Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. Announces New National Institutional Multifamily Group

WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 16, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc., a member of the Lee & Associates group of companies, the nation’s largest broker-owned commercial real estate provider, has announced its newest addition to the national institutional multifamily sector, Fisher|Berzack Institutional Advisors. With a track record of $5 billion in sales, the group offers specialized brokerage expertise exclusively for institutional clientele, leveraging top-tier talent, a tremendous knowledge base and a vast network of relationships along with Lee & Associates’ national platform and extensive resources.

Jim Fisher and Warren Berzack, two of the region’s top-ranked multifamily brokers, will serve as managing directors of the group, which will be headquartered at Lee’s Sherman Oaks office.

“We are very excited to bring all of our institutional expertise together into this major national platform,” said Fisher. “Our team intimately understands the unique and complex needs of institutional owners and investors. We look forward to giving these clients an unmatched service experience.”

In addition to traditional brokerage, Fisher|Berzack Institutional Advisors offers preferred equity financing. Recently, it generated $175 million in preferred equity to the recapitalization of Parkmerced Apartments, the second-largest apartment neighborhood west of the Mississippi River.

“What differentiates Fisher|Berzack is ourability to deliver representation that is hands-on, agile and aggressive, all with absolute integrity and meticulousness,” said Berzack. “Institutional clients entrust us with their assets because we sincerely take their objectives as our own.”

Fisher is a true authority on multifamily real estate with more than three decades of experience and countless industry honors. He was recently awarded best broker in his product specialty by the Los Angeles Business Journal and just ranked as top broker of Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. in 2012.

Berzack is one of the highest-producing brokers in Los Angeles with hundreds of multifamily transactions to his name. He ranks among his firm’s top agents every year and was recently chosen as one of “Tomorrow’s Leaders of Southern California” by Real Estate Forum.

The group also includes senior directors Mike Smith and Stephen Geiger. Smith is the third highest-producing principal of Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. with more than $600 million in sales and was recently recognized by the industry as one of “40 Under 40” rising business professionals. Geiger is a 35-year industry veteran with a broad background in consulting and brokerage. He has managed transactions for some of the nation’s largest companies and developed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of real estate projects, which include multifamily.

Fisher|Berzack’s new website provides users with an information-rich introduction to the group and its comprehensive services. It also highlights their specialized expertise and unique hands-on approach.

“Jim and Warren bring together not just transactional expertise, but also a level of market knowledge and strategic insight that is unrivaled in the industry,” said Mike Tingus, president of Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. “I have no doubt that clients will quickly come to regard Fisher|Berzack Institutional Advisors as a go-to source for sound advice and guidance in executing institutional investment transactions in today’s complex market.”

The group is widely regarded as having some of the most respected and hardworking brokers in institutional multifamily real estate. Additionally, every broker is a multifamily owner himself, providing an invaluable first-hand perspective. The team’s clients, which include Equity Residential, JP Morgan and Essex Property Trust, have praised them as “truly an ally and advocate” and “a perfect balance between ethical practices and aggressive brokerage.”

About Fisher/Berzack
Bringing 100 years of experience and $5 billion in sales, Fisher|Berzack Institutional Advisors provides full-service acquisitions and dispositions of institutional properties nationwide focusing on the California market. Fisher|Berzack also specializes in managing senior/age-restricted, affordable housing and tax credit/bond finance transactions. It has sold more than 50,000 units across the country. The team’s clients include Equity Residential, JP Morgan and Essex Property Trust. Additional information is available at www.fisherberzack.com.