Positive signs in commercial real estate

Sperry Van Ness commercial real estate offices across Florida had a stellar 2013 and many agents are pumped for an even better 2014, a top executive says.

“Across the board our offices are experiencing an increase in activity and renewed sense of optimism within their markets, especially from the investor and buyer side,” Sperry Van Ness Florida Executive Managing Director Jerry Anderson says in a statement.

Total deals for Sperry Van Ness Florida, spread through more than 20 markets, increased 15% in 2013 over 2012. Sperry Van Ness has agents and offices in every major Gulf Coast market, in addition to a presence everywhere from Jacksonville to Miami and Tallahassee to West Palm Beach. The firm plans to add at least 30 employees statewide in 2014, executives say, to keep up with an even greater projected rise in volume. The company also plans to add new divisions, including property management and auction services.

Several individual Gulf Coast offices reported strong years that mirror Sperry Van Ness' statewide success.

Total sales volume at Sperry Van Ness Commercial Advisory Group, with offices in downtown Bradenton and downtown Sarasota, rose 50% in 2013 over 2012, for example. And sales volume in Naples jumped 37% last year over 2012, the company reports. The Naples office, according to the firm, was boosted by a resurgence in demand for commercial land bought by users, investors and speculators.