Three of Carson City’s highest-profile commercial real estate professionals have launched a new firm, working closely — but independently — with a Reno-based brokerage firm.
Brokers Brad Bonkowski, Andie Wilson and Cheryl Evans have launched NAI Alliance Carson City.
Evans, Wilson and Bonkowski previously were among the owners of Coldwell Banker Commercial Premier Brokers in Carson City. That firm no longer will be in business, but the three principals in the new firm say they expect most of their existing agreements for the sale and management of commercial real estate properties will continue with the new firm.
Wilson and Bonkowski handle sales and leasing of commercial properties, while Evans specializes in management.
The NAI Alliance Carson City will operate as an autonomous organization under a license of the name granted by Reno-based NAI Alliance. The Reno company holds a license agreement since 2007 with New York-based NAI Global for the NAI brand in Carson City and other northern Nevada counties in addition to its home location.
The agreement was complicated because NAI Alliance in Reno is owned equally by eight partners — each of whom is a working commercial broker — and the Carson City office is owned by three working brokers, said Michael Nevis, a senior vice president in the industrial group of the Reno office.
Nevis is manager of the Reno group this year, a position that rotates annually among its eight working brokers.
He said the licensing agreement allows NAI Alliance to quickly establish a strong position in the Carson City market without the work of painstakingly building a brand on its own.
“Brad, Andie and Cheryl are the dominant forces in Carson City,” Nevis said.
But the switch wasn’t easy for the three Carson City professionals.
Bonkowski and Evans estimate that the brokers needed to file more than 150 forms with the Nevada Real Estate Division — some for themselves as licensed brokers, brokers-of-record and property manager — and some for the new company.
At the same time, Wilson says she was meeting with the owners of more than 100 commercial properties listed for sale or lease with Coldwell Banker Commercial Premier Brokers. Each of those agreements needed to be re-done with NAI Alliance Carson City.
Evans, meanwhile, working through about 25 property-management contracts covering roughly 1 million square feet of properties in the Carson City area.
And there was the matter of switching out signs, a chore that consumed much of Sunday for the owners of the new firm.
Bonkowski noted that the three partners in NAI Alliance Carson City spent more than two years examining their options as they knew their 10-year agreement with Coldwell Banker would come to an end this month.
He said they wanted the power of a national network — it’s important to generate leads from out-of-town customers — but also wanted an agreement that would allow the three brokers to own the office and continue to work as generalists, rather than specialists in one of niches of commercial real estate.
Joining the three principals in the company are agents Rick Terrin and Ale Avila and property management administrator Amber Cullen.
The firm’s office will remain at 223 S. Division St., and the main office number remains as 775-888-6200.
