GDC/RE founders Joe Doucett and Tim Gunnink are bringing their team of retail specialists to Newmark Grubb Knight Frank‘s (NGKF) Phoenix office, where the number of real estate professionals has grown fourfold in the past two years.
With nearly 25 years of real estate experience between them, Doucett and Gunnink will join the retail division of the Phoenix office as senior managing directors. Following them are Joseph Hoye, director; Tim Westfall, associate director; Ryan Moroney, associate; and Chris Osborn, associate. The group brings more than 8.4 million square feet of listings, representing 48 retail properties.
“Phoenix is one of the most competitive and desirable retail markets in the country because of its rapidly growing population, positive employment outlook and inexpensive land prices relative to other major metro areas. Every retailer wants a foothold here,” said Pete Bolton, executive vice president and managing director of NGKF’s Phoenix office. “Bringing Tim, Joe and their team aboard gives NGKF a strong and established presence in a retail market that totals more than 150 million square feet and positions us to take advantage of the expanding opportunities.”
Doucett and Gunnink founded Phoenix-based GDC/RE in 2009. Within five years, the firm became one of the top retail firms in the Western U.S., offering consulting services, retailer representation and leasing and investment sales services. Prior to GDC/RE, Doucett worked with The Corritore Company, representing high-profile, mixed-use developments and lifestyle centers along with specialty retailers. Gunnink was a vice president at Phoenix Commercial Advisors.
“Retailers and retail property owners are demanding more efficiency from their real estate to achieve sustainability and growth,” said Gunnink. “NGKF’s platform of enhanced services and capabilities, including its entire suite of real estate disciplines, its access to financing and capital markets and its international footprint, equips our team to position our clients for further success.”
The addition of the GDC/RE team follows several other key hires at NGKF in Phoenix. This spring, the office welcomed Directors Kathleen Morgan and Trisha Talbot, both from GPE Commercial Advisors, where they specialized in medical office properties. Together, they brought 1.2 million square feet of primarily medical office listings in the greater metro area and became part of NGKF’s Global Healthcare Services practice.
Jerry Jacobs, executive managing director, and Michael Crystal, managing director, both joined from Cushman & Wakefield, also in spring 2014. Specializing in office tenant and landlord representation, they added two million square feet in listings, comprising Class A high-rise buildings and Class B mid- and low-rise buildings in the Phoenix CBD and surrounding area. Last year, Jacobs was recognized as one of the top producers in the Phoenix area. Crystal has leased and sold over five million square feet of office space during his tenure and is involved in more than 80 lease transactions each year.
