Downtown Silver Spring real estate firm Go Brent Realty is expanding to enter the commercial real estate market, the agency announced yesterday.
Commercial agent Hannah McCann will lead the new division. A native of Washington, D.C., McCann’s interest in local development was spurred as the founding editor of Architecture DC magazine and as the founder of the Fenton Street Market, a small-business incubator that operated weekly in downtown Silver Spring from 2009 to 2016.
“Our history with residential real estate in the community, combined with the fact that our agents actually live and work in this same community is a real advantage,” said Liz Brent, founder and broker of Go Brent Realty. “This is a logical expansion of our business and a talented, go-getter like Hannah McCann brings a fresh set of eyes to see what the community truly needs in these very unique times.”
According to the announcement, McCann will work with “both tenants and property owners to invigorate the places where people work, shop, and play. Many older, smaller properties in these areas have sat vacant for years, and the pandemic has exacerbated the challenge of filling storefronts and offices. McCann hopes to support local entrepreneurs, nonprofits, businesses looking to expand and other prospective tenants in finding space and negotiating leases. She will also work with owners to creatively market properties and activate empty spaces. With a focus on “Class C” buildings that have been overlooked and underutilized, McCann will work to match these buildings with people who can bring them to life.”
“We’re taking a different approach with commercial properties than what has historically been done,” said McCann. “Let’s explore new uses, customized leases, grants and other sources of support, and creative ways to design spaces. The goal is to give smaller business owners a foothold to build a following, and to help property owners see their buildings revitalized now, instead of waiting for future development that may or may not come. While COVID has presented a lot of challenges, it has also presented opportunities to think differently about how these buildings are used and what downtown areas can be for the community today.”
Graphic courtesy Go Brent Realty