David Gerber is handing the reins of the Bellaire-based commercial real estate firm he founded 34 years ago over to his daughter, Melissa Gerber Brams.
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Brams is now the president and CEO of Gerber Realty, though the 81-year-old Gerber is only semiretired, still extremely sharp and continues to work with clients, Brams told Bisnow in an interview.
“I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility, but also a lot of excitement,” Brams said of taking over.
She has worked at the company with her father for 10 years, though she earned her real estate license decades earlier, she said.
Gerber founded the Bellaire-based Gerber Realty in 1989. The full-service firm offers tenant, buyer, seller and landlord representation as well as investment sale services.
“I knew now was the time for Melissa to leverage her previous work experience, valued relationships, and market knowledge to provide exceptional service and add value to Gerber Realty,” Gerber said in a release. “Melissa sets herself apart from other real estate professionals with her ability to listen to the clients to understand their needs truly.”
Brams joined the family firm in 2014 after two decades in financial sales, life insurance planning and enterprise information technology sales.
“He put his faith in me,” Brams said of Gerber. “I said to him, ‘Dad, I think it’s important that this is a woman-owned business as I take over.’ So we formed a new LLC and [he] let me take 51%. But by the time we got to the attorney, he said, ‘She’s doing 100%.’”
Not everyone can work with family, but it is an amazing experience if you can, Brams said.
“No one wants you to do as well as a parent,” she said. “[They make sure you’re] succeeding and learning the business and just really making sure that you’re set up for success.”
Brams is putting her own touches on the company, including revamping the logo and website, and plans to grow through hiring, she said. An executive assistant and another agent are coming on board in the next month, Brams said.
“I’m really excited about just putting my stamp on the company and growing it,” she said. “There are a lot of male-owned commercial real estate companies. I think there needs to be more of a focus on helping women in the commercial real estate industry, especially from the side of working with buyers and tenant representation.”
Gerber Realty primarily works with buyers and tenants looking to lease or purchase industrial warehouses, retail properties or offices. It also helps people sell and divest properties and invest in real estate.
“One of the big things for me was to be able to educate people,” Brams said. “And women, we do that well.”
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