Broker, back in action, sees good times ahead

Well-known local commercial real estate broker Mindy Kauffman is back in the leasing and selling business after a six-year detour — and she brings good news.

Formerly of Sarasota Commercial Management, Kauffman now runs Red Property Management, which handles leasing for several prominent downtown Sarasota buildings. (The properties include a building on Main Street where the Observer Media Group, publisher of the Business Observer, leases space.) Kauffman's father is Dr. Mark Kauffman, a local real estate developer who has owned and helped build some of the buildings in what's now the Red Property portfolio.

Mindy Kauffman sold Sarasota Commercial Management in 2007. She shifted to real estate consulting, with a focus on turnarounds and workouts. But now, back in the thick of leasing properties since January, Kauffman senses a palatable rebound.

For example, Kauffman reports lease rates for some properties have retuned to pre-recession levels. “Things are picking up,” Kauffman tells Coffee Talk. “Rents are edging up a bit, especially in desirable locations. We are seeing more activity.”