John O'Hara, a leading industrial real estate broker in Suffolk County, has joined Sperry Van Ness Commercial Real Estate Advisors as managing partner.
O'Hara, formerly a partner at Corporate Realty Services LLC, which he co-founded in 2003, has a large roster of exclusive local and regional clients. Before that he worked for Brown Harris Stevens Real Estate Services. Prior to becoming a broker, O'Hara was vice president of a regional petroleum marketer.
A specialist in land sales, industrial and office sales and leasing, O'Hara has assisted in the development and completion of four major industrial parks in Suffolk County totaling hundreds of acres. He also has arranged more than 80 build-to-suit industrial properties totaling more than 4 million s/f in Islip and Brookhaven towns.
By joining Sperry Van Ness, O'Hara becomes part of national real estate organization with 179 offices across the country and an innovative infrastructure that enables access to market information, client management, and marketing tools and systems through a revolutionary cloud-based technology system.
"I want to help take Sperry Van Ness to the next level on Long Island," said O'Hara, noting that Sperry Van Ness, unlike other national firms, allows for quicker decisions, which are made on the local level.
"It's a good move at my age," said O'Hara, 53. "I don't have to worry about the day-to-day running of the office. Sperry Van Ness has the administrative support mechanism."
David Madigan, president of Sperry Van Ness, said the addition of O'Hara is a first step in expanding Sperry Van Ness. "This is a good time to build up the company. We're coming off the market bottom and there is rising demand for industrial space." Other experienced brokers soon will join the firm and that the opening of a second office in Nassau County is under consideration," he said.
"We're now a full-service firm company with industrial, retail, office, asset management, investment sales, consulting and appraising," Madigan said.
O'Hara's comprehensive knowledge of Long Island's commercial real estate market and economic development has enabled him work with his client's in all aspects of their real estate transactions and with the Sperry Van Ness national platform and technology he will be able to leverage that experience and service them on a regional and national level."
O'Hara's clients include Chicago-based Insurance Auto Auctions and its local affiliate, Adesa Auto Auctions. NMF Holdings, a towing contractor for IAA, recently bought 30 acres in Medford to store cars damaged by Hurricane Sandy that eventually will be auctioned for salvage. Also, recently, O'Hara and his former partner sold 25 acres in Holtsville on behalf of Motorola.
Among O'Hara's biggest transactions was a 37-acre land deal that enabled Ronkonkoma-based Quality King Distributors, the largest private company on Long Island, to build 560,000 s/f of offices and warehouse in Yaphank. He's also arranged other deals for the distributor of pharmaceuticals and health and beauty care products.
O'Hara, who said there has been no build-to-suit deals in the past three years, says he is currently working on a number of potential transactions totaling 200,000 s/f.
O'Hara's biggest clients have indicated they anticipate continuing to work with him and they offer nothing but praise for the broker.
"He's the gold standard for brokers," said Quality King chief operating officer Marc Garrett. "This guy goes over and above. There's a huge difference between John and anyone else on the planet." Garrett gives O'Hara credit for his knowledge of the internal workings of Long Island's municipalities and his commitment to follow through on the details necessary to complete a transaction.
"I've been in this business 55 years and John O'Hara is more thorough, more concerned and smarter than any other broker I've worked with. He follows through," said Medford developer Alan Weinstein, a partner in Old Dock Associates. He's the best broker I've ever dealt with."
Since 2011, O'Hara has been a member of the New York State Real Estate Board, which regulates the state's real estate industry. He also is a founding member and president of the Brookhaven Industrial Group Association, a business group that provides networking and a forum for businesses in and around the Brookhaven industrial parks.
O'Hara resides in Bayport with his wife, Lorraine. Tags: