In a prepared statement, Harvey E. Green, M&M's president/CEO, credits Ekovich specifically with growing the 27-agent Tampa, FL office into "one of the firm's most productive East Coast operations." The firm has 34 national offices.

The 44-year-old Ekovich accomplished the same feat when he was regional manager in the Atlanta office which opened in 1995. Ekovich started as sales manager there. He opened the Tampa office in 1998 and the Orlando office in 1999. Ekovich joined Marcus & Millichap in 1988 as sales manager in the Palo Alto, CA office.

Among the Tampa office's big sales deals closed this year were 425,292-sf Seminole Mall, Seminole, FL; the 171,000-sf Venice Village Shoppes, Venice, FL; the 308-unitAudobahn Villas at Feather Sound, Clearwater, FL; and the 324-unit Monterey Lakes apartment complex, Largo, FL.