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5 for Friday with Steve Rodgers of Sperry Van Ness/Norris Commercial Group, LLC

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Steve Rodgers, CCIM, SVN/Norris Commercial Group, LLC
Steve Rodgers, CCIM, SVN/Norris Commercial Group, LLC

This week, our 5 for Friday features Steve Rodgers, CCIM, Director of PM Services with SVN/Norris Commercial Group, LLC

 1.   What is your geographic market and product specialty?
My geographic market consists of the entire Central Texas region including the cities of San Antonio, New Braunfels, Austin, San Marcos, and Seguin. I work in several product types including Retail, Office, Medical Office, and Industrial with a focus on Property Management.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?
The latest best practice tip that I have found valuable in my day-to-day routine is the adoption of the Google Suite of products offered through SVN, specifically Google Drive. It has enabled me to be completely mobile without sacrificing my productivity.

3.  What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?
The biggest change for me in how I run my business is, again, the use of online or cloud-based resources.

4.   What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
“Build the Fort…Today” by Jim Kern. Dr. Kern spoke at a Leadership retreat I attended a couple of weeks ago. It is very motivational.

5.    What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?
Twenty-five years ago, I saw my future wife standing by the flag pole at Sharyland High School. She was a sophomore and I was a Senior. We married 8 years later (after nursing school and college) and now have two boys, 15 and 11.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

CRE Tech Talk Denver

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More than 40 advisors from across the nation attended our “Tech Talk Denver” on Thursday evening, October 24. The event preceded the 2013 CCIM Live Conference.  Diane Danielson, CPO, Bo Barron, CCIM and Karen Hurd, Sales Director spoke about how the SVNIC team leverages the latest technology for profitability. They touched upon the importance of establishing an online presence and credibility using social media. Advisors from the following states were represented: CO, KY, MD, AZ, CA, OR, IL, GA and MA. Great insights, food and drink were had by all. Many thanks to those who attended.

CRE Tech Talk Denver

Sperry Van Ness was also a sponsor of the CCIM conference. See our Facebook page for photos by clicking here.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

SVNIC Exhibiting at CCIM Live Conference in Denver, Colorado

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Sperry Van Ness International Corporation is a sponsor and exhibitor at the upcoming 2013 CCIM Live Conference. This 2-day event will be held October 25 & 26 at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel in Denver, Co. Learn from seasoned experts as they share their secrets to success in today’s CRE market. In attendance from SVNIC will be Diane Danielson, George Slusser, Bo Barron and Karen Hurd.

CCIM-Live-Invitation

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with Steve Martin of Sperry Van Ness/Martin Commercial Group

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This week, our 5 for Friday features Steve Martin, CCIM, CPM, Managing Director with SVN/Martin Commercial Group.

Steve Martin, CCIM, CPM, Managing Director, SVN/Martin Commercial Group
Steve Martin, CCIM, CPM, Managing Director, SVN/Martin Commercial Group

 1.   What is your geographic market and product specialty?
We have two offices with one in Evansville, IN and the other in Indianapolis, IN. Our geographic market is primarily from Indianapolis to Evansville, IN through Western KY down to Nashville, TN. My product specialty is apartments although my team does a fair amount of NNN in our as well.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?
Keep your technology simple and yet effective. I love technology and yet it is easy for technology lovers, like myself, to look at the capabilities and forget about the difficulty of implementing it when multiple people are involved. The biggest challenge is learning how to effectively use technology to improve our business instead of using it because it is the latest and greatest gadget. We are working hard this year to make our technology effective but simple for our team’s success.

3.  What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?
There are two major changes for me. First, I have become a firm believer in Richard Flint’s mantra, “Behavior Never Lies”. Whether it’s clients, employees, advisors, friends, family or just “people”, I have changed my approach to business by watching their behavior more and listening to their spin less.

Secondly, we are changing to a much more collaborative accountable & mobile organization and believe we will be paperless by the end of 2014. This requires totally different management styles and business approaches than paper and filing cabinets has in the past.

4.   What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
I have a “Mastermind Group” of people of a similar age with many of the same business issues but in unrelated, non-competitive industries. We meet every month and always have a book that is part of our self-examination of the members of the group. We started with “Good to Great” by Jim Collins and it is a staple of our discussions and actions. It has paid great dividends for everyone in the group. Our current book is “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” by Sean Covey. It is likewise making a great impact and I recommend it highly.

5.    What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?
I have only had one job other than owning The Martin Group of Companies and it lasted 6 months after college & then my Father and I embarked on building an apartment development company.  That was 36 years ago and I am blessed to work with my father everyday for the past 36 years.  In addition, I asked my wife to fill in for us in accounting for a few weeks 14 years ago but I’ve never stopped her temporary job!  Lastly, our third generation (Alex & Andy) is now joining us in our Indianapolis office and we are most excited about the future.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Join SVNIC at the CRE Tech Tools Seminar in Denver, Colorado

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SVNIC will also be hosting a live “CRE Tech Tools” seminar on Thursday, October 24th in Denver, Co. Come join us for tech talk and complimentary cocktail reception and learn more about how you can use LinkedIn, Twitter, online publishing, CRM and other tools to grow your business as well as learn about the Sperry Van Ness® franchise platform. For additional details or to register, CLICK HERE.

TT Seminar

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Kevin Maggiacomo Wakes up the American Dream in #TEDx Talk

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In September, Kevin Maggiacomo, President and CEO of Sperry Van Ness International Corporation was asked to speak at TEDxOrange Coast. Watch the video below to hear his unique take on why and how we all need to wake up the American Dream.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with Tim House of Sperry Van Ness/Team Southwest, Inc.

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Tim House, Managing Director, SVN/Team Southwest, Inc.
Tim House, Managing Director, SVN/Team Southwest, Inc.

This week, our 5 for Friday features Tim House, Managing Director with SVN/Team Southwest, Inc.

 1.   What is your geographic market and product specialty?
My geographic market is Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, but I cover the US, working on net leased properties for investment clients. My focus is on NNN investment properties as well as REO disposition for several banks that are long time clients.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?
Maniacal focus on business and personal goals and working with a coach to assist with that focus.

3.  What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade? 
The use of virtual assistants, electronic marketing and web meetings. The changes have increased my available time and decreased time to market and expenses. I work with a marketing assistant in Pennsylvania and an administrative assistant in Texas. My team has access to  listings, buy side assignments, forms, etc. at all times from anywhere.

4.   What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
“Selling the Invisible” by Harry Beckwith

5.    What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?
I was a contractor and builder prior to getting active in commercial brokerage and built high end adobe homes in Santa Fe. I miss the artistic component so for relaxation I build doors and furniture in my workshop which is an old dairy barn (circa 1910). I also help family and friends with construction projects.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with John McClellan of SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate

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John McClellan, CCIM, Senior Advisor, SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate
John McClellan, CCIM, Senior Advisor, SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate

This week, our 5 for Friday features John McClellan, CCIM, Senior Advisor with SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate.

 1.   What is your geographic market and product specialty?
The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware. I specialize in office, industrial and retail properties.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?
I have found great success in 3 key areas:

  • Daily planning
  • Using my spreadsheets to track all deals by date and probability
  • Blocked time with phones and email shut off to “get stuff done”

3.  What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade? 
The biggest change would have to be the surge in how we use technology to connect with and update potential buyers and clients. The use of social media, websites, even apps for iPads and other devices, have become invaluable tools in how I conduct day-to-day business.

4.   What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
“Brokers who Dominate” by Rod Santomassimo

5.    What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?
I am a passionate but conflicted college football fan having graduated from Penn State but with two kids in college at South Carolina and Alabama.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Commercial Real Estate Valuation by Matthew Rotolante

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Matthew Rotolante, CCIM, SIOR, Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness/South Commercial Real Estate Advisors
Matthew Rotolante, CCIM, SIOR, Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness/South Commercial Real Estate Advisors

Matthew Rotolante, CCIM, SIOR, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness/South Commercial Real Estate Advisors, recently authored an article for The Bankruptcy Bar Association–Southern District of Florida. In the article, Matthew explains how to create a model for valuing commercial real estate.

“In essence, appraisals are necessary to determine value, but when combined with the testimony of a credible broker, a more accurate valuation may be obtained. This is especially important when attempting to prove the legitimacy of a reorganization plan, or deciding whether a 363 sale strategy is feasible.”

To view Matthew’s article in its entirety, click here.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with Bill Menish of SVN/Ward Commercial Group

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This week, our 5 for Friday features Bill Menish, CAI, AARE , senior advisor with SVN/Ward Commercial Group in Louisville, KY.

Bill Menish, CAI, AARE, BAS, Owner/Auctioneer, Erler Menish Auctions
Bill Menish, CAI, AARE, BAS, Owner/Auctioneer, Erler Menish Auctions

1.   What is your geographic market and product specialty? 
My geographic market is Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Southern California.  My specialty is Auction.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share? 
My latest best practice tip is that when cold calling on bank clients to help them sell their OREO, if you can offer something new, innovative, creative with a track record for success, they will talk to you.  I’ve also found that inviting them to a lunch presentation works well because it helps them drop their guard and really listen to what you are pitching.

3.  What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade? 
My biggest change has been moving from selling non-distressed properties for sellers to selling distressed properties for banks.

4.   What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?  
The Success Principles by Jack Canfiel

5.    What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you? 
That I am an actor and a singer and I was Harold Hill in The Music Man.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Sperry Van Ness Western Regional Conference 2013

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Portland, Oregon–More than 70 advisors, managing directors and operational staff came together September 11 and12 for an insightful Regional Training session. The event was produced by regional franchisees and organized by Curt Arthur, SIOR, Managing Director Sperry Van Ness, Salem, Oregon and his amazing team Meghan Salinas and Christy Bailey.

The corporate team was pleased to be in attendance and kicking off the events was Sperry Van Ness CEO and President, Kevin Maggiacomo. Other speakers included–Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer, who revealed exciting new technology advances that the company will be using in the near future. Bo Barron, Vice President of Development, spoke to using key performance indicators and using peer accountability for improved performance and profitability. From specialized break out sessions (delivered by regional managing directors, including: Karlin Conklin, Tom Hoban, Neil Sherman and Steve Kawulok and Vice President, Tony Yousif) to guest speakers and market updates, this training session covered it all.

A special thanks to Curt Arthur, and his team for producing a topnotch event enjoyed by all in attendance.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with Bill Bosley of Sperry Van Ness/GASC Commercial

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Today’s 5 for Friday features William Bosley, CCIM, Senior Advisor at Sperry Van Ness/GASC Commercial in Hilton Head Island, SC.

William Bosley, Sperry Van Ness/GASC
William Bosley, Sperry Van Ness/GASC

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?
Our offices are located on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. We cover all of South Carolina and coastal Georgia. My specialty is asset/property management along with the attendant leasing and sales that comes from management. We serve as asset managers in South Carolina, Georgia and Texas.

2. What is your latest best practice tip that you can share?
Treasure and serve your existing clients beyond their expectations.  Give more than you must. Make it a habit to always deliver more value than others expect. Give unselfishly and don’t require others to acknowledge you. Your paydays will come.

3. What’s been the biggest change over how you run your business in the past decade?
Serving as a receiver. We have and are serving as receivers over several commercial properties , for several large banks, throughout the South Carolina Low Country.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
I strongly recommend “Transformational Leadership in the New Age of Real Estate” by Christopher Lee. This is a phenomenal guide to real estate practice today and in the future.

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?
I was born and raised in Toronto Canada, moved to the United States in 1982, became a naturalized U. S. Citizen in 1992 and carry dual citizenship. I have an adopted son, now 17 years old who shares my passion for hockey. My hobby is photography.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Mid-year review of apartment market

Posted on by SVN

According to the 2013 mid-year report from US Capital Trends (a division of REAL Capital Analytics) on the apartment market, the commercial real estate apartment market is doing well as of the end of Q2 2013, with strong sales, including fewer distressed properties on the market.

Apartment sales are strong—$17 billion in Q2—but slowing in comparison to the steep rise experienced since Q4 2009. Transaction volume has moderated due in part to interest rate hikes that started in May. Mid/high-rise properties are appreciating at a slightly higher rate than garden properties.

Sales of distressed properties fell below $1 billion for the first time in more than three years. Because of improving prices, lenders have less pressure to liquidate troubled properties. More than a quarter of distressed properties are located in the Southeast (Miami, Atlanta) and in tertiary markets.

Investors are looking to lagging markets “where fundamentals may outperform over the near term” such as Orlando, Northern New Jersey, Minneapolis and Jacksonville. Volume in major metropolitan areas declined by 6% and grew by 12% in non-major markets. Secondary and tertiary markets are experiencing activity spikes whereas primary markets such as Manhattan and Houston have seen flat or declining volumes. A very active area appears to be the Washington, DC suburbs, where activity increased 118% in the first half of 2013, making it second only to Manhattan.

The top apartment buyers buy investment volume are Equity Residential and Avalon Bay Communities. The top apartment brokers (for all types of apartments) are CBRE and HFF.

To read the complete report, including breakdowns by region, selected sales transactions, sales summaries by type, please download the US Capital Trends Apartment 2013 Mid-Year Review.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Smart social media moves for commercial real estate professionals by Diane Danielson

Posted on by SVN
Diane Danielson
Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer at Sperry Van Ness International Corporation

Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer at Sperry Van Ness International Corporation, recently shared her top (and smartest) social media tips for commercial real estate professionals in a guest blog post on GlobeSt.com (the website dedicated to all things real estate).

Diane recommends several smart social media moves, among them:

1. Use Twitter like a pro and search for relevant hashtags like #CRE and other industry terms.

2. Create customized lists of people so you can make sure to read their tweets and add that stream to a Twitter client such as Hootsuite.

3. Make the most of LinkedIn’s beefed up company pages by following important companies in your area (including your competitors).

Read Diane’s smart social media insights in the Globest.com article here.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with James Blake of SVN/Summit Commercial

Posted on by Diane Danielson

Today we get 5 questions answered by James Blake, CCIM , managing director of Sperry Van Ness/Summit Commercial in Fort Worth, TX.

James Blake
James Blake, CCIM, Managing Director, SVN/Summit Commercial

 1.  What is your geographic market and product specialty? 

My main market is the west side of the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex focusing on Fort Worth retail, including shopping centers, retail pads and single tenant retail sales.

2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Keep up to date on market knowledge and market trends. Clients like it when you can educate them on transactions in the market and what is happening with occupancy rates and cap rates for example. The property owners perceive a real value in a agent that has market knowledge.

3. What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

Using the tools and resources available to me.  SVN allows me save time on my marketing using the BuildOut platform. I also have good advisors in my office who enjoy rolling up their sleeves and working smart.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues? 

I always like to recommend The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer,  especially to new advisors.

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you? 

I really enjoy making family vacation videos on my iMac.  It is fun going back after a couple years and watching highlights of our trips.  And of course, to make the videos  I have to take the vacations with my wife and or my two college age sons who love scuba diving and mountain climbing. Love the GoPro camera!

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

 

SVN Deal Stories: Selling an Outdated but Spacious Office Building

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The Property:
Landmark office building (former headquarters of Potomac Edison) plus 44 acres of land in Hagerstown, MD.

The Challenges:
The 44-year-old building was behind on maintenance and had outdated floor plans and facilities and an obsolete HVAC system. Due to these issues, it was also not up to green building standards required by buyers and the GSA. The local market had fewer buyers in 2012 and potential data center prospects are not able to use a Class C building.

Syd Machat, CCIM, CRE
Syd Machat, CCIM, CRE

The Brokers:
Syd Machat, CCIM, CRE
Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate

Getting the Deal Done the SVN Way:
Syd Machat was focused on selling the various strengths of the building, which included a convenient and secure location, corporate neighbors, availability of fiber optic cable and a solid  construction, which could be retrofitted. Machat, as a SVN senior advisor and veteran CCIM and CRE, worked extensively with the brokerage community to arrange numerous site inspections and offers to cooperate. Extensive advertising and publicity in all media were used.

All of Sperry Van Ness’ marketing advantages were employed: Monday National Sales Call, CRE Internet web site syndication’s, BuildOut™ Brochures, and others. Henry Hanna, CCIM, SIOR and Brent Miller, CCIM, CPM of Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate were mentors for Syd on this listing.

Ultimately, the building was sold to the Washington County Board of Education for $5.5 million, and will undergo $6.5 million in renovations.

The Lessons Learned:

  • Focus on the potential of a building and the ability to renovate to suit.
  • Extensive marketing opens up possibilities.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with John Brandhorst of Sperry Van Ness/Bluestone & Hockley

Posted on by Diane Danielson

Five for Friday turns the spotlight on John Brandhorst, a senior advisor at Sperry Van Ness/Bluestone & Hockley in Portland, OR.

John Brandhorst, Senior Advisor, Sperry Van Ness/Bluestone & Hockley
John Brandhorst, Senior Advisor, Sperry Van Ness/Bluestone & Hockley

1.     What is your geographic market and product specialty? 
My geographic market is the Portland MSA and my product specialty is office and industrial sales and leasing.

2.     What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share? 
I can’t emphasize enough the power of a team. Studying Mike Lipsey’s material and reading Rod Santomassimo’s book, “Brokers Who Dominate” recently, a common thread among highly successful brokers is that they were able to break through to the next level by building strong teams. I’ve teamed up with Steve Hagan in our office and we brought in Matt Simpson to help round out the team. Our skill sets complement each other well and we’re quickly realizing the efficiencies of working within a team environment. We’re excited about what we can do together in 2013!  The best advice I found was to be patient and seek out team members who have differing but complimentary skill sets so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

3.     What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?
Things are so much different in this business than they were when I started just ten years ago and I’d say that the majority of those changes are directly related to the advent of new technologies – smart phones, iPads, new software programs and the like. They’ve allowed us to become so much more efficient than we used to be.

4.     What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
From above, “Brokers Who Dominate“ by Rod Santomassimo.

5.     What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you? 
When I was supposed to be a freshman in high school, I dropped out for a year to hang out in Thailand with my dad, who was on a Fulbright exchange as a professor at Mahidol University and I spent a year traveling and having fun in Southeast Asia. I had to make up the year of school but it was well worth it – it was an incredible opportunity and definitely helped develop my love of travel and exploring other cultures.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

5 for Friday with Henry Hanna

Posted on by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday focuses on Henry Hanna, CCIM, SIOR, senior advisor with Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate in Salisbury, Md.

Henry Hanna, CCIM, SIOR, senior advisor at Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate
Henry Hanna, CCIM, SIOR, senior advisor at Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?  

The eastern shore of Maryland and Delaware and I specialize in industrial.

2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Get to know the economic development officers on a local and state level in your market and have lunch or a meeting with them once a quarter.

3. What’s been the biggest changeover on how you run your business in the past decade?

Ten years ago I focused on a much smaller area. I considered myself a general commercial broker in one county.  Today my market is seven counties and I brand myself as an industrial specialist.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues? 

Brokers Who Dominate by Rod Santomassimo.

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you? 

My first job out of college was as a high school librarian.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

SVN Crossroads Property Management Taps Kirsten Helma as New COO

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Kirsten Helma has joined Sperry Van Ness Crossroads in Schaumburg and Chicago, Ill. as its chief operating officer (COO). Kirsten will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the full-service property management franchise, including its existing portfolio and financial services department. SVN|Crossroads provides in-house institutional quality services including property & asset management, sales and leasing, tenant improvement, entitlements, construction, day-to-day maintenance, and accounting services.

Kirsten Helma, COO, SVN Crossroads Property Management
Kirsten Helma, COO, SVN Crossroads Property Management

Founded in 2006, SVN|Crossroads currently manages more than two million SF of property. Kirsten Helma brings more than 15 years of experience in financial services and real estate portfolio management to the company. As a former vice president and manager of real estate dispositions at MB Financial Bank, Kirsten offers expertise in Other Real Estate Owned (OREO) portfolio management, compliance and FDIC reporting.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the already-successful SVN|Crossroads team,” said Kirsten Helma. “I look forward to drawing from my experiences in commercial real estate banking in order to fuel continued growth of the organization in the months and years ahead.”

“Kirsten has managed more than 10 million SF of assets during her career and has been involved in commercial real estate transactions in excess of $2 billion,” said Michael Nortman, principal at SVN|Crossroads. “She understands the needs of the banking industry, but what makes her unique is her ability to think like an owner, which fits in well with our philosophy of returning maximum property value to our clients.”

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Commercial real estate activity growing in Nevada County, CA

Posted on by SVN
Managing Director, SVN/Highland Commercial
Managing Director, SVN/Highland Commercial

In the Q2 2013 report from Lock Richards, managing director of Sperry Van Ness Highland Commercial in Nevada City, CA, we learn that overall real estate activity in Nevada County has increased, especially in contrast to the previous quarters.

Lock Richards is sharing his  commercial real estate expertise with readers of The Union newspaper in a monthly column. The new column  made its debut on July 19,  and says that now is a good time to buy or lease commercial property in Nevada County. Lock writes:

“The good news is that the difference in the level of activity during the last three quarters (since fourth quarter 2012) is in extreme contrast to the previous four recessionary years. I believe the majority of investors and tenants have now come to realize that the timing is perfect to purchase or lease commercial property. Add to this still historically low financing rates and plentiful debt and equity sources, and today’s market could not be much better for buyers and tenants. That said, with numerous bank-owned and other distressed properties closing in Q4 2012 and Q1 2013, from a pricing standpoint we remain at the bottom of the market, even with the increasing activity levels. Barring an unforeseen macro-economic event, we predict slowly increasing prices over the next two years in most commercial property types.”

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with John Johnson

Posted on by SVN
John Johnson
John Johnson, CCIM, ALC

John Johnson, CCIM, ALC, managing director of Sperry Van Ness/Interstate Auction Management is in this week’s 5 for Friday spotlight.

1.   What is your geographic market and product specialty?

I guess you could say that I have two specialties.  I work nationally on real estate auctions.  I’ve worked with SVN advisors all across the country—from Washington, Oregon and Nevada to the northwest, Maryland, Virginia, and both Carolinas to the east, and many other states in between (so far, real estate auctions in 38 states). As far as traditional brokerage is concerned, while I am based in Atlanta, GA, I am and have been licensed in five other states (VA, NC, SC, TN, and AL) for many years. Most of my traditional activity has been investment sales—several product types.

2.   What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Since it is the beginning of a new year, I’ve been the beneficiary of planning advice and strategy from several respected sources, including Verl Workman, Rod Santomassimo, Alan Lipsey, Brian Tracy, and others how is that for a list of guru’s!?!)  The best tip is “Plan your work, and WORK your plan”.

3.  What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

It’s hard to pinpoint just one, but since you said decade, I have to say that the biggest change was my affiliation with Sperry Van Ness almost exactly 10 years ago.  Certainly the recession/depression beginning is 2006 caused drastic changes in the type and motivation of auction sellers.  Until the last few years, it had been over a decade since we did “short-sale” real estate auctions (also called voluntary foreclosure auctions), but we have been involved in many recently. In our brokerage operation, we grew to over 15 associates in the boom times, but really scaled back over the past six years, and are just now gearing back up to grow the office again.

4.  What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

I am re-reading Robert Potter’s “Selling Real Estate Services—Third Level Secrets of Top Producers.”  The author addressed us at a National Conference a few years ago.  It is a great sales guide, stressing the need for building strong personal relationships with prospects to turn them into clients.  He writes about accumulating and using the kind of information that is needed in a good CRM system (such as ClientLook, which I am now trying to use). When I am in the car, I like to listen to the audio collection that I purchased from Terri Sjodin, another of our former National Conference speakers, titled “Wired to Win”.  10 DVD’s of some of the very best business and motivational writers and speakers. Outstanding collection of wisdom, and highly recommended!

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

When I was in the U.S. Air Force as a Missile Launch Officer, secure in my deep underground bunker in North Dakota, I had a pistol on my hip and the key and codes to launch up to 50 ICBM’s, each with 3 to 5 separately targeted warheads.  

You can follow John on Twitter.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

Bo Barron’s advice for success featured in Commercial Investment Real Estate

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What skills, knowledge and tools does a commercial real estate adviser need to succeed?   That is what Commercial Investment Real Estate (the magazine of the CCIM institute) wanted to learn from Bo Barron, CCIM, vice president for organization development at Sperry Van Ness International Corporation (SVNIC).

Tenacity, systemization and accountability

Bo Barron, VP of Organization Development
Bo Barron, Vice President of Organization Development at Sperry Van Ness International Corporation

Bo, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps before pursuing his real estate career, discusses how tenacity and the other skills he learned in the service, such as systematization and accountability, have helped him to succeed. He says: “I am convinced that tenacity is the most important trait required to succeed in commercial real estate.”

Prospect on a daily basis

Bo, who works with SVNIC’s advisers to raise their productivity and profitability, also shares what sets top producers apart: “My experience has also taught me that top producers must systematically prospect on a daily basis,” because “those who consistently prospected throughout the downturn [in 2008] have continued to succeed.”

Embrace new technologies

“Social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn as well as blogs have made it possible  for CCIMs to become known as market experts and thought leaders faster than ever,” said Bo, who blogs at www.bobarron.com, and who joined SVNIC because of its emphasis on technological innovation, among other things.

Read the entire interview in the July/August 2013 issue of Commercial Investment Real Estate magazine.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

New franchisee SVN/Renaissance Commercial brings vision for major growth in the OC

Posted on by SVN

Sperry Van Ness/Renaissance Commercial, which serves the fast-growing Orange County and the “Inland Empire,” is SVN’s newest franchise office. The group, which is headquartered in Irvine, CA, has plans for additional locations in Palm Springs, Riverside, Ontario, and Temecula/Murrietta.

SVN/Renaissance Commercial is led by Darrell Hoover and Michael Gustafson. After six years in the National Football League, Darrell Hoover began his ascent in real estate in 1975, with the creation of Hoover Advertising, an advertising, marketing, and PR firm that included some of the largest residential home builders in the country. He later became a direct leader in the homebuilding industry, as president of Beazer Homes’ Southern California division from 1991 to 1996. During that time, Beazer Homes went public (NYSE: BZH) and became the sixth largest homebuilder in the United States. Following the economic downturn in 2008, Hoover founded CrissCross Solutions, bringing together real estate veterans to help banks and other investors with property repositioning, work-out situations, and asset protection.

With an already well-established presence in Southern California, Hoover and his team of top brokers at SVN/Renaissance Commercial are now poised to seize a major piece of the region’s exploding growth in commercial real estate, including the retail, industrial, high-end apartment, office, and recreational markets. Hoover’s fellow Managing Director, Michael Gustafson, will serve as a leader on many of the property types. The 28-year industry veteran will also help direct all franchise operations, asset services, and property management. An accomplished broker, developer, and contractor, Gustafson previously directed numerous companies including VP Commercial, Vision Offices, and Victoria Properties where his talent resonated through his properties winning numerous national and local awards.  Michael was voted developer of the year three consecutive times by AZ Business Magazine.

 “I’m continually blown away by the smart tools, the knowledge base and the entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit of SVNIC,” said Darrell Hoover. “I like to say that SVNIC is high tech – but also high touch. The passion and commitment for doing what’s best for the client exists at all levels.”

 “SVN/Renaissance Commercial brings a unique combination of experience and fresh perspective to the next generation of Sperry Van Ness® leadership in Southern California,” said SVNIC President and CEO Kevin Maggiacomo. “We’re thrilled to have the enthusiasm of Darrell Hoover and his team, as they look to build a Sperry Van Ness brokerage presence that’s stronger than it’s ever been in this part of the country.”

For information on becoming a Sperry Van Ness franchisee, click here.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

 

SVNIC Among Top Ten in 2013 Best of the Best Top Brokers List

Posted on by SVN

Midwest Real Estate News, a leading journal for commercial real estate news, has named Sperry Van Ness International (SVNIC) in its 2013 Best of the Best issue, where it is listed as the number eight in the list of the Top Brokers nationwide. The magazine lists a total of 51 top brokers. With total leasing and investment sales of $1,678,260,000, SVNIC is included with other large national brokers such as CBRE, Cushman and Wakefield, Jones Lang LaSalle and Colliers.

SVNIC has offices throughout the Midwest, including in Chicago, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Missouri and Madison, Wisconsin.

Midwest Real Estate News also lists the top owners, top property managers and top lenders among the best companies in the issue. To read the entire 2013 Best of the Best issue, click here.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

The story behind the Sperry Van Ness Monday Morning Call

Posted on by Diane Danielson

One of the hallmarks of the Sperry Van Ness® (SVN) brand is our Monday Morning Sales Call. While almost all commercial real estate teams have a weekly sales meeting of some sort, the SVN call is not only national in scope, but it’s open to the entire brokerage community.  Why do we do this? Because we believe in basic economic fundamentals:

The greater the exposure, the bigger demand; the bigger the demand, the higher the sale price of an asset.  It’s economics 101.

To find out more, view our SVN Difference video.

At SVN we believe that achieving the highest and best price is always in our clients’ best interests. We practice compensated cooperation where we pay equitable co-brokerage fees on all properties to not only our own Advisors, but to any and all outside brokers.  This is where the Monday Morning Sales Call comes in.

Sperry Van Ness National Call
SVN Parke Group watches the Sperry Van Ness national call as an office in their conference room.

With co-brokerage fees motivating the marketplace, compensated cooperation guarantees that more buyers view our clients’ properties, pumping up demand, and ultimately the purchase price.

When an SVN advisor receives a new listing, it’s immediately entered into our innovative cloud-based system, creating instantaneous marketing materials and websites as well as syndication links to multiple listing services.

Qualified properties are then featured on our weekly Monday National Sales call, which is attended by our SVN advisors and other guests who are potential partners for a deal. Following the call, SVN publicizes those properties across the Internet to thousands of more potential purchasers.  The result? Here’s what our advisors have to say:

“I’ve done 4 or 5 deals … with other SVN Advisors and most of them came from the Monday morning call.”

“Sold two [NNN Investment] properties in 2012 [due to Monday morning call].”

“I’ve closed many transactions as Buyer’s broker or Seller’s broker due to the Monday Morning Call.”

“Just this week, I sent a property to my buyer, and that buyer is looking hard at it.”

By exposing listings to not only SVN advisors across the country, but also members of the outside brokerage community our advisors have more opportunities to find the right partner to close more deals.   You may think that Advisors are giving up some by splitting the commission 50/50, but they gain a lot more when they close more deals, more quickly and at a higher price.

This dedication to transparency and collaboration is something we work into every facet of SVN services from investment sales to tenant representation, from property and asset management to corporate, leasing and auction services.

To register for our Monday Morning Sales Call click here.

To find out more about franchise opportunities click here.

5 for Friday with Don Erler, CAI, AARE

Posted on by SVN

It’s Friday and we are asking five questions of Don Erler, CAI, AARE of Sperry Van Ness/Ward Commercial Group in Louisville, Kentucky.

Don Erler, CAI, AARE, of Sperry Van Ness Ward Commercial Group
Don Erler, CAI, AARE, of Sperry Van Ness/Ward Commercial Group

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty? 

My partner Bill Menish and I work primarily in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee, but have often conducted auctions throughout the country.  Erler Menish Auctions as part of SVN Ward Commercial Group conducts real estate auctions only, with primary emphasis in recent years on bank owned and troubled properties.  In the more than 25 years that I have been in practice, I have been able to establish great relationships with banks and bankers, which in today’s market have accelerated (no pun intended) my practice to  new levels of production.

2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.  If you love people, you will love what we are doing: STP, see the property; see the people.  Get out of the office and enjoy where you live, who you can work with and how you can solve their real estate problems and goals.  When I got into the real estate auction business in 1987, my mentor told me to spend time with creative people and I would never be bored.

What’s been the biggest changeover on how you run your business in the past decade?

Wow. Years ago I hoped I could retire before I had to learn how to use a PC.  Little did I know how modern technology was going to change my life and my business.  The ability to reach out and communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime makes this an incredible world.  It’s still a bit scary to think what it will look like in 10 or 20 more years.  It’s hard to imagine where this is all going, but the ride is incredible!

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

My daily focus is my health and fitness, both physical and mental.  You are only as old as you think and feel, but if your health fails, you have nothing left.  It’s not a business book, but  Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, M.D., is a great read and offers great advice.  Also, if you need to continue to be motivated, the Canfield books and classes are fabulous.

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

I have two children (33 and 20), both out of the house, so our “children” are and have always been our four-legged friends.  Right now we have two large dogs and seven cats of all flavors. I can’t image what life on our farm would be like without animals in our life.  When I met my wife in the late 1970s I had 27 animals: six dogs, four cats, six chickens, and 11 horses. She only objected to the large number of horses. But when you live on a farm in Kentucky, horses are almost a necessity to fill in the area behind the black board fences.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Central Florida Commercial Real Estate is Jumping

Posted on by SVN

The Central Florida commercial real estate industry is recovering nicely from the recession reports The Orlando Business Journal in its June 28 edition. Some sectors are doing better than others, with industrial and retail leading the way. The office sector continues to struggle with high vacancy rates, however.

Miguel de Arcos, Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness Florida Commercial Real Estate Advisors
Miguel de Arcos, Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness Florida Commercial Real Estate Advisors

The article reports there are five game-changers for the Central Florida commercial real estate market:

  1. Office market has changed for the good, since companies are doing more with less.
  2. Financing is available from different sources to fund to new projects.
  3. Industrial real estate will see an improvement.
  4. Orlando is attractive to national firms.
  5. The SunRail will help boost the region’s attractiveness.

The market’s recovery can be evidenced in the spectacular increase in total dollar volume experienced by Sperry Van Ness Florida Commercial Real Estate Advisors. With $73.2 million in total dollar volume in 2012, Sperry Van Ness Florida jumped from the number 16 position to number 8 position on the Orlando Business Journal’s  List of Top Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Firms.

In discussing the current commercial real estate environment with the Orlando Business Journal, Miguel de Arcos, managing director of SVN Florida, says he likes the long term prospects in the Central Florida area due to the booming entertainment, biomedical and high-tech markets in the region.  Miguel says “We have land and reasonable costs for real estate….Once folks realize we’re not a just a Mickey Mouse economy down here, it’s going to help.”

 

*All Sperry Van Ness Offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Diane Danielson named to Forbes Forty Women over Forty to Watch List

Posted on by SVN
Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer.
Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer, Sperry Van Ness International Corporation

Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer, Sperry Van Ness International Corporation (SVNIC) has been named to the inaugural Forbes Forty Women over Forty to Watch list. This list recognizes the achievement of women around the world, working in various industries, who are upending the perception that 40 is past your prime.

In the commercial real estate industry, where women are few, Diane Danielson has taken on the second-in-command post at SVNIC. As CPO, Danielson oversees operations and is the company’s national brand evangelist. She leads the planning and execution of strategic initiatives to expand the franchise network, optimize services and develop innovative technology and communication platforms for our franchisee. Danielson believes that franchising is a way for women, minorities and younger generations to own their own business and change the face of the commercial real estate industry.

To view the press release in its entirety, click here.

To view the complete list of recipients, click here.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with Neal Bowman of Sperry Van Ness/Parke Group

Posted on by SVN

It’s time for Five for Friday! This week we ask five questions to Neal Bowman of Sperry Van Ness/Parke Group in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Neal Bowman, Sperry Van Ness/Parke Group
Neal Bowman, Sperry Van Ness/Parke Group

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty? 

My market is northeast Indiana / Fort Wayne  and my specialty is  sales and leasing for retail and industrial.

2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share? 

Listings bring opportunity and driving your market is the best way to prospect. If the parking lot is bare then the business may be struggling and may need to sale and/or downsize. If the parking lot is at capacity, then they may need to sale and/or secure more space.

3. What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?  

I plan each day the night before and stay focused and organized.

4.What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

 Winning In Commercial Real Estate Sales: An Action Plan for Success by Thomas Arthur Smith

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?  

Upon graduating from college, I enrolled in the Peace Corps in West Africa.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

5 for Friday with Mike Norris of Sperry Van Ness/Norris Commercial Group LLC

Posted on by SVN

It’s Friday and we are asking five questions of Mike Norris, managing director of Sperry Van Ness/Norris Commercial Group LLC in New Braunfels, Texas.

Mike Norris
Mike Norris, Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness/Norris Commercial Group, LLC

1.  What is your geographic market and product specialty?

I am in the San Antonio market covering New Braunfels, Seguin, San Marcos and San Antonio; specializing in land developments.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share? 

We have team meetings twice a week. All the staff comes together to discuss what we are working on- this help creates a collaborative atmosphere where everyone is working together.

3.   What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

Integrating technology into my daily business routine.

4.  What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?  

“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

5.  What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

I served in the U.S. Navy for 5 years residing in the Panama Canal Zone and Homestead, FL

 

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

 

5 for Friday with Terri Dean of AVAT Realty, LLC

Posted on by Diane Danielson

This Five for Friday turns the spotlight on Terri Dean, an advisor at Sperry Van Ness/AVAT Realty, LLC in  Huntsville, AL.

Terri Dean, Advisor, AVAT Realty, LLC
Terri Dean, Advisor, AVAT Realty, LLC

 1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?

North Alabama is my geographic area and I live in Huntsville.  I specialize in sales and leasing of office and retail properties with a special emphasis in STNL deals.

2.  What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Be available.  Answer the phone when possible and if you can’t, call them back immediately.  People tell me all the time, I can’t believe I actually got in touch with someone.  Prompt and professional customer service is so important.

3. What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

Social Media – you have to keep up with the latest technology and use it to your advantage to reach the largest number of people.  However, some still want the old fashioned personal touch.  You have to know your customer.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

There’s No Such Thing as “Business” Ethics by John Maxwell.  Actually anything by John Maxwell is wonderful.

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

I was the top female shooter at my local citizen’s police academy.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

New Franchise Focus: Sperry Van Ness/The Founders Group in Myrtle Beach

Posted on by SVN

Sperry Van Ness International Corporation (SVNIC) is proud to announce the addition of its newest franchise office, Sperry Van Ness/The Founders Group in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

One of the most popular destinations along the eastern seaboard for tourists and investors alike, Myrtle Beach features a wide array of commercial real estate property types including beachfront resorts, apartments, shops, restaurants, and more. With a deep knowledge of this diverse market, Managing Directors Van Watts and Jay Smith will employ SVNIC’s innovative marketing tools to skillfully serve clients from South Carolina and beyond.

Watts brings more than 28 years of real estate experience to SVN/The Founders Group, having previously covered major sales and development projects as founder and president of South Carolina’s Pace Realty. A 25-year veteran of the industry, Smith most recently served as a principal with nFusion, a real estate consultancy providing REO evaluation and disposition, loan sales, asset repositioning, and other services. In joining forces, Watts and Smith present a unique understanding of the needs of both investors and lenders.

Discussing the decision, Van Watts said:

 When we decided to form a brokerage, Jay and I were initially drawn to the culture of collaboration at SVNIC. What solidified our decision to join the company was the repeated enthusiasm we heard from franchisees in markets across the United States. Here in our corner of the country, we’re confident the marketing platform will help us reach a wider audience with our listings, as we continue to see more buyers and sellers from across the state lines.

To learn more about becoming an SVNIC business owner, click here.

*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.

 

ICSC #REcon2013, 10 Consumer Trends and my New Blue Suede Shoes

Posted on by SVN

The Sperry Van Ness® booth at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) annual real estate conference (RECon2013) was busy during the annual retail conference held every year in Las Vegas. We had over 80 of our advisors at the conference doing deals and getting the job done.

Randi Zuckerberg gave a great keynote (yes, she is the sister of Mark and the former marketing director for Facebook).  Zuckerberg outlined the 10 trends that define the life of the modern consumers in mobile, social and tech. In case you missed it, I took copious notes and here is the summary:

1. Luxury on demand. Luxury is neither exclusive nor elusive. With sites like http://www.renttherunway.com/, anyone can borrow a red carpet outfit. In addition, we have personal assistants on demand and even corporate jets that we can rent.

2. Mobile everything and everywhere. Now we have cars and homes interacting with phones. We even pay for Starbucks with our phones. Other retailers need to follow.

3. Rise of “entre-ployees” creates challenges and more competition. Keeping good employees will remain difficult, as they will be in demand and looking to “do their own thing.”  Companies who are doing well will try to create an entrepreneurial culture.  They may even have entrepreneurs in residence.  According to recent surveys, evangelist and community manager are two of the fastest growing titles.  Retail can even take this a step further and not just empower their employees, but also empower consumers to be entrepreneurial. For example, consumers on Nike can design their own shoes.

4. Big data in the cloud. Big data sounds so off-putting, but it really is the key to personalization. Some examples of where folks can have personalized experiences are on Tripadvisor, or Netflix and Amazon as these sites make recommendations personal to you. Going forward, your local mall should know who you are when you arrive and be able to personalize the experience for you.

5. Fast, fun & easy retail. There’s been a huge increase of subscription shopping. In addition to Groupon, there are sites you have to join like Gilt, Hautelook and RueLaLa. Gilt takes it to a new level by giving Facebook fans early access to sales. Another change is that retail brands are becoming media companies. Mod Cloth adds product every day. Bonobos has a showroom order online.

6. Your car is the new phone. The latest apps (GPS, weather, music etc.)  are being developed specifically for your car, and you can expect to see more.

7. The gamification of everything. Shopkick.com is one of several apps that give you bonuses and points for shopping.

8. Now everyone can have a second job online. If someone is looking for ways to make a little extra money online, they are not limited to affiliate marketing. Sites like Task Rabbit provide folks with time on their hands an opportunity to get paid to run errands and 99designs.com gives graphic designers a place to freelance.

9. Etiquette and digital detox.  With all this digital and mobile developments, there is also a counterswing where folks are going to retreats looking for a digital detox.

10. Socially conscious retail. Consumers care about the backstory and with the web, they are able to find it.

What about the blue suede shoes? Approximately two weeks before the conference, while scrolling through Pinterest, I noticed a pair of shoes posted from a popular office fashion blog. The author raved about their comfort. This sparked my interest as anyone who has walked the Las Vegas Convention Center, you know it’s tough on your feet. I read all the online reviews, asked my friends on Facebook, and then decided to buy them.

So, I found the blue suede shoes by accident on a social network. I then crowdsourced opinions, and had a personalized shopping experience (as the store made other recommendations I might like). As for gamification – I’ve become the master of Googling for discounts and rebates and never paying full price–it’s like a game for me. There you have it:, a real life modern consumer in action at ICSC. The bonus? The shoes came in Sperry Van Ness® blue!

Diane K. Danielson is the Chief Platform Officer of Sperry Van Ness International Corp.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® Offices are Independently Owned and Operated.

5 for Friday with Sperry Van Ness Advisor Chris Davis

Posted on by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday focuses on Chris Davis, advisor with Sperry Van Ness/Investec Services in Jacksonville, Fla. and Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate in Salisbury, Md.

Chris Davis, advisor at Sperry Van Ness/Investec Services and Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate
Chris Davis, Sperry Van Ness/Investec Services and Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?

My market area is the mid-Atlantic in Maryland and Delaware. I am also licensed in Florida and do business in the Jacksonville market. I specialize in self-storage and hospitality.

2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Make sure you have a strong presence in your market and strive to keep it. Utilize all your contacts, and you will be surprised how fast your database will grow.

3. What’s been the biggest changeover on how you run your business in the past decade?

Technology has really changed this business – so embrace it. I am trying to keep up with it and learn how to use it effectively. It will make you more efficient and productive.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

“Brokers Who Dominate” by Rod Santomassimo. It’s a great book for all brokers to read.

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

Even though my body lets me know I have gotten much older, I still try to play soccer with the kids I coach. In the early 80’s I received a full soccer scholarship to play for the nationally-ranked division one Philadelphia Textile (now Philadelphia University and division two). Our program dominated during that time and a lot of great players played there. I still stay in touch with them even though we all have moved on.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

5 for Friday with Carnell Scruggs of SVN/The Genesis Group

Posted on by Diane Danielson

Today’s 5 for Friday features Nashville’s Carnell Scruggs, CCIM, Managing Director at Sperry Van Ness/The Genesis Group.

Carnell Scruggs, Managing Director, SVN/The Genesis Group
Carnell Scruggs, Managing Director, SVN/The Genesis Group

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty? 

I’m licensed in Tennessee and Alabama and work the Southeast.

2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share? 

I recommend communicating with your clients regularly, either on a weekly or monthly basis. Always look for the opportunities that nobody else wants.

3. What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

I have become more efficient by using technology. Also, forming alliances and joint ventures throughout the country to obtain more business.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues? 

Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey Mackay

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

I was a competitive baseball player through college and semi-pro.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® Offices are Independently Owned and Operated.

 

 

5 for Friday with Bob Lovelace of SVN Florida

Posted on by Diane Danielson

Five for Friday this week turns its sights on  Bob Lovelace, CCIM, MAI, Senior Advisor at Sperry Van Ness Florida, at the New Smyrna Beach, FL location.

Bob Lovelace
Bob Lovelace, MAI, CCIM, Senior Advisor, SVN Florida

 1.       What is your geographic market and product specialty?

I have specialized in East Central Florida commercial real estate for 30 years with a particular focus on the Interstate 4 corridor between Orlando and Daytona Beach.  I have worked with a broad variety of property classes and client types.  Over the past five years, I have worked primarily with distressed assets and lender REO including large land tracts, office, and retail properties.

 

2.      What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Jerry Anderson, CCIM, recently noted that SVN Advisors’ access to Real Capital Analytics data is one of our organization’s most powerful tools to identify opportunities.  I was guilty of overlooking it.

 

3.      What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

Ten years ago I set a goal to transition my full-time appraisal practice to one of a full- time brokerage.  I completed the CCIM program, affiliated with some good brokerages along the way, and feel as though the transformation has culminated in my association with Sperry Van Ness Florida.

 

4.      What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

Because of a recommendation by Bo Barron, CCIM, I just finished Michael Hyatt’s “Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World”.  As promised, the book delivers great guidance on how to better structure and leverage one’s marketing in the social media universe.

 

5.      What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

I was drawn to New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet many years ago because of surfing, and I haven’t left yet.  Through surfing, I met and married a local girl in a ceremony at the top of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse.  This little beach town has been good to me.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

New Franchise Focus: Sperry Van Ness/KD Lanclos & Associates LLC

Posted on by SVN
Damien Lanclos, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness/KD Lanclos & Associates, LLC
Damien Lanclos, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness/KD Lanclos & Associates, LLC

Sperry Van Ness International Corporation is proud to announce the addition of Sperry Van Ness/KD Lanclos & Associates, LLC in Augusta, Ga. Led by Managing Director Damien Lanclos, the organization specializes in the sale and leasing of a diverse range of product types including office, retail, land, and multifamily properties in both Georgia and South Carolina.

After many years in the pharmaceutical industry, Lanclos first entered the commercial real estate industry with the Sperry Van Ness organization in 2007, as an advisor based in Sarasota, Fla. In his first year with SVN, he closed several large deals, including a more than 18,000 square foot retail transaction at $2.85 million. He opened his current Sperry Van Ness office in his native Augusta, Ga. in 2013. Lanclos credits the innovative marketing tools and Monday Morning National Sales Call program with helping him to quickly advance his business.

Says Lanclos, “I was recently able to bring in multiple offers on a $5.9 million multifamily listing, thanks in part to the SVN tools that have allowed me to broadcast all of my properties to a national audience.”

Lanclos’ office assists clients in the second largest market services area in the state of Georgia. In line with the findings of SVNIC’s Top Markets to Watch Report for 2013, Lanclos says he’s seen a strong demand for multifamily investments, due to a rise in occupancy and rent gains.

Lanclos was recently accepted into the 2013 class of Leadership Columbia County, a program of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. The 10-month membership exposes business and community leaders to the opportunities and challenges facing the area, including economic development.

Lanclos received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Georgia and holds real estate licenses in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida.

 

Damien Lanclos

Sperry Van Ness/KD Lanclos & Associates, LLC

Augusta, GA

 

Click here for more information on Sperry Van Ness franchises.

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Sperry Van Ness is Hot on LinkedIn

Posted on by Diane Danielson

One of the core values of the Sperry Van Ness® brand is that our clients get the most value when we create the most demand. It’s basic market fundamentals and collaboration at its best. This is why we open up our weekly National #CRE Sales Call to the entire brokerage and investment community and we encourage our Advisors and guests to share this information by email and social media.

Apparently, our Advisors did such a great job this week, that we received the following note from SlideShare (where we post new listings each week)!

Sperry Van Ness featured on Slideshare and LinkedIn

While our “Hot on LinkedIn” fame was short-lived, we’re hoping to make it up on the SlideShare leaderboard again!

Want to learn more about the Sperry Van Ness Difference when it comes to commercial real estate? Sign up for a call and join us on any Monday.

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

1Q 2013 Northern Colorado CRE Market Sets Stage for a Strong Year by Steve Kawulok

Posted on by SVN
Steve Kawulok
Steve Kawulok, Managing Director, SVN/The Group Commercial

In a detailed Northern Colorado commercial real estate market report and analysis, Steve Kawulok, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness/The Group Commercial says the first quarter sales volume of 2013 was less than 4Q 2012, but with high activity levels, foretelling a strong year ahead.

Other key findings about the Northern Colorado market in this report are:

  • Retail properties were sought after although investors paid slightly less for investment properties in general.
  • Vacancy rates continued to decline, particularly in the industrial category.
  • Rents are projected to increase in 2013.
  • Land meant for residential development has started to sell if located in an infill area, and oriented to smaller lot, affordable homes.
  • Medical office and clinical properties are in high demand from investors.
  • Industrial properties, especially those with yard space, are in high demand from the energy industry.

Read the entire Tri-County Northern Colorado 1Q 2013 Commercial Real Estate Market Trends and Commentary.

 

Steve Kawulok

Sperry Van Ness/The Group Commercial 

Fort Collins, CO

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Tips and Tricks for a Successful ICSC RECon Convention

Posted on by SVN

ICSC LogoThe International Council of Shopping Center  (ICSC)  RECon event takes place every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. This annual event  brings together more than 30,000 developers, brokers, tenants and owners from all over the world to the Las Vegas Convention Center. If you (or anybody you know) do anything involving retail shopping centers, it’s a must-attend event.

Attending the conference can be expensive, but well worth the cost as an investment in your business. With some advanced planning, you can minimize the cost, and still have a positive impact on your business.   In fact,  just going to ICSC RECon says that you take the business seriously.

As an experienced attendee, let me give you some pointers.

  1. To reduce attendance costs, consider bunking up with a friend or co-worker to save on hotel cost. Book your airline flight early to get the best rate. Make certain to attend the lunch and breakfast sessions where you’ll get a free meal (included in the registration fee) while getting to hear insightful and educational speakers talk about some of the challenging issues facing retail environments.
  2. Wear comfortable shoes. You can always tell the first timers– it’s the women in high-heels and the men in leather soled penny loafers.
  3. Bring lots of business cards, more than you think you might need.
  4. Get on the phone now and start booking appointments with the folks you want face time with.  That’s what the convention is all about.  Go to the 2013 RECon website and access the list of registrants, which includes their contact information. Don’t assume that if they’re not registered, that they will not be attending. Call them!
    The convention is spread out over several different halls– North Hall,  Central Hall and two levels in the South Hall. Walking through thousands of people and going from one hall to the other can take 30 minutes. Try and book together all your appointments in one hall.
  5. Do not bring lots of flyers, brochures, or marketing packages. Bring one copy, maybe two, to show folks that you’re meeting with, but don’t leave a copy with them, since it will never make it back to their office and it gives you a reason to follow-up afterward.  Also, this will eliminate the need to lug around a briefcase. It may be even better to bring along a tablet, since you can use it to show important information to your contacts.
  6. Stay focused, stay hydrated and stay sober. Being in Las Vegas brings about all kinds of distractions. If you’re making the costly investment to attend, be smart and use your time wisely.

Need more information? More pointers? Download floor plans? See who’s attending the event? Visit the show website by clicking here. See you in Las Vegas!

 

Prepared by:

Shari Tucker-Gasser, Council Chair of Retail Properties
Shari Tucker-Gasser, Council Chair of Retail Properties

Shari A. Tucker-Gasser

Council Chair of Retail Properties

Sperry Van Ness, LLC

Phoenix, AZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Office Spotlight with Sperry Van Ness | Rich Investment Real Estate Partners

Posted on by SVN

This week, our Office Spotlight focuses on Sperry Van Ness | Rich Investment Real Estate Partners based out of Los Angeles, CA.

1. What has been your strategy for growing your firm and also your market share?

Like any brokerage company, recruiting is the key to both organizational and market share growth and I spend most of my time doing that.  There are three types of agents I target:

  • New-to-the-business. The new-to-the-business advisors are easiest to hire, but require sufficient training and mentoring and, in general, are “lower-probability” producers. I source leads for these types of agents through newspaper ads, local campus recruiting, and intern programs. While they’re typically more challenging to manage, they tend to more easily adapt and adhere to our work standards and the SVN culture.
  • Seasoned (or senior level). Mid-level and senior lever producers have been far more challenging to recruit, but often begin producing within a their first few months with the company.  I try to target agents that will complement our existing advisors. Thus far, I have agents that specialize in 5 of the major asset categories so we’re aggressively searching for a hospitality specialist who can round out the team. I also try to choose agents that are a fit to both our franchise’s and Sperry Van Ness’ culture.
  • Satellite.  Hiring satellite agents has enabled us to penetrate into territories where there is insufficient transaction volume to support a brick and mortar office. I often find little to no competition from national brokerage companies in these areas. And given that these locations are in outlying secondary and tertiary areas to our primary market, we are able to access higher yielding investment opportunities without having to go out of state.

2. What are some of the unique activities you do to motivate your team?

I provide the training, resources and support while setting challenging performance expectations then try to take a hands-off approach and let agents find their own system that works for them in accomplishing their goals. So I’m there when they need me but not there when they don’t need me.  I conduct quarterly and annual business plan meetings and try and connect on daily basis with the agents in the office and on a bi-weekly basis with my satellite advisors.

3. What’s been the biggest challenge on how you run your business over the last few years?

Fortunately, we’re past most of the branding issues we struggled with initially and are now gaining traction  in our market once again.  Recently, our challenges have been mostly market related: seller’s hesitant to sell for lack of viable uplegs, cap rates approaching sub-5 levels, and political and economic uncertainties on the horizon

4. How many Advisors/Staff did you have when you joined SVN? How many (in total) do you have now?

When I started the office in May 2010 we had 4. Today we have 37 and growing!

 

 

Sperry Van Ness | Rich Investment Real Estate Partners

David Rich, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness | Rich Investment Real Estate Partners
David Rich, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness | Rich Investment Real Estate Partners

David Rich

Managing Director

Sperry Van Ness | Rich Investment Real Estate Partners

Los Angeles, CA

 

 

 

 

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

Sperry Van Ness® 2012 Humanitarian of the Year, Walter Helm

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Walter Helm, 2012 Humanitarian of the Year with SVNIC President & CEO, Kevin Maggiacomo
Walter Helm, 2012 Humanitarian of the Year with SVNIC President & CEO, Kevin Maggiacomo

Walter Helm was an easy choice for the Sperry Van Ness® 2012 Humanitarian of the Year award. This award is given to the advisor who makes an extraordinary effort to give back to his or her community. Walter, managing director of Sperry Van Ness/Walter Helm in Sacramento, California, has truly shown extraordinary leadership in SVN’s Leads for Good initiative and in a wide range of other humanitarian work.  Walter has made an incredible impact through his commitment to training dogs for the Canine Companions for Independence program. A dedicated Rotarian, Walter has been involved in many local and regional fundraisers.

Walter Helm has a lifelong commitment to philanthropic activities. He has been actively engaged in volunteer fundraising for various organizations in the Sacramento area; he has served as a volunteer emergency medical pilot; a volunteer fireman; and even spent six weeks on a motorcycle ride fundraiser around Australia for Rotary’s Polio Plus program.

Perhaps Walter’s most interesting philanthropic effort was being a board member and a volunteer pilot for Airlifeline. Walter completed numerous charity flights using his own airplane and paying all expenses. On short notice, Walter was able to deliver small pox serum from San Jose to Yuba City, starting the flight from Cameron Park at 2:00 a.m. to complete the flight in four hours. He also flew a liver transplant team back and forth from Sacramento and Concord to Santa Rosa.

As a long-time active member of his Rotary Club, Walter ran a tutoring program, which had more than 80 volunteers helping 7th and 8th graders one-on-one to learn to read. In 2011, Walter was awarded the Rotarian of the Year Award by the Point West Rotary club in Sacramento.

Walter Helm
Walter Helm and a service dog from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).

Walter truly enjoys training service dogs for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), something he has been doing for the past ten years. The dogs transform lives of kids and adults by providing physical assistance and emotional support. Walter works with each dog for 18 months. Nalani, a Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever, was the dog he trained most recently. She now “works” at Children’s Hospital in San Francisco helping kids cope with pain and provide motivation to get out of bed after surgery

Currently, Walter is working with the SVN Leads for Good™ program to help Community Benefit Organizations (CBO). The program is very simple: once a lead comes from the CBO for the sale or lease of real estate, 10% of the commission is given back to the organization upon close of escrow.

 

Sperry Van Ness | Walter Helm

Walter Helm

Managing Director

Sacramento, CA

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

Top Trends in Secondary CRE Markets

Posted on by Diane Danielson
Diane Danielson Sperry Van Ness
Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer, Sperry Van Ness International Corp.

Earlier this month we released our Top Trends and Markets to Watch in 2013 Report. Our goal with this publication is to look at trends beyond the largest commercial real estate markets like NYC, Boston, SF, LA and Washington DC. Many of those markets have been in recovery mode, and as a result, future opportunities will likely reside in some often-overlooked markets.

Of course, not every secondary and tertiary market is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel just yet, but if you read through our 2013 Markets to Watch Report, you’ll be able to identify certain factors that could lead to CRE opportunities with upside. Below is a quick overview of a few of the trends we are seeing.

Large-scale infrastructure projects

In 2015, the widening of the Panama Canal will be complete, allowing larger ships to pass through its locks. This has set off a race to dredge ports along the Eastern seaboard.  Industrial properties in areas around ports able to receive these larger ships like Miami, New York/New Jersey, Jacksonville and Charleston and Savannah stand to benefit.

Energy-related growth

Newly discovered gas reserves and recent advancements in drilling and extraction technology have paved the way for significant economic growth and investment opportunity in places like Louisiana, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Demographic shifts

With an aging Boomer population moving into retirement, and generation Y (the Boomer’s kids) facing an extended period of adolescence and underemployment, we are going to see a shift in attitudes about housing. Even if they could take over their parent’s McMansions, they might not want to be in that market.  Gen Y (or Millennials as they are also known) are more environmentally conscious and value-oriented.

This is a generation that is attracted to mixed-used developments along transportation lines (not all of them can afford cars when they have the weight of student loans) and nearby retail and entertainment. In big cities like Boston, they are attracted to 300-sf mini-units, with zipcar parking and shared communal space.  However, not all can afford big city prices. This presents a good opportunity for those secondary markets with emerging high-tech communities.

With lower costs of living, and lower barriers of entry for new high-tech companies (many of the companies developing apps don’t need to be right in Silicon Valley anymore to attract talent), markets like Austin, Texas; and Florida’s new tech corridor  (from Orlando to Tampa) stand to benefit.

These are only a few of the trends that we cover in our 2013 report that may be affecting your local Apartment, Office, Industrial or Retail markets.

Review or download the Sperry Van Ness® Top Trends and Markets to Watch in 2013.

Read more on the 2013 Markets to Watch Report at National Real Estate Investor.

By Diane K. Danielson, Chief Platform Officer, Sperry Van Ness International Corporation.

All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

Why We Collaborate

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Kevin Maggiacomo, President & CEO of Sperry Van Ness Internationa
Kevin Maggiacomo, President & CEO of Sperry Van Ness International Corp.

I’m often asked why we give away some of the (otherwise proprietary) Sperry Van Ness®  systems, tools and resources. I’m further asked why SVN is investing in the development of new tools if only to hand some of them out to the brokerage community at large. “Aren’t we aiding our competitors?” “Are we losing pieces of our differentiated value proposition in doing so?” These are a few of the questions often posed to me. 

While losing market share and eroding gross margin are obviously not the extirpative goals of the aforementioned strategy, in this post I’ll attempt to clarify why we have taken our culture of collaboration up a notch, and how doing so is facilitating growth across all key performance indicators while helping to improve the fractured state of the commercial real estate (CRE) industry. 

By way of background, SVN was founded on the premise that proactively cooperating and collaborating with our brokerage brethren – sharing our fees 50/50 in the process – is the right thing to do for the client and is the only way to ensure maximum value for a property.  Debating the merits of that ethos is a topic for another day, and last month we released the SVN Difference Video, which scrutinized the CRE industry and its asset disposition practices, and was met with strong emotional reaction. 

In terms of opening-up and creating new SVN products for the benefit of the brokerage community, we’ve rolled out the following in the past 12 months, which can be categorized and described as follows:

  • Compensated Cooperation:  The SVN Monday Morning Sales call is now open to the public.  There, we showcase new listings procured by our SVN Advisors over the previous 7 days.  Every listing includes a buy-side commission which is always ½ of what the SVN Advisor stands to earn as a matter of policy.

  • Education:  We collaborated with more than 10 commercial real estate firms and industry organizations to launch www.CREvine.com, an open resource platform for CRE professionals to acquire new skills, gain knowledge, and “level-up” their practices.

  • Marketing:  Lastly, and as a BETA test, we’ve opened up a good portion of our (now retired) OnlinePublisherTM system.  Called CRElaunch, owners and brokers alike can use the tool to create brochures and market their properties (a word of caution here – the product is in BETA and has a long way to go).

But back to the topic at hand.

We collaborate not to merely suggest that “we’re the good guys,” but because we truly believe that making the otherwise dysfunctional commercial real estate market more efficient will benefit all stakeholders, including Sperry Van Ness.

Simply put, collaborating – harnessing the power of broad horizontal networks of participants to achieve a better outcome – will drive market efficiency and liquidity, while simultaneously increasing revenue and profitability to those who collaborate.  At SVN, we’ve aggressively grown our business by subscribing to this ethos and receive direct benefit in the following manner:

  • Recruiting:  As a CRE advisory, one of our biggest economic generators is recruiting talented, ethical and productive advisors.  Our opening-up certain components of SVN has allowed us to create relationships with thousands of brokers and we’ve recruited or awarded a brokerage position or SVN franchise to a small percentage of this new constituency.

  • Retention:  Just as strong as recruiting is a vital key performance indicator of growth, attrition (of producing Advisors) can have devastating consequences for an organization.  Through thought leadership, the contemporary nature of our collaborative growth strategy, and via a transparent business model, our attrition rate is at a 5-year low.

  • Sales:  When one harnesses the power of the entire brokerage community to market a for sale asset, organized competition is generated, multiple offers are posited, the market speaks, and the highest price is achieved.  Our compensated cooperation strategy, coupled with our core covenants, define SVN while moving inventory faster and at a higher price.

  • New Business Development:  It’s tough to argue against the growth strategies of the likes of Google, Skype, and Innocentive in suggesting that their “Freemium” business models don’t create raving fans, loyal customers, and a myriad of cross-selling opportunities (each of these companies offer a free “attraction” product while simultaneously offering paid premium products).  As described above, the SVN story – rooted in harnessing the power of collaboration to affect a better outcome – has been kicked-up a notch, shared with clients/prospects, has enhanced our point of differentiation, increased our “batting average,” and reduced the cost of sales.  We are winning new listings, doing more business – all while putting the clients interests’ first.

Mass collaboration, while not ubiquitous in CRE brokerage, is now a staple of the new economy and it’s here to stay.  As the members of Generation X & Y grow to positions of increasing power and control, collaboration and Freemium business strategies will become the norm in CRE as well.  Until then, I’ll continue to invest in the creation of new products and to share some of those we previously created.

Kevin Maggiacomo is the President and CEO of Sperry Van Ness International Corp.

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

2013 Hospitality: Q1 Review & Q2 Outlook by Tom Hamm

Posted on by SVN

Hotel occupancy rates

Nationally, hotel occupancy is currently running about 64%, up from 62% last year, while Average Daily Rates (ADR) continue to climb: $110 versus $105 last year.

Viewed from a chain scale perspective, Luxury is the most robust both in terms of absolute numbers and the rate of increase. In this segment, occupancy stands at 79% versus last year’s 76% and ADR is at $297 versus $278.  Luxury is followed  by Upper Upscale, Upscale, Upper Midscale and Independents. Midscale and Economy are at the bottom, with occupancy for economy properties of only 55% versus 54% and ADR of $53 versus $51 last year.

The strongest locations  are urban and resort, followed by airport. Among the top 25 markets, Miami is a standout with more than 89% occupancy presently and a $235 ADR (no doubt contributed to by the Sperry Van Ness 2013 National Conference). Other markets enjoying more than 80% occupancy include: New Orleans, New York, Oahu, Orlando Phoenix and Tampa.

Norfolk was at the bottom with only 48% occupancy, representing a 3% decline.  San Diego lost 3.2% occupancy points, down to a still healthy 71%. These markets  are heavily influenced by military and defense contract business,  and thus, are beginning to feel the effects of sequestration.  Sequestration also mean automatic spending cuts, including all non-essential government travel,  making the pinch felt in places like San Antonio, where the September National Defense Forum and Expo was cancelled, and in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, where more than 30% of the market is government and government contractor business.

Transactions

From a transactional viewpoint, 2013 looks promising. Smith Travel Research (STR) projects hotel transactions of between $15 and $20 billion, up from about $12.5 billion last year but down from 2011’s $19 billion, which was driven by major hedge fund and REIT transactions. To give some perspective, five of the last ten years’ volume was under $15 billion.

Until now transactions were powered by cheap debt and commensurately low cap rates. This was coupled with very limited lending for new hotel construction that kept supply growth at only about 0.3%, which in the face of increasing demand, allowed hotels to increase their average rates. However, according to STR’s latest numbers, hotels in construction are up 39.9% year-over-year. The active pipeline includes  more than 320,000 new hotel rooms, equal  to a whopping 10% increase. Nevertheless, STR predicts that demand growth will continue to outpace supply growth through 2014, with RevPar increasing between 5.7% and 6%  through next year.

The bottom line is that hotel owners who have enjoyed a rebound, even if not to the extent of 2007 peak levels, should consider the opportunity to sell in the near term on the strength of improved revenue before the effects of sequestration, supply growth and inflation bring down hotel values.

 

Prepared by:

Tom Hamm
Tom Hamm, Council Chair of Hospitality Properties

Tom Hamm

Council Chair of Hospitality Properties

Sperry Van Ness/Hamm & Company

 

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

Sperry Van Ness® 2012 Trainer of the Year, Mark Alexander

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Mark Alexander, 2012 Trainer of the Year with SVNIC VP of Organizational Development, Bo Barron
Mark Alexander, 2012 Trainer of the Year with SVNIC VP of Organizational Development, Bo Barron

The Sperry Van Ness® Trainer of the Year Award is bestowed to the advisor who most exemplifies the qualities of a high-caliber mentor. In 2012, that advisor was Mark Alexander, CCIM. Mark provides training and shares knowledge with advisors throughout the United States in one-on-one mentoring opportunities, speaking engagements, a monthly newspaper column and by conducting monthly Medical Office Product Council calls.

The Managing Director at Sperry Van Ness/Mark Alexander Commercial Realty LLC, in Fort Myers, Florida, Mark specializes in helping doctors do sale/leaseback transactions on their medical office buildings. Mark has sold more than 79 medical office buildings between Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Illinois. He also represented numerous banks selling retail, office and industrial properties in southwest Florida.

As the SVN Medical Office Product Council Chair, Mark regularly shares his knowledge and time with more than 100 people who call in to his monthly council calls. These calls prove Mark’s focused expertise in medical office buildings, as well as his leadership in helping others in the field.

Mentors are people who use their hard-earned experience and insight to help newcomers to a profession. Mark Alexander was a mentor when he used his knowledge, gleaned from years working with medical real estate, to assist one of SVN’s newest franchisees, Laura Salome. Laura, who has a background in pharmaceutical sales and is based in El Paso, TX, was new to the medical real estate arena. Although Laura had secured an appointment with a doctor who owned three medical office buildings (MOBs), she was not sure how to best give a listing presentation to him. Laura reached out to Mark, who put together a custom listing presentation, which he provided to Laura prior to her meeting. Laura and Mark double-teamed the presentation, with Mark on a speaker phone and Laura showing slides and materials in person. This joint presentation was successful, resulting in a signed listing, and has lead to Mark and Laura continuing to collaborate on other listing presentations.

Mark often speaks to groups about commercial real estate. He was the featured office market speaker at several annual CCIM Outlook Conferences in Ft.Myers. He has also hosted and spoken at dinner seminars for doctors in San Francisco, Chicago, Kansas City, Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston, Atlanta, Orlando, Naples and Fort Myers.

Additionally, Mark writes a monthly column for the Sunday edition of the Fort Myers News-Press on commercial real estate issues.

 

Sperry Van Ness | Mark Alexander Commercial Realty LLC

Mark Alexander, CCIM

Managing Director

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Office Spotlight with Sperry Van Ness | Property Investment Advisors, LLC

Posted on by SVN

This week, our Office Spotlight focuses on Sperry Van Ness | Property Investment Advisors, LLC based in Birmingham, MI (Detroit metropolitan area).

1. What has been your strategy for growing your firm and also your market share?

A few of our key strategies that allow us to be strongly poised for future growth and should assist other SVN offices include:

  • Knowledge: We feel knowledge is power!  We have probably the best access to information in our Detroit and Michigan market than most of our local competitors.  Not only do we have data supplied by the normal informational sources as Real Capital Analytics, CoStar, LoopNet, SVN market updates and SVN training, but this knowledge is supplemented by over 25 trained local area product type specialists connected nationally with 60 other offices.  This is through our adjacent office “partner” Integra Realty Resources, one of the largest appraisal firms in our local market and the country.
  • Technology: We have a great toolbox of all the latest technology in commercial real estate – Tablets/Smartphones, commercial property apps, databases, BuildOut ™ (SVNIC is an enterprise user of BuildOut’s single point of entry online marketing and tracking system), SVN app (SVN Connect), etc.  With this technology, we can operate from anywhere and effectively market our services to and for our client.
  • Website: We have a highly active local Detroit metro and Michigan website with blogs, news and listings supplemented by online/real time Twitter feeds.
  • Social Media: We are active in social media with thousands of followers on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook (currently more than 8,000 connections). This provides the added advantages of  keeping us instantly updated with current market trends; providing great search engine optimization; and giving us an exceptional marketing tool for maintaining high visibility and close relationships.
  • Individual Visibility: We are highly visible both locally and nationally not only on the internet but on a personal one-on-one basis. We are members of  numerous local and national boards and committees, including individuals on our team serving as president of the Commercial Board of Realtors, as committee members with the Counselors of Real Estate of the National Association of Realtors, on the  boards of local and national CEO/business groups and the boards/committees of many non-profit groups. All this is supplemented with speaking engagements, publications, articles, press releases, and other outreach.
  • Connections: Our 40 years of strategic networking have led to us being connected to most of the movers and shakers on the local and national levels.  
  • National and International Access: We achieve national and international access through our association with Sperry Van Ness International Corporation (175 locations nationwide), Integra Realty Resources (60 locations nationwide), the Counselors of Real Estate (1,100 high level executives in most markets) and our national CEO group (80 locations nationwide).
  • Location: We are located in Birmingham, Michigan, which is a north-central suburb of the Detroit metropolitan area. Our strategic and central location allows us to reach most of the  Detroit metropolitan area in 20 minutes. That’s easy access to more than 4.5 million people!
  • Demographics: Being in the Birmingham/Bloomfield market allows us to be near the wealthiest individuals in Michigan. These are the people that can purchase real estate on an investment basis or CEOs and high level executives that can lease or purchase properties for their companies.

 

2. What are some of the unique activities you do to motivate your team?

Enthusiasm! Motivation for us comes from liking what we do and liking the people we do it with. It has been said that if you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life.  It is always exciting, for example, to deal with the top ½% of wealth in the population and work with them to achieve their goals, whether it is for investment purposes or helping them with their companies.  We have access to all the credentials and people needed to solve our clients’ problems and properly market their properties (e.g.:  Counselors of Real Estate (CRE’s) , CCIM’s, MAI’s, CPA’s, CPM’s, MBA’s, SIORs, etc.).  We pride ourselves on working and “playing” with our clients to achieve together what we consider the four key elements of a successful great life:  family, faith, business and social.

 

3. What’s been the biggest challenge on how you run your business over the last few years?

Our biggest challenge was the difficulties faced by the  Detroit market from 2008 to 2011. The auto industry was in the worst shape it had ever been in, impacting the health of  local businesses.  This was compounded by one of the worst real estate markets nationally.  Since then, there has been a tremendous turnaround in the auto industry and the area, causing a large potential of new business and many outstanding opportunities both for us as an office, and for our clients.  Now our challenge will be to close new business, which can take some time to finalize, and replenish what was previously a deteriorated cash flow.

 

4. How many Advisors/Staff did you have when you joined SVN? How many (in total) do you have now?

Our SVN office’s intent has been to maintain quality not quantity.  We may not be the biggest but we are one of the best! As mentioned above, we use everything possible, including the latest technology,  to give the best service to our clients.  We subcontract out to specialists when necessary to reduce unnecessary overhead. We have adjacent office space with Integra Realty, which not only provides quality information and synergy, but great conference facilities, audio visual, printers, administration, copy machines, distribution services and a great professional office setting.

 

Sperry Van Ness | Property Investment Advisors, LLC    Birmingham, MI

Robert Pliska, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness/Property Investment Advisors, LLC
Robert Pliska, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness/Property Investment Advisors, LLC

Robert Pliska

Managing Director

Sperry Van Ness | Property Investment Advisors, LLC

 

 

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated. 

SVN State of the Company: Change or Die by Kevin Maggiacomo

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Kevin Maggiacomo, President & CEO of Sperry Van Ness Internationa
Kevin Maggiacomo, President & Chief Executive Officer of Sperry Van Ness International Corporation

As President and CEO of Sperry Van Ness International Corporation, my role, aside from addressing the perennially evolving needs of the organization, is to spend a good percentage of my time on strategy and “second wave growth.” Creating a real estate services platform, scaling-up new offerings like property management and auction, but also on expanding upon the disruption that our compensated cooperation model has had on the industry is where I spent a considerable amount of my time. In this post I’ll share with you why we’ve funded and embraced such an “innovation lab” at SVN, and describe why it’s an important cause.

Inspired by the Motley Fool, whose two founders I recently spent time with at the Conscious Capitalism conference, let us consider the following notion: Becoming a leading company in an industry requires the right people, and I’m not talking about at the executive level, but at every level. An appetite for change has to be in a company’s DNA.  But being an industry leader also requires a tremendous amount of imagination… imagining a different world. A world almost like the one we live in now, but more efficient.  Becoming a laggard in an industry requires a lack of imagination. And just like any industry on the planet, there are forces that will disrupt commercial real estate brokerage and we are not immune.

Change happens to industries. Just ask a newspaper publisher, or anyone who invested in that industry in recent years. We still read newspapers – in fact we read them more today than in previous generations – but we don’t read them in quite the same way. And without a bridge loan from the then richest man on the planet, even the patriarch of the publishers – The New York Times – would have filed for bankruptcy protection. Were there warnings this would happen? You bet.

Back in 1993, a man named Gordy Thompson worked for The New York Times, and his job title was “Internet Services Manager.” Rest assured that in the C-Suite at The Times, no one knew what the role included, much less understood that it was arguably the most important position at the newspaper. As the story goes, Thompson tried – and failed to deliver the following message to The Times execs: “When a 14-year old kid can blow up your business in his spare time, not because he hates you but because he loves you, then you’ve got a problem.”

Thompson was in the habit of hanging out on Internet message boards, if you remember those from back in the day. There, Thompson noticed that fans of the Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry were re-posting Barry’s columns on the 2,000 person strong Usenet so that people who couldn’t read the Herald now could. In other words, the greatest competitive threat for newspapers was the popularity of their own content.  People wanted more of it where and when they wanted – on their terms.

This same trend has occurred in the financial industry when we began facilitating our own trades online – and the list goes on. Did people stop traveling? No, they stopped paying travel agents. And you better believe there was a Gordy Thompson every time, sounding the alarm, telling the corporate executives to use a little imagination. Saying “people want what they want, when they want it, where they want it and how they want it.  And if we don’t figure out a way to give it to them, they are going to get it somewhere else.”

Innovating to develop new methods of providing Commercial Real Estate (CRE) advisory services, working towards making the opaque and antiquated CRE industry more transparent and efficient are a few of the causes which drive the SVN innovation lab’s purpose – embracing the disruptive economic forces inherent in other industries is a big focus of our leadership team. When we talk about opening up parts of SVN – our Monday Morning Sales Calls to anyone who wants to listen or the previous version of our OnlinePublisherTM (www.crelaunch.com) – we’re focusing on increasing our productivity through collaboration with the entire industry, making it more efficient in the process.  This is the Sperry Van Ness® Difference. To learn more check out our SVN Difference Video.


Kevin Maggiacomo is the President and CEO of Sperry Van Ness International Corp.

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

Looking Below the Surface of Farmland Values by Ben Alder

Posted on by SVN
Ben_Alder
Ben Alder, Advisor with Sperry Van Ness | Miller Commercial Real Estate

Ben Alder, an advisor from Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate out of Salisbury, Maryland, is a contributing author for LandThink. By bring together various components of the land industry, LandThink is able to provide knowledge, ideas and networking opportunities to land professionals and investors to create a stronger land marketplace.

In a recent article, Ben takes a closer look at farmland values and the economic principles driving the value.

The last serious decline to farmland value occurred in the 1980s. Since then, annual growth in some states has risen in the double digit range, while between 1994 and 2004, the national average farm real estate value increased between 2 and 4 percent. Contrasting this to 2005 and 2006 they increased by 16 and 10 percent, respectively. The recession of 2008 to 2009 did bring some modest dip in farmland value, the hardest hit states were those with greater levels of suburban development and urbanization, a factor very well understood on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and other Mid Atlantic States. In 2010 to 2011 states in the Corn Belt and Great Plains experienced significant growth in cropland values including a 31 percent spike in Iowa. While prices sky rocketed in these bread basket States, areas of the Southeast and Northeast experience declines in value as transitional influences changing land use in these more urbanized markets continued to trail off. Greater detail on this research can be garnered from the September 2012 edition of the Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources and Rural America Journal produced by USDA’s Economic Research Service.

To view Ben’s article in its entirety, click here.

Ben Alder

Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate

Salisbury, MD

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

 

 

Q2 2013 Office Market Update by John McDermott

Posted on by SVN

For the office market, the next few years should see a significant shift back to the private client marketplace and away from distressed commercial real estate.

In my 40 years of real estate and finance experience, I have identified several leading indicators that serve to predict changes in the market. These are:

  • Compression of cap rates on single tenant net leased investments;
  • The insatiable acquisition of “trophy projects” in all product verticals;
  • An apartment market on fire with the fuel of cheap long-term money and many sources for it;
  • Resurgence of demand for land, lots and subdivisions from the largest public home builders all the way down to some of the smaller in-fill local and regional players, also fueled by low interest rates.

It’s clear that the office market will benefit from these real estate and economic indicators. However, the office market does face some challenges, including a significant variance in the numbers being published on office vacancy and activity, and the varying pricing tiers based on quality and location. These challenges may spell an opportunity for the astute investor and commercial real estate advisor to provide added value.

Advisors should be careful with the sources they quote. For example, REIS reports the National Office Vacancy at 17.1% and .50 basis points below the recession high while CoStar reports National Office Vacancy at 11.9%, which would be 5.70% better than the recession high.

Following are some current statistics:

Vacancy levels for different classes of buildings:

  • Class- A projects are at 13.3%
  • Class-B projects are at 12.4%
  • Class-C projects are at 8.8%

(Obviously the discounts and concessions in the better buildings are going away and rents are firming. Tenants still seek affordability, especially until their business and the economy improve)

  • U.S. CBD vacancy is 10.9%
  • U.S. Suburban vacancy is 12.2%
  • There is still a lot of reported Class A sub-lease space at 27M s.f. or 58% of all sublease space. Still, a significant amount of excess and under-utilized space is not formally on the market.
  • Suburban markets make up 33M s.f. of the sublease inventory or 71% of the total.

Lastly, a significant number of office property owners want to get off the vertical, based not only on the property’s age, but their own age and where they are in their personal investment cycle (they may be older, want more freedom, want to lower management issues, tired of tenant issues and demands, etc.). This situation creates a new frontier of adaptive re-use, space design and modification for today’s virtual or hoteling tenant and their employees along with a significant shift back into the vibrant American CBDs.

In my opinion, the product that represents the greatest opportunity is Class A suburban office, as long as it is properly priced.

Today, the most important part of advising clients is being aware of your local competitive landscape. Additionally, you must know what the new tenancy needs, wants and demands plus  how the growing focus in space design on more “we” space instead of the “me” space of old (like law firms at 350 s.f. per person on average) will affect your client’s specific property.

As of Q2, I think the future is bright and the office market will continue to be at the core of commercial real estate.

 

Prepared by:

John McDermott Sperry Van Ness Industrial Practice Chair
John McDermott, Office Product Council Chair

John McDermott

Council Chair of Office Properties

Sperry Van Ness Chicago Commercial

 

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.