NEW YORK CITY - NGKF Capital Markets continues to deepen its expertise in niche commercial real estate segments, most recently welcoming self storage veterans Aaron Swerdlin, as executive managing director to lead the company's national Self Storage Group, and Kenneth Cox, as senior managing director. The team, which has handled more than $5 billion in self storage transactions, will work with capital markets professionals throughout the country to steer the direction of the specialty practice and build strategies to take advantage of opportunities in this fast-growing commercial real estate sector.
"Savvy investors are looking for more than just a commercial real estate broker," said Jimmy Kuhn, president of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) and head of NGKF Capital Markets. "Whether we are talking about hospitality, multi-housing, health care, gaming or any other industry sector, our clients expect in-depth knowledge about their target markets and product types. We continue to enhance our platform so that we are equipped to most effectively assist REITs, institutional investors and private investors who have diverse needs, and are committed to hiring the best in the business to help them make intelligent decisions about their real estate portfolios.
"Aaron and Kenneth are recognized leaders in the self storage space," Mr. Kuhn continued. "Their knowledge and long-standing relationships are invaluable for clients exploring this alternative asset class. We couldn't be more pleased to have them on board and are confident they will help us build a highly successful self storage practice."
According to the Self Storage Association, there were approximately 50,000 primary self storage facilities in the United States and another 4,000 secondary facilities at the end of 2011, equating to 2.3 billion square feet of space. Mr. Swerdlin points out that the full suite of services offered by NGKF, including investment sales, transaction management, debt placement, proprietary lending, and appraisal and valuation advisory services, equips his team to address any client need in this niche sector.
Mr. Swerdlin said, "Couple NGKF's position as the preeminent real estate services provider with the powerful platform of its parent company, BGC Partners, Inc., and relationships with Cantor Commercial Real Estate and Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Banking, and we are in the unique position of serving as a single source for a solitary property sale transaction, a national enterprise monetization, and everything in between.
He continued, "As the owners with whom we consult grow, reduce, capitalize and monetize their portfolios - and even as the profile of services they require changes drastically over time - we remain relevant to every one of the events along the way. In addition, our unparalleled understanding of this unique product type and our significant capital markets talent across the country means that our value-add proposition is beyond compare."
A 20-year commercial real estate veteran, Mr. Swerdlin joins the NGKF Houston office from HFF, LP, where he led the firm's self storage group for five years. Previously, he served as a senior managing director and the managing partner at Storage Investment Advisors, LLP. Earlier in his career, Mr. Swerdlin spent seven years as head of the self storage advisory group for CBRE. An active member of several national and state self storage trade organizations, he is a frequent speaker at industry events and his articles are published regularly in local and national real estate publications.
Mr. Cox, who is based in Memphis, Tenn., most recently was the general partner in several partnerships focused on acquiring, operating and selling self-storage assets. Previously, he served as principal and senior vice president of Jernigan Property Group, LLC, where he oversaw real estate activities in a joint venture with Kimco Realty that acquired $70 million in self storage assets. He began his real estate career at Storage USA, where he spent eight years in a various roles as an acquisitions, dispositions and development officer, and was involved in many high-profile transactions, including a $90-million joint venture with GE Capital Real Estate.
About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is one of the world's leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with its affiliates and London-based partner Knight Frank, NGKF employs more than 11,000 professionals, operating from more than 340 offices in established and emerging property markets on five continents.
With roots dating back to 1929, NGKF’s strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. Its integrated services platform includes leasing advisory, global corporate services, investment sales and capital markets, consulting, program and project management, property and facilities management, and valuation services. A major force in the real estate marketplace, NGKF serves the local and global property requirements of tenants, landlords, investors and developers worldwide. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
NGKF is a part of BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP), a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial and real estate markets. For further information, visit www.bgcpartners.com.