Fast 15: Jackson Mendenhall

Fort Smith native Jackson Mendenhall is one of the rare people who know what they want to do before graduating college and where they will do it.

He graduated from Subiaco Academy and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the University of Arkansas in 2020.

He began his career as an intern with Fort Smith-based Nunnelee & Wright Commercial Properties in the summer of 2018 and obtained a real estate license before graduating college.

Mendenhall took his last “virtual” college test in May 2020, and the next day was at work with Nunnelee & Wright. But the world then was mainly locked up because of a global pandemic.

“That posed a challenge,” he said. “It was definitely a shake-up in my world, but honestly, it didn’t deter me because I knew it [commercial real estate] was a long-term goal,” he said.

In early 2021, Mendenhall achieved what he considers his first significant triumph – orchestrating the sale of over 800,000 square feet of industrial space for a client. That transaction involved collaborating with a prominent national commercial broker based in Michigan, an experience he describes as “a good start to my career.”

He said he enjoys “moving around obstacles and handling the expectations of others” that come with the job and that deals are still closing despite higher interest rates.

“There is a common misconception right now that deals aren’t getting done because of interest rates and the economy,” he explained. “Yes, it is hurting some of those deals, but there are a lot of people wanting to grow their business.”

This past October, Mendenhall completed his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, the highest designation in commercial real estate. He also wants to help the Fort Smith metro become more attractive to other young people.

“It’s really easy for many young people to look at Northwest Arkansas and see that vibrant community up there,” he said. “But seeing the demographic change in Fort Smith with more young people coming in and wanting to get good jobs here and raise their family, to be able to provide a different experience for Fort Smith in the future is something I’m really passionate about.”