When it comes to building a successful commercial real estate firm, NAI Advent has the best of both worlds. It is a boutique local operation that enjoys the advantages of being part of NAI Global, one of the largest commercial real estate networks in the world. The result is a company with diverse and varied experience that makes it a first-choice service provider across southern Alberta.
The firm started out as Advent Commercial Real Estate in 2008 and in 2010 took on the NAI brand to help build credibility in the market and establish the firm as a player in the region.
“Joining NAI gave us the platform to be able to elevate our profile but still gave us the flexibility to pursue the work that we thought we could do best. It was a good fit,” says Garry Bobke, president of NAI Advent.
NAI Global has an entrepreneurial framework that fosters collaboration between branches while being hands off to allow them the nimbleness to take on work in a variety of service areas. This model has attracted experienced team members with long and impressive track records to the firm; they enjoy the freedom to bring in their own book of business and work on building it without the red tape and cumbersome administrative procedures found in many larger firms. Seasoned professionals mentor the newcomers to the business and together they have made NAI Advent an influential player in the industry. The firm does it all: it asset manages about 800,000 square feet in Canada and the United States and third-party manages approximately 250,000 square feet of properties.
To achieve this scope of services and continue to expand, NAI Advent calls on its highly experienced team of 32, of which 19 are licensed agents offering their diverse client base the gamut of commercial and industrial services. This includes leasing, buying and selling properties, group investment, asset management, property management and project development. While brokerage services got the company off the ground, NAI Advent has earned a reputation for excellence in everything from development planning to office, industrial and retail facility leasing,and from management to construction.
“We are a full-service brokerage with expertise and people in the different asset classes in the industrial, office, multifamily and retail space,” says Jamie Coulter, vice president and partner at NAI Advent.
Clients have come to rely upon NAI Advent’s experience and knowledge on all fronts and over 15 years have developed solid relationships that keep them coming back. As landlords experience increasingly complex and challenging hurdles with their properties, NAI is there to get the job done – leasing and sales or property management and construction – they are often a client’s first call.
The team also has a strong network of investors and industry professionals facilitating growth, and this has allowed the firm to evolve beyond conventional brokerage projects. It has a trusted construction team to handle tenant improvement projects as they arise, both to attract tenants to vacant spaces and to perform upgrades leading up to lease renewals. No matter the situation, NAI Advent’s talented team offers expertise and service every step of the way, from conception to completion.
“There are various examples where we take developers right from site acquisition through the development process and then help them market the properties and eventually sell or lease them,” says Coulter.
Several of the founding people within NAI had a lot of prior land development experience connected to the Wagon Wheel Industrial Park in Balzac, a comprehensive 320-acre $90 million development. This construction expertise has always stuck with the firm over the years, first with land development, then into redevelopment of industrial buildings and now NAI has built up its apartment division to take advantage of the booming apartment rental market. Under the banner of Advent Development Corporation it has completed the first 67-suite higher-end apartment in Mission and two more 100-unit buildings in Shaganappi and Westbrook are under construction.
“We’re avidly building apartments, some of which have an affordable housing element,” says Bobke. “I think the timing was really good because of the push to get multifamily housing in the market quickly to accommodate the large influx of people moving to Calgary. It was easy to finance and we have the expertise and connections to build so we were able to pull the whole thing together and get it going fast.”
The NAI Advent team has its finger on the pulse of the market to ensure the firm and its clients prosper as conditions in the various segments evolve. Its diverse menu of services keeps the entire team busy and sets the firm up for growth and success moving forward.
That growth is fuelled by the strength of the team, and as leaders like Garry Bobke and managing partner Tom Gorman begin to step back from daily operations, the next generation made up of professionals like Jamie Coulter, Aaron Gunn, Larry Gurtler, Chris Howard and Brian West are transitioning to take on the mantle of leadership and move the company into the next chapter. They are invested in the firm’s success and enjoy the work and the people they get to collaborate with every day. The organization’s great culture comes with a family feel, which makes sense given there are cousins and parents with their children working together at NAI Advent.
“We love to see family members come to the firm and contribute to taking the company in a direction that hopefully will continue to elevate the brand and make it an even greater place to work,” says Bobke.
With a diverse portfolio of projects, an entrepreneurial atmosphere and a name that carries weight in the industry, NAI Advent is well positioned for success for generations more.
3633 8 Street SE Calgary, AB T2G 3A5 Canada
P. +1(403) 984-9800 | F. +1(403) 984-9810
info@naiadvent.com | www.naiadvent.com
