The Peachtree State's commercial real estate business has weathered the cyclical storms better than many Southern metros and is emerging once again as a bellwether city for property investment. Atlanta's ability to abound and rebound over the past few decades isn't based on its strategic location alone—it's also based on the professionals who helped shape the market. Here's a look at some of the people who have become regional household names in Atlanta.

You might say Ackerman & Co. is a household name on Atlanta's commercial real estate scene. Charles Ackerman, founder and chairman of the firm, has been making his mark on the southern city since 1967. Ackerman has earned its reputation as one of the Southeast's most creative, productive full-service real estate firms, developing more than 200 million square feet of office, medical, retail and mixed-use space. Ackerman & Co. also maintains an investment portfolio worth $750 million. Meanwhile, Ackerman in his own right has developed more than 30 million square feet of commercial real estate over the past 40 years. He has won numerous awards and serves on diverse boards, including the Buckhead Community Improvement District, Clark Atlanta University, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the American Jewish Committee and the Real Estate Apprenticeship Program for African Americans.

David Allman's stamp is on iconic Atlanta projects like 3344 Peachtree/Sovereign—the 50-story mixed-use project in Buckhead and the largest building to be developed in Atlanta in 20 years—and the redevelopment of the Tower Place complex in Buckhead. Allman launched his commercial real estate career in 1980. Just eight years later, he established Regent Partners and has developed or acquired more than $2 billion in real estate assets since. Allman, owner and chairman of Regent Partners, is also active in other aspects of Atlanta's business community, currently serving on the boards of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. He's the founding chairman of the Buckhead Community Improvement District and chairs the Livable Communities Coalition, FCS Urban Ministries and the Eleazar Wheelock Society at Dartmouth College.