Commercial Success

Success in the real estate profession typically comes down to dollars and deals: the bigger, the better. In the commercial realm, where competition can be tough and the stakes high, leaders count other factors, such as education, expertise and long-held relationships with repeat customers, all of which come with time on the job.

Those qualities are critical to possess, particularly when the market softens, as some say is happening now.

In Southwest Florida, where office, retail and industrial development activity has flourished in recent years, opportunities have abounded for brokers of all experience levels. If the tide does change, look for the veterans to survive—and thrive.

There are many in the region. We talked to five, asking them to share their insights and secrets about what has made them movers and shakers in commercial real estate.

Name: Randal L. Mercer

Company: CB Richard Ellis-Fort Myers/Naples

Background: After working several years in the mid-1980s as a residential realtor for a firm on Sanibel Island, Mercer opened his first commercial brokerage company in May of 1988, naming it Mercer Investment Properties and ultimately specializing in office leasing. His company, with the help of some talented associates, became a presence that lasted more than a decade. In late 1997, Southwest Florida’s commercial market landed on the world’s radar screen. CB Richard Ellis, the largest international commercial brokerage firm in the world for more than 100 years, entered a relationship with five local commercial brokers, Mercer included. The partnership became the first commercial group to establish national and international ties in Southwest Florida, Mercer says.

The local operation has offices in Fort Myers and Naples with a team of more than 50 full-time professionals. Life’s not all about real estate deals for Mercer, though. He enjoys hiking in the mountains of Colorado, entertaining and cooking for friends, and traveling with his wife, Debbie.