Experienced real estate execs launch commercial brokerage in NWA

A group of experienced real estate leaders from multiple firms in Northwest Arkansas have combined to launch a new commercial brokerage.

Genesis Commercial is a full-service boutique commercial real estate firm. Grady Mathews, the company’s principal broker and one of three co-founders, said the aim is to “think differently” to encourage a more collaborative and creative environment for agents.

“This is a brokerage firm geared toward very entrepreneurial people,” he said. “We all have our book of business, but we are better collectively than as individuals.”

Mathews, Zack Hocker and Stuart Collier are the company’s co-founders. They all have extensive networks they can leverage to make connections with buyers and private equity opportunities. Mathews has worked in the region’s commercial real estate market for two decades and was formerly a partner at Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers. Hocker, a former University of Arkansas and NFL placekicker, previously worked as a brokerage associate for Sage Partners.

Hocker said Genesis Commercial will have an “uncommon” collaborative approach and thrive on creativity.

“Many times, brokerage is a one-on-one approach,” Hocker said. “We’re not spearheading [a deal] with one or two guys. We’ll use a team approach for every deal we work on.”

Collier is the principal broker and owner of residential real estate brokerage Collier & Associates, known for its rapid growth in Northwest Arkansas over the past decade. The company launched in Fayetteville in 2013. It now has more than 200 agents with offices in Bentonville, Farmington and Rogers and recorded a sales volume of $657.8 million last year, a 50% annual increase.

Mathews stressed that Collier is not a Genesis agent, nor will he transact any commercial business.

“I’m just an owner,” Collier added. He said he’ll implement his skillset to help with the company’s vision and marketing.

Genesis is also not a “resimercial” firm, a fairly recent buzzword describing residential agents who dabble in the commercial space and vice versa.

“We are going to be the first [firm] to bridge the gap between residential and commercial,” Collier said. “Over the past five years, we’ve seen many [residential] real estate agents trying to take care of commercial investors but really didn’t understand how. We can create those communication avenues between one and the other.”

Without revealing specifics, Mathews said the firm’s internal fee structure is “very different” from other firms.

“We’re not going into deals with an attitude of making sure I protect my fee before I let people even talk to each other,” he said. “We love connecting good people, which is part of our [business] model. You get the right people in the room together and good things happen.”

Zack Kifer, another Genesis principal, has a decade of experience in the regional market, focusing on landlord and tenant representation. He was previously a principal with Moses Tucker Partners in Bentonville. He said Genesis’ collaborative approach and “young energy” appealed to him. Aside from Collier, who is 41, each of Genesis’ founding employees is younger than 40.

Mathews declined to discuss specific projects Genesis is associated with but indicated several irons in the fire. Some principals are also working with owners from their previous jobs. Kifer marketed the former downtown Fayetteville restaurant Powerhouse Seafood & Grill for redevelopment while working for Moses Tucker Partners. He’s still doing so for the property owner, Craig Underwood, president and majority owner of Underwoods Fine Jewelers in downtown Fayetteville.

Genesis Commercial’s business address is Fayetteville, but they’ll work from Collier & Associates offices throughout the region and the Ledger in downtown Bentonville.

“Most of the time, our office is where our clients are, and we’re going to them,” Mathews said.