The move is part of a 15-month national push that has taken Sperry Van Ness from nine to 45 markets, David Frosh, firm president tells GlobeSt.com. He says the company's formula for moving into the markets is to attract senior brokers, with an average of 20 years' experience and volumes in the top 20% of respective markets.

Forrest, the vice president, will focus on multifamily and retail sectors while Katherine and Bruce Ripper have been hired to handle office and retail. Tony Roubic rounds out the initial Houston team, focusing on office, industrial and land sales. Each broker has been working as an independent.

Frosh says the long-range plan is to have 15 senior people working the Houston market. "We don't need a lot of brokers," he says, "only the great ones." Admittedly, the firm focuses mainly on investment sales, thus eliminating the need for building owner and tenant representatives.

From a data and market knowledge standpoint, most people would agree with Frosh that "no one knows that market like Bill Forrest." Forrest will continue to operate Revac Inc. and CID-Source Net. He's also holding onto his businesses that cater to property appraisals, property tax representation, consulting and market and feasibility studies.

Forrest says he likes the firm's aggressive, cooperative marketing approach and national dominance. "They are on the cutting edge of marketing," he says.

Frosh is optimistic Houston will perform like Las Vegas did. Two years after its opening with six brokers, the office was ranked second for retail and multifamily transactions. The Sperry Van Ness office will share space with Revac at 16840 Barker Springs.