Switching sides.

One of Grubb & Ellis' top national brokers has bolted the firm for CB Richard Ellis Group Inc.

Kevin Shannon, Grubb & Ellis' top-performing broker nationally for the last three years, is moving his sales team--which includes Scott Schumacher, Paul Perkins, Michael Moore, Ryan Plummer and Lorie Armendariz--to CBRE's South Bay office.

The move will help CBRE bolster its sales and investment business in the face of increased competition from the merger of Eastdil and Secured Capital Corp., which is now Eastdil Secured.

"After Eastdil and Secured merged, it seems like the trend in the industry is going to be consolidation," Shannon said, "and I think CBRE has the top, complete platform out there."

Lewis C. Horne, the executive managing director of CBRE's greater Los Angeles office, said the L.A.-based brokerage has been interested in Shannon and his team for several years and had been talking with them on and off during that time period.

Horne said Shannon's expertise and contacts in the South Bay and in Orange and San Diego counties will match up well with CBRE's existing L.A. staff of sales brokers.

"Kevin has the ability to team well with others," Home said. "We look at this as creating a synergy. He comes to us with tremendous relationships and a tremendous reputation."

CBRE has been relying heavily on Senior Vice President Thomas P. Bohlinger for much of its sales business in the L.A. region. That has especially been the case since top CBRE brokers Lawrence Krasner and David Doupe bolted to Jones Lang LaSallle.

"I'm sure Tom and I will be working together on projects," Shannon said. "I'm really looking forward to working with all the investment brokers. There's a lot of talented people at CB."

Shannon is also coming to CBRE as one of its ranking brokers. The company gave Shannon a title of vice chairman--the highest rank bestowed on anyone in the marketing and sales staff. There are about 2,200 brokers working at CBRE and fewer than 20 have the same rank as Shannon.

Shannon remains positive about his years at Grubb & Ellis. "We had an amiable parting of the ways," Shannon said. "Grubb was a great experience, the people are wonderful and I had a lot of success."

Staff reporter Andy Fixmer can be reached by phone at [phone], ext. 263, or by e-mail at [e-mail].