Category: ABC’s of Ackerman

Since joining the Ackerman Retail team in 2017, one of the primary goals of executive vice president Brian Lefkoff has been to create a first-class tenant representation platform and growing portfolio of national, regional and local tenants. As the leader of Ackerman Retail’s Tenant Representation group, he has exceeded the company’s goals, adding many prominent clients to the portfolio and building a well-recognized platform.

This expansion of Ackerman Retail’s tenant representation roster has yielded several major lease signings for Brian in the past year. It also led to Brian’s recent selection as Ackerman’s Broker of the Month for December.

Brian’s major lease signings include a 30,000-square-foot transaction on behalf of Goodwill of North Georgia at Northridge shopping center in Sandy Springs, Ga. The new retail location for Goodwill is expected to open soon.

Ackerman Retail is Goodwill’s exclusive representative in North Georgia for the retailer’s store and career center expansion across a region that includes more than 60 stores in 45 counties.

Brian also recently represented Painted Tree Marketplace in a 30,000-square-foot lease in Buford, Ga. This marks Painted Tree’s first store in Georgia, which is now open at Marketplace at Millcreek, where it joins national retailers such as Burlington, Costco, DSW, Marshalls and Ross.

Painted Tree selected Ackerman Retail as its exclusive representative for its expansion in Atlanta and across the Southeast U.S.

To learn more about Brian and the Retail team, visit Ackerman Retail.

Brokers are vital to the success of every full-service real estate company, and Ackerman & Co. is fortunate to have a talented, diverse team ranging from young associate brokers to veterans with 40-plus years of experience.

At the close of every year, Ackerman & Co. recognizes brokers on both ends of that spectrum with its Broker Awards.

We’re excited to announce that John Speros is the recipient of our Broker of the Year Award and Kris Redding is our Young Broker of the Year.

Another Stand-Out Year for Veteran Broker

One of Ackerman’s most experienced and high-producing brokers, John Speros has been with the firm since 2009. He has expertise in virtually every type of commercial real estate transaction, from the sale of land parcels for single-family, multifamily and mixed-use developments to the disposition of portfolios and the acquisition of sites for commercial and residential development. His current focus is the representation of owners in land sales as leader of the Ackerman/Pioneer Land Group with Kyle Gable.

This past year has been one of John’s most productive, which is saying a lot for someone who has received multiple high-profile Atlanta market awards throughout his career – including recognition as the second-highest producing commercial land broker in 2010 and receiving the Alvin B. Cates Award for the most significant commercial real estate transaction in 2003 and 2007.

In 2019, John completed land transactions totaling nearly $75 million. Some of his biggest transactions include the $7.3-million sale of 35 acres in Gwinnett County that will become the site of the 330-unit Alta Sugarloaf multifamily complex and the $8.9-million sale of 152 acres in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., that will be used to expand a public park.

“We’re very fortunate to have someone with John’s experience and ability. He has been a key member of our team for years, and it’s great to see him have another hugely successful year,” said Kris Miller.

What stands out most about John to Kyle Gable is his combination of commercial real estate expertise and his willingness to serve as a mentor to younger brokers.

“I think there are two main qualities that make John so good in the land business. The first is his overall knowledge of all the different types of land transactions – he brings an array of knowledge to the table that most brokers just don’t have,” Gable said. “Second is his ability to get a deal closed. John understands the complexity of real estate and how to get the deal across the goal line.”

Kyle himself has benefited from John’s generosity in sharing his expertise. “When I was a 26-year-old with limited land experience, John took me under his wing and showed me how to work on land transactions and ultimately get them closed. In working with him over the past 10 years, I have seen him spend time with many young brokers teaching them about real estate,” he said.

Young Broker Hitting His Stride

A former NFL and Canadian Football League player, Kris Redding began his real estate career during the 2015 off season and now represents clients in both lease and sales transactions. Since joining Ackerman in 2017, he has demonstrated an ability to grow client relationships and become a valued partner in helping them achieve their business goals.

“It’s an honor to receive this award.” said Redding. “Ackerman’s prestige, tenured relationships within the industry, prolific resources and internal support system have provided me with a platform that has galvanized my ability to be productive in our business.” This productivity earned him a place in the NAIOP Million Dollar Club for completing more than $4 million in office leases in 2018.

Kris’s major deals in 2019 include representing Academy Orthopedics in the $5.26 million sale of its North Atlanta medical office portfolio. He also completed three lease transactions concurrently at Phoenix Business Campus with Worker’s United Southern Region, Primerica and Good Ground Development Center in five-year leases totaling 18,314 square feet.

“Kris brings the same hard-working and tenacious work ethic to real estate brokerage as he did to football. We look forward to seeing him continue his growth in commercial real estate as an important part of our brokerage team,” said Miller.

Read more about our brokerage group here: https://www.ackermanco.com/real-estate-services/overview/

The Property Management division is a key part of Ackerman & Co.’s full-service platform. The team’s seasoned professionals manage a portfolio of properties totaling nearly 8 million square feet, providing tenant relations, asset management, accounting and engineering services.

Property Manager Amanda Wyatt is a 15-year veteran in Ackerman’s Property Management division. We recently caught up with Amanda to get a close-in look at her role in the department. In addition to providing perspective on her approach to her work, she discussed what she enjoys doing in her free time – and even her top “bucket list” item!

Q: Can you tell us a little about what you do in the Property Management group?

A: I manage multiple properties in the metro Atlanta area. My team and I support the owners, assist the tenants at each of the properties, provide financial reporting and oversee daily operations.

Q: For people who aren’t familiar with property management, can you provide a rundown of the core services the Ackerman & Co. property management group provides?

Q: What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?

A: The advice I would give is to be patient, breathe and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Q: What are some of the most gratifying aspects of your work?

A: The camaraderie of my team! It makes it easy to come to work every day knowing that I have a great team of professionals around me.

Q: How would you describe yourself?

A: I am seriously funny, always have a smile on my face. I love to laugh and love a good joke. Life is too short, so my outlook is to make the best of it and have a good time.

Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in your free time?

A: I enjoy shooting at the range and roller derby.

Q: What’s one of the top items on your “bucket list”?

A: Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef with great white sharks.

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone famous, past or present, who would it be and why?

A: Amelia Earhart is very inspiring. A favorite quote from her is: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”

Or I would also like to have dinner with 50 Cent so we could freestyle with each other.

Q: Who has been the most important person in your life?

A: My mother. She is a source of inspiration, a breast cancer survivor and my best friend.

For nearly a decade, Gina DeRaffele has been one of our top brokers at Ackerman & Co.

Specializing in office properties, she takes pride in developing strong relationships with her clients to gain a clear understanding of their long-term real estate needs. This approach enables Gina to consistently close the most advantageous leases on behalf of her clients at the most competitive rates.

This year is holding true to form for Gina – once again, she has completed several high-profile office leases in the Atlanta market.

Thanks to that success, she was recently named Ackerman’s Broker of the Month.

One of her major transactions this year is a five-year lease extension and expansion on behalf of GoHealth Urgent Care. The 17,621 SF lease extension and 10,194 SF expansion will increase the healthcare provider’s headquarters space at Glenridge Highlands One in Sandy Springs to a total of 27,815 SF.

“It’s really a pleasure to be able to establish lasting relationships like this and help provide a solution that accommodates their ongoing growth,” Gina said. “It’s one of the most gratifying aspects of working in this industry.”

Since 2000, Gina has completed nearly 200 transactions totaling approximately 3.5 million square feet, and she’s consistently been recognized for her transaction volume and client service.

With the first day of summer behind us, The ABC’s of Ackerman spent the afternoon with our Chief Financial Officer, Vivian Barnes. Vivian is celebrating 21 years at Ackerman & Co. this month. Let’s dig in and find out more about one of the members of our executive team!

A.) What brought you to Ackerman & Co. and how long have you been here?

I came to Ackerman in 1996.

Right out of college, I started to work in banking. In the banking world, I did some loan work related to commercial real estate. A friend of mine called me in 1990 about an opening at Cushman & Wakefield, and I got my start in commercial real estate there. I’ve been working specifically in commercial real estate since for 27 years.

B.) Can you tell us a little about what you do at Ackerman & Co.?

My title is Chief Financial Officer but I function more as the Chief Operating Officer. I run all the operations for the company, which includes human resources, information technology (IT), property management, accounting, and office management.

C.) What is the best part of working at Ackerman & Co.?

The diversity of what I get to do. I get to work in so many different departments, and all of our departments’ functions are to support the sales and investment side of the company.

D.) What is the most exciting thing about commercial real estate to you? 

The constant change.

E.) What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Working with a great team of people to get all the many things that we get accomplished.

F.) What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?

Be flexible, and try to learn as much as possible in all different areas.

Now time for some personal questions! 

G.) What are some of your greatest achievements in life?

My three boys, my marriage of 34 years, and my work at Ackerman.

H.) What’s something that surprises people about you?

I grew up with six sisters.

I.) What book do you think everyone on the team should read?

Gone with the Wind. Scarlett O’Hara’s quote “Tomorrow is another day” is sort of my mantra on life.

J.) If you could have lunch with a U.S. president or someone famous, who would it be and why?

Probably Jimmy Carter, he was a great humanitarian.

K.) Do you have a bucket list? What’s one thing on your bucket list that you can share with us?

Definitely a Mediterranean cruise.

L.) What about some of your hobbies?

Playing with my grandbaby Lowry, Pilates, and cardio kickboxing.

M.) Who has been the most important person in your life?

My husband, Bill.

N.) What lessons has your work life taught you?

To appreciate everyone’s contributions to the success of the company.

We’re kicking off 2017 by speaking with our Broker of the Year, John Speros. John has been with Ackerman & Co. for eight years and is one of the premier land brokers in the Metro Atlanta area. We caught up with John between deals for some insight into the mind of one of our senior brokers. 

A.) Congrats on being named Ackerman’s Broker of the Year for 2016. Can you tell me how you got to that point and what your goals were at the beginning of 2016 and how you achieved them?

The real answer is simple: I produced more revenue than any other broker at Ackerman. I don’t start off the year hoping to be Broker of the Year. I just focus on helping the client meet their objectives and if you do that the commission seem to follow.

B.) What brought you to Ackerman & Co. and how long have you been here?

I joined Ackerman & Co almost eight years ago when Larry Wood, Sean Patrick, Kyle Gable and I left another firm. We all felt that Ackerman provided a unique platform for our business.

C.) Can you tell us a little about what you do at Ackerman & Co.?

My focus is selling raw land for commercial and residential development.

D.) What is the best part of working at Ackerman & Co.?

Ackerman & Co. gives me ALL of the support that I need to be successful including administrative, marketing, research and other support services.

E.)  What’s something that surprises people about you?

For some reason, people see me as really intense. I have had several people say that they were warned about how difficult I would be to work with only to discover that I am pretty easy going.

F.) What is the most exciting thing about commercial real estate to you?

It all or nothing. I learn something new in every transaction. It’s like Vegas with better odds.

G.) What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I enjoy helping my clients achieve their objectives. The commissions are anticlimactic, to me.

H.) What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?

Get lean on all expenses, be prepared to go for two years without an income and find someone to mentor you.

I.) What book do you think everyone on the team should read?

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.

J.) If you could have lunch with a U.S. president or someone famous, who would it be and why?

That’s tough to narrow down. There are so many people that I would love to talk with for an hour. I would have to put Ronald Reagan near the top of that list.

K.) Do you have a bucket list? What’s one thing on your bucket list that you can share with us?

At 60, I have completed most of the “physical” bucket list items. However, I would like to step foot on every continent.

L.) Who has been the most important person in your life?

My father. He taught me a great work ethic and emphasized getting my education. He could also “fix” just about anything and “fixing” things take a logical thought process that I use every day in brokerage.

M.) What lessons has your work life taught you?

If you work hard and smart, you seem to have more luck!

F. Keene Miller, President of Brokerage with Ackerman & Co. was named President of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS (ACBR) for the 2017 term. Miller was sworn in during ACBR’s Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony held at the InterContinental Hotel Buckhead on December 9th. The Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, an instrumental factor in the growth of organized real estate in the state of Georgia since 1910, is the largest commercial realtor association in the country with more than 2,500 members.

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“Service above self is his motto,” said John O’Neill, senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield, when describing Miller from the podium during the ceremony. “Keene is a consensus builder who leans in to get the job done,” he added. Miller will be the association’s 42^nd president.

Miller who believes in “never letting the moment be bigger than him” is committed to the ACBR’s continued efforts to increase diversity, offering higher education classes and advocating for the commercial real estate industry while supporting the communities in which they do business.

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With a bright and sunny second quarter underway, The ABC’s of Ackerman caught up with Building Engineer at Stone Mountain Industrial Park, Leonard Tate. He has some free time to discuss his work and life with us. Take some time to get to know another great member of our Ackerman & Co. team!

A. What brought you to Ackerman & Co. and how long have you been here?  

I wanted to expand my horizons. I felt like Ackerman & Co. was one of the places that I would challenge my knowledge and abilities. I have been here for nearly 11 years.

B. Can you tell us a little about what you do at Ackerman & Co.? 

As a building engineer, I do a bit of everything. Everything from lighting, plumbing, air conditioning and more.

C. What is the best part of working at Ackerman & Co. and what makes Ackerman such a great organization?

I enjoy meeting new tenants from a wide variety of companies and seeing their smiles. Every day brings a new challenge. Ackerman is a great organization because the whole team collaborates well. Everyone has a great knowledge and understanding of commercial real estate.

D. What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?  

You need to be committed to this field. It requires hard work and dedication.

E. What are your goals at Ackerman moving forward? 

I would like become chief engineer and manage my own buildings.

F. What lessons has your work life taught you?

Be able to do your job so well that no one else can do it better.

Let’s get away from work and get personal!

G. How would you describe yourself?

I’m an 80/20. 80% is great and the other 20% is a working process.

H. What about some of your hobbies? Do you have any cool hobbies?

I love playing basketball. I like playing horseshoes because this is the only thing that you can win by being close!

I. What’s something that surprises people about you? 

I originally set out to fly a plane and be a pilot. That is what I did while I was in the service. I flew planes and was a parachute jumper.

J. What’s your guilty pleasure? 

Sweet potato pie and butter pecan ice cream.

K.  What’s one thing on your bucket list that you can share with us?

One of the big ideas on my bucket list is to work to pay my church mortgage and help the church elders.

L. Who has been the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?

God, my wife, and my children they are the reason I get up every day and work hard.

M. If you could have lunch with a U.S. president or someone famous, who would it be and why?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or President Obama.

N. Same question, only a little different. If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?

My mother. She raised me and made me into the man I am today.

The ABC’s of Ackerman takes flight with our first spotlight of the year. Ackerman & Co.’s 2015 Young Broker of the Year, Chandler Pope, recently sat down with us to discuss the growth of his commercial real estate career and shared some insight into his adventurous life.

A. First of all, congratulations on being named Ackerman’s Young Broker of the Year for 2015! Can you tell me about the goals you set at the beginning of 2015 and how you were able to achieve them?

It took a lot of hard work by staying disciplined, organized and focused on my business plan.  Some of my goals were networking, making a certain number of calls each week, staying up to date on commercial real estate news and researching and driving my market.

B. Let’s go back to the beginning. What brought you to Ackerman and how long have you been here?

I knew I wanted a career in the commercial real estate industry after I graduated from the University of Alabama in May of 2014.  I started networking with people in the industry and eventually met Douglas Biggs at Colliers International. He put me in contact with Ackerman’s President of Brokerage, Keene Miller.  I enjoyed meeting with Keene and the other brokers in the office. I accepted a position as an Associate in the Brokerage division in July of 2014.

C. You said that people were a big draw for you when you made the decision to join the brokerage What’s the best part of working at Ackerman?

The environment and definitely the people.  We have an outstanding work environment making it easy to accomplish tasks and stay focused on your business.  Everyone here is extremely supportive which makes for a great atmosphere.

D. Tell us a little bit about what you do you at Ackerman.

I provide brokerage services, specializing in tenant and landlord representation throughout Metro Atlanta.

E. What is the most exciting thing about commercial real estate?

Every day is different.  I enjoy meeting and interacting with a diverse range of people, scheduling and attending client tours and working on the entire transaction process from initial negotiations to move-in.

F. What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?

Choose a specialty and a market.  Become an expert in your market and make your presence known.  Develop a strategy, be disciplined, organized and stay focused.  Don’t let rejections slow you down.  Establish a professional relationship with everyone you meet.  Build credibility, relationships, and trust by treating everyone fairly and with respect.  Do what is in the best interest of your client and focus on their specific goals and needs by adding value.

Round two is the rapid fire round!

G. Tell us about some of your hobbies.

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I play a lot of basketball and I love to ski. I also play the guitar in my free time.

H. What’s something that surprises people about you?

Between 1994 and 2000, I have visited over 30 countries and lived overseas. In those six years, I spent four years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and two years in Santiago, Chile.

I. More than a lot of people do in their lifetime. For someone who’s done so much, what’s something that’s on your bucket list?

Sky diving was a big one that I’ve already check off, but I’d love to take it to the next level and base-jump one day.

J. Who has been the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?

My parents are the most important people in my life. They are very loving and supportive in everything I do.

On the first official day of Fall, our ever-so-busy, feisty and outspoken Senior Financial and Brokerage Accountant, Debbie Register, finally had some free time to sit down with us. We are proud to say that Debbie has been part of the Ackerman & Co. team for more than 11 years, and we look forward to many more.

Be sure to check out her story below and join us in congratulating her on her recent promotion!

A. What brought you to Ackerman & Co. and how long have you been here?

My former employer, where I was in charge of the property management bookkeeping for 16 years, decided to semi-retire. As he downsized, the property management clients were referred to Ackerman. I saw an opportunity to interview with Ackerman and was hired on the spot; I have been here for more than 11 years.

B. Can you tell us a little about what you do at Ackerman & Co.?

My responsibilities allow me to wear several hats. My time is divided between Brokerage Accounting and Financial Accounting for the properties we manage. I could elaborate but I wouldn’t want anyone to start falling asleep while reading this. Let’s just say I stay busy!

C. Was this always your career goal?

I never really planned on being in accounting. When I was 13, I started taking inventory at a hardware store. I worked there until I turned 21, during which time I was promoted several times and ultimately to the corporate accounting office.

D. What is the most rewarding part of your current job?

Having someone tell me that I helped them understand something just makes me feel good inside and out.

E. What keeps you motivated?

I love what I do and really enjoy doing it.

F. What is the most exciting thing about commercial real estate to you?

No two days are ever alike and I continuously get to meet some really amazing people.

G. What do you feel like makes Ackerman & Co. such a great organization?

The people that make up Ackerman – from the president to the administration – is what makes our organization great!

H. What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?

Really think hard about what you really want in life. Also know there are a lot of deadlines and hard work that must be done to continue to be the best.

And now we’re about to get personal!

I. What about some of your hobbies?

I love baking, reading, making jewelry, painting on glass and sewing. However, my newest and favorite thing to do is spend time with my 15-month-old granddaughter Skylar. She is the new love of my life and I try to spend time with her as much as humanly possible.

J. Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

Getting up early on Sundays and going to Cherokee Mountains for the day. We would enjoys picnics, family time and the beautiful outdoors.

K. What’s something that surprises people about you?

While in school I was very, very shy. So much that I would read books in between classes and while I walked to avoid speaking with anyone.

L. Any guilty pleasures you wanna share?

Shopping for a great deal…and knowing I have coupons to make the deal even better.

M. What’s on your desk right now?

A large glass of homemade sweet tea.

N. What’s one thing on your bucket list that you can share with us?

To travel outside of the U.S. I have always wanted to visit Australia, Spain, France and Italy.