Local Firm Selected by Commercial Real Estate’s Largest Research Organization as One of the Top Leasing and Sales Firms in the Market

Goodman Real Estate Services Group LLC has been selected by CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP), the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces, to receive a CoStar Power Broker TM Award.  This annual award recognizes the best of the best in commercial real estate brokerage by highlighting the firms and individual brokers who closed the highest transaction volumes in commercial property sales or leases in 2016 within their respective markets.  

With the largest independently researched database of commercial real estate property information available online, CoStar can easily identify the top firms and brokers in each market throughout the U.S. and Canada.  All awards are based on transaction data maintained in CoStar's commercial real estate database.  

Goodman Real Estate Services Group LLC qualified as one of the top commercial brokerage firms in Cleveland, Ohio based on total sale transactions closed during the year.  In order to be selected for this honor, Goodman Real Estate Services Group’s overall transaction volumes were evaluated by CoStar against other commercial real estate brokerage firms active in its region, and subsequently ranked among the top firms in the market. 

Being referred to as “the Chipotle of Middle Eastern food”, Naf Naf Grill has entered the Ohio market. The fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant hosted their grand opening in Independence on March 16^th, complete with free pita. This opening marks the 30^th store for Naf Naf Grill. About 50% of their restaurants are in suburban locations, and Independence made history as the strongest suburban opening to date. Naf Naf Grill is located at 6714 Rockside Road in Independence. Jim Becker, Senior Executive/Director with Goodman Real Estate Services Group had the pleasure of making this deal come to life.

Since planting its roots at Golden Gate Shopping Center in Mayfield Heights last month, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has been off to an impressive start. The organic food store with a “mission to improve the way our communities eat by offering fresh and healthy food at amazing values” opened to a large crowd of excited shoppers on February 8^th. This inspired Mayfield Heights community led the store’s Grand Opening to place among the Top 10 openings of all stores (52) to date. As an extra offering, the first 250 guests in line were gifted with a free bag of groceries.

This enthusiastic reception of the first Fresh Thyme location in Northeast Ohio has not wavered, as sales continue to thrive at a pace above projection.

Jim Becker, Senior Executive/Director, and Robert Yaskanich, Senior Director, with Goodman Real Estate Services Group LLC, have been brokers together for the 371,748 SF Golden Gate Shopping Center since 2014, seeing it through Cleveland’s Largest single-asset retail sale that same year.

First Interstate Properties purchased the former Oakwood Country Club and land in 2011, with construction commencing in 2013. The innovative, green retail concept was developed for a community that was underserved by national retailers and the surrounding neighborhoods in need of revitalization. Six years later, the final phase of construction at Oakwood Commons is nearing completion with a slate of stores expected to open in spring 2017. Goodman Real Estate Services Group represents First Interstate Properties in the leasing of retail space at Oakwood Commons. 

Oakwood Commons is South Euclid’s newest and ecologically innovative 325,000 square foot retail power center. By using sustainable design, Oakwood Commons, combines educational elements, low-impact development techniques, and environmentally conscious practices in creating the first environmentally conscious retail complex in northeast Ohio. Oakwood Commons also donated 21 acres of land and $400,000 for funding of improvements to the City of South Euclid to create Oakwood Green, a nature preserve and isolated public park located behind the shopping center. Amenities of the new nature preserve include an amphitheater, nearly one mile of walking trails, native plants and bioswales, and permeable paving to manage a 5.5 acre stormwater wetland witheducational opportunities.

Storage Zone is a self-storage company with 20 locations in Northeast Ohio. The vast majority are free-standing buildings on the fringes of major metropolitan areas. One of the challenges for Storage Zone is finding new locations in middle to high income communities. Zoning in those areas often prevents their “use” from operating. Contrary to these restrictions, there is a need for self-storage and the units in comparable markets generally have high occupancy rates.

One such high-end market is Rocky River. Finding a site to build a self-storage in this municipality has never seemed possible…until October of 2016. The City of Rocky River told Wald & Fisher, the owner of Rockport Shopping Center, that it would consider self-storage for a conditional use as a part of the center’s redevelopment.  The city considered it a viable solution for anchor space that has been empty for many years. Jim Becker contacted Storage Zone immediately. They were excited about the opportunity to break into the market and made a deal with Wald & Fisher in record time. Storage Zone presented rough plans and elevations to Rocky River in mid-December and the city approved their application.

If all goes well, Storage Zone will open in the second quarter of 2017.