“As the head of the new division, the biggest opportunity is to bring the resources and expertise of a national firm to the hospitality brokerage industry, which has been dominated by boutique brokerage firms,” Smith says. “The biggest challenge is reaching the national hospitality market with the in-depth hospitality brokerage, finance, advisory and research services we provide. The National Hospitality Group has closed more than $2 billion in sales since its inception, a fact that few in the industry know.”

Smith tells GlobeSt.com that the firm’s Houston office “has dominated the mid-market hotel investment sales market in Texas. He hopes to expand upon its local success. “Our primary expansion plans include growing in the Southeast and East Coast,” he notes. “Historically, we have been stronger in the western region and in Texas. Our focus is to continue to dominate the Texas market, build on the already-strong presence we have on the West Coast, while adding agents and staffer in the Southeast and East Coast.”

Smith has been the regional manager of the Houston office since June 2009. He joined Marcus & Millichap in 2003 as an investment specialist focusing on shopping centers in southern Texas.

During Smith’s first year as a broker with Marcus & Millichap, he generated marketing assignments in excess of $28 million and closed more than $17 million in transactions. Also in 2003, he opened the firm’s San Antonio office. In 2004, he achieved associate status and in 2005, he was promoted to sales manager of the Houston office.

Prior to joining the firm, Smith spent eight years in marketing. He co-founded the Yehti Corp., a software company for which he helped raise more than $2 million in private startup capital. He also managed product marketing for Dell Computer Corp.’s $4.5 billion Dimension product line and served as an operations manager for United Parcel Service.