O'Brien will serve as senior vice president of the group, which is focused on serving clients in green initiatives. Boeck will serve as senior vice president and Slackman as director. All three men are recognized as LEED-accredited professionals by the US Green Building Council and will be based in the company's Atlanta office.

Transwestern Southeastern region president Jim Ledbetter says the hiring of the new team part of the firm's broader strategy to increase services to tenants and owners seeking to integrate LEED certification into properties. "Our clients are demanding these services," he says.

Ledbetter adds that most properties--whether they be retail, office or industrial--can be retrofitted to be "green." "The value of green is a seismic shift in the way companies are handling real estate," he says.