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September 2, 2010

The Inside Scoop on the People & Places that Shape Atlanta Real Estate

Tom Senkbeil (left) and Bob Cutlip (right) of Sealy & Co.

With the addition of Tom Senkbeil, Bob Cutlip and Klay Simpson, life just got a little more interesting at Sealy & Co. The trio has joined Dallas-based Sealy's corporate and regional management teams to lead investment and development efforts for the Southeast and Mid Atlantic.

For Sealy, Senkbeil, Cutlip and Simpson bring decades of commercial real estate and executive leadership experience with companies such as Weeks Corp., Duke Realty, Carter & Associates, First Industrial and Highwoods Properties.

Locally, Sealy has acquired the mortgage note on Braselton 85 Distribution Center, a 439,338-square-foot LEED Silver development on Georgia Highway 124 near I-85. Our sources also indicate that Sealy is in the lead to acquire a high-profile Buckhead site that's ripe for redevelopment.

The Indomitable Walter Fish

Walter Fish in front of the model of Terminus.

If this whole real estate thing doesn't work out, Walter Fish will survive. The Cousins Properties senior vice president was an instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School for eight years during high school and college, so he can thrive in just about any environment, from the negotiating table with big-ticket tenants and their brokers to the wilderness of the Western U.S.

Speaking of wilderness, Cousins has emerged from it lately with new deals, renewals and expansions including Carlock, Copeland & Stair at 191 Peachtree, InComm at American Cancer Society Center and RidgeWorth Investments at Terminus 200 over the past few weeks, with more to come. Fish plays a critical role in leasing each property.

"It slowed down so much for about 18 months, and you had a lot of people on the sidelines," Fish said. "Now we have companies and tenants ready to make decisions and take advantage of the market."

Fish joined Cousins in 1992 and began his real estate career with Budge Jamison when the two ran Jamison Fish Research in the mid '80s. Each big transaction takes a life of its own, said Fish, who enjoys the give and take and mental gymnastics involved with tenant rep brokers. At the end of the day, though, everyone has to get in the boat together and work out the transaction, he said.

"I find it to be a great working relationship," Fish said. "You're both knowledgeable, and you know what each other's after."

Jones Lang LaSalle: Up with the Sun

From left to right: Clark Gore of Jones Lang LaSalle, Chuck Altimari of UPS and Rob Metcalf of Jones Lang LaSalle.

Jones Lang LaSalle Atlanta Market Director Clark Gore tends to have a positive, sunny disposition, even at 7 a.m. Gore and Jones Lang LaSalle hosted a networking breakfast and panel discussion Tuesday morning at Villa Christina. JLL's Rob Metcalf and Kay Younglove traded good-natured barbs while debating the merits of the Central Perimeter and North Fulton submarkets and were followed by panelists Hans Gant of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Chuck Altimari of UPS, John Darrah of GID Urban Development Group, Cavarly Garrett of J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Erwin Thomas of Philips Healthcare discussing metro Atlanta economic development and corporate real estate.

The good news from JLL: Central Perimeter has absorbed nearly 200,000 square feet of office space through midyear and has another 600,000 square feet of requirements active in the market. North Fulton posted negative net absorption of 141,000 square feet through mid-year but also has almost 800,000 square feet of active requirements seeking office space.

The REAL Deal

From left to right: Tim Gunter, Greg Ryan and Lisa Ward of IDI and Bill Johnston and David Richardson of King Industrial.

The REAL Deal was the real deal Wednesday night, as who's who in Atlanta industrial real estate congregated at STATS downtown to network with the metro area's leading developers and brokers. Rooker, Pattillo Industrial Real Estate, ProLogis, IDI and ING sponsored the event.

The CB Challenge

Jeff Henson, Trey Barry, Pat Murphy, Tanner Hicklin

Left to right: CBRE's Jeff Henson, Trey Barry, Pat Murphy and Tanner Hicklin.

RREEF and the CBRE leasing team of Pat Murphy, Bill Kee, Trey Barry, Jeff Henson and Tanner Hicklin invited the Rooster to their SEC Football Challenge at Tavern 99 last night. Approximately fifty lucky brokers gathered for food, drinks and the usual football smack, and each attendee made their picks for each game of the season. CB will send their guests weekly updates with standings, and at the end of the season, big prizes will be awarded. Stay tuned to the Rooster for who gets what in the end of the friendly competition.

Coffee Break with GARE

From left to right: Todd Addison of Jacoby Development, Roy Black of Emory University, T.J. Hart of hartografie, Steve Hinkle of Parsons Brinkerhoff and Temba Msezane.

Rooster caught up with members of the Goizueta Alumni in Real Estate (GARE) group yesterday at Caribou Coffee in Buckhead. Among the topics of discussion were real estate marketing techniques, football and naturally, The Jersey Shore. The group, led by president Todd Addison, meets regularly to discuss these and other relevant real estate issues over a cup of joe. Thanks for the invite, Todd!

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