Jones Aur Commercial Real Estate is excited to announce that we are opening a brand-new office in Little Rock! It’s always been important for our team to share our mission of providing exceptional service wherever home is for you – and adding the Little Rock market to the team is the next step in achieving that goal. Jones Aur Is Expanding: Learn More About Our New Office in Little Rock.
Led by local market experts Kevin McCollum, and Jacob Spears, this office promises to spark opportunities for local growth and attract global brands to cities all across the Natural State, and this new partnership will benefit our clients in both markets. Keep reading to learn more about why we chose Little Rock, how it will benefit you, and what our partners bring to the table.
Why Little Rock?
Making the shift to expand into the Little Rock commercial real estate market felt like a no-brainer for our team. Given the value of the location and our longstanding relationships with Little Rock CRE experts Kevin McCollum, and Jacob Spears (the “lynchpin” of the expansion operation), opening a new office in Arkansas felt like the natural next step toward helping our clients expand their interests.
Like Memphis, the Little Rock market boasts several benefits that prove extremely attractive for investors and developers looking for growth opportunities.
#1: Diverse Economy
The city has a strong and diverse economy, with a well-rounded mix of industries, including healthcare, education, government, and manufacturing. This means that there are multiple drivers of demand for commercial real estate in the area, which helps to ensure a steady stream of tenants and buyers.
#2: Logistic Advantage
Little Rock is located in a strategic position that allows for access to major transportation networks, including major highways, railroads, and airports. This makes the city a desirable location for logistics and distribution companies, as well as businesses that need to move goods and services across the country.
#3: Pattern of Growth
Several areas within the city are undergoing revitalization and redevelopment, particularly in the downtown area. This presents opportunities for investors and developers to acquire properties at attractive prices, renovate and reposition them, and benefit from the ongoing growth and development of the area.
#4: Heart of Arkansas
Operating from the state capital opens pathways for conducting commercial real estate transactions statewide, not just in the city of Little Rock. This makes gaining access to markets in other Arkansas cities, like Fayetteville, for example, much easier for investors in Memphis, Little Rock, or beyond.
Strategizing for Synergy
As the united team from Memphis and Arkansas join forces under Jones Aur, our team hopes to highlight the sister cities’ commonalities and open the markets for interested investors. Doing so helps you capitalize on the benefits of operating in two very similar markets, which creates pathways for mutually beneficial opportunities.
#1: Diversification
It’s no secret that diverse portfolios perform better over the long term, and expanding investments into the Little Rock market could provide investors and developers with a broader geographic footprint. This can help you spread your risk across multiple locations and take advantage of opportunities that may not be available in Memphis alone.
#2: Similar Demographics
Because Memphis and Little Rock have similar demographics, you may find that your current business models work successfully in both cities. Rather than changing strategies or starting from scratch, you can take advantage of a demographic makeup that makes expanding your interests a seamless process.
#3: Concept Expansion
The similarities between the two markets also provide an organic platform for a seamless, natural replication of business concepts into each sister city’s market. This means that franchising is a realistic possibility when operating in Memphis and Little Rock because of how easily these two markets translate to one another.
#4: Strong Local Investment Trends
Both the Memphis and Little Rock markets have really strong local investment patterns. In fact, most investors in either city are local, which provides lots of room for expansion in their relative markets – or into its sister city’s market.
Introducing Our Little Rock Partners
Every successful expansion starts with a solid team of experts. As born and raised Arkansans with years of experience in the local commercial real estate market, our new partners have a personal vested interest in seeing the areas they serve succeed, just like the original Jones Aur team always has.
Kevin McCollum
Kevin is a native of Little Rock, AR and graduated from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock with a B.S. in Marketing. Prior to joining Jones Aur, McCollum was the Senior Property Manager at Flake & Company, where he managed over 925,000 square feet with a mixed-use of retail, office, and medical for the firm. He has managed and negotiated leases for tenants such as Regal Cinemas, AT&T, GNC, UAMS, MedExpress, and Tropical Smoothie.
As a Partner in Jones Aur’s Arkansas office, McCollum serves as the Director of Asset Management for the company’s Arkansas assets, and his primary focus is Commercial Property Management and Leasing.
Jacob Spears
A graduate of Catholic High School and the University of Arkansas, Spears became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Spears started out with a degree in pre-veterinary medicine. Prior to joining Jones Aur, Jacob was an executive in both the oil and gas and construction industries. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Business Development for Baldwin & Shell.
Spears serves on several boards in the community, including Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Easterseals Arkansas, the Young Alumni Board at Catholic High School, and is a member of the Hat Club. Jacob and his wife Lindsey have two children, Sutton and Rowan.
Spears has been especially instrumental in the founding of Jones Aur’s Arkansas office, where he is a Partner who focuses on property development, leasing, and sales throughout the state.
Expect Great Things from Jones Aur’s New Little Rock Office
Expanding into a new market is an exciting prospect for our team, our clients, and our communities. We are thrilled to bring the same expert service to the Arkansas market, and we can’t wait to see the opportunities that come from our new partnerships. Whether you’re a local Memphian or a Little Rock native, call our team today if you’re ready to diversify your portfolio and enjoy the market benefits of these two sister cities.
