco, and Spain. So far, her favorite places are Barcelona and Rome along with their annual family trip to Cabo San Lucas. Next up on the list: Greece and Hong Kong.
In Mims’ free time, she enjoys working out – you can find her on a Peloton bike most mornings or doing pilates in the evening – and playing soccer and T-ball with her boys. She and her family often spend the weekend at their ranch in Glen Rose.
Mims is active in her community, serving as VP of Membership on the Armstrong-Bradfield Preschool Association Board and participating in various charitable organizations throughout the Dallas area.
