Category: Marketing

Investment Sales Experts Sean Patrick and KB Yabuku Produce Impressive Results for Clients  

As high-producing brokers for Ackerman Retail who team up to develop prospects and complete investment sales transactions, Sean Patrick and KB Yabuku share quite a bit in common.

They both have extensive commercial real estate expertise ranging from net-lease sales, project development and asset management to site selection and property leasing.

Traveling is a hobby both enjoy – recent visits for Sean include Athens and Santorini in Greece, while one of KB’s favorite trips was to Barcelona and Ibiza, Spain.

They also both have similar approaches to their work. When KB lists some of the traits that he considers crucial for success as broker – “tenacious, analytical, sociable, driven” – Sean agrees with him.

Oh, and then there’s the way they describe themselves.

“Two of the best bald brokers in the business,” says KB.

“Two of the best AND good-looking bald brokers, I might add,” says Sean, laughing.

So, with these similarities, it’s not surprising that they make an effective Investment Sales team for Ackerman Retail. Sean and KB advise investors on dispositions and acquisitions, with both single-tenant and multi-tenant retail properties and portfolios representing key areas of focus.

Roots in ATL
KB and Sean share another thing in common – Atlanta roots. Sean is an Atlanta native born at Piedmont Hospital, and KB grew up in College Park after his family moved to metro Atlanta when he was three years old.

When he was an undergraduate student at Georgia State University, KB said professor David Haddow was a big reason he became interested in real estate.

“I took David’s Real Estate Market Analysis course as an elective and I was hooked. That semester, I switched my major from marketing to real estate, picked up an internship with Cushman and Wakefield and never looked back,” says KB. He credits Haddow and Ron Whitley (former Chief Diversity Officer at Cushman & Wakefield) for setting him on the path of a successful career in commercial real estate.

Sean, who received a Civil Engineering degree from Auburn University, started his real estate career working in the development side of the business, first at the civil engineering firm Post Buckley Schuh & Jernigan in Florida and then as a project manager focusing on power center civil engineering design at Wolverton & Associates. Next, at Bullock Mannelly Partners, he established himself in development and brokerage, focusing on sales of residential, retail and multifamily land. He did so after meeting two successful brokers who would eventually move over to Ackerman & Co. with him – John Speros and Larry Wood.

“They were closing big deals and I thought, ‘I want to do what they do,’” Sean said. Around the Great Recession of 2008, Sean completed his CCIM certification and now focuses on private client retail investment sales with KB.

KB brings an equally wide range of experience. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business and an MBA in Finance from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

KB gained experience in office leasing as a tenant rep at the Staubach Company and Jones Lang LaSalle. He then became a commercial real estate underwriter at BB&T and later focused on investment sales with a specialty in net-lease retail and industrial properties at the Stan Johnson Company. He also spent two years in commercial real estate development, managing retail and industrial build-to-suit and redevelopment projects at Hart Lyman Companies.

“KB and I are able to combine our strategies and experience to gain new clients. Our experiences and backgrounds complement each other’s,” said Sean.

Between the two of them, Sean and KB have over 42 years of experience.

Thinking Outside The Box

Sean and KB are committed to providing solutions that help buyers and sellers maximize the value of their investments. While they’re proud of their deal-making track records, they view themselves as much more than transaction brokers. With their wide-ranging commercial real estate expertise, they’re able to provide additional services to help clients achieve their long-term business goals.

“We’re not just like every other broker. Our approach is all about thinking outside the box and adding real value for our clients,” said KB.

Added Sean, “Our approach to serving our clients is tied to the Ackerman approach to commercial real estate. A lot of us are investors and own real estate, so we understand what it’s like to be in the client’s shoes and how to bring extra expertise and services to the table to meet their needs.”

Customizing services to match the objectives of their clients is a big part of what they do.

“We try to serve as the back office for our clients. For instance, if our clients need help raising capital or with site selection or other assistance, we can do that ourselves or utilize Ackerman’s full-services platform and the expertise of our Ackerman Retail colleagues,” said KB.

One of their recent deals is representative of the value they bring to their clients.

In marketing and selling the Childtime Learning Center of Kennesaw on behalf of the owner, they attracted six offers and succeeded in selling the property at 100 percent of the listing price at a cap rate of 8.75 percent. This was definitely a great result for a value-add property with a short-term lease.

Sean and KB are also currently in the process of creating strategic business plans for several clients interested in selling portfolio assets across the Southeast.

“We’ve been successful completing deals despite the challenging environment during the pandemic and we expect transactions to pick up steam now that the retail sector is slowly improving,” Sean said. “The Southeast has diversified its economy. This is a great place to do what we do and add value.”

Are you a buyer or seller seeking expertise to maximize your investments? Contact Sean at spatrick@ackermanco.net or KB at kyabuku@ackermanco.net

This year’s Deloitte’s Commercial Real Estate Outlook Report focuses on how technology and changing tenant and investor expectations are ramping up competition and creating shifts in how products are sold or leased.

With these shifts, what can CRE Companies do to stay competitive and ensure they capture the rapidly growing demand?

Out-of-the-Box Properties and Business Plans – The report states that this year investors plan to increase their focus on mixed-use properties, nontraditional products and retail developments. Flexible leases and business spaces are also going to be an attractive investment.

Adaptability – Investors will be looking for the companies that can quickly respond to the rapidly changing waters of the CRE business world, whether it be with new business models or by adopting “a variety of technologies to make buildings future-ready.”

Tech-savvy presence – To attract potential investors, companies need to be able to stay shoulder to shoulder with technology and present technological agility in the way they market their properties and in their business plans.

Catering to investor and tenant needs should move CRE companies to have a different perspective on the way they do business. By increasing mixed-use, nontraditional and retail products in their portfolios, becoming more adaptable to the changes in the industry and using technological advancements in their favor, CRE companies can change with the industry and be ready for the future to come.

As summer arrives, so does a new group of interns at Ackerman!

We recently sat down with our interns to discuss how they plan on applying their newly gained experience in the future.

“I’m very excited to be here,” said Emma Lonergan, who is working in the Marketing & Communications department. She is an incoming junior at Georgia College and State University. “I’m learning so much I can apply to my college classes and later in my career.”

Projects she’s working on with Fara Wilson and the marketing team include updating the organization of the promotional items inventory, which she will track and monitor throughout the summer. She’s also working on editorial assignments, including blog writing.

Also joining Ackerman’s Marketing team for the summer is Ellis Snell, who will be assisting in the department’s day-to-day activities and select projects. Ellis is headed to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) as a freshman this fall.

Harrison Bernhardt, an intern with the Brokerage team, tells us he looks forward to applying everything he learns this summer to his future dream job in commercial real estate. An incoming senior at the University of Georgia, he’s learning a lot from the brokers he’s working with, including how to knock on doors to canvas potential clients.

“I realized that real estate was a better fit for me than finance, my original major in college, because I enjoy working in the field and meeting people face-to-face,” he said.

Also spending the summer interning for the Brokerage group are Bart Kauffman (an incoming senior at Furman University) and Connor Barry (an incoming sophomore at the University of Southern California).

All three Brokerage interns are gaining valuable experience learning commercial real estate research programs as they help our brokers in their ongoing lease and sales efforts. That includes using CoStar, LandVision and other research tools to summarize market trends, prepare lease comparables and access various details on individual properties and owners.

Bart, Connor and Harrison are also getting a first-hand look at the types of projects Ackerman develops. They recently attended a BBQ event and tour at Rockdale Technology Center, the firm’s newest Class A industrial park. Connor and Harrison were responsible for transporting our brokerage guests across the park, and they assisted the Marketing team in setting up and closing down the event.

Alex Barnes (not pictured), an incoming junior at Georgia College and State University, is one of the interns supporting the HR department this summer.

He recently attended the company’s open enrollment benefits session, where he learned about the different healthcare and benefit options available to employees.

“This was incredibly eye-opening,” Alex said. “I was unaware of all the complexities involved in selecting healthcare coverage and the wide-ranging costs.” He’ll be able to call on this knowledge when he enters the workforce and goes through the process of selecting his own insurance.

It’s great to have these bright-eyed and bushy-tailed interns on board with us this summer. We have every confidence they’ll succeed in their future careers!

Braselton Logistics Center, one of the largest distribution centers currently under construction in metro Atlanta, is getting closer to completion.

As we mentioned on Twitter and Facebook earlier this week, the Ackerman & Co. project has achieved a new milestone, with construction now nearly complete on the 980,000 SF warehouse portion of the building. Ackerman arranged a special lunch to mark the construction milestone and thank crews for their hard work.

Jim Eyre, the project manager overseeing the huge development for Ackerman, said construction workers enjoyed the Mexican lunch buffet that was set up for them in the Braselton warehouse space.

“Good food goes a long way to show appreciation,” Jim said. “It’s not often that they get a chance to sit down for a few minutes like that during the day.”

The Conlan Company is the GC for the project. Other contractors whose workers attended the lunch included Rogers Mechanical Contractors, Plateau Excavation and Crown Electric.

Construction has moved smoothly on the state-of-the-art facility, with only a few hiccups due to an unusually rainy stretch in the early summer.

“Fortunately, weather hasn’t been a big factor,” Jim said.

The majority of the construction work going forward will involve the customized build-out of tenant Uline’s two-story office space, which will be completed in time for the company’s scheduled 1Q 2018 move-in.

The 1,000,812 SF facility, featuring 40-foot clear heights, will serve as Uline’s Southeast U.S. logistics hub. The distributor of shipping, packaging and industrial supplies will consolidate two area distribution operations in Duluth and Buford into the facility, which also provides additional space for future growth.

Atlanta attracted an impressive 52 million visitors in 2016. Many of them headed downtown to one or more of the city’s elite attractions – the Georgia Aquarium, Center for Civil and Human Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center.

Now comes Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of both the Atlanta Falcons NFL squad and the city’s new MLS team, the Atlanta United FC. The $1.5-billion multi-use facility will host its first game this Saturday when the Falcons play the Arizona Cardinals.

The stadium is already receiving accolades for its innovative design and amenities. While Mercedes-Benz Stadium will no doubt wow sports fans with one-of-a-kind features such as the world’s largest 360-degree halo video screen, even more important for Atlanta is the impact this huge project will have on the local economy.

The stadium has already been booked for some of the sporting world’s biggest events, including this season’s College Football Playoff National Championship, the 2019 Super Bowl and the 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four. Visitors from all parts of the U.S., as well as international travelers, will converge on Atlanta to attend these events.

“The opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a very exciting moment for the city of Atlanta. It will raise Atlanta’s image by bringing more high-profile events to the city, and these events will be great for the city’s economy, generating income for area hotels, restaurants and shops,” said Kris Miller, President of Ackerman & Co. “The new stadium also complements the other major venues near the stadium, like the Georgia World Congress Center, which hosts one million-plus visitors each year.”

In addition to these economic benefits, major commercial real estate projects are in the works near the stadium: GWCC has proposed building an 800-room hotel on the former site of the Georgia Dome (which will be demolished this fall) and a 220-room Hard Rock Hotel is expected to open before Atlanta hosts the 2019 Super Bowl.

So, to be sure – Atlanta has plenty to be excited about as it gears up for the upcoming games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Ackerman & Co. recently completed a five-year, 5,136-square-foot lease with Godavari, a national restaurant chain specializing in South Indian cuisine, at Windward Promenade in Alpharetta, Ga. Godavari is the first Georgia location for the restaurant chain, which currently has 14 restaurants across the U.S.

Troy Morris, brokerage associate at Ackerman & Co., assisted Godavari in selecting Windward Promenade as the site for its initial metro Atlanta restaurant and represented the franchise in the lease transaction. Sam Krueger of Riverwood Properties LLC represented the landlord (Riverwood Properties).

“This is an excellent, high-visibility location for Godavari’s first restaurant in metro Atlanta,” said Morris. “The restaurant will benefit from its proximity to numerous office buildings and retailers, and will also attract customers from the affluent residential neighborhoods in and around Alpharetta, which includes a heavy Indian population.”

Ackerman & Co. has arranged the sale of a 3.40 acre, 13-parcel land assemblage along the northeastern corner of Gay Street and East Glenn Avenue in Downtown Auburn, within walking distance of area landmarks including the Auburn University Campus.

The assemblage, targeted for a six-story, 683-bedroom residential project dubbed The Standard at Auburn, was acquired by Landmark Properties, a real estate development and management firm of high-quality student housing communities. The property is expected to include 16,000 square feet of retail space at its base and offer state-of-the-art amenities including rooftop infinity pool. Ackerman & Co. Senior Vice Presidents Steve Langford and Sean W. Patrick were the exclusive agents for the sellers and acted as the intermediaries in the transaction.

“Given the high barriers of entry, it was a rare opportunity to acquire these parcels and in such close proximity to Auburn University,” said Langford.

Such an endeavor did not come without challenges. The Ackerman & Co. team spent nearly two and a half years assembling the mix of 13 contiguous and non-contiguous land parcels, owned by 10 different families, some of whom lived out of state.

Ackerman & Co. has announced the recent acquisition of a three-building industrial portfolio in the Westgate Business Park in Atlanta, Ga. The three buildings (5215, 5245 and 5260 Westgate Drive) were purchased in an off-market deal from Clarion Partners, LLC for $7.55 million.

The three well-located, front-load, shallow-bay industrial buildings total 274,791 square feet and are fully occupied. Ackerman & Co.’s in-house team will provide leasing and management services for the new acquisition. The deal was facilitated by Cushman and Wakefield’s Stewart Calhoun and Casey Masters. The all-equity transaction was sourced through a new partnership with a leading European private equity group.

“The I-20W/Fulton Industrial Submarket continues to be a top performer with low vacancy and steady quarter-over-quarter average rental rate growth,” said Kris Miller, President of Ackerman & Co. “We are very excited about this opportunity to purchase highly functional industrial properties in a key submarket,” he added.

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!

Internships are opportunities to journey into the unknown. They allow you to gain experience in a real work environment aligned with your chosen field of study. The beautiful part – it’s not permanent. If you don’t like it, you can try something different. And hey, at least you learned valuable skills that can open the door for other possibilities.

This year, Ackerman welcomed three bright and ambitious interns – Jack Pelt, John Horton, II and Graham Officer. The young men were placed in departments most related to their professional goals.  By all accounts, the guys have adapted well and kudos are being offered all around. “I’m proud of our intern team,” said F. Keene Miller, President of the Brokerage. “These young men have shown an impressive work ethic and have been valuable members of our team this summer,” he added.

Jack, a native of Georgia, is a junior at the University of Alabama. He currently is working with the investment group learning how deals are structured and implemented.  The accounting major is thrilled to be learning about the investment aspect of commercial real estate. “I want to put myself out there and grow as much as possible during my time at Ackerman,” said Jack. “I believe this opportunity has given me more insight into my career path.”

Currently enrolled at North Dakota State University, John is an upcoming sophomore. He is assisting the marketing team, learning the day-to-day business operations. “I’m ecstatic for the opportunity to be a part of this summer internship. I believe this experience will help me develop both personally and professionally,” said John. The track athlete is no stranger to hard work having earned the Most Improved award for his high school track and field team two years in a row.

Graham is a senior at Jacksonville State University pursuing a degree in finance. He joined the internship team at Ackerman because he’s considering becoming a broker. A few weeks into his internship, Graham realized just how much he was up against. “I thought being a full-time student and baseball athlete was tough,” he said. “But brokerage can be pretty demanding,” he added. Graham is grateful for the opportunity to work with some of Atlanta’s top brokers. He especially enjoys the satisfaction of meeting client needs and closing deals.

As summer comes to a close, Ackerman would like to thank Jack, John and Graham for their dedication and eagerness to learn. We hope that this experience will have an everlasting impact on their lives and help steer them in the right career choice. We would welcome the opportunity to work with them again, this time as members of the Ackerman family.