Andy Brownstein and the boys are getting the band back together.
At least that’s how they feel at the new local office Global Realty Services Group.
“I feel like Jake and Elwood Blues,” Brownstein, GRS Group’s CFO said, referring to the classic film “The Blues Brothers.’
GRS Group, along with its sister company, GRS Title Services, rose out of the ashes of the collapse of Land America and hired many of the former company’s castaways.
The not quite two-year old firm is looking to carve out its share in the commercial real estate industry doing title insurance, surveying, environmental impact analysis and other transactional services.
This month it added a handful of new employees by hiring the entire local office of Old Republic Title, a Minnesota-based company where many LandAmerica workers landed after its high profile bankruptcy in 2008.
They also took over that firm’s office.
Yesterday, with the Old Republic name still on the door, Steve Francis, Dennis Vendetti and Brownstein were plotting some of GRS’s next moves from its new downtown office on the 11th floor at Riverfront Plaza.
Francis, manager of the Richmond office, was with LandAmerica for 16 years. Vendetti, managing director of GRS Title Services, put in 20 years there. And Brownstein had nine years at LandAmerica under his belt. GRS’s CEO Chuck Victor, who works out of California, is another of the former company’s castoffs.
But those years are behind them now. They don’t like to dwell too much on the past.
“We’re just trying to get our name out there and reestablish ourselves,” Brownstein said. “This is the beginning of fulfilling the larger vision of what we want to be at GRS.”
That vision is to be a one stop shop type of thing for real estate transactional services.
GRS now has 30 employees spread across 10 states. Brownstein said he sees plenty of room for growth, as the firm tries to fill the hole in the marketplace left by LandAmerica, combined with a rebound of the commercial real estate market.
“As things begin to emerge we think we’re in the right position,” Brownstein said.
“We’re making a pretty substantial investment in the future. We wouldn’t have hired all these people if we didn’t think the market was coming up.”
The beauty of filling the new company with former LandAmerica colleagues is that they all have years of experience, bring books of business to the table and they know how to work together.
“We all knew what everybody can do,” Francis said. “We said lets just start doing deals for GRS.”
And the transition has gone off so far with out any lingering negative effects from that LandAmerica name on their resumes.
“Customers look at me and say ‘can you do what you used to do?’” Francis said. “They don’t hold us accountable for what happened to LandAmerica.”
Michael Schwartz is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to [email protected].
Andy Brownstein and the boys are getting the band back together.
At least that’s how they feel at the new local office Global Realty Services Group.
“I feel like Jake and Elwood Blues,” Brownstein, GRS Group’s CFO said, referring to the classic film “The Blues Brothers.’
GRS Group, along with its sister company, GRS Title Services, rose out of the ashes of the collapse of Land America and hired many of the former company’s castaways.
The not quite two-year old firm is looking to carve out its share in the commercial real estate industry doing title insurance, surveying, environmental impact analysis and other transactional services.
This month it added a handful of new employees by hiring the entire local office of Old Republic Title, a Minnesota-based company where many LandAmerica workers landed after its high profile bankruptcy in 2008.
They also took over that firm’s office.
Yesterday, with the Old Republic name still on the door, Steve Francis, Dennis Vendetti and Brownstein were plotting some of GRS’s next moves from its new downtown office on the 11th floor at Riverfront Plaza.
Francis, manager of the Richmond office, was with LandAmerica for 16 years. Vendetti, managing director of GRS Title Services, put in 20 years there. And Brownstein had nine years at LandAmerica under his belt. GRS’s CEO Chuck Victor, who works out of California, is another of the former company’s castoffs.
But those years are behind them now. They don’t like to dwell too much on the past.
“We’re just trying to get our name out there and reestablish ourselves,” Brownstein said. “This is the beginning of fulfilling the larger vision of what we want to be at GRS.”
That vision is to be a one stop shop type of thing for real estate transactional services.
GRS now has 30 employees spread across 10 states. Brownstein said he sees plenty of room for growth, as the firm tries to fill the hole in the marketplace left by LandAmerica, combined with a rebound of the commercial real estate market.
“As things begin to emerge we think we’re in the right position,” Brownstein said.
“We’re making a pretty substantial investment in the future. We wouldn’t have hired all these people if we didn’t think the market was coming up.”
The beauty of filling the new company with former LandAmerica colleagues is that they all have years of experience, bring books of business to the table and they know how to work together.
“We all knew what everybody can do,” Francis said. “We said lets just start doing deals for GRS.”
And the transition has gone off so far with out any lingering negative effects from that LandAmerica name on their resumes.
“Customers look at me and say ‘can you do what you used to do?’” Francis said. “They don’t hold us accountable for what happened to LandAmerica.”
Michael Schwartz is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to [email protected].
This is GREAT News!!!! All those guys are outstanding folks and I’m certain they will grow their business quickly. I worked for LandAmerica for almost 5 years and if there is anyone in left from LandAm that can pull this off it’s them. Best of lunc GRS!!!!
Former LandAmer
Dennis and Steve,
You guys rock! Glad to hear your doing well. I have my own title agency here in Charlotte covering North and South Carolina for North American Title Insurance Company.
Let me know what territory you can cover and I will send work up.
Best Regards,
John McDermitt
Reliant Title Group, Inc.
Charlotte, NC 28277
704-650-4684
Couldnt happen to nicer folks…..Good luck this news made my day!
Go get em guys!!!