After more than three decades of working with the late Jim Berry and his heirs on many of Chattanooga's biggest office redevelopments, commercial real estate agent Steve Hunt has formed his own brokerage and commercial real estate business known as Hunt CRE.
Hunt, who has 33 years working as a commercial real estate agent and has developed offices, commercial properties and even a pair of residential properties, said he will focus in his new business on representing third-party clients wanting to buy, sell and lease property. Although Hunt said he is still a partner in a handful of warehouse, commercial and office buildings, Hunt CRE will focus primarily on representing landlords and tenants, performing site selection, lease negotiation and assisting with investments and acquisitions.
Hunt already works such a role in arranging office leases around the country for Walden Security and has partnered with other investors in a number of other projects. Hunt has led successful tenant representation work in Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Louisville, Kentucky, Greenville, South Carolina and Orlando, Florida, among other cities.
Hunt's new firm can also co-broker with market experts in other cities to help clients wherever the need arises.
"Helping our clients achieve their goals has built our success as a CRE firm," Hunt said in an announcement of his new venture. "Our knowledge of the Chattanooga real estate market, and the Southeast region in general, combined with our diverse client portfolio assures our existing and new clients that their needs and best interests are kept in mind when working together."
Berry & Hunt, a realty asset company based in Chattanooga, was dissolved in April after Hunt moved into his own office in the Volunteer Building last fall. Most of the buildings once owned by Jim Berry have been sold.
Over the past three decades, Berry & Hunt redeveloped Chattanooga's tallest office buildings, including the 17-story Liberty Tower and the adjacent 21-story Republic Centre. The firm also worked on other notable projects such as The HUB building, The Pioneer Building, Times Building, and AGA Building.
"I attribute the firm's success to the decades of work Jim Berry and I accomplished together," said Hunt. "I'm proud of the business we crafted; it set the foundation for my work today."
Berry, who founded Republic Parking Systems and build the business into one of the biggest parking companies in the country, died in 2013 and Hunt worked with Berry for eight more years.
A Chattanooga native, Steve Hunt followed his father, the late Jim Hunt, into the real estate business while attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The elder Hunt retired from the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce in 1981 when he joined John Dyson and Associates. Steve Hunt began working with Jim Berry in 1988.
Hunt said his business is driven by the golden rule – to treat others as you would want to be treated - and he said the mission of his venture is to offer expert and comprehensive services to ensure that clients achieve success in their building needs and investments.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340