Bendis says that the advisory services team's "backyard target" will be life sciences companies in Orange County, while its other targeted clients will be firms in all industries. "Whereas brokerage tends to be a local business, the advisory services group is a naitonal business," says Bendis, who notes that GVA Worldwide already serves companies nationally and internationally.

The Advisory Services Group will employ a managed brokerage approach that will serve clients via "a team effort with people at all ends of the scale from junior brokers to senior brokers," along with analytical, marketing and administrativespecialists "who will all be integrally involved as part of the team," Bendis points out. "Unlike other offices, where brokers pursue landlord rep, tenant rep and investment assignments, this office will focus exclusively on a managed approach to representing clients," he says. His business partner, Dillon Dummit, will be in charge of selling the capabilities of the group, he notes.

The ASG team in Orange County will provide a nucleus of specialists who will also assist other offices of Los Angeles-based Dunn, according to Bendis, who estimates that the ASG team in Irvine can probably grow to an 18-person maximum. The team will train people in other Dunn offices in the managed brokerage system, so that other offices can source business and deliver the advisory services, with the Orange County team as a resource.

One reason to open the office in Irvine was "to capitalize on everything that is going on in Orange County," especially in life sciences, Bendis says. He notes that GVA Worldwide "has a pretty good grip on the life sciences business on the East Coast and in San Francisco." He adds that, "Being a partner with GVA Worldwide gives us international reach, and being able to say that we are GVA Charles Dunn pretty much gave us instant credibility in this marketplace."

The new GVA Charles Dunn office is at 2040 Main St., in the Knobbe Martens building at Main Plaza in Irvine. Charles Dunn Real Estate Services, which is the property management group and was formerly in Newport Beach, will co-occupy the office with the Advisory Services Group.