Jacksonville, FL – March 2, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — CBRE Senior Vice President Oliver Barakat and Senior Associate Joseph Ayers were honored at the 2012 NAIOP Awards Celebration held by the Northeast Florida Chapter of the commercial real estate development association on February 29th.
Oliver Barakat received recognition for his role in representing EverBank in their ±270,000-square-foot office lease in Downtown Jacksonville.
The project was named “Office Sale/Lease of the Year” and earned Barakat the award for “Office Broker of the Year”. As the largest office lease in Florida since 2007 and the largest in downtown in more than 22 years, the EverBank lease will have substantial impact on the local economy. The Jacksonville City Council provided a multi-million-dollar incentive package to relocate over 1,500 employees to the downtown area. Barakat played a key role in managing the relocation challenges, effecting 80,000 square feet of net absorption in the Jacksonville office market.
Joseph Ayers was honored with the “Emerging Professional of the Year” award. The award assesses career accomplishments, community and chapter involvement, and the testimonial from clients and peers.
“Joe has already made a substantial mark on the commercial real estate industry,” said James P. Citrano, Managing Director with CBRE’s Jacksonville office. “His body of work in 2011 put him at the front of a very qualified group of professionals this year. CBRE clients have described Joe as ‘intelligent and personable with a strong work ethic’ and as a ‘valuable, client-first broker’.”
Both brokers are highly active within NAIOP and have consistently earned recognition for their commitment to commercial real estate industry in Jacksonville.
“These prestigious awards are a testament to their hard work. Oliver and Joe are held in high regard by their peers and members of the community. We are honored to see their dedication rewarded by NAIOP,” added Citrano.
The NAIOP Northeast Florida Chapter Awards Celebration recognize and celebrate contributions to the northeast Florida commercial real estate development community, and acknowledges the achievements of outstanding individuals who have contributed to this year’s economic growth while demonstrating high ethical standards of professionalism and a commitment to community support.
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2011 revenue). The Company has approximately 34,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our Web site at www.cbre.com.
Contact:
Elizabeth Cross
Marketing Director, FL
305.428.6373
elizabeth.cross (at) cbre (dot) com
Lauren Crawford
Communications & Media Manager, FL
813.273.8482
lauren.crawford (at) cbre (dot) com
