Each year, Midwest Real Estate News elects a new class to its Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. Here is a look at the career of one of our newest inductees, Parker Stewart, managing director of the Midwest team in the St. Louis and Chicago offices of Northmarq.
Parker Stewart, managing director for Northmarq’s Midwest team, ranks as one of the busiest multifamily brokers in the region. How busy? He has sold more than 15,000 apartment units in nearly a dozen states throughout his career.
And Stewart’s production doesn’t seem ready to dip anytime soon. Since joining Northmarq in 2021, he has been involved in the sale of more than 8,000 apartments totaling more than $875 million.
A reason for this success? Stewart cites his entrepreneurial spirit.
“The harder you work, the more success you will have,” Stewart said. “I love that there are no ceilings to how far you can advance in brokerage if you are driven. After some point, you will be rewarded for the hours, energy, and effort that you put in.”
Being trustworthy has mattered, too. Stewart is always honest with his clients, and he always makes it a priority to do what he says is going to do.
“When we are awarded an assignment, it comes down to someone putting trust in us – that we will work hard on their behalf and do everything we can to come through for them,” Stewart said. “It’s extremely important to remember that. And that there is almost always somebody next in line if we can’t get the job done.”
Last year was an especially busy one for Stewart and his partners, Dominic Martinez in St. Louis and Alex Malzone in Chicago. The team sold 5,426 multifamily units for more than $650 million.
A few of their 2022 highlighted sales include a 1,288-unit value-add portfolio in Madison, Wisconsin; a 272-unit, $70 million Class-A new development in St. Peters, Missouri; and a 304-unit complex in Peoria, Illinois and a that sold for $45 million.
The previous year wasn’t sluggish, either. In 2021, Stewart arranged the largest single-property sale in Nebraska history, closing the sale of a 613-unit resort-style complex in Lincoln.
Stewart has enjoyed success since the earliest days of his career, thanks to his willingness to work hard, study his markets and provide the best service to his clients. Stewart began his career at Berkadia, where he completed the sale of more than 7,500 multifamily units in five years, deals that spanned seven states.
“I try my best to be a good listener. That is essential in brokerage,” Stewart said. “I also learned early on that you can’t focus on a timeline with one specific client or deal. It is imperative that you listen and understand what a client is trying to accomplish, and then figure out how you can help them, whether it involves a deal short term, long term, or even at all. I’ve learned that the goal is to provide actual value to my clients, not to simply focus on what my agenda is.”
Stewart undoubtedly spends plenty of hours focused on his business. But when he’s not on the clock, he loves watching sports and is an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. He also enjoys traveling, golf and spending time with his family. He enjoys staying active as much as possible by exercising and spending time outdoors.