Optimism. Success. Those were both on display at Michigan Real Estate Journal’s ninth annual Detroit Commercial Real Estate Summit and Awards event held Jan. 31 at the Community House in Birmingham, Michigan.
More than 200 Detroit-area commercial real estate professionals attended the event to hear the biggest names in the industy share their thoughts on everything from the continued demand for multifamily and industrial space and the evolution of the office sector to the hope that comes with a stable interest-rate environment and the good news surrounding the commercial momentum in downtown Detroit.
Participating in the Detroit Apartment Market Update and Forecast panel were Kevin Jahnke, Income Property Organization; John Woods, BELFOR Real Estate; Leslie Etterbeek, Moderator, LR Management; Chalie Krisfalusi, Walker & Dunlop; and Kristen Diamond, Hayman Company.
The Detroit Market Sector Update panel featured Dave Dismondy, District Capital; David Giltner, Newmark; Steven Chaben, Marcus & Millichap; Brendan George, CBRE; Brad Rosenberg, Mid-America; and Andy Gutman, Moderator, NAI Farbman.
Speaking about the good news in the city and suburbs during the Transformation & Development of Downtown & Suburban Markets panel were Lily Diego, Gensler Detroit; Jared Friedman, Friedman Real Estate; Rian English, Olympia Development; Beth Kmetz, Michigan Central; Peter McGrath, Moderator, Savills; Naumann Idrees, Bedrock; and Andy Lutz, Q10 Lutz Financial Services.
Panelists on the Detroit Market Sector session discuss the future of Detroit’s CRE industry.
The event also focused on success, namely the victories that the region’s top commercial professionals earned in 2023.
Michigan Real Estate Journal honored the most successful commercial real estate professionals in the Detroit market during the awards portion of the event. Nine top pros took home honors, each of them proving that it’s possible to not only succeed but to thrive in even the most challenging of markets.
Who took home the big awards?
Architecture Firm of the Year:
Winner: HED
Other nominees:
- Designhaus
- Hamilton Anderson Associates
Property Management Company of the Year:
Winner: Beztak
Other nominees:
- Farbman Group
- Friedman Real Estate
- Pogoda Management Co.
- Village Green
Developer of the Year:
Winne: Bedrock
Other nominee: City Club Apartments
Brokerage Firm of the Year:
Winner: Friedman Real Estate
Other nominees:
- Encore Real Estate Investment Services
- Income Property Organization
- Marcus & Millichap
- NAI Farbman
- Signature Associates
Distinguished Partner of the Year Award:
Winner: Andy Gutman, Farbman Group
Broker of the Year:
Winner: Joe Hamway, Signature Associates
Other nominees:
- Brad Margolis, NAI Farbman
- Daniel Canvasser, Newmark
- Steven Silverman, Friedman Real Estate
- Simon Jonna, Colliers
- William Bubniak, NAI Farbman
Woman of the Year:
Winner: Kristen Diamond, Hayman Company
Other nominees:
- Sandy Eisho, Farbman Group
- Tracy Brown, Friedman Real Estate
Emerging Leader of the Year:
Winner: Jared Friedman, Friedman Real Estate
Other nominees:
- Luke Timmis, Signature Associates
- Sandy Eisho, Farbman Group
Executive of the Year:
Winner: A tie between Steve Gordon, Signature Associates, and Paul Choukourian, Colliers
Other nominee: Andy Gutman, Farbman Group
The crew from NAI Farbman: Andy Gutman, Jonathan Margolis, Sandy Eisho and Christina Reum.
Team Colliers: Bryan Barnas, Layth Barash, Paul Choukourian, Katie Rizzo, Amy Schiffman, Simon Jonna and Charlie Appleford.
The Friedman Real Estate Squad: Scott Shefman, David Friedman, Tracy Brown, Chuck Delaney, Steven Silverman, Gary Goodman, Jared Friedman and Brian Whisenhunt.
Winner of the Woman of the Year award, Kristen Diamond of Hayman Company.
Jared Friedman, winner of the Emerging Leader of the Year award, from Friedman Real Estate.
