Mark Whitney Joins CBRE as Director of Property Tax Services

WhitneyPhoenix, AZ – CBRE is pleased to announce the hiring of Mark Whitney, Director of Property Tax Services.

In his new role, Mr. Whitney will work with clients on their property tax needs. His expertise in minimizing property and excise tax burdens will be especially critical to CBRE’s Agency Services offering.

“Mark is an expert in property tax advisory services and he will be instrumental to the firm as we build our tax appeal practice,” said Craig Henig, senior managing director and Arizona market leader. “His years of experience and the numerous relationships he has built throughout the region will only serve to strengthen the CBRE platform and allow us to better serve our clients with all aspects of their real estate business needs.”

Mr. Whitney comes to CBRE from Paradigm Tax Group where he was Area Leader and Senior Managing Consultant and had oversight of the firm’s operations in 12 states through out the Western U.S. During his time at Paradigm, Mr. Whitney was responsible for managing the firm’s transactional and excise tax services, including creating new service lines to meet the diverse needs of the firm’s clients. For instance, he was responsible for the development of the firm’s hospitality focused real estate transfer tax practice.

 

 




New Residential Brokerage Firm Includes a Who’s Who of Top-Producers

Launch logo 2Invitation-only gathering of top brokers designed to shake up the local residential real estate market

Scottsdale, AZ – The Valley’s residential real estate landscape is in the midst of a seismic shift.  The number one producers in Arizona from Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Berskhire Hathaway Home Services Arizona, Realty Executives, and Engel & Volkers have all joined local real estate entrepreneur John N. Vatistas to help create Launch.

Launch, as the brokerage is known, will be introduced tonight at an exclusive gathering for its family of brokers at the Arizona Country Club. Brokers were hand selected by agency leadership based on their experience, integrity, real estate business acumen, and creativity.

“In creating Launch, I actively sought out agents whom I respect and admire, who possess a deep market knowledge, who exhibit a keen sense of smarts about the business of real estate and who always focus on their clients’ needs above all else,” Vatistas said. “Just as importantly, the agents who are invited to be part of Launch have enjoyed significant success and are truly passionate about selling real estate.”

The first group of partners to join Launch have collectively completed tens of thousands of transactions in the Phoenix market, boast well over a century’s worth of experience and have been directly involved in the sale of billions of dollars of residential real estate.

Launch will emerge as a brand built around a formidable promise to meet the expectations of people who take their real estate experience seriously, commensurate with a highly progressive and equitable arrangement for every agent invited to join the agency.

“The buyer/seller/agent relationship is highly individual and personal. Launch celebrates that partnership and makes it centric to every part of the transaction,” Vatistas said. “Pulling this talent under one roof enables Launch to give its clients access to a broad network of industry expertise unrivaled in the marketplace and free of corporate bureaucracy.”

“We’re building a framework that gives greatest strength to the client-broker relationship and creates an environment where the best of the best can flourish,” Vatistas continued.

Vatistas believes the Valley is ready for a shakeup in the standard brokerage models.

Eschewing traditional corporate franchise fee structures and inflexible national marketing standards that often aren’t relevant to a local market, Launch is positioned to make big waves in the luxury real estate market with the inclusion of key names on its roster of founding partners:

  •       Sandra Baldwin, number one producer for Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Arizona
  •       Ronnie Gilbert, Long-time mentor, top performing real estate agent, and luxury agent.
  •       Robert Joffe, #1 producer for Berkshire Hathaway in Arizona
  •       Heather Maclean, long-time top producing agent in Arcadia / the Biltmore, and Realty Executives #1 producer in 2012.
  •       Chris Morrison, Morrison Residential
  •       David Newcombe, the top urban development broker in Arizona

“While it is common among traditional real estate brokerages to house agents of varying skills sets and experiences, from novice to tenured part timers, we’ve chosen to take a sniper’s approach in hiring vs. a shotgun approach,” said Vatistas.

As part of its suite of services, Launch has developed exclusive agreements with major local, national and international platforms to provide clientele with targeted, hyper-local marketing reach. An affiliation with the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network, a global collection of real estate brokers, will ensure clients’ exposure to 130,000 top-producing luxury professionals in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In 2005, Vatistas founded the Equitable Real Estate Company of Scottsdale, growing the agency from two to 275 agents in under two years, earning Equitable the exclusive rights to Christie’s International Realty in Arizona. Two years later, Sotheby’s International Realty offered Vatistas exclusive franchise rights in Arizona; and in May 2008, he purchased Russ Lyon Realty Company, launching Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, at the time, the largest Sotheby’s International Realty branch in the world with nearly 900 agents.

Launch is now serving clients and expects more than 50 invited agents, each of whom are top producers from local residential brokerage firms, to join Launch within the next 30 days.

 

 




Tucson Lease Report January 11-15, 2016

Tucson courthouse 200x150The following commercial leases were reported to the Real Estate Daily News for the Tucson Lease Report from January 11 thru 15, 2016.

OFFICE – 5055 E. BROADWAY BLVD., TUCSON
Arizona Community Physicians have leased an expansion and renewal of 23,810-square-feet of administrative office space at 5055 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite D101-106 from Partners Management. The tenant was represented by David Montijo and Damian Wilkinson with CBRE’s Tucson office. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $13.50 SF/YR Full Service[/mepr-show]

OFFICE – 3450 E SUNRISE DR., TUCSON
Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty has leased 5,158-square-feet, and Metro Title of Arizona has leased 1,852 square feet of office space at 3450 E. Sunrise from The Northern Trust Co. Buzz Isaacson and Jeff Casper, both with CBRE’s Tucson office, handled the transaction.

OFFICE – 100 N STONE AVE, TUCSON
CyraCom International has leased 3,462-square-feet of office space at 100 N. Stone, Suite 610 from Holualoa Pioneer, LLC. The landlord was represented by Bruce Suppes and David Volk with CBRE’s Tucson office. The tenant was self-represented. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $17.00 SF/YR Full Service[/mepr-show]

RETAIL – 3770 E. SUNRISE DR., TUCSON
KE Hospitality Group (dba Contigo Cocina Latina) has leased 3,000 square feet of restaurant space at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa located at 3770 E. Sunrise Drive from SWVP La Paloma, LLC. The landlord was represented by Michael Laatsch with CBRE’s Tucson office. The tenant was self-represented.

RETAIL – 7090 N. ORACLE RD., TUCSON
Trade Company No.1, Inc. has leased 1,415-square-feet of retail space at La Toscana Shopping Center located at 7090 N. Oracle Rd. The landlord was represented by Pete Villaescusa and Jesse Peron with CBRE’s Tucson office. The tenant was represented by Paul Rosado. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $18.00 – $25.00 SF/YR NNN[/mepr-show]

OFFICE – 310 S WILLIAMS BLVD., TUCSON
Rachel Gelbin, PLLC has leased 1,381-square-feet of office space at 310 S. Williams, Suite 145 from DHS Property Investments. The landlord was represented by David Montijo and Damian Wilkinson with CBRE’s Tucson office. The tenant was represented by Ryan McGregor with Keller Williams Southern Arizona. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $18.00 SF/YR Full Service[/mepr-show]

OFFICE – 3320 N. COUNTRY CLUB, TUCSON
MW Morrissey Construction has leased 1,123-square-feet of office space at 3320 N. Country Club, suite 220 from BHS Investments. The transaction was conducted by Jeff Casper, David Montijo with CBRE’s Tucson office.

OFFICE – 3567 E SUNRISE DR., TUCSON
The Altman Group has leased 694-square-feet of office space at 3567 E. Sunrise Dr., Suite 111 from La Paloma Corporate Center, LLC. Jeff Casper and David Montijo with CBRE’s Tucson office represented the landlord. The tenant was represented by Kevin Volk with Volk Company. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $25.00 SF/YR Full Service[/mepr-show]

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