Mark Howe is a native of Northeast Tarrant County, having grown up in the Smithfield area of what is now North Richland Hills. He graduated from Richland High School in 1973 and then went on to Southern Methodist University where he played varsity football for four years. He graduated from SMU in 1977 with a BBA in Real Estate and Finance. Mark spent four years in the commercial mortgage business in Ft. Worth during which time he was also involved in commercial development. He then entered the commercial brokerage field in 1982 when he helped form a north Dallas commercial brokerage firm. In 1988 he co-founded the firm of Howe/Wood & Company.