Ernie Jarvis On Why He's Disbanding His Brokerage To Join Savills

Ernie Jarvis, a D.C. office leasing veteran who has become a vocal industry leader on diversity since launching his own brokerage in 2016, has dissolved his company to join Savills.

The move, announced by tenant representation specialist Savills on Monday, will allow Jarvis to have a broader reach in both his brokerage work and his diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, he told Bisnow in an interview. 

"I’m at the point in my career where I want everything to have meaning," Jarvis said. "And I think I demonstrated to myself and the marketplace I could run a successful boutique company. But as I look forward to the next chapter of my life, I want to expand my activities nationally and globally."

Jarvis was the only full-time employee at his company, Jarvis Commercial Real Estate, which he founded in January 2016 after spending several years leading the D.C. offices for First Potomac Realty Trust and CBRE. He has represented some large tenants, including Radio One, the NAACP and the March of Dimes, and he will bring all of his client relationships to Savills.

"I look back at that experience, and I grew as a professional and I grew my client base, and it was a wonderful opportunity for me," Jarvis said. "No regrets in doing that."

Jarvis said joining Savills was a "perfect fit" for him, and he thinks their depth of services, expert professionals and brand name will help him expand the reach of his brokerage activities. 

"As the economy is unsettled, I think there is an opportunity for me to provide advisory service to clients not only regionally, which I’ve had a history of, but also utilizing Savills’ national and global platform, and that was very important to me," Jarvis said. 

Jarvis will join as a vice chairman in Savills' D.C. office, which is led by Vice Chairman Tom Fulcher. In a statement, Fulcher said he has crossed paths with Jarvis several times during his career. 

“His exceptional knowledge of the market and deep connections within the Washington, D.C. commercial real estate community have made him a true leader in the industry,” Fulcher said. “His commitment to excellence and dedication to his clients set him apart, and I have no doubt that he will continue to make significant contributions to Savills for many years to come."  

Also during his time running Jarvis CRE, Jarvis became one of the leading voices pushing the industry to improve its record on racial diversity.

He spoke to Bisnow about the lack of diversity at D.C. brokerage firms in 2017, well before it became a hot topic, and then after the George Floyd murder sparked a national conversation in 2020, he released a 10-point plan to fix the industry's diversity problem, and he has continued to speak out on the issue. 

In 2021, Jarvis received CREBA's Brendan McCarthy Memorial Award, and in the award video several of his D.C. real estate peers praised him for his leadership on diversity in the industry. 

When deciding to join Savills, Jarvis said the company's approach on diversity was "equally important" to other business considerations. He said CEO Mitch Rudin and the firm's other executives have been some of the "most authentic" leaders in the industry on diversity initiatives. 

“It really is a core value of the company, and so that was a very important litmus test for me," Jarvis said. 

He said he plans to participate in the firm's efforts on DEI and thinks its platform can help him make a larger difference in pushing the industry forward.

"With me joining Savills, I hope we will set the industry standard with respect to DEI initiatives," Jarvis said. "There are solid plans and activity taking place now, and of course I hope to contribute to that. But it’s not only contributing to the conversation, it’s contributing to the results and outcomes that makes a difference."