The Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC) announces Kyle Gable, Broker of Gable Land Co., as a member of its Board of Directors. Gable brings extensive experience in land brokerage and a firsthand understanding of how zoning, development timelines and local government processes affect housing supply and affordability across metro Atlanta.

Founded in 2013, Gable Land Co. helps landowners market and sell their properties, working closely with homebuilders and developers seeking land for future residential communities. The company has sold more than 22,500 acres, representing more than $500 million in land sales.

“Land has always excited me from an early age,” said Gable. “Today, much of my time is spent helping landowners understand a changing market and, when they’re ready to sell, connecting them with home builders and developers who can bring that land to its next use.”

That position gives Gable a unique view of the housing pipeline. He sees the process from the time a property owner considers selling through a builder or developer acquiring the land and beginning the lengthy process required to deliver new homes.

According to Gable, one of the greatest challenges facing housing affordability is the time and uncertainty created by local development processes.

“Municipalities are one of the biggest issues,” said Gable. “Moratoriums, zoning restrictions and the amount of time it takes to actually get something closed hurts everyone involved.”

Those challenges helped lead Gable to GRLDC. Because the majority of Gable Land Co.’s business involves selling land to home builders, he has watched regulatory and approval processes become increasingly challenging during the past decade.

“As a land broker, the majority of what we do is sell land to homebuilders,” Gable said. “All of us have been impacted by municipalities over the last 10 years, and ultimately that has impacted affordability in metro Atlanta.”

GRLDC Chairman and Co-Founder Jay Knight said Gable’s position at the beginning of the residential development pipeline adds an important perspective to the organization.

“Kyle understands that housing supply begins with land and that the decisions made during acquisition, zoning and development can have a tremendous impact on whether a project ultimately works,” said Knight. “His experience working with both landowners and homebuilders strengthens GRLDC’s ability to communicate how regulatory delays affect the entire housing delivery process and ultimately Georgia families.”

For Gable, improving housing affordability is also personal. He is concerned about whether the next generation of Georgians will be able to afford homes in the communities where they want to live and work.

“It is really about the future of our kids being able to afford a new home,” he said. “Atlanta has almost become unaffordable for new families searching for a home.”

Gable also believes the industry and policymakers need to recognize that buyers have different housing needs. One misconception, he said, is that every buyer wants a four-sided brick home or needs 3,500 square feet. Providing a greater variety of housing options will be important as Georgia continues to grow.

“Georgia is going to continue to be a desired place for people to move,” Gable said. “With Atlanta as the hub, our growth isn’t going anywhere. We need houses, and we need them a lot quicker than the three to four years it can take from the time land goes under contract until a home is built and sold.”

Through his service on the GRLDC Board, Gable will help the organization continue advocating for practical reforms that reduce unnecessary delays, improve the development process and help increase the supply of attainable housing across Georgia.