Colorado Real Estate Journal -
Jamie Gard didn’t study commercial real estate until he got a job in the industry. Twenty years and a ton of deals later, he’s learning every day. “It’s like continually getting an MBA,” said Gard, executive managing director at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. Working with companies at the leadership level, “You get to see the inner workings of all these businesses. Every business is different and operates in a different way.” A top producer at NGKF, Gard joined its predecessor, Frederick Ross Co., after a two-year stint as a salesman in the trucking industry. “I always knew I wanted to do something in business,” he said, explaining why, after mistaking aerospace engineering for a career possibility, he accepted a track scholarship to the University of Colorado and completed a marketing and small-business management degree. It was a fortuitous choice for representing landlords and tenants in office lease transactions. Gard started as a runner at NKGF and quickly rose to a senior position. He has worked with partner Nathan Johnson for most of his years at the company. Gard completed 400,000 square feet in transactions for URS Corp., which remains a client, did 70,000-sf deals for Frontier Airlines and Lockton Cos., and represented Hines, LBA Realty, Prudential Insurance and others in leasing properties in Denver. “He came here as a very young man learning the business, and his progress was almost meteoric. He has a skill set that lends itself extremely well to this business, and he has emerged over the last several years as one of the absolute top brokers in the city of Denver,” said Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Regional Chairman Jack Box. Box said Gard has a warm personality that people like, and he can be aggressive in getting the deal he thinks a client ought to have. He works very hard and does it with a smile, Box said. Gard, 43, describes himself as “meticulous,” a necessary ingredient in commercial real estate brokerage, he believes. “I’m very detail-oriented, and I’m pretty good at juggling multiple projects. If you can’t have a lot of projects going on simultaneously and keep track of the details, I think it is a tough business to be successful in. “There’s no substitute for hard work,” he added. “I think it also takes a little bit of luck – or maybe that’s the result of planning and hard work. “The big, complicated deals are the most fun, and they come from both sides.” Representing landlords in new construction – he’s currently working on the 16M mixed-use building downtown – is appealing because, “There are just lots of moving parts.” Also, “I can drive down the street and say, ‘That building is there because I had a role in it.’” Gard was an important part of the success of 1515 Wynkoop in Lower Downtown Denver, according to Jay Despard of Hines, which developed the building. “Jamie was a big reason that we had momentum before we broke ground and as we continued to come up with the structure. At that time, LoDo was moving a little bit, but it was still a story that had to be told, and he was good at telling that story,” said Despard, who described Gard as “even-keeled, forthright, honest and realistic.” Gard said his affiliation with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank has worked because, “As the world has changed, we’ve been successful at changing along with it,” Gard said. The company also is where he met his wife, Cathy, who put together investment sales packages. They have a 5-year-old son, Caden, and 4-year-old daughter, Olivia, and live in Stapleton. “If you have two kids, you have a 50:50 chance that you might live in Stapleton,” said Gard, who spent his youth between his mom’s and dad’s homes in Phoenix and Iowa. For fun, “I like golfing. I’m not very good at it, but I like it. I do a lot of stuff with my kids, a lot of pool time and zoo time,” he said. He also is a big supporter of United Way, particularly its efforts to support school readiness for kids. Gard likes the commercial real estate industry because, “There is always a level of creativity to it – helping a client – tenant, landlord or investor – effectively strategize and manage their real estate operations.” Having experienced the volatility associated with commercial real estate cycles, Gard appreciates the current economic environment. “It is certainly improving, but it’s not doing it at an unsustainable pace. We’re seeing responsible development. We’re seeing rental rate growth. We’re seeing job growth … but they’re all moderate. That shows me that we’re probably good for another 10-year run.”