Of course, the firm is a seasoned investor with private capital. It has transacted more than $280 million in the last 12 months, largely through its existing investment platform. This new institutional platform is meant to augment its existing private business, but Stos says that the expansion will have little impact on its private investment business. “Our institutional-investment platform won't affect our private-capital platform or activity from the private-capital sector,” he says. “That initiative will continue to perform and grow, and we will continue to focus on it as interest in the commercial real estate sector from private companies and individuals heightens. We know our experience in this arena keeps our finger on the pulse of the local market and will give us a competitive advantage in the institutional marketplace.”

In fact, Stos sees that focusing on both capital pools is necessary for future success. “As the economy remains robust and the commercial real estate industry as a whole continues to flourish, we are increasingly convinced that focusing on both platforms is the smart move for the foreseeable future,” he adds.

While the firm has some experience in institutional transactions as of late, Boyle's leadership will play an important role in this new platform. He has extensive institutional investment experience, including facilitating more than $2 billion in office and industrial deals in his career at Locale Advisors and Eastdil Secured. “His breadth of knowledge and solid relationships in that field make us confident in his ability to lead this new division to success and allow us to expand our reach both geographically and in terms of transactional scope,” adds Stos. “Jay's expertise in the institutional realm, combined with Stos Partners' existing traction in the private-capital realm, make for an unbeatable combination. His pedigree adds another layer to our products and services and essentially rounds out our offerings to investors.”

This year, Stos is aiming for a similar sales volume as it accomplished in 2018. “We also plan to seek out larger transactions like the $88-million Laredo portfolio that align with our investment criteria and areas of expertise,” he says. “The new platform really widens the range of possibilities for our company and allows us to spread our wings as we leverage our strong cache of experience along with renewed capital sources to continue to grow.”