PALO ALTO, CA-Marcus & Millichap has hired Gary Willard as the western director of the firm's National Office and Industrial Properties Group, GlobeSt.com learns exclusively. Willard will oversee the office and industrial investment sales team in the Western US and work to expand the platform.

“We were looking to expand the team of specialists in the area, and, frankly, I just wound up being fortunate,” Alan Pontius, Marcus & Millichap's managing director who oversees the National Office and Industrial Properties Group, tells GlobeSt.com. “I am looking for someone with a proven track record and credibility with clients, and with a long list of transactional accomplishments. He is a great fit for that.”

Formerly, Willard was a broker with CBRE and Cassidy Turley, completing over 150 transactions that total $2.5 billion. He has 30 years of experience in the real estate industry and strong relationships with private and institutional investors.

He began looking for new career opportunities earlier this year, and found Marcus & Millichap to be a perfect fit. “Over the past 30 years, I have had the opportunity to be involved with several different firms,” he tells GlobeSt.com. “After spending some time getting to understand the Marcus & Millichap platform, I came to the realization that it was a really unique platform in the benefits it offered to seller. It really does have an unparalleled value proposition in its ability to broadly and deeply penetrate the various markets, both private capital and institutional. I just didn't see that in any other firm.”

In his new position, Willard will be working to expand the platform and experienced talent. He will also be mentoring agents and working directly with owners of office and industrial properties throughout his territory in the Western US. “My goal is to grow the sales force and to make sure that we have agents in all the markets that our clients have business in. Secondarily, but just as importantly, I will do whatever I can do to increase revenue growth.”

Marcus & Millichap is working to expand the firm and presence. In addition to hiring Rick Lechtman as eastern director of the group in September, Marcus & Millichap also launch its IPO earlier this month, trading 6 million shares at $12pps.