Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Silberman.
Jon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got into the commercial real estate business part-time in the late 1980s, then shifted to full-time in the accounting department at a property management company. Following that experience, I moved on to office project leasing, and then eventually into the tenant rep business, which is what I still specialize in today. A few years later, in 1997, [veteran real estate brokers] Drew Lewis and Brad Marnitz teamed up to establish PCR, and [current NAI Partners partners] Randy Wilhelm, Jason Whittington, and I were also among that original partnership group. We’ve been in the NAI Global network since our 1997 founding. Back then NAI was referring to itself as New America International, and so our company’s full name was Partners Commercial Realty New America International. To no one’s surprise, we shortened that to NAI Partners.
This year we’re celebrating 20 years in business. We spent the majority of that time carving out one of the best-known and best-regarded office and industrial tenant representation shops in all of Houston, and embarked on a significant diversification and strategic growth plan a few years ago.
To wit:
1. We opened offices in Austin and San Antonio, and have significantly expanded our operations in both of those markets. NAI Partners Austin and NAI Partners San Antonio are collectively home to 15% of our total workforce. Both offices are on track to complete more transactions than they ever have before in 2017. 2. We have focused significant resources on developing and now bolstering our rapidly growing Landlord Services line of business to serve property owners; adding new office and retail product to the line of business’ property management portfolio, including its first-ever assignment in San Antonio. 3.We have rebooted the Landlord Services division’s Office Project Leasing offering with a new leasing team that has already picked up a wide range of unique owner-rep assignments including the medical office facility at 7501 Fannin; and also hiring a veteran sales professional to augment landlord capabilities in Austin. 4.We have seen our newly added Retail Services line of business – also under the Landlord Services umbrella — establish itself as one of the most active and dynamic in Houston. All told, our Retail Services team have completed in aggregate of more than 600,000 sq. ft. of retail leasing transactions valued at approximately $30 million in just over a year, and has over 60 exclusive property listings in excess of 1.6 million sq. ft. The group also added two new professionals in Houston, and is expanding its activities to Austin and San Antonio. 5.Our NAI Investment Fund I is now fully deployed, following three property acquisitions over the past month in Houston and San Antonio, and Andrew Pappas is already preparing Fund II.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being based in Houston, we, like every other business, felt the effects of the Enron fallout in 2001. And of course, the Great Recession of 2009. Like many, we spent that time in survival mode, focused on production. Eventually we decided that we wanted to diversify our income streams a little bit more, so that we wouldn’t be as susceptible to that sort of downturn again. One of the most important lessons you can take from leaner times is that it can be a great opportunity to build, find great talent, and do whatever you have to to keep things moving things forward.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the NAI Partners story. Tell us more about the business.
NAI Partners is the 7th-largest Houston-area commercial real estate company and one of the oldest independently owned commercial real estate services firms founded and headquartered in Houston, Texas. We have offices in Houston, San Antonio and Austin, offer the geographic expertise to complete real estate transactions throughout the state of Texas and can leverage the power of the NAI Global network to arrange deals in any location throughout the country. We employ more than 100 real estate professionals, and arranges more transactions than any of our competitors, annually completing upwards of 800 commercial lease and sale arrangements every year.
We’re a full-service firm offering client leasing and sales solutions in the areas of office tenant representation, office landlord representation, industrial tenant representation, industrial landlord representation, landlord services, retail services, property management, investment sales, an investment fund, and project management, among other services.
We’ve been named a Best Place to Work by both the Houston Chronicle and Houston Business Journal, and is among the University of Houston’s Cougar 100 Fastest-Growing Companies. NAI Partners is part of the NAI Global network.
As for what sets us apart, simply put, we’re built differently than everyone else. As an independently owned company, we have the agility of a smaller firm, but can leverage the scale of the NAI Global network to provide the service of the biggest firms. We’re structured to offer partner-level expertise every step of the way, from proposals, to building tours, negotiation and deal closing. We built our company on vigorous client advocacy and we have a relentless drive to get the best deal for our clients. Our experience enables us to think differently than everyone else. We’ve been in the commercial real estate business through countless cycles, and create value for our clients through opportunities they don’t have time to think about and didn’t even know they had. We’re tireless in our pursuit to put our clients in an advantageous position, and are always moving toward our clients’ goals.
Contact Info:
- Address: NAI Partners Houston
1900 West Loop South Suite 500
Houston, Texas 77027 - Website: www.naipartners.com
- Phone: 713-629-0500
- Email: info@naipartners.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/naipartners
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/naipartners
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/naipartners
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/naipartners/
Image Credit:
Larry Koestler
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