Local growth
Local leaders
We left our comfortable careers at leading commercial firms because we believe our city deserves fresh opportunities, built from the work of its citizens.
After working on notable projects, we watched brokerage fees bleed from our city, so we felt we had to step in to keep the focus on Memphis.
We founded Jones Aur to put your city first by investing earnings right back into your city’s commercial infrastructure.
Your real estate transactions spark opportunities for local growth and attract global brands to your backyard.
Memphis Team
Dustin Jones
Founding Partner
Dustin Jones
Founding partner
As a Memphis native and seasoned retail real estate professional, Dustin Jones is recognized as a go-to resource for shopping centers and retail business owners alike. He’s an industry veteran, with more than 20 years of experience in the retail arena.
Dustin has worked on a portfolio of over four million square feet of GLA. He’s worked with local, regional, institutional, and REIT clients including the likes of Brixmor, Realty Income, Veriet, and many more.
Before his real estate success, Dustin developed and owned restaurants, including both small locally-owned restaurants and large publicly traded groups. An ‘always ready to serve’ attitude from a restaurant hospitality background combined with an unrelenting work ethic has launched Dustin to the top of the retail real estate field.
Recognitions
- CoStar Power Broker Awards
- International Council of Shopping Centers - Member
- Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® Commercial Council - Former Board member
- Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® - Member
- Memphis Business Journal 40 Under 40
- Pinnacle Awards
- Olivia Jones’ Best Dad Ever Award
Outside the office
In his free time, Dustin has found recognition for repeatedly being terrible at golf, solving the Rubik’s cube in less than two minutes, coaching middle school robotics, and enjoying everything Marvel and Star Wars.
Most notably and most importantly, he is happily married to his wife Kelly and proud father of two daughters Chloe and Olivia.
Jonathan Aur
Founding Partner
Jonathan Aur
Founding partner
Jonathan is a founding partner of Jones Aur where he specializes in property development, leasing, and sales throughout the Southeastern US for numerous local, regional, and national clients.
Before founding Jones Aur, Jonathan oversaw the retail real estate portfolio for Boyle Investment Company. He’s been involved in a wide variety of projects such as Williamsburg Village, Schilling Farms, Regalia, and many more.
He began his career at Cushman & Wakefield in San Antonio, Texas, where he focused on acquisition, disposition, and development strategies for multifamily investors throughout San Antonio and South Texas.
Jonathan graduated with honors from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, earning his Bachelor of Business Administration.
Service + awards
- Greater Memphis Chamber Young Memphis - 2020 Honoree
- International Council of Shopping Centers - Member
- Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® Commercial Council - Board member
- Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® - Member
- St. Dominic School Alumni Board - Board member
- Urban Land Institute - Member
Paul Banks
Senior Associate
Paul Banks
Senior Associate
Paul Banks is another lifelong Memphian. He is a graduate of Christian Brothers High School and went on to play Division I Soccer for the University of Memphis while graduating with his Bachelors in Management. Upon graduation, Paul began his real estate career at Acker Robison before joining Avison Young where he focused on office and industrial real estate for the firm.
Paul has been a part of Jones Aur since the company’s inception and runs their office and industrial sales and leasing division, representing logistics, investment, medical, and commodity companies on all their real estate needs. He is proud to work with local businesses creating opportunities and growth for this city that he loves.
Paul can still be found on the soccer pitch a couple of nights a week, on a date night with his lovely wife Ashley, or chasing around their three boys.
Brandon Morin
Director of Asset Management
Brandon Morin
Director of Asset Management
Brandon hails from Houston, Texas, and is a third-generation Kansas State University graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering. At Jones Aur, Brandon is the Director of Asset Management where he directly administers the day-to-day management and long-range planning for the company’s investments and third-party clients. Brandon’s portfolio consists of a wide array of assets including retail, office, industrial, and short-term rentals.
Prior to joining Jones Aur, he spent nearly 12 years managing assets throughout the country for numerous publicly traded companies. Brandon oversaw and spearheaded the asset management and project implementation for portfolios ranging from $30 million up to $400 million. Asset management included the oversight of operating expenditures, yearly budgeting, and property and project management.
Brandon is proud to call Memphis home with his wife Alexandra. There is nowhere he would rather be than in a blind hunting waterfowl with his black lab, Wallace.
Grady Cotham
Retail Associate
Grady Cotham
Retail Associate
Grady Cotham is—you guessed it—another lifelong Memphian. Grady is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he studied finance. Grady started in commercial real estate at Boyle Investment Company in their Commercial Sales & Leasing department that handled the leasing and management of over four million square feet of real estate.
As a Retail Associate at Jones Aur, he focuses on landlord and tenant representation for numerous Memphis-based and institutional clients throughout the city. Grady prides himself on ensuring that his clients, tenants, and landlords alike, achieve the best outcome possible.
Outside the office, you’ll find him cheering on the Grizz and the Cowboys or heading out west to spend some time in the mountains.
Reid Lanigan
Retail Associate
Reid Lanigan
Retail Associate
Reid Lanigan was born and raised in the beautiful city of Memphis and is happy to reside here to this day. After graduating with honors from Christian Brothers High School, Reid went on to play Division I Lacrosse at the University of Utah. Finishing up in just three years at the David Eccles School of Business, Reid traveled to the UK to pursue a Masters in Commercial Real Estate Development from the University of Manchester while continuing to play lacrosse there.
Reid started his career with Fischer & Company where he represented Fortune 500 companies in their acquisition and merger strategies all across the country. Reid joined Jones Aur to oversee the company’s retail investment sales platform, where he represents local and national clients who buy and sell assets across the south.
Reid is a life-long lacrosse player and spends much of his free time coaching the local middle school team with his brother, Nash. You can often find him watching sports, particularly hometown favorites, the Memphis Grizzlies, and he has a more recent love for the mountains and skiing since his time in Utah. Reid is excited to work in the city he loves and is constantly motivated by a passion to rejuvenate parts of Memphis that would benefit from sustainable development.
Wriley Gillen
Senior Associate
Wriley Gillen
Senior Associate
Wriley Gillen is not from Memphis, but he married a Memphian and moved here as fast as he could. Wriley graduated from Lipscomb University with Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy degrees. After spending 10 years working as a CPA in Nashville he decided to move to Memphis and get a real job. Wriley brings over a decade of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to sole proprietor start-ups.
Since joining Jones Aur’s office and industrial sales and leasing division, Wriley has built a large book of business that includes national tenants and local family offices alike. His deep understanding of business finance paired with his market knowledge allows him the ability to maximize value and opportunity for his clients.
When not in the office, Wriley enjoys exploring the beautiful city of Memphis with his wife Ainsley. He is also a shameless bandwagon Grizzlies fan and takes golf lessons from Dustin.
Katherine Harris
Director of Operations
Katherine Harris
Director of Operations
Katherine Harris has been in Memphis since the day she was born. Upon graduation from St. Agnes Academy, she went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from the University of Memphis with her Bachelors in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Katherine began her career at Rehab, Etc. as a Physical Therapy Technician where she guided patients through rehabilitative exercises and modalities. After a few years, she decided to follow her heart by beginning a career in real estate. That, coupled with her love for her city, landed Katherine at Jones Aur.
At Jones Aur, Katherine oversees all the office operations for the company including accounting, marketing, administration, and any other items that one of the high-maintenance brokers may request. She is the heart of the company and ensures that Jones Aur operates at the most efficient level possible. When Katherine isn’t juggling hundreds of tasks at the office, you can find her working out at Basecamp Fitness, hanging out with friends at all the best spots in Memphis, or hugging her dog, Charlie.
Michelle Oropeza
Assistant Property Manager
Michelle Oropeza
Assistant Property Manager
Though originally from Michoacan, Mexico, Michelle and her family have been in Memphis since she was a child. Upon graduation from Christian Brothers University, Michelle became Director of Marketing for Belly Acres. While at Belly Acres, Michelle implemented and oversaw Belly Acres’ digital marketing campaign, business-to-business campaigns, and brand guidelines.
As the Administrative Assistant at Jones Aur, Michelle is responsible for numerous parts of the company’s marketing strategy, customer service, administrative duties, and providing support to the brokerage and management teams. When Michelle is not hard at work at Jones Aur, you might find her at the gym early in the morning or behind her vendor booth running her jewelry and crafting business.
Louisa Yanes
Retail Associate
Louisa Yanes
Retail Associate
Louisa Yanes is not a lifelong Memphian but that has not stopped her from enjoying all there is about her adopted hometown. She is a graduate of Dickinson College and Vermont Law School where she focused on environmental and land use issues. After a couple of years fighting the good fight and leading various non-profits, she switched over to her true passion – real estate.
Louisa started her commercial real estate career as a portfolio analyst and asset manager for a multi-family company. She then saw how much fun all the brokers she worked with regularly had, and hasn’t looked back. At Jones Aur, Louisa focuses solely on retail, representing both landlords and national and local tenants.
Louisa wishes she had something catchy to say about what she does in her spare time, but as a working mom she has mostly forgotten what spare time and hobbies are. She thinks she remembers liking gardening and snowboarding.
She is the past vice-chair and a current board member of the Memphis Blight Authority.
Mallory MacDonald
Administrative Assistant
Mallory Macdonald
Administrative Assistant
Mallory Macdonald is the Administrative Assistant for the Jones Aur Memphis office. After graduating from St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Mallory continued to the University of Tennessee, where she studied Business Administration and Marketing and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Prior to entering the commercial real estate industry, she worked at Radians as a Trade Compliance Specialist, where she ensured smooth and accurate customs clearance, maintained customs classification records, and addressed government agency requirements for imported and exported goods.
Mallory has become an essential part of the Jones Aur team, taking over administration, marketing, social media, customer service, brokerage support, and keeping everyone in the office in line.
When she isn’t working hard at Jones Aur, you will find her working out at Neighborhood Barre, taking care of her pig Monte, or hanging out with her friends.
Scarlet McWhorter
Director of Abaya Services
Scarlet McWhorter
Director of Abaya Services
Scarlet McWhorter was born and raised in Memphis, TN and comes from a long line of proud Memphians. Upon graduating from White Station High School, she went on to pursue a theatre and film degree at The University of Memphis. A year into her studies, film opportunities came knocking both in Memphis and New Orleans where she had the honor to work on a number of films with larger-than-life actors and directors. After years of focusing on film, she returned to her studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from The University of Memphis. Scarlet then began her career in the service industry where she went on to work at Tsunami Restaurant for nearly twenty years. Ready for a change and wanting to play a larger role in her community, she began her search for the right career move. Scarlet met with Jonathan Aur, co-founder of Jones Aur Commercial Real Estate, and the rest is history. Scarlet McWhorter is now Director of Operations at Abaya Services, LLC a Jones Aur Company.
At Abaya Services, Scarlet oversees the daily operations of maintaining commercial properties for her portfolio of clients. She is not afraid to get a little dirty, so you will often catch her out in the field with her crew visiting client’s commercial properties, ensuring they are being optimally maintained and in flawless, operational condition. She is intentional about keeping Memphis clean and functional, one property at a time.
When Scarlet isn’t taking care of properties, you can catch her cheering for the University of Memphis Tigers or the Memphis Grizzlies. Year round, she enjoys exercising down on the beautiful banks of the Mississippi. And any chance she gets, she is sure to be spending time with her loving family.
Joshua Fisher
Associate
Joshia Fisher
Associate
Joshua Fisher was born and raised in Laurel, MS. He attended The University of Mississippi, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in Managerial Finance, but most importantly met his future wife. Upon graduation, he furthered his studies at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Before joining Jones Aur’s office and industrial sales and leasing division, Joshua began his career at Total Transportation of Mississippi, a reputable transportation and logistics company. He spent three years as a Logistics Carrier Manager where he played a critical role in building and maintaining client relationships, ensuring efficient transportation operations, cost management, and delivering a high level of customer satisfaction.
Joshua and his wife Kaitlyn now happily reside in Memphis. Outside of work, Joshua enjoys firing up the grill, exploring the delicious restaurants Memphis has to offer, and cheering on the Rebs. Hotty Toddy!
Little Rock Team
Kevin McCollum
Partner
Kevin McCollum
Partner
Kevin is a Partner in Jones Aur's Arkansas office and is the Director of Asset Management for the company's Arkansas assets. His primary focus is Commercial Property Management and Leasing. Kevin is a native of Little Rock, AR, and graduated from the University of Arkansas - Little Rock with a B.S. in Marketing.
Prior to joining Jones Aur, McCollum was the Senior Property Manager at Flake & Company. He managed over 925,000 square feet with mixed use of retail, office, and medical for the firm previously known as Flake & Kelley Commercial. He has managed and negotiated leases for tenants such as Regal Cinemas, AT&T, GNC, UAMS, MedExpress, and Tropical Smoothie.
Jacob Spears
Partner
Jacob Spears
Partner
While Jacob spent a few years away from Little Rock for college and his career, he and his wife Lindsey returned home several years ago. He graduated from Catholic High School and the University of Arkansas, where he became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and received a degree in pre-veterinary medicine. Spears was instrumental in the founding of the Jones Aur's Arkansas office, where he is a Partner and focuses on property development, leasing, and sales throughout the state.
Prior to joining Jones Aur, Jacob was an executive in both the oil and gas industry and the construction industry. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Business Development for Baldwin & Shell. Spears serves on several boards in the community, including Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Easterseals Arkansas, the Young Alumni Board at Catholic High School, and is a member of the Hat Club. Jacob and his wife Lindsey have two children, Sutton and Rowan.
Rachel Littlefield
Administrative Assistant
Rachel Littlefield
Administrative Assistant
Rachel Littlefield is the Administrative Assistant for the Jones Aur team in Little Rock, AR. Prior to entering into the commercial real estate industry in 2021, she spent 16 years in dentistry. Rachel first entered the real estate world as an Assistant Property Manager at Flake & Company, where she assisted in the management of more than half a million square feet. During her time at Flake & Company, Rachel did everything from the initial development of the new company to all administrative, brokerage support, vendor management, and tenant relations.
Similarly so, at Jones Aur, Rachel runs point on all things administrative. This includes the brokerage, property management, and office management. When Rachel isn’t making sure that things don’t fall apart at the Little Rock office, she is more than likely spending time with her family. She and her family love to be outdoors and have a passion for health and fitness. She’s also a closet artist and candle maker in her spare time.
Troy Barker
Facilities Director
Troy Barker
Facilities Director
Troy is a native Arkansan, born and raised in North Little Rock. He grew up working for his father at his produce business and eventually started his own commercial washing service. Troy ran his service for three years, sold it, and enlisted in the military to serve his country. During the 15 years in the military, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and the highest award he received was the Bronze Star during a deployment in Iraq.
Troy worked for Saint Vincent’s health system as the Facilities Manager where he gained a vast knowledge in Joint Commission Services and Arkansas Health Department Facility, Inspections, and Programs.
Troy was the Director of Facilities of over 1.2 million square feet for a former property management company and has now graciously decided to become Director of Facilities for Jones Aur.
In his spare time, you can catch Troy racing motorcycles and camping.
Alex Cope
Associate
Alex Cope
Associate
Alex Cope was born and raised in Little Rock and loves that he still can call the city he was born in home. After graduating from Catholic High School, Alex went to the University of Arkansas to start his college career. Alex finished his career at Arkansas in four years with a major in Finance/Investment Management with a minor in Real Estate.
Alex started his working career in 2016 working for a fortune 100 company as a financial analyst. He quickly realized that real estate is where he belonged and started in the industry in 2020. Alex joined the Jones Aur team in 2023 where he assists with investment sales, landlord and tenant representation, and buyer and seller representation.
In his free time, Alex enjoys traveling the world with his wife, Samantha, golfing, and watching every sporting event possible. He hopes one day he will be able to watch the Arkansas Razorbacks win a National Championship but is not holding his breath.
Jordan Brooks
Associate
Jordan Brooks
Associate
Born and raised in Arkansas, Jordan’s passion for the real estate industry took root at an early age. Being the third generation of his family to pursue success in the Arkansas real estate market, Jordan helped manage properties for his family’s rental business in his teens, gaining boots on the ground experience in Little Rock.
After managing properties at a young age, Jordan then graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a Real Estate Emphasis. Before joining Jones Aur, his previous experience involved guiding clients through 1031 exchanges while safeguarding investors’ priorities and ensuring all exchanges were compliant and successful. Jordan joined the Jones Aur team in 2023 and assists with investment sales, landlord and tenant representation, and buyer and seller representation. His formula for serving clients is simple but effective – be fearless and never stop hustling.
When away from work, he enjoys driving around town with his (very patient) wife, Hannah, looking at more real estate. Jordan also enjoys duck hunting, attending car shows, golfing, and watching the Cowboys and Razorbacks.
