Franklin Street continues to bolster its management lineup with CRE executives
Commercial real estate veteran John Leonard joins Franklin Street, a full-service commercial real estate company. As regional managing partner, he oversees the entire Atlanta office including overall revenue, business development, recruitment, training and ongoing team management.
“We’re very excited to add a talented, experienced leader like John to our team,” said Franklin Street CEO and managing partner Andrew Wright. “He’s a great fit for our organization and his knowledge, leadership, and expertise will only help build on our strong foundation in Atlanta and the Southeast.”
One of Leonard’s top priorities is expanding Franklin Street’s office and industrial sectors in Atlanta. He will add the management structure to help grow the firm, as well as increase revenue and market share.
“Atlanta is a key in our growth strategy as a company,” Wright said. “Under John’s guidance our Atlanta office will be able to focus on business development and expanding into new markets to take advantage of the robust opportunities in commercial real estate.”
With more than 25 years in the industry, Leonard previously served as owner and broker for Multi Housing Group where he concentrated on the development and brokerage of student housing projects focused mainly in the Southeast. Before Multi Housing Group, he worked for Marcus & Millichap for more than 15 years, serving in several capacities, including first vice president/regional manager for Atlanta and regional manager in Las Vegas.
During his tenure at Marcus & Millichap, Leonard led his team of 80 people to complete 3,000+ transactions worth over $7.3 billion in transactions for asset types including apartments, retail, office, industrial, hospitality, self-storage, and mobile home parks. From 2002 to 2012, Leonard received such prestigious awards as Regional Manager of the Year, Agent Tenure Award, and was appointed East Coast Director of Special Assets Services group and a faculty member of the Performance Enhancement group. His extensive background in managing and developing successful teams provides both Franklin Street and Leonard an opportunity for progress.
“Joining Franklin Street was an incredible opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Leonard said. “Andrew Wright and other leaders in the company have done a phenomenal job creating a strong foundation and I am excited to help take it to the next level.”
Leonard continued to comment on the state of the Atlanta market, “The Atlanta market continues to remain strong and grow. We have robust international capital coming into the city with the largest airport in the world and the addition of Mercedes Benz, State Farm and other corporations who have switched their headquarters to our city. We have a lot of potential for 2016 and along with our unique business model, are set up for success.”
Leonard has been recognized as a Who’s Who: Top 100 Power Brokers by the Atlanta Business Chronicle from 2007 to 2014. He’s extremely active in the commercial real estate community and serves as an honorary board member of Georgia State University’s real estate department. He’s also a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designee, a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC), the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
Leonard earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in Las Vegas and his Mini-Master of Business Administration in finance and accounting from J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He received his Bachelor of Arts in literature from State University of New York at Potsdam. Leonard has been a licensed real estate broker since 1987.
About Franklin Street: Franklin Street is a family of full-service real estate companies focused on delivering value-added solutions to meet the evolving needs of clients. Through a collaborative philosophy of leveraging the resources, expertise, and experience of each of its divisions—Real Estate, Capital, Insurance, Management and Valuation—Franklin Street offers unmatched value and optimal solutions for clients nationwide. For more information on Franklin Street, please visit FranklinSt.com.
