Andrew Ackerman, managing director of Sands Investment Group's Atlanta office.
ATLANTA—Andrew Ackerman stands out for not just his leadership in production but for his thought leadership in the industry. As managing director of Sands Investment Group's Atlanta office, has built a business that has been able to thrive beyond not only his production but has helped to grow foster the growth of other brokers – taking them from $0 in GCI to several million dollars in production. He's also one of the foremost authorities in the C-store space and is recognized as such.
Andrew has been in the commercial real estate business for 10-plus years and during that time he has cemented himself as one of the leading experts on investment sales in the convenience store space. He has closed more than $1-billion in volume including multiple portfolios of over $20 million in the last 18 months. He has also helped grow a team that competes on a national level in the auto, industrial and medical office space and has helped pioneer many of the strategies that has helped the company grow and expand across the company.
As part of SIG's SIGives initiative, he has has spearheaded a partnership between his office and the Special Olympics of Georgia and has been an active volunteer for local and statewide competitions.
His entry into real estate was a natural step after playing college football as it provided him with a great platform where he felt he could go out and compete everyday while still being part of a team where you can grow not only yourself but your other team members or co-workers. He tells GlobeSt.com that he entrepreneurial nature of the industry was very attractive in that no two deals are ever the same and “you are always learning.”
As for his goals? Long term he would like to build a business that one day one or both of his daughters would be proud to take over. He hopes to “continue to be an industry leader and grow not only his knowledge and skill set but the people around him as well.”
When asked about words of advice to the next generation, he says to “grind it out…this is a marathon not a sprint. Not everyday will be your best but showing up and doing the work day in and day out will be what gets you to reach your goals. Never lose site of the fact that the market drives the industry forward. You're never as smart as you think you are when the market is great and you're never as bad as you think you are when the market is terrible.”
GlobeSt.com's first ever “People to Watch” series is highlighting individuals across all disciplines of commercial real estate who have made and are continuing to make an impact on the industry. Stay tuned for many more profiles from tomorrow's leaders.
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
