Brad Saville, owner of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, is one of the city’s up-and-coming commercial brokers and developers.
He continues to add agents to Landmark Commercial, which is the third-largest commercial agency in Wichita. He has also moved from pure brokerage into development, helping develop a number of retail and restaurant buildings, particularly on West 21st Street and North Maize Road.
He started in 1991 by working at Transamerican Management, the property management firm owned by his father, Ken Saville.
Brad Saville, 35, is married to Tiffany and they live near Andover. He has four children. The Savilles also own a small ranch near Augusta where they raise horses and cattle.
Why did you start in real estate?
"My earliest memories were my father being in the property management business, and after work, we would listen to the days events that he went through."
What is it about commercial real estate that keeps you interested?
"It’s not the money…. I was with (my father) for a couple years. Then I went off and did some restaurant site selection work and just found that to be very exciting, to construct a retail building or restaurant and see that from beginning to end, to watch them open their doors that was always exciting to me."
Commercial real estate is an intense business and you have been described that way. How do you separate work time from home time?
"With the family at home I try go relax and turn off the switch. It doesn’t happen the hour I get home. It takes several hours. I turn the BlackBerry off. Every time it vibrates, it’s a phone call or an e-mail coming in, and you become kind of a victim of that…. I have to unplug."
West-side commercial development has hit a higher gear as growth has moved north on Ridge and Maize roads. Why is that?
"The catalyst was Wal-Mart, when they made their move. That is when things really turned up a couple notches. That really demonstrated we had that two to three miles of area to work with between where it was already hot at 21st and Ridge to 21st and Maize. That really changed things. It changed things from the standpoint of who would consider looking out there. If Wal-Mart would be out there, there must be a reason. It changed the type of prospects we could talk to."
Will Maize Road grow to look like North Rock Road?
"It sure seems like everybody is a lot smarter now since Rock Road was done…. (Rock Road)’ s great, but it’s a hodgepodge of signage and curb cuts and lots of stuff crammed together. The city and most developers will tell you that Rock Road is commendable, but nobody wants another Rock Road. Retailers understand they don’t need a curb cut every 100 feet. They understand access management, and they just understand how to keep the corridor beautified."
You are recruiting the tenants to WaterWalk. What will they look like?
"Our focus is entertainment value, family value, not necessarily retail. With what is happening with the arena, we think we’ll draw people downtown."
What is the future of Landmark Commercial?
"We’re going to grow more. We’ve got interest in more agents that are going to join us…. There are several areas of the business we haven’t touched on yet. There is a lot more in industrial we can do. We could do a lot more with business brokerages, and we’re not doing a lot with agricultural (land) yet, or recreational properties. Recreational ground is one of the fastest growing segments in the country right now. Doctors and lawyers are out buying acres outside town to take their family on or for company retreats. That’s one of the hotter things right now."
