Last year, Midwest Real Estate News ran its first Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame issue. Since then, we’ve been highlighting the men and women featured in this issue on our Web page. This time, we look at the career of Steve Martens from Grubb & Ellis|Martens Commercial Group.
Steve Martens Position: President Company: Grubb & Ellis|Martens Commercial Group Location: Wichita, Kansas
Steven Martens knows that it takes three skills to close a commercial real estate deal: You have to understand a client’s needs, know the market and form deep relationships with your fellow real estate pros and your clients.
Working from his home base in Wichita, Kansas, Martens, president of Grubb & Ellis|Martens Commercial Group, has spent decades honing these skills into a successful commercial real estate business.
Martens has worked in the commercial real estate field since 1975. As president of Martens Commercial Group since 1983, he has handled all segments of the market in sales, leasing, appraisal and property management.
During his long career, Martens has been involved in the marketing of many of Wichita’s top office and industrial properties. Among some of his company’s most recent high-profile projects are:
– Providing site selection services and brokering a 120-acre parcel of land in west Wichita for the new Via Christi Hospital, which opened in August 2010 – Selling the former Coleman Co. buildings in downtown Wichita, a location with several challenges, including its position within an historic easement and complications from underground pollution – Continuing the marketing process of the historic Union Station in the heart of downtown Wichita. While plans are still in the works, the property is considered the centerpiece of a downtown master plan that was completed in fall 2010. A former planning commissioner for the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Martens has an extensive background with land use planning and development. A multiple Master Circle Award winner from the Wichita Area Association of Realtors, Martens was the Walter Morris Broker of the year in 1997. He is a member of the National Association of Realtors and the Grubb & Ellis Affiliate Principal Leadership Team.
In addition to his professional affiliations, Martens is committed to improving his community through a number of volunteer activities. Recently, he served as campaign and board chair for the United Way of the Plains, and currently serves as board chair for the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kansas, and campaign chair for the United Methodist Open Door, a Wichita agency that provides food, clothing and shelter for those in need.
Martens, a third-generation broker, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas. He holds three professional real estate designations: Certified Property Manager (CPM), Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and certification from the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He also is a licensed Kansas Real Estate Broker and a Kansas State Certified General Appraiser.
