Transwestern's Northeast Region has grown rapidly, adding 40 professionals in 18 months since opening in February of 2011. This marks the beginning of an expansion into New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, leveraging the strength of the team as well as the history and mission of a seasoned company rooted in many cities throughout the rest of country for the past 34 years.
"As a company, we pride ourselves on the culture we created, and the fun and collaborative environment in our offices," said Patrick Robinson, president of Transwestern's Northeast Region, "We are striving to create a strong foundation here in the Northeast, one that is a testament to the revered mission of our company as a whole."
It is this foundation that has enabled Transwestern to snag some of the industry's top brokers, each of them bringing years of experience and major talents. Debra Larsen, a principal in the firm's New York office, has over 20 years of experience, representing institutional clients in leasing and tenant representation. This is in addition to founding TechSpace, Inc. an executive suite company targeting the real estate needs of new media and internet clients which she sold in 2008. Jim Millard, also a principal at the firm, brings a background in investment services, leasing and property management, garnered during his years helping to lead some of the top brokerage firms in the city.
Lindsay Ornstein, a principal, who began the region with Robinson, emphasizes that people are the key to the firm's future success, and this is why they are making a concerted effort to assemble the right group.
"The initial members of our core team set the precedent for the character and quality of Transwestern's Northeast region in the marketplace," said Ornstein.
"By assembling the right mix of talented professionals with stellar reputations, who represent high quality clients, and have fun, good-natured personalities, we are creating a working atmosphere and customer service level that is unrivaled in the industry."
In addition, the firm has expanded in New Jersey. Jim Postell, principal and leader of the firm's N.J. office, has grown the team to more than 15 professionals and is continuing to actively hire. This includes a property management group led by Robert Chenoweth, a 40-year-industry veteran, that is already handling some significant management and leasing assignments for a both regional investors and large institutional clients.
Their first crack at bat was a veritable home run, snagged just months after touching down in New Jersey, 300 Kimball is a 400,000 s/f, class A office building located in Parsippany.
Principal and head of the firm's Greenwich, Conn. office, Tom Ashforth, established an investment services group for the region, along with managing director, Patrick Bisceglia. They are currently active with a number of assignments across various asset classes. All three of the firm's Northeast offices are in the process of hiring additional investment services professionals.
Robinson and Ornstein believe in a team approach, a rarity in the competitive world of commercial real estate, which gives them a unique advantage-the ability to fully collaborate on assignments. The firm is able to assemble select teams of knowledgeable individuals to fulfill the entire range of clients' real estate needs through specialized services and deep expertise. It's a sort of custom solution for each new assignment. Transwestern emphasizes the fact that they are an "employee-owned" company, allowing the brokers to focus solely on their client needs, rather than those of investors or shareholders. This enables them to bolster their commitment to finding the most creative and effective solutions for the firm's clients.
Transwestern recently formed an alliance with the real estate arm of the global bank BNP Paribas, expanding their reach internationally and providing brokers with the means to serve clients in 31 countries and 182 cities worldwide.
"This partnership exemplifies our commitment to our clients and their immediate and long-term needs," said Robinson, "However, it also speaks to the opportunities we are constantly looking to create for our brokers. We hire individuals with ambition and then aim to provide them with the opportunities they need to succeed on a global scale."

Providing a comprehensive array of real estate services, Transwestern is one of the largest privately-held firms in the U.S. The company, now 1,800 team members and 33 cities strong, was founded in 1978 as a small development company in Houston, Texas, the current home of their corporate headquarters. In addition to providing functional lines of business that include agency leasing, property and facility management, investments services, tenant advisory, development and research, Transwestern is active in the investment management business through the firm's independently-owned affiliate, Transwestern Investment Group. Tags: