New Garrick-Aug gets to art of retail leasing.

When Garrick-Aug Associates was acquired by Union Traders Corporation last November, our primary goal was to convert a preeminent retail-focused real estate brokerage firm into a fully-integrated investment banking firm that could provide existing clients with all new services rarely offered by a retail leasing company.

We immediately began by hiring additional brokerage staff to complement the existing group and set up an advisory board comprising prominent leaders from the real estate and financial services industries.

We also developed teams of broker specialists by addressing individual strengths and relationships and, additionally, brought on board an eclectic mix of experts, comprising professionals in business development, real estate development, marketing, investment sales, financial services, architecture and urban planning.

Moreover, within a month of the acquisition, we installed brand new technology systems with new computers and state-of-the-art presentation technologies, while implementing several, distinct design changes as to how business was conducted. Among the most prominent changes were two massive murals, comprising "edgy" urban streetscapes by noted artist Peter Bill.

Within that context, it became abundantly clear to nearly all of us that art and retail, architecture and marketing are intrinsically tied. Not only did lobby art prove to be a morale booster for the office, it reflected a collective epiphany for the Garrick-Aug team and established a new paradigm.

Seeing this new direction, many of the brokers became more involved in their own presentations. The results have been swift, too, with many new engagements. Brokers like Jennifer Jones, Robert Kunikoff, Richard Kave and Paulette Powell have already obtained important exclusive agencies for such national chains as Maui Wowi, Qdobo and Cheeseburger Restaurants.

Garrick-Aug has now successfully produced unique and creative proposals and marketing collateral that are in tune with today's international retail market. We are developing materials that reflect prospective clients' brands and present an urban sensibility with architectural and design options. By providing a visual rendering of the "art-of-the-possible," potential tenants have the opportunity to literally see how well they would fit into a neighborhood, block or building.

We're not re-inventing the wheel; simply executing sound design practices found in any number of marketing disciplines. And this new work offers a fresh approach to clients, especially when considering how our part of the industry's traditional signage, advertising and direct marketing collateral has been desultory and utilitarian for so many years.

Of course, that's not the case in all sectors of real estate. Residential brokerage firms have created stunning collateral for decades. Commercial brokers marketing office towers have produced award-winning brochures, as well, and many commercial landlords use fine lobby art to upgrade the value of their properties. But we rarely see that kind of aesthetic pragmatism among the professionals responsible for marketing the retail space.

Moreover, good design doesn't cost more than the mundane, but it does "speak" volumes as to how well a firm will work on behalf of a landlord or tenant. And the reality--or irony--is that as representatives of a vast range of retail businesses, ours is an inherently creative business. Whether leasing showcase spaces for landlords or representing national and international retail chains, each deal should celebrate sound design and placement principles. This ethos not only ensures repeat customers, it brings a sense of overall pride to the brokers and their organizations for jobs well done.

The new Garrick-Aug already offers a suite of services, surpassing the single-focus that this firm was founded on thirty years ago. We have taken a solid concept--i.e., retail-focused commercial real estate brokerage--and grown its capabilities to make it part of the new integrated-services global marketplace.

And whether we are implementing tenant branding or developing international franchise roll-outs, Garrick-Aug Associates has an interdisciplinary team of brokers, marketing and design professionals, urban planners and financial strategists who ensure every aspect of a deal works well.

LAWRENCE J. SELEVAN, CHAIRMAN

GARRICK-AUG ASSOCIATES, INC.