Forty Under 40: T.J. Lefler

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 2,693 views 

Class of 2018 Forty Under 40 T.J. Lefler Executive Vice President, Principal Sage Partners Real Estate Solutions

T.J. Lefler got a taste of selling real estate in Northwest Arkansas while attending the University of Arkansas.

A Searcy native, he interned at both Lindsey & Associates, a leading residential firm, and a startup venture called Sage Partners, which focused on commercial development.

After graduating with a finance degree in 2006, Lefler joined Sage Partners full time and has become a leading commercial real estate broker in the state. To date, he has leased or sold more than 4.5 million square feet of commercial real estate, in addition to more than 3,000 acres of property.

He also played a significant role in creating the vision of the $100 million Pinnacle Heights mixed-use development, a 15-acre project that will break ground later this year in Rogers’ Pinnacle Hills area.

“There are certain deals you do 10 times over, and those are fun,” he said. “But with this one, we created what we wanted and why we wanted it. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Lefler manages the company’s 10 brokers in the Rogers headquarters and also serves on the company’s executive committee. Tommy Van Zandt, one of the founders of Sage Partners, said Lefler has “the sharp intellect, thoughtful insight and leadership capacity to better Arkansas in the coming years.”

Lefler said he prides himself on being a go-to resource for business owners and executives, whether or not they are clients. “That creates long-term value for our company,” he said.

Married with three children, Lefler is a graduate of Leadership Fayetteville and Leadership Arkansas. He volunteers at Fellowship Bible Church in Fayetteville and also hosts events for the local chapter of Young Life, a nonprofit ministry and mentor group.