In a move to capture one of the most lucrative markets in Southern California, Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. - a full service regional commercial brokerage firm, has embarked on an aggressive expansion plan to capture the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County markets. Within the last 30 days, 13 brokers – nine with more than a decade of experience – have joined the Lee & Associates LA North/Ventura operations.

The firm’s current office, located in Sherman Oaks, covers North Los Angeles County. An additional office in Calabasas was opened last week to cover the West San Fernando Valley, Conejo Valley, and the Simi Valley markets. Plans are underway to open a Ventura County office in the third quarter of this year.

To spearhead Lee & Associates’ expansion into the San Fernando Valley markets, Mike Tingus has joined the firm as senior vice president/managing principal. A 17-year commercial real estate veteran, Tingus previously worked as senior vice president for Charles Dunn’s San Fernando Valley office and was a managing partner at Colliers Seeley for more than seven years.

“The timing is right for a strong regional brokerage firm to move into the North Los Angeles and Ventura County areas. These are lucrative, yet under-served markets,” said Tingus. “We offer in-depth industry knowledge of a very specific market. While many brokerage firms are tightening the purse strings; we feel it is time to invest in our brokers to strengthen their position in the market and thus better serve their client base.”
   
Lee & Associates first opened a San Fernando Valley office in 1994. The Calabasas office has already opened and plans are underway to open an additional office in Ventura by the third quarter of this year.

Those joining the firm include Jack Schlaifer, a 40-year commercial real estate veteran specializing in the industrial/investments market; Wayne Saldana, a 25-year industry veteran specializing in office sales, leasing and investments, previously with Colliers Seeley and Newmark; Joe Jusko, an 18-year veteran in industrial sales and investments, who joins from Colliers Seeley; Tom Specker, who brings 23-years of experience in sales leasing and investment office who joins from Charles Dunn; Scott Silverstein, a 16-year office industry expert who joins from Charles Dunn; Marc Spellman, one of the original founding members of the Lee LA/North market office returns from Colliers Seeley; Randy Kobata, a five-year industrial sales, leasing and investments broker who joins from CB Richard Ellis; Jay Rubin, an office, sales and leasing specialist who joins from Charles Dunn; Collin Foutz, a five-year industrial sales expert who joins from NAI Capital Commercial; Chris Dorland, an office specialist joining from Charles Dunn, and Spencer Strull, a recent college graduate who joins as an associate.

Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. is a member of Lee & Associates Group of Companies, which is one of the largest regional commercial real estate service providers in the United States. Each Lee & Associates office is independently owned and operated and represents a broad array of regional, national and international clients – from individual investors and small businesses, to large corporations and institutions.

Lee & Associates’ clients enjoy a comprehensive range of specialized commercial real estate services including: industrial, office, multifamily and retail property sales and leasing; real estate investment consulting, property acquisition and disposition; tenant representation and relocation, land assemblage, site selection, mixed-use and urban in-fill, property and portfolio evaluation and market research.

Headquartered in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. commercial real estate services extends throughout the San Fernando Valley with an additional office in Calabasas, Calif. The Los Angeles-North office is located at 15250 Ventura Blvd., Suite 100 in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Additional information is available at
www.lee-associates.com