Lee & Associates San Diego North Appoints President

Real estate veteran Howard brings extensive career background and vast industry knowledge

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—August 17, 2010—David E. Howard, a 25-year commercial real estate veteran, has been named president of Lee & Associates’ San Diego North office. Howard, who joined Lee in 2005, is a founding principal of Lee’s national accounts group, which today represents name brand national office and industrial clients throughout the country. In Mr. Howard’s new role he will be responsible for all management activities such as brokerage operations, sales support, information technology and ancillary services.

“While the San Diego real estate market has been lackluster at best, we are poised to take advantage of the new right sizing done not only by corporate America but all business owners over the last few years, and I’m extremely excited about taking the helm here,” said Howard. “There is no question that our ability to provide superior and all-encompassing service to our customers will allow us to increase our market share in and around the San Diego area to both regional and national companies.”

Prior to joining Lee & Associates, Mr. Howard was the president and CEO of RESOURCE Commercial Real Estate, Inc. (RCRE). The firm specialized in strategic representation to end-users of commercial real estate and buyers and sellers of investment properties. Under Howard’s watch, the firm expanded to six offices throughout the Western U.S.

A well-known powerhouse in the industry, Howard has been involved in major real estate activities including the Walnut Creek, Calif. relocation of Newmeyer & Dillion LLP; the new Orange County office of Collins, Collins, Muir & Stewart LLP; and the relocation of the Discount Dance Supply’s distribution center in Anaheim, Calif. along with stores in San Diego, Rancho Cucamonga, Anaheim Hills and Temecula, Calif. In addition, he recently completed the sublease of Ace Funding’s regional office in San Jose, Calif.

Howard started his career in commercial real estate as a director of corporate services at Charles Dunn Company in Los Angeles as well as with CBRE as part of the Madison Advisory Group located in Newport Beach, Calif.

Howard replaces Brad Roppe, who leaves to assume a position outside of the real estate industry.

“David is an experienced commercial real estate professional, manager and entrepreneur, and a perfect fit for our broker-owned structure,” said Larry Strickland, founding principal of Lee & Associates, Carlsbad. “We are delighted to bring David’s managerial skills along with his marketing expertise to our office and we are confident he will be a great addition to our already successful team. I personally look forward to having him on board.”

Howard attended the University of Maryland and California State University, Fullerton majoring in business administration and real estate. Since then, he has also earned the Real Property Administration® (RPA) and Facilities Management Administrator® (FMA) designations from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and has frequented the list of “Who’s Who in Real Estate” over the course of his career. In addition to being a licensed California real estate broker, Howard has acted as a legal expert witness in commercial law cases.

Prior to embarking on his commercial real estate career, he was the director of real estate at TRW Information Services in addition to being the real estate operations manager with Macy’s department stores. He has also served with distinction in the United States Coast Guard.

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Lee & Associates Opens Office in Atlanta

Atlanta will give the national real estate brokerage firm its first Southeast location

ATLANTA—August 16, 2010—Lee & Associates, one of the largest commercial real estate services firms in the country, has made a key strategic move in its national expansion plan through a merger with one of Atlanta’s most respected real estate service firms headed by Richard Bryant, Bryant Commercial Real Estate Partners, whose offices are located at 3500 Lenox Road, NE., Suite 200 in Atlanta.

“Atlanta is a major accomplishment in Lee’s overall business plan, which sets a major emphasis on their expansion eastward. Metro Atlanta comprises 28 counties and is home to more than 5.3 million people and 145,000 private-sector firms,” said Edward Indvik, chairman of the Lee Advisory Board and vice chairman of Lee & Associates Investment Services Group. “All this makes the Atlanta MSA the ninth largest in the country.”

As Atlanta’s growth continues at a frenetic pace — the population is expected to increase by 2.3 million by 2030 — Indvik said Atlanta remains one of the nation’s top centers of business activity.

“Along with Atlanta’s top industry sectors of trade, transportation, utilities and professional services and government, this area is also home to hundreds of corporate headquarters, 12 of which are Fortune 500 companies, and thousands of small businesses and more than 2,100 international companies,” Indvik said.

 The Atlanta office gives Lee its first appearance in the Southern market and will offer full-service brokerage with its 31 brokers.

“In today’s competitive commercial real estate environment being able to offer a national reach with local expertise is more important than ever,” said Bryant. “Lee & Associates provides for that capability without burdening the company with unnecessary structure or expense.  Being a part of the Lee organization expands our services platform both nationally and internationally without losing the ability to make decisions and fashion our services with clients’ needs as our primary focus.”   

In 2004, Bryant formed Bryant Commercial Real Estate Partners with the objective of creating a firm that provides the highest level of integrity, expertise and service in the Atlanta marketplace. He reached this success by focusing on building and maintaining long-term client relationships. This was a key reason why Lee & Associates is extremely pleased with the merger opportunity. 

 “One of the key components in our business plan is to link with experienced brokers who know the market,” Indvik said.  “In Bryant Commercial Real Estate Partners, you not only have a company who is firmly in command of the market, but has created a reputation in Atlanta real estate that is second to none.”

Said Bryant: “Through the partnership with Bryant, Lee & Associates will enter the Atlanta market with instant expertise, capabilities, and reputation.  Lee & Associates will offer full service capabilities in all facets of commercial real estate to include tenant/landlord and buyer/seller representation in office, industrial, and retail properties, property management, and investment sales.  As well as asset management and disposition services primarily fashioned to assist our banking clients.  In addition, our capital markets group will represent buyers and lenders as they search for viable investment opportunities.”

Before he formed Bryant Commercial Real Estate Partners, Bryant was chairman, president and managing director of the Atlanta offices of GVA Advantis Real Estate Services.  Prior to that, he was senior vice president and managing broker at Portman Barry Investments in Atlanta and was vice president and resident manager for CB Richard Ellis Real Estate Services in the Southeastern region.

Other key figures joining the Lee Atlanta management team include Bryant Commercial partners Rick Tumlin, Kurt Unger, Mark Hollan, John DeCouto, Bruce Davis and Craig Viergever, Jim Ramseur, Nadia Wagner and Scott Crooks.

With its Atlanta office, Lee & Associates now encompasses 40 offices nationwide.

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