Marchisio tells GlobeSt.com that the industrial sector is the state's most active market today. "In past 60 to 90 days, we've seen a tremendous uptick in activity," he says. "We hope it translates to deals and dollars."

The retail and office sectors, meanwhile, continue to struggle, Marchisio maintains. He points out that the state's office market has been at an 18% to 20% availability level for "a long time." However, that is not all due to the slumping economy and lack of job growth. The fact that companies require less space is also a factor, Marchisio states. "The office market is struggling, but I don't see it getting any worse. I don't see vacancy rates changing too much."

The local Lee & Associates office is presently staffed by 15, half of whom are brokers. Marchisio has plans to open a Central New Jersey branch in the Middlesex County area in the next 12 months, as well as an office in the Philadelphia area.

Marchisio contends now is the good time to expand operations, despite the gloomy economy. "Most companies expand in up cycle, but it takes time to do this," he says. "By the time we turn the corner, we are going to be there fully engaged and ready to go."

At the present time, the firm is "doing more than traditional brokerage," Marchisio says. Instead, his staff is focusing on advising companies on how to cut expenses and deal with the current downturn. "The transaction work will come from that," he says.