By Marc Stiles
Seattle’s white-hot commercial real estate market has attracted another brokerage.
San Diego-headquartered Hughes Marino has leased a 7,300-square-foot office in the 42-story Russell Investments Center (1301 Second Ave.).
The office is scheduled to open July 5 on the 25th floor of the tower, which is home to the building’s namesake company and Zillow. The brokerage isn’t yet saying who will staff the Seattle office.
“We have four operations team members, plus a number of brokers in the next few weeks that need to remain confidential right now,” a spokeswoman said.
In recent years, commercial real estate companies have been moving to or expanding in the Puget Sound region, which is one of the top performing markets in the country. Established global firms such as Newmark Knight Frank and Savills Studley have poached top-performing brokers from other Seattle brokerages.
Hughes Marino, which works only with customers looking to lease or buy commercial real estate, plans to leverage the high-profile character of Russell Investments Center to attract brokers. The glass tower has views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains.
It’s the second commercial real estate company that has announced plans to move to the tower next month. The other is Savills Studley, which is moving in from Bellevue.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to position our newest office in such an inspiring and visionary space,” Hughes Marino President, Chief Operating Officer and co-owner Shay Hughes said in a news release.
She is married to Hughes Marino co-owner, Chairman and CEO Jason Hughes. David Marino is executive vice president.
Founded in 2011, Hughes Marino is touting its reputation as a good place to work. Fortune Magazine ranked Hughes Marino the seventh best small to medium workplace in the country.
“Employees gush about the beautiful offices, accessible execs, and team approach at this real estate firm,” Fortune reported.
The company has opened or planned satellite offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Irvine, California.
This article originally appeared in the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Shay Hughes is president & COO of Hughes Marino, a global corporate real estate advisory firm that specializes in representing tenants and buyers. Shay writes about business leadership and company culture on her blog, Lead from Within. Contact Shay at 1-844-662-6635 or shay.hughes@hughesmarino.com to learn more.
