Commercial Success

I believe 2008 will be a busy year for purchasers of vacant land. There will be some exceptional opportunities to purchase vacant land at more reasonable prices. It may also be a very good year for the sale of properties with large capital-gain consequences, as a result of [concerns the Republicans could lose the White House]." For the past seven years, real estate has received preferential tax treatment, he adds.

Name: William V. Gonnering

Company: Investment Properties Corporation of Naples

Background: The Kenosha, Wis., native began his real estate career 37 years ago selling homes. He went on to manage a real estate office and eventually entered the commercial sector. Along the way, Gonnering earned Certified Commercial Investment Member and Society of Industrial and Office Realtors designations, which have enhanced his career, he says. He’s spent most of his career at IPC, one of the first major commercial real estate players in Collier County; it opened in 1976. But the hard-working professional makes sure he has time for his family, particularly his grandkids. He’s also pleased and proud that his daughter, Christine Gonnering-Martin, is in the business and at the IPC office. When Gonnering isn’t making deals, helping clients or spending time with his family, you can usually find him with a fishing rod in his hands, traveling or working for charities.

Years practicing in Southwest Florida: 27

Areas of expertise: Commercial, investment real estate; industrial and office sales and leasing as well as site selection

Geographic area of expertise: Naples

Secrets to success: "Dial and smile"—talking to a lot of people, persistence, selling skills and a good attitude, he says. "[Clients] want to do business with positive people. Whatever you give, you get back twice. I do everything I have to to be successful. That includes marketing and follow-up with prospects. And I have a wealth of experience."

Deals of note: The best deal is a closed deal, he says. "In 38 years, I’ve had all kinds of great deals."

Commercial market outlook: "The commercial market has slowed down in the past couple of months. The good news is that a baby boomer is retiring every 18 minutes. Some will move to Southwest Florida. Due to the exchange rate of the euro to the dollar, Europeans can buy property at a bargain [and] own property in Southwest Florida. If the impact fees increase, new building will be greatly diminished but we will still have the demand."

Name: Paul Sands

Company: VIP Commercial, TCN Worldwide

Background: The native Virginian has lived in Fort Myers more than 25 years. Active in the community, he sits on the board of directors of Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, YMCA, Real Estate Investment Society and the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce. He belongs to Cypress Lake County Club, where he and his friend Scott Fisher have hosted the Slaw Dog Invitational, a charity golf tournament, for 11 years in a row. The event raises funds to support children’s causes. Each year, Sands and Fisher choose a different recipient. In recent years, the event has raised $20,000 for The Salvation Army and about the same amount for the YMCA. Before entering the commercial real estate profession, Sands pitched for three years in the Chicago White Sox minor league system during the 1970s.

Years practicing in Southwest Florida: 25

Area of expertise: Investment properties such as shopping centers, office buildings and industrial properties. Site selection for national tenants, developers, mini-storage projects and industrial-park developers.

Geographic area of expertise: Lee County

Secrets to success: "We try to be good advisors to our clients and not worry about the money we make. If they shouldn’t build someplace, we’ll try to talk them out of it. We provide insight into the market and tell them what to expect. There are a lot of hungry brokers in our business who chase the dollars [without regard to the client’s well-being]."

Deals of note: The $10.5 million sale of the Design Center on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers in 2007.

Commercial market outlook: "2008 will be weak because of an oversupply and low absorption. There is a lot of office [space] coming out of the ground right now. Landlords will have to be competitive. There’s a ton of small industrial-flex space on the market that will take years to absorb. We’ll see improvement in 2009 when absorption catches up."