Guest post by Mark Long, Zimmer Real Estate Services
Shining a spotlight on recent activity in the Kansas City Commercial Real Estate Market, the annual Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) Development Day was held Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Muehlebach Tower in Kansas City, Mo.
This year’s event, created and sponsored by the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of SIOR more than 20 years ago, showcased the organization’s value to the industry and the positive activity that commercial Realtors have experienced in recent months. Development Day serves as the premier commercial real estate networking event every year and is attended by not only the brokerage community, but also bankers, architects, engineers, title companies, community leaders, investors and space users. The two lead sponsors for the event are two of Kansas City’s oldest and most well-known firms, Commerce Bank and J.E. Dunn Construction Company.
This year’s successful event took place in the historic Muehlebach Tower in downtown Kansas City and offered attendees the chance to hear updates on the many commercial real estate projects under way in the market. This year represents a positive one in commercial real estate. Major industrial, office and retail transactions have created an active market and a feeling of optimism among the brokerage community. New faces are entering the industry, speculative development is underway and there is fun to be had in the commercial real estate business again.
SIOR has remained a constant in an industry full of change. The largest firms in the industry are offering service lines on a scale not imagined 50, or even 20, years ago. Clients are demanding more sophisticated service platforms, and while top firms in the industry continue global expansion, the strong local knowledge of boutique firms has never been more valuable to clients both large and small. The common standard of excellence among both the global and boutique firms is the SIOR designation.
SIOR, originally SIR, was established as a network of elite commercial brokers to find buildings to support the war effort during World War II. This was the most elite group of real estate practitioners in the United States. The group evolved into a network of the largest, most active firms in each city. Over the years, many of these firms have merged into some of the national companies you know today. Some have remained independent, but the designation has remained the same. SIOR members are admitted into the society by their peers and are consistently held to the highest standards.
A few years ago, a survey was circulated among corporate real estate directors charged with handling real estate and facilities for corporate America. According to that survey, the top factor when selecting a real estate service provider was not the size of the firm but the knowledge and reputation of the individuals who would be handling the account. SIOR members are the most knowledgeable in the industry and are armed with the wisdom and foresight learned only through years of successful experience in their respective market.
In an effort to ensure the continued growth and value of the society, SIOR has reinstated a candidate program. Because of SIOR’s stringent membership requirements, it has been difficult for new professionals to join the society. The candidate program allows up and coming commercial realtors to get involved, get indoctrinated and get on track to active membership.
Through the many changes our industry has seen during the past 70 years and the transitions we’re continuing to experience, the standard of excellence set by members of SIOR remains a constant. Not only are members among the top producers in the market, they also adhere to the strictest code of ethics and a pledge to provide the best service to their clients.
Mark Long, SIOR, CCIM, LEED A, is a senior vice president-principal at Zimmer Real Estate Services, L.C. and is the current President of the MO/KS Chapter of SIOR. He began his real estate career at Zimmer in 1995 and became an SIOR member in 2000. He has been involved in more than 600 transactions representing more than 15 million square feet of industrial, office and retail space.
