20
HALL OF FAME - CLASS OF 2022
Midwest Real Estate News | January/February 2023
BRAD ASHLEY
BILL BARNES
Newmark Zimmer | Kansas City, Missouri
NAI DESCO | St. Louis, Missouri
Managing Director of Property and Facilities Management
Principal
A CRE professional of 17 years, NAI DESCO Principal Bill Barnes joined the company in 2011, after spending time with Vatterott Properties and Coldwell Banker Commercial.
Numbers can tell a compelling story. And for Brad Ashley, Managing Director of Property and Facilities Management at Kansas City’s Newmark Zimmer, the numbers are especially strong. Consider 15 million. Ashley today leads a team at Newmark Zimmer that maintains more than 15 million square feet of office, industrial, retail, non-profit and corporate headquarters property in the greater Kansas City market.
Specializing in retail buyer/tenant representation, landlord representation, property disposition and investment sales, Barnes has been involved in over 500 transactions totaling more than $450 million in volume and has extensive experience helping clients navigate the complexities of municipal approval, permitting, planning and zoning and entitlements. He’s been responsible for the market rollouts of national and regional retailers including Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Tacos4Life, Sprint, Caliber Collision and Goldfish Swim School.
Another impressive number? During the last four years, Ashley and his team have doubled the square footage under management at Newmark Zimmer. Much of this success is a credit to Ashley’s leadership. He oversees account relations, business development, property management, tenant relations and staff development matters at Newmark Zimmer. He’s also responsible for project and construction management, technical services, risk management and financial reporting. When asked what he enjoys most about the commercial real estate business, Ashley says: “Building relationships with tenants and clients and solving complex real estate management challenges while delivering great outcomes for all stakeholders.” Another reason for the team’s success can be traced to Ashley’s creative vision. During his career of more than 20 years, Ashley has developed into a top problem-solver. He’s willing to embrace innovative ideas, something that has led to the best possible outcomes for both property owners and the tenants who occupy these buildings. The combination of Ashley’s background in asset management, construction, project supervision and budgeting and his creativity has helped Ashley and his team build a loyal roster of satisfied clients. All members of Ashley’s team focus on providing the best experiences for clients. That’s because Ashley takes time to mentor his team members. These members understand the importance of managing expenses proactively, which helps maximize the return on clients’ investments, and promptly responding to tenant concerns. Positive tenant-owner relationships are a priority for Ashley and his team. “Earlier in my career, my abilities to organize, problem-solve and build relationships to correct property challenges was critical,” Ashley said. “Now my time is spent recruiting, developing and growing a strong property management team.” Ashley is active in the local real estate industry. He volunteers with student outreach at the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, seeking to share his experience and develop individuals with an interest in commercial real estate management. He is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and has been recognized as Certified Property Manager (CPM) of the Year by IREM’s Kansas City chapter. He is a member of the Academy of Authors through IREM’s Journal of Property Management. Last year, Ashley was a keynote speaker at the REALTOR’s C5 event in New York City, where he presented the “Making the Deal -- How Owners, Brokers and Property Managers Can Collaborate for a Successful Lease Transaction” session. More than 400 participants attended this event.
To his success, Barnes attributes two simple qualities—persistency and hard work. “I am a firm believer that hard work breeds luck,” he said. “I also believe putting the client first is what builds long-term relationships, and I have been fortunate to have many clients become close friends.” Embracing technology that aids with market planning strategy and site selection for clients has also been instrumental in his success and has led to many awards within NAI DESCO. Barnes’ most rewarding part of his business is working with a wide variety of clients and learning what makes them successful. The process isn’t always easy, however gratifying it is to be a part of new store openings. Still, Barnes prioritizes spending time with his wife and four young children, even coaching his sons’ hockey, soccer and baseball teams. He also enjoys fly fishing, duck hunting and traveling as much as possible.
In his spare time, Ashley enjoys being with his wife and two children, often coaching their sports teams. In the fall, he enjoys hunting wild birds in western Kansas. In the winter, you might find him in the mountains of the western United States skiing with friends.
He is a CCIM candidate and a member of both the ICSC and the St. Louis Association of Realtors.
MIKE BELL
DENO BISTOLARIDES
Hunt Midwest | Kansas City, Missouri
Encore Real Estate Investment Services | Detroit Metropolitan Area
Senior Vice President
Managing Partner
Senior Vice President Mike Bell leads Hunt Midwest’s CRE division and is responsible for the overall growth and management of the company’s industrial leasing, property management, construction, mission critical and development services. An architectural engineer by training, Bell has more than 27 years of experience in the construction, design and development aspects of CRE, including more than 12 years at Hunt Midwest, during which time the company’s commercial holdings have grown exponentially. He has overseen the company’s expansion into the Southeast U.S. and helped attract the first hyper-scale data center company to Missouri, which will be built on 300 acres at the Hunt Midwest Business Center. For Bell, the most enjoyable part of the business is that it affords him the opportunity to work with businesses and people from many walks of life to find new ways to solve problems each day. “Every day is different,” he said. “You’re always solving a new problem, and I get to do it alongside some of the smartest, most creative experts in the industry.” Under Bell’s leadership, SubTropolis, already the world’s largest underground business complex, has grown from 4.7 million square feet of space to more than 7.8 million square feet of space with plans to expand up to 14 million square feet in the coming decade. Bell was integral to the construction of SubTropolis Technology Center, a mission critical development with up to 100MW of power capacity. Bell also has led the company’s development of the 2,500-acre Hunt Midwest Business Center, which already includes 1.2 million square feet of space completed or under construction and will swell to 3.2 million total square feet once completed. He also is integral to the new 3,300-acre KCI 29 Logistics Park, which will include up to 20 million square feet of industrial space once built out. What makes Bell a leader in the business? His key to success is listening, a skill he learned from a young age while helping in his parents’ gift shops. Solving customers’ problems to win their business was the focus, which is the mindset that remains at the core of his business today. “Listening to others with more experience and expertise in a given subject to absorb their lessons and apply them to my work,” Bell said.” Listening without preconceived notions to what somebody wants to accomplish and working to find a solution that can help them meet their need, even when others say it will take too much time or is too hard. You never know who may have the right answer to a particular problem, so it’s critical to approach every day with the willingness to truly listen and learn.” Bell is a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors and previously served as chairman for the Associated Builders and Contractors. He’s also a member of the Kansas City Area Development Council, KC SmartPort, AFCO Mand 7x24 Exchange, CCIM, IMN and NAOIP. He previously served as chairman for the Church of the Resurrection Board of Trustees when the congregation undertook a $92 million expansion in Leawood, Kansas. Outside of work, Bell is likely playing hockey. “I have ice in my veins after growing up an avid hockey player in Michigan,” he said. “I’ve always been very competitive and still play center every week on an adult recreation league team here in Kansas City. As much as I love the speed of the game and the camaraderie of our team, I must admit there’s nothing better than setting up a teammate to score or putting the puck in the back of the net myself. But the best treat of all has been sharing the ice with my son, who joined our team recently.”
The first in the office and the last to leave. That’s how the colleagues of Deno Bistolarides, Managing Partner at Encore Real Estate Investment Services, would describe his work ethic. Throughout his 17 years in CRE, Bistolarides has made a positive impact throughout multiple facets of the real estate community and has played a pivotal role in the personal and professional development of countless young people. Bistolarides spent most of his life in between Detroit, Michigan, and Toronto, Canada. After graduating from the University of Michigan and beginning his career in investment real estate as an intern at Marcus & Millichap, Detroit, he hit the ground running, quickly earning the firm’s Pacesetter Award, given to young agents that exhibit strong activity levels at the forefront of their career. The financial crisis of 2008—and the down market that ensued—was critical to his future success, enabling him to build strong relationships with clients and brokers alike. In 2016, Bistolarides continued on to start Encore Real Estate Services alongside Brandon Hanna and Ryan Vinco, and though the firm had modest beginnings, Encore has expanded to over 40 agents with multiple offices across the U.S. The firm has set a year-over-year record for sales volume at collectively just under $1 billion in 2022. Apart from the company’s measurable success, Bistolarides is known for fostering a spirit of cooperation, rather than competition, at Encore. “Reputation” is a simple word but attaining a positive one requires a complex set of standards, and Bistolarides did so amongst his business early on. It’s this cooperation among those he works with to which he credits his success. “Without Brandon and Ryan and our agents, support staff, clients, colleagues and my mentors, nothing would be possible,” Bistolarides said. “The key to success is surrounding yourself with the right people but also staying consistent, grounded and operating with high integrity. We live in a world of instant gratification. Because of this, it’s easy to forget that success is not instant and is only achieved with a long view. As the old saying goes, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint.’” Yet the business has resulted in more than success—it’s led to lifelong friendships, which he said is the most valuable part. “My favorite part of the business is the opportunities I’ve had to build relationships with people from across the world,” he said. “Deal making enables us to meet and connect with a diverse audience, and I’ve had the pleasure of making lifelong friendships throughout my career, which is something I wouldn’t trade for anything.” Bistolarides is a recipient of the Crexi Platinum Broker Award (2021) the CoStar Power Broker Award (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and the National Achievement Award (2012, 2013, 2014) and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.