Greg Becker to lead Colliers’ growth in Florida, Caribbean

Colliers landed Greg Becker, a top industrial property appraiser with Newmark, to lead growth in Florida and the Caribbean.

The move is a decade in the making, Becker said. Jerry Gisclair, Colliers’ EVP of U.S. client relationships and services, first asked him about joining the firm in 2013, Becker said. The two had worked together at CBRE in the early 2000s, until Gisclair jumped to Colliers in 2010. 

Now, Becker is joining him as associate managing director of West Palm Beach and the Caribbean, according to a press release. His focus with Colliers will be on expanding the firm’s industrial business across the Southeast, particularly in South Florida and the Caribbean, the release says. 

Colliers has been on a hiring spree in the tri-county region this year. In Boca Raton, the firm brought in Gary Gottlieb and Scott Brenner as executive vice presidents, and Marc Fechter as vice president. In its Miami office, Colliers hired vice presidents Sam Azar and Ana Paula. 

Becker stayed at CBRE until 2017, totaling nearly 15 years with the firm before he moved to Newmark in Palm Beach Gardens. In his final years at CBRE, Becker received his certification in appraising commercial real estate in Puerto Rico, a practice he notes is “old school.”

“It’s not like we have Costar or any other data sources there,” he said. “You’ve got to meet people, you’ve got to know people, you’ve got to understand the dynamics of the market.”

Becker said he enjoys the challenge and complexity of appraising in the Caribbean, and that was part of why he moved to Colliers. As he expands his work in both regions, it will be key to lean on brokers with knowledge of industrial, retail and office deals, he said. 

“People see appraisers as driving looking in the rearview mirror,” Becker said. “As appraisers we need to reach out to brokers, and ask, ‘What’s happening with your deals? Who are your tenants?’”

Interest rate hikes have left the market in a moment of flux, Becker said.

“There’s a lot of people that are wondering what’s going to happen next in the market,” he said. “There’s not been a lot of sales to say where is the market going.”