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Les McKeown Talk at the Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference

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Les_McKeown
Les McKeown, President & CEO of Predictable Success

SVNIC was recently honored for its remarkable achievements and being one of America’s fastest-growing privately held companies at the Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference in Washington DC on October 10-12. Always a crowd pleaser, Les McKeown, best-selling author (Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization On the Growth Track – and Keeping It There) and builder of more than 40 start-up organizations worldwide, gave a powerful talk to thousands in attendance at the Gaylord Convention Center. McKeown focused on the 4 stages every business goes through in a comedic, yet insightful presentation.

These stages, include:

    1. Early Struggle
    2. Fun
    3. White Water
    4. Predictable Success
    5. Treadmill
    6. The Big Rut

Les_McKeown 1

 

He also pinpointed key leadership roles in every organization and his/her characteristics. Definitely worth the read! For more information about McKeown’s speeches, his successful organizations and more, go to Predictable Success.

 

 

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

SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate Lends a Helping Hand

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Members if the SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate team assisting in the renovation of the Hope and Life Outreach in Salisbury, MD.
Members if the SVN/Miller Commercial Real Estate team assisting in the renovation of the Hope and Life Outreach in Salisbury, MD.

The members of Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate, based out of Salisbury, MD, were among the groups and individuals around the country who volunteered on October 26 for National Make a Difference Day. The team helped to make a positive difference in other’s lives by making improvements at the Hope and Life Outreach (HALO) emergency shelter. SVN/Miller supplied paint and many volunteers.

“We brought a whole crew of office members and some of their family and put some paint on the wall to spruce it up,” said Nicole Abresch, 25, marketing director for Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate. “We just wanted to give back to an organization that does so much for the less fortunate in the community.”

 

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

 

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.

Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference Keynote Speaker, Jim Collins

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Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference Keynote Speaker, Jim Collins
Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference Keynote Speaker, Jim Collins

SVNIC was represented at the Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference in Washington DC, October 10-12. Best-selling author and researcher, Jim Collins (Built to Last, Good to Great) was a keynote speaker. His inspiring talk, entitled “From Company to Combat: How to Lead in Any Environment” was attended by thousands. Collins focused on how to build great businesses, bringing your business to the next level and the power of a “Level 5 Leader.” Collins also outlined 12 important questions every organizational leader should ask him/herself each month. Some example questions, include:

  1. Do we want to build an enduring great company (or social sector enterprise), and are we will to strive for
    Level 5 Leadership?
  2. On what core values and enduring purpose will we build our culture for 100 years?
  3. Do we have the right people on the bus, and are 95% of our key seats filled with the right people?
  4. What are the brutal facts and how can we better live the Stockdale Paradox?

Check out the rest of the questions on Collin’s website or click 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.

SVNIC Exhibiting at the 2013 CREW Convention & Marketplace

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The 2013 annual CREW Network Convention & Marketplace will be held October 9-12 at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Tx. This 3-day event offers industry professionals access to top speakers, educational sessions, leadership training and industry exhibitors.

Sperry Van Ness International Corporation will be an exhibitor at the marketplace event at this year’s convention. This event is dedicated to networking, doing business, and sharing innovative ideas. In attendance from SVNIC will be Diane Danielson and Karen Hurd.

CREW Invite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*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

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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

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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.

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.

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

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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

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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.

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

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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.

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.

Sperry Van Ness International Corp. Names 2012 Top Brokers, Offices

Posted on by SVN

Sperry Van Ness International Corporation (SVNIC) recently announced the recipients of the company’s top awards for 2012, spanning achievements among individual brokers and offices across the country. The awards were given out at the SVNIC annual sales conference in Miami, Fla. that was held Feb. 6-8, 2013.

The prestigious Partners’ Circle Awards were given to Sperry Van Ness® advisors who celebrated a gross annual commission income of $500,000 or more. Also among the top commission earners were the designated Achievers, who had the highest production numbers for 2012.  Many of these same advisors helped their offices make it into SVNIC’s Top 20 Offices for 2012.  Click here for full list.SVNICTrophy

The following individual awards were also handed out at the conference:

  • Firm of the Year: Sperry Van Ness/Miller Commercial Real Estate, Salisbury, Md.
  • Collaborator of the Year: Sperry Van Ness, LLC, Chicago
  • Ambassador of the Year: Curt Arthur, Sperry Van NessCommercial Advisors, LLC, Salem, Ore.
  • Humanitarian of the Year: Walter Helm, Sperry Van Ness/ Walter Helm, Sacramento, Calif.
  • Rookie of the Year: Jennifer Donathan, Sperry Van Ness/Commercial Real Estate (Barton W. Weprin) Liberty Township, Ohio
  • Prospector of the Year: Tony Yousif, Sperry Van Ness/Finest City Commercial, San Diego, Calif.
  • Team Player of the Year: John Rickert, Sperry Van Ness/RICORE Investment Management, Inc.,Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Innovator of the Year: Ryan Imbrie, Sperry Van Ness/Imbrie Realty, LLC, Portland, Ore.
  • Trainer of the Year: Mark Alexander, Sperry Van Ness(Mark Alexander), Fort. Myers, Fla.

Among that group of winners is Walter Helm (Humanitarian of the Year) who is not only a broker – but also a volunteer firefighter and volunteer pilot for the free medical flight group AirLifeLine.  Mark Alexander (Trainer of the Year) volunteers his time to SVNIC’s Product Council on Medical Offices, sharing his expertise on the property sector with other franchisees. The Sperry Van Ness LLC office in Chicago was named Collaborator of the Year for working to promote cooperation among advisors – a key tenet of the SVNIC mission. In 2012, Sperry Van Ness LLC brought the largest number of new and recent closings to the company’s Monday National Sales Calls Program – which markets properties to brokers nationwide – regardless of their company affiliation.

“In the crowded commercial real estate field, Sperry Van Ness advisors stand apart,” said President and CEO Kevin Maggiacomo. “Through innovation and collaboration, these outstanding brokers and offices are providing the best service to their customers, and are setting the bar high for our field in 2013.”

 

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