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GVA Advantis
Research: The competitive advantage
GVA Advantis’ goal is to be
the local expert in every market across the Southeast.
The company has research experts who provide brokers
and clients with customized research tailored for specific
needs and goals. The result? The best available information
for short-term investment considerations and long-term
real estate strategies.
GVA Advantis’ research services
ensure that brokers can confidently execute leasing
and sales strategies with up-to-the-minute knowledge
and historical market data that identifies trends with
complete accuracy.
“The main role of research
has shifted from mere data collection to true analysis,”
says Tonya Ginter, CCIM, research director for GVA Advantis’
Washington D.C. and McLean offices. “After all,
a data dump of information doesn’t mean anything
unless you can make sense of it. Clients don’t
want volume; they want an accurate and concise answer,
based on their specific needs and interests.”
“Our brokerage professionals
rely heavily on GVA Advantis’ research staff,”
says Deborah K. Stearns, CPM, SIOR, president Virginia
and Washington D.C. “The distribution of market
reports is seen as an important value-add service by
key clients and top prospects, and on several occasions
has led to new business opportunities between regions.
Research directors are often deeply involved in pitching
new brokerage work. Their in-depth and up-to-date market
knowledge is especially helpful in winning leasing assignments.”
In metro Washington D.C., Ginter
researches, writes and distributes 31 targeted market
reports every quarter. Ginter gets rave reviews and
is known in the market as the “go-to” person
for all things related to commercial real estate by
clients, media and even some competitors.
“Detailed market reports provide
a snapshot of the current real estate conditions such
as inventory, vacancy rates, average lease terms, absorption
and new projects under construction,” says Ginter.
“For investment sales, we track all commercial
sales in the 31 markets and analyze comparables, trends
and even Treasury rates that may have an impact on pricing
and values.”
The stakes are high in commercial
real estate. One client in Richmond turned to Paul E.
Denton, associate director of GVA Advantis in Richmond,
to purchase a property marketed for sale by another
firm for $2.85 million. “When Mr. [Deepak] Ranade
approached us and said he was looking to purchase his
first commercial investment property, I knew that I
would have to rely heavily on research,” notes
Denton.
Before any real negotiating can begin,
an investor has to know everything about the property,
the market, the trends and especially the true market
value. Denton turned to the regional director of research,
Perry H. Moss, CCIM. After completing a thorough property
valuation, Moss concluded that a fair price would be
$2.7 million, and the 15-page evaluation was delivered
to Mr. Ranade. The negotiations concluded in a sales
price of $2.698 million.
“It was fantastic, they helped
me by explaining the numbers to make sure this was a
viable business acquisition,” explains Ranade.
“It made me feel comfortable and helped in the
decision process – absolutely.”
The real key to a research department’s
success is access to the best tools and training necessary
to excel in the industry. GVA Advantis’ research
team uses state-of-the-art software such as ARGUS (financial
analysis) and MapInfo (digital mapping), and has earned
the most respected professional designations such as
CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Manager).
“Some assignments are very creative,”
adds Susan Childress, research director for Hampton
Roads. “We had a regional bank client that had
just merged with a national bank. We carefully plotted
every bank branch to determine the ones to keep and
the ones to sell. We also plotted every other bank in
the region to determine the best locations for demographics,
traffic and other variables. It was an interesting process
that helped our client dispose of more than 15 excess
properties.”
Want commercial real estate information
at your fingertips? GVA Advantis Market Reports are
available on the Web site at www.gvaadvantis.com.
If you’d like to be included on the distribution
list, please e-mail tginter@gvaadvantis.com and indicate
what region and property type you are interested in.
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