ORMOND BEACH — Five veteran Volusia-Flagler area commercial real estate agents recently teamed up to form a brokerage of their own called SVN Alliance Commercial Real Estate Advisors.
The five principals and the firm’s other agents have more than 100 years of combined commercial real estate experience.
Carl Lentz IV, managing director, was previously an agent with Realty Pros Assured. He is also a former Daytona Beach City Commissioner.
The other principals are Tim Davis, formerly of Charles Wayne Properties; John Trost, formerly of Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL; Chris Butera, formerly of NAI Realvest; and Barbara Coomber, formerly of SVN Florida.
The firm’s main office is at 1275 W. Granada Blvd., Suite 5B, in Ormond Beach. It also has an office in New Smyrna Beach at 212 Palmetto St.
Lentz recently spoke with The News-Journal. Below are edited excerpts from that interview.
Why did you want to create your own franchised firm?
There is a lot of value to local recognition. But, what SVN allows us to do is have regional, national and international recognition. That kind of recognition is not as important in the residential world. But, in the commercial world, we are selling large-scale projects and income properties. We are marketing not just to local investors and buyers, but throughout the county and the world. SVN allows us to have that platform of a national and international brand.
Why did you pick SVN Commercial Real Estate Advisors?
We saw in SVN (a national network of realty firms whose banner stands for Sperry Van Ness) a different platform that encourages cooperation with other brokers. We offer clients who are selling property the ability to have the broadest reach. One of the commitments that SVN makes is that for every fee there is a 50/50 split with the listing agent and the buyer agent. Everyone we deal with knows that we deal fairly and so they have just as much financial motivation to bring in a buyer as we do to present the listing to them. It makes a difference. We see other brokerage houses who don’t offer that kind of cooperation and they limit their exposure to buyers.
How did you come to pick the other principals?
I hand picked each one. I had worked with every single one and knew they were professionals and talented. I wanted to bring the best all under one roof. The goal here is that when someone walks in the front door, they know regardless of who they are dealing with, they are dealing with a professional who is knowledgeable of the market and a veteran commercial real estate broker.
How did you pitch the moves to the principals?
It was a two-year process with constant communication. There were ups and downs in the relationships as agents got busy and needed time to focus on their businesses. John (Trost) was familiar with SVN, having been recruited for a long time by another SVN franchisee. Barbara (Coomber) and Bob (Lovelace, a veteran agent who also joined the firm) were already working for SVN Florida and knew the system.
You have eight agents now, how big do you want to grow?
We have the rights to all of Volusia and Flagler counties, as well as Brevard and St. Johns. If we grow, it will be north and south of here, not in Volusia County. We need to become solid in this market now to make sure we are representing our clients the best we can before looking to grow.
What services are you providing?
We do sales and leasing, but not property management. We have clients who need property management, but we refer those out. If the demand increases, we might add property management services.
