Photo courtesy Commercial Real Estate Alliance: Joe C. Hembree, 2019 CREA President-Elect; Erick Shumway, 2019 CREA Vice President; Susan Goldstein, 2019 CREA President; and Ken Hughes, CREA Director..

Commercial real estate professionals in Sarasota rebranded the name of their professional organization to better reflect the activity being done. The Commercial Investment Division, a part of the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, beginning in December will operate as the Commercial Real Estate Alliance.

“We worked to create a name that represented who we are and the communities we serve,” said Susan Goldstein, the organization’s 2019 President.“We support more than just ‘investments’—we work with the sale and leasing of commercial properties for business owners and investors. We are also a true alliance of all the participants in Commercial Real Estate.”

Goldstein, a commercial real estate agent at Michael Saunders and Company, also said the rebranding better positions the organization’s place within the Sarasota-Manatee business community. That’s why the group now calls itself an Alliance, bonding business leaders and commercial agents. To stress the change, the Alliance has a goal in 2020 of positioning itself as a clear resource for all commercial real estate dealings in the region.

The Alliance represents more than 300 commercial real estate agents, brokers, lenders, attorneys and other organizations in the industry. It provides mentorship programs, education efforts, communications services, networking events and business development.

Photo courtesy Commercial Real Estate Alliance: Joe C. Hembree, 2019 CREA President-Elect; Erick Shumway, 2019 CREA Vice President; Susan Goldstein, 2019 CREA President; and Ken Hughes, CREA Director..