Brandon Duff, formerly with Marcus & Millichap's downtown office, is the lead broker and associate director. Brad Feller, previously with the Chicago-based IBT Group LLC, is an associate. "We're going to be growing the client base for the company in the Midwest, and we'll likely end up with a 15-person office here," Duff tells GlobeSt.com. The firm has space at 111 E. Wacker Dr.

Fluent in Chicago and Midwest deals, Duff says net-lease properties have been a bright spot in a down market. "There's been a large flight to quality for net-lease assets, and there's a lot of product in a large city like Chicago. Plus while you haven't had all the peaks of the coasts and areas like Vegas, we're not having the valleys, either," Duff says. His office is already working on acquiring a dozen assets around the Midwest for clients, he says.

Founder and CEO Stan Johnson kicked off the firm's expansion strategy in 2008 with the launch of an office in Houston. The company also has a capital markets office in Oklahoma City, OK. "In preparation for the next real estate cycle, we plan on continuing to leverage our specialization and expertise in primary markets," Johnson said in a statement.