Commercial Brokers Gear Up for Annual Event

SEATTLE, WA-The Commercial Brokers Association, in conjunction with the Seattle Times, is gearing up for its fifth annual Commercial Real Estate Insights breakfast on December 12th. Sporting a speakers’ list that reads like a Who’s Who, the program will address issues facing the commercial real estate industry locally and nationwide. Tricia Deering, CBA’s executive director, tells GlobeSt the program has been playing to a packed house the last few years, and she is expecting another sell-out crowd.

CBA was founded in 1977 with the initial objective of providing a multiple-listing service exclusively for commercial properties within the state. Deering says in the beginning most that joined were from small- to medium-sized firms. “Now”, she says, “at least 90% to 95% of all the commercial brokers in the State of Washington are members.” At last count, that membership had grown to roughly 2,300.

To this day, Deering says the key source of income is its commercial MLS on the Internet. Advertising (with few exceptions) all their commercial listings with CBA’s service is a requirement for member brokers. While the general public can view general information on the listings at www.commercialmls.com, members can access to information intended for “brokers’ eyes only.” The executive director says CBA is in the midst of an upgrade that will add more bells and whistles to the site.

The Commercial Real Estate Insight’s program is the highlight of the organization’s year. The program draws not only is member brokers—it is attended by the top echelon across the industry–from development and management to financial.

This year’s speakers include M. Patrick Callahan, Sr. VP of Equity Office Properties—now the largest owner of office properties in Puget Sound since its $7.8 billion asset acquisition from Spieker Properties.

Curtis Feeny, managing director of Voyager Capital, will provide insights into the changing venture capital market. Voyager invests in early state e-business companies.

Michael Parks of Marples Business Newsletter will offer an updated, economic forecast and the anticipated impacts on commercial real estate.

Walt Smith, founder and VP of HSC Real Estate has been asked to address the multi-family market Puget Sound. HSC manages 110 apartment properties across Western Washington and Oregon with an estimated value of $1 billion.

Finally, Craig Wrench, a principal in Lowe Enterprises–and President of its $550-million regional subsidiary, Lowe Enterprises Northwest, will address investments and land development projects in the in the Pacific Northwest.

Tickets to attend the Commercial Real Estate Insights event at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel can be obtained by contacting the CBA at (425) 820-3348.