The year was 1886. George Smith opened a real estate office in the shoreline community of Milford. He became known for his skillful and personal service; as Milford and the surrounding communities grew, his firm grew.
One hundred twenty-two years later, the legacy of this visionary continues under the name of George J. Smith & Son Commercial and Investment Real Estate. Still located on the Milford Green, the firm remains family-owned and dedicated to providing the highest levels of service to clients and customers on a local, regional, and national basis.
DeForest Smith, a grandson of the founder, is the owner and president of the Smith firm. Better known as 'Frosty,' he has been a real estate broker for over four decades. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in International Economics, he also holds numerous real estate designations that attest to his status as an expert and innovator in the field.
A Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Smith served for over 30 years as a senior instructor in the CCIM program for the Realtors National Marketing Institute. He was also an adjunct professor of real estate at New York University. He also holds membership in the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), is a Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB), and holds the Graduate, Realtors Institute (GRI) designation.
As the leader of a firm that has leased or sold over $2 billion in property in its career, Smith has surrounded himself with an excellent team of commercial, industrial and investment specialists. The firm's executive vice president is Carl Russell, who has been offering George J. Smith clients service for more than 30 years. Russell holds bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration and international trade and finance. He, too, holds the CCIM designation, and has served for decades as a national instructor in that program. Russell is also an adjunct professor of real estate at New York University.
Recently re-elected president of the Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, Russell has also been elected by his peers as president of the Connecticut CCIM Chapter, Connecticut Commercial-Investment Division (CID), and the Greater New Haven Association of Realtors. Both the New Haven and Connecticut Associations of Realtors have honored him as Realtor of the Year.
John Bergin is the senior vice president of the Smith firm, and has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience. The holder of a BBA in marketing and finance, Bergin had a 15-year career with a Fortune 500 company before beginning his brokerage career. A native of Milford, Bergin's knowledge of the southern Connecticut region has been invaluable as he works with firms looking to expand into the market. He is often the firm's leader in the number of completed transactions during the year.
Two other important members of the Smith team are vice presidents Morton Brown and Marjorie Smith. Brown is a New Haven native whose activity in the brokerage business approaches 50 years. He has been involved in development projects, condominium conversions, and groundbreaking projects in conjunction with state and local government units. Brown also has a degree in business, and has used his knowledge, contacts, and experience to benefit Smith clients for the last two decades.
Marjorie Smith is the great-granddaughter of the firm's founder, and, like her father, is a Yale graduate who holds the CCIM designation. After earning her MBA in real estate investment and analysis, Marjorie oversaw a $500 million investment portfolio before joining the family firm. Her areas of specialization include site selection for retail and office projects and consulting.
New to George J. Smith & Son in 2008 is John Kozloski, who has just joined the firm as an industrial and commercial specialist after focusing on similar markets in the Waterbury and Danbury areas. Kozloski enjoyed a successful 31-year career as a corporate engineer with several Fortune 500 firms. He specialized in facilities engineering, manufacturing operations management, space planning, and project and maintenance management, developing a strong knowledge of regulatory compliance in environmental health and safety. This broad practical experience is beneficial in assisting and supporting customer needs in such critical areas as facility requirements, space planning, relocation activities, and project time lines. Kozloski looks forward to working with friends old and new as he settles into his new, and highly regarded, firm.
George J. Smith & Son Commercial and Investment Real Estate believes that 2008 will provide many opportunities for those seeking to buy, sell, lease or develop. The firm's team of skilled, experienced, and highly educated real estate professionals looks forward to assisting customers and clients in these, and other, real estate transactions, in this, the firm's 122nd year.
Still family owned after over a century of service; still located in the heart of Milford; still committed to the same personalized service that was the hallmark of George J. Smith - while employing the most modern tools, techniques, and financial analyses of the industry to provide the best possible advice and service to all. George J. Smith & Son remains proud of its past and looks confidently to its future.