The Coliseum Racquetball Club in Westland, Michigan, wasn’t just a building; it was a landmark. For decades, this 44,000-square-foot facility hosted national racquetball tournaments and local leagues, becoming an iconic destination for athletes and the...

Finding the Perfect Space for Growth in Just 65 Days At Thomas Duke, we believe finding the right space is about more than securing a building—it’s about creating an environment that supports growth and success....

Some real estate projects take patience, persistence, and a team willing to tackle complex challenges head-on. That was exactly the case at 100 S Mill Street in Plymouth, Michigan. The 15-acre site went through years of setbacks...

Farmington, Michigan, is one of those rare places where history and growth blend seamlessly. Both new and established businesses find their footing and thrive here. As brokers for The Thomas Duke Company, we’ve had the...

As a property manager with the Thomas Duke Company, I’ve had the privilege of helping many businesses find spaces that fit their needs well. But every now and then, there’s a project in which timing, creativity, and...

Some of the best real estate deals aren’t the ones you see coming. That was exactly the case with a recent off-market transaction in Troy. It wasn’t about listings or open-market competition. Instead, it was...

Every real estate deal has complexities, but sometimes its best opportunities are hidden in the unique and complex details. That was exactly the case with 1450 Souter Blvd in Troy. It was the building’s unique...

Every property has its own story, and nearly everyone combines challenges and opportunities. Case in point: The sale of 165 Park Street in Troy. What started as a cold call quickly turned into a complex...

Eric Szerlag first began working with the owner of the Hudson Building around 2012.  The 21,000 square building is a former industrial building that the owner converted into multi-tenant retail and had some vacancy upcoming. ...

At The Thomas Duke Company, we pride ourselves on helping our clients make the most of their real estate investments. One of the most powerful tools available to savvy investors is the 1031 exchange. This...

This one hit close to home. Literally. I live just a mile and a half from Brose Electric, and for my whole life I’ve known the building, the inventory, the Brose family, and the goodwill...

Hi, I’m Mark Schafer with The Thomas Duke Company. Today, I want to talk about an important topic for property owners: generational wealth planning and the tax considerations that come with it. Recently, while meeting...

Hi, I’m Mark Schafer with The Thomas Duke Company, here to give you an update on the industrial real estate market in Southeastern Michigan. If you’ve been paying attention lately, you know the market is...

Several years ago, I helped a client and friend purchase a multi-tenant building in Livonia. After the transaction closed, he mentioned that if one of the building’s tenants ever left, he’d call me to find...

Mark Szerlag and Eric Szerlag win Costar's Q1 2024 Power Broker Quarterly Deals Award! CoStar Group, Inc., the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces, today announced the CoStar Power Broker...

The sale of 7120 Haggerty Road in Canton is so much more than another successful transaction in the books. It’s the deep satisfaction of helping a client make smooth, stress-free transitions. For ten years I’ve...

“Integrity” might be the best word to describe the sale of 218 Main Street in Plymouth. Integrity of two kinds. First, with the sale we helped preserve the historic architectural integrity of the downtown. The...

The South Fountain View Office Center on Inkster Road in Southfield sold on March 14th, 2024, for $7,455,000.00, which translates to a 7.9% cap rate and approximately $185 per square foot. That is the headline...

In 2003, I called a potential client and asked him to meet me at a 5-unit strip center in Farmington Hills. For years I’d been proposing property purchases to him , but none was quite...

In a market of rising interest rates and the uncertainty that it brings, the Thomas Duke Company’s Jordan Schafer and Dave Tesch successfully brokered the sale of 2335-2337 Alger Drive in Troy, Michigan, at $89...

My client needed a building right away—the kind of challenge I like. But he needed a light industrial building—the kind of challenge that, in this market, makes me pause. The demand and pricing for light...

Andrew Goble and Eric Szerlag of the Thomas Duke Company are pleased to announce the successful sale of a prominent property located at 32704 Grand River in Farmington, Michigan. The property will be repurposed as...

A longtime insurance business in the South Lyon community was ready for a move to Brighton. The business had grown enough that purchasing a building, rather than renting, was possible—an opportunity full of exciting freedom....

“Are you sure I’m getting a good deal at $20.00 per square foot?” My longtime friend and client was about to sign the purchase agreement on a 22,760-square-foot industrial building for his growing business. Though...

Every multi-family property owner in Wyandotte knows the building. So when the owner decided to move out of state and to sell, we knew our marketing would generate buzz. It did—quickly. We were able to...

Really. Despite swings in the stock market, rising interest rates, inflation, supply-chain bottlenecks, and the lingering effects of the pandemic, the Western Wayne County Team of the Thomas Duke Company had its best year ever...

When I heard that a large RV storage lot on Ann Arbor Road in Plymouth was for sale—again—I was optimistic. And skeptical. I had a client who had tried to buy the property several times...

“Hello, Steve. I’m calling to keep my promise.” On the phone was a man who had asked me to list his Livonia car sales and repair shop in 1998. After we had begun marketing the...

Nothing about the property looked unsellable: A 24,000 square-foot light industrial building on 3.39 acres on Michigan Avenue in Canton Township. With the high demand for light industrial products, a sale at the $895,000 asking...

The business of commercial real estate can be wildly inconsistent. Markets swing. Interest rates jump or creep, up or down. Property regulations change. What is consistent is the Thomas Duke Company approach to commercial real...

JUST SOLD! 100% Occupied 8-unit Apartment Building The Thomas Duke Company and Adam Reid are pleased to announce the sale of Peach Tree Apartments in Westland, Michigan. 100% occupied 8-unit apartment buildingQuick 2-week closeCash dealNo...

It’s just like the rest of life. In commercial real estate deals, proposed solutions that look simple on the surface usually aren’t. Lift the lid, and you’ll find tangles and knots beneath. Because he knew...

When people ask me, “What’s the best part of your job?” my answer is immediate. Hands down, it’s the people I meet. Dave and Pam Cook are a perfect example. For 58 years they owned...

It has been a robust year for commercial property sales in the Dearborn/Dearborn Heights area.  In the past 6 months, 54 buildings have sold with an average sales price of $128.00 per square foot.  However,...

It seemed like such bad luck. A client called to say that the tenant I placed in his retail building located at 1739 Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills three years earlier was breaking his lease...

The road into retirement isn’t often smooth, but it can be an especially bumpy route for medical and dental professionals. The complexity of putting aside a practice with patient relationships spanning decades means that disposing...

We knew that when we put this property on the market, the floodgates would open. That was a blessing—and a challenge. Its location at 23365 Woodward Avenue, in the busy heart of Ferndale, was just...

When the owner of Summit Auto Sales in Pontiac was ready to retire, he knew he owned a valuable piece of real estate. He didn’t realize just how valuable until he called us. Light industrial...

The Thomas Duke Company is pleased to announce the sale of the Novi Office Centre in Novi, Michigan. The property is irreplaceably located, on Novi Rd, just north of I-96 on a out-lot to Twelve...

Stroll through the K&S Mall in Royal Oak and you’ll find customers ordering lunch at Penn’s Thai Kitchen and browsing the local businesses. Today it’s a humming neighborhood retail hub. Just a year ago, it...

Timing is everything? Not quite. At least in real estate, there’s another component needed to bring “everything” to the finish line.In 2019, Adam Reid contacted the owners of a Garden City apartment building. He’d sold...

Yes, multi-family has been a high-value opportunity for the past two years. That doesn’t mean any broker could maximize the opportunity.Since 2016, Adam Reid of the Thomas Duke Company has tended a relationship with the...

Sometimes we hear that every property listing has its Perfect Buyer. Is that true? Thomas Duke Company agent Jon Norton was asked to list the commercial building at 6952 John R Road in Troy. Within...

When a property doesn’t sell, the easy answer is, “It’s the price.” Maybe the price is too high. And maybe it isn’t. Case in point: An attractive retail center located at a major intersection, the...

As a broker, that’s my mantra at every closing. Of course, a relationship is a two-way street, but if the client is amenable, I stay in touch. I ask what investments interest them, what their...

Every move is an exciting opportunity. A business move, though, often comes freighted with obstacles that overshadow the excitement. And prove overwhelming. A client on the edge of overwhelm recently called Andrew Goble. Their lease...

The Thomas Duke Company is pleased to announce the sale of the Sterling Business Center in Howell, Michigan. The multi-tenant, office/flex building totals 45,698 square feet and was fully occupied at the time of sale....

Some things in life just aren’t for sale. Nearly all investment real estate, however, is. Nearly. In the spring of 2021, a client asked Jon Norton to lease a 3,000-square-foot unit in the shopping center...

True, without their marketing skill, Dave Tesch and Steve Valli wouldn’t have closed a recent deal. But there wouldn’t have been a listing in the first place without an intangible dynamic.Eight years ago, a client...

With all their regulatory complexities, land deals nearly always take longer to close. But even for a land deal, this one was a marathon—on a roller coaster! And yet, the sellers left the ride praising...

Can we push the multi-family envelope even more?A recent sale at the Thomas Duke Company answered a resounding Yes! Broker Adam Reid’s sale of a 6-unit apartment building in Garden City set a per-unit market...

The best sale was so apparent—to us. The property—3.44 acres of vacant land—was on a busy corner in Westland, ideally located for a gas station or car wash. In fact, gas station and car wash...

In February 2020, a lending company with whom I have a long, trusting relationship asked me to list a restaurant property they’d received on foreclosure. In downtown Berkley, it had a great location, included all...

When a non-profit group asked Mark Szerlag and Jon Norton to list their youth camp facility for sale, the Thomas Duke Company agents saw the 24 rolling acres in affluent Rochester Hills as an excellent...

Few things make us happier at the Thomas Duke Company than turning a potentially stressful transaction into a smooth move for a client. We do that regularly—because of our commitment to teamwork.The owner of 2199...

Even though it involved multiple properties and a $10M-plus price tag, the deal would have been fairly straightforward—except for the global pandemic. Covid made it seem a logistical nightmare for the purchaser. But it wasn’t—because...

It seemed a match made in heaven: a seller and a buyer, both in the same mental health field; the seller, after a long career, ready to downsize, and the buyer ready to grow into...

It might seem surprising, but it’s true: Commercial real estate, done well, is a business based in good listening. A longtime client asked to speak with me. For more than forty years he’s owned and...

From the time I was 16 years old and drew it for an architecture class, I’ve loved the grand Victorian home at 39040 Seven Mile in Livonia. Made into a law office in 1978, the...

It’s been a signature building in downtown Howell since the 1950s, when Citizens Insurance erected it as a company headquarters. At 108,000 square feet, it even served as a community bomb shelter during the Cold...

In February of 2020, Andrew Battersby of the Thomas Duke Company was excited when the owners of the office building at 43940 Woodward reached out asking him to sell their asset. The office market, which...

The retail space wasn’t listed on any commercial real estate site. Other tenants in the shopping plaza didn’t know it was available for lease. Nor did brokers—except Andrew Goble and his colleagues at the Thomas...

This is an adaptation of a blog that Trevor wrote for the Institute of Real Estate Management’s April 2021 newsletter. Finally, it’s spring in Michigan! As warmer weather, vaccinations, and immunity spread across the state,...

In Rochester, the building at 440 South Main Street is a commanding presence. Its brick structure and sweeping views make it a sort of guardian over the historic downtown.  This guardian has earned its authority....

The Thomas Duke Co managed properties are helping you feel confident in the office space you occupy with us. We have always monitored air quality and have improved and implemented changes that will not be...

Red hot for years, the market for apartment buildings hasn’t cooled—even during what has arguably been the biggest business stoppage since the Great Depression. Every other real estate market has suffered from COVID. But in...

Already roaring, the apartment market is getting even more bullish! In any market, residential-conversion apartments are harder to sell. Plus, the eight units Andrew Battersby and Dave Tesch listed at 18530 Masonic were only 65...

A multi-family property—on a lake!Joe Evangelista knew that the location and the market demand for apartments could make this listing a rare and promising opportunity. Driving there, he found the ten-unit multifamily building on half...

This is going to sound familiar, and it should:Another Downtown Plymouth user building sold, and in a pandemic to boot.The vintage 1910 building on Mill Street had been home to Health and Body Works since...

Thomas Duke brokers Steven Valli and Adam Reid met with the owners of a 28,000 square-foot shopping center in Canton, Michigan. They’d inherited the property after the death of the man who had owned it...

Good organization—having one’s ducks in a row—is critical for getting a deal successfully to the closing table. Also, being able to adapt when the ducks fly. Andrew Goble and Eric Szerlag were asked to list...

At Thomas Duke Company, we are confident that when you are able to return to your office, you can do so safely. We have been hard at work keeping our buildings clean and prepared for...

Back in 1970, the price tag on a new Chevy Corvette was less than $6,000, and the gas to drive it down Haggerty Road – which was unpaved – cost 36 cents a gallon.Dick Morris...

After months of talks in a turbulent Covid market, the incoming tenant at a Rochester property we represent walked away from a lease agreement. But you know the old adage: When one door closes, a...

Sell an office building during a pandemic. Not the easiest assignment of the year. But Joe Evangelista and Dave Tesch also knew the old adage “location, location, location,” and saw this office building had lots...

To say 2020 was a challenging year for the sale of investment industrial property is an understatement. Despite record low interest rates, COVID constrictions on business and an uncertain future made the purchase of almost...

Like all office/retail centers, Carriage Park in Canton was feeling COVID’s punch. A 2,500-square-foot suite in the building had been vacant for more than a year while the owner marketed the space himself. Having no...

The market in commercial real estate hit hardest by the pandemic has been office and retail tenancy. Given all the closings and constrictions on business, that’s no surprise. What may surprise you is that through...

As 2020 has come to a close, I have looked back at my year in review. 2020 was certainly a year like no other. For the office space commercial real estate world, the doom and...

After a tough 2020, the new year began with good news: vaccine distribution is well underway and Dr. Fauci assures us that by summer we’ll be living under “an umbrella of protection over the entire...

For more than two years, the owner of a 20-unit motel with an attached restaurant struggled to sell the property on his own. Several interested buyers approached him, but each time the deal fell apart....

Quick turn arounds and dazzling sales: That’s been the main story line lately in commercial real estate. While the economy at large has struggled with business closures and staggering job losses amid a global pandemic,...

One apartment building. Three different investors. All three thought they’d made a smart investment, but each was surprised at how smart! When Dave Tesch sold a 5-unit apartment property in Clinton Township for him in...

During the first few months of 2020, we began conceptualizing a new cafe for our Liberty Center building in Troy.  Because the previous operator we had wasn’t offering the fresh and healthy foods we wanted...

Other brokers said the asking price was too high. But intuition told the Thomas Duke Company’s Mark Szerlag and Eric Szerlag that the price at which they listed 34700 Grand River was just right. The...

After his recent record-breaking sale, Adam Reid thought surely the price-per-door for a multi-family property in his team’s region couldn’t go any higher. Then it did, and he was the broker, again. The owners of...

Sell a distressed asset in the middle of a global pandemic. That sounds difficult, if not downright foolish, right? But Andrew Battersby and his client proved it to be exactly otherwise. The owner of the...

When the owner of a multi-tenant building in Livonia asked Steve Valli to sell the property, Steve took a deep breath. Twice before he’d been asked to sell the building, and both times, odd, out-of-the...

After more than 45 years in operation, the brothers who owned Fire Systems of Michigan sold the business. The new owner plans to move the business into a larger facility—leaving the brothers with a building...

Job Description: Commercial Real Estate firm seeks an energetic individual to join a high-volume sales team as a sales support team member. This position is best for those with strong organizational skills, marketing, and graphic...

In 2011, a long-time client called us with an assignment that would ask us to fire on all cylinders. We were asked to sell a retail development on 8-Mile in Livonia. The two buildings—one 17,000...

Here’s what we know: Battered by COVID-19, the economy has now begun to recover. But, as industry authorities and trade publications agree, the recovery will not be equal. Demand is rising fast in some real...

When will there be a vaccine for COVID-19? How quickly will the unemployment rate drop? What will rent collections look like? Three critical questions the pandemic crisis is raising as we slide into summer. While...

Recently a long time client called, wanting our help selling his 84,700 SF office portfolio in Southfield. Constructed in the 1960s, the four buildings each had some deferred maintenance issues. After reviewing them, Andrew Battersby...

It is good to be back in the office officially.  Since the shutdown, we have frequently been talking about “Making the Call.” Throughout my time spent away from the office, I’ve made hundreds of calls....

After Andrew Battersby helped a client dispose of an 84,700 SF office park, that client came back. He wanted Andrew to help him purchase a larger asset than the one he’d sold. With a big...

At the Thomas Duke Company clients often become the best kind of friends – those who open their lives to us and inspire us. Recently a client I hadn’t spoken to for several months called...

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic broke open, the Thomas Duke Company understood how crucial the Michigan medical community is and increasingly will be to the wellbeing of us all. We’ve invested ourselves in trusting relationships...

Due to COVID-19, Thomas Duke Company has implemented an opt-in work-from-home policy to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. TDCo colleagues will work remotely or may choose to come into the office to work...

To passersby, housing developments can seem to spring up quickly, efficiently. Those behind the scenes know that acquiring and developing the land for new homes is a complex process that requires a host of skills....

Early last fall, a door slammed hard in the face of two of our clients. Jon Norton had helped the business partners identify an industrial property that fit their needs. After months of inspections and...

Rooted relationships, nimble responses—a broker who has both can navigate all the roadblocks that might pop up and keep clients moving smoothly toward their destination. Frank Rakipi got a call from a client, the owner...

Choosing the Thomas Duke Company, Andrew Goble chose to come home. He grew up here in Southeast Michigan and always envisioned returning to invest in the community that raised him. He left for a while...

At the Thomas Duke Company, Joe Evangelista is right at home—in more ways than one. Joe is expanding our presence in the Lakes Area, a region that encompasses western Oakland County and eastern Livingston County....

Sometimes owners have a strong attachment to their investment property. Maybe it’s been in the family a long time, or they’ve spent years carefully tending its upkeep. Thomas Duke Company brokers honor those attachments and...

Trusted relationships. At the Thomas Duke Company, we strive for them—and not only with our clients. We’ve found that trust among our team members is equally important for helping our clients achieve their goals. Mark...

All While Increasing Tenant Awareness of Progress! With millions of square feet of properties under our management, we have a lot of work to organize, and a lot of people to communicate with. Even though...

Dave Tesch most often expects one successfully closed deal to lead to and  open another—sometimes years later. In 2014, a client asked Dave to help her buy a small apartment building. He found a four-unit...

For decades, the 15 acres on Mill Street in Plymouth housed the Bathey Company, a manufacturer of automotive parts. When Bathey closed its doors in the late 80’s, its property fell into foreclosure and disrepair...

At the Thomas Duke Company, we’ve always put excellent service at the top of our company’s goals. During the 2019 holiday season, we found a new way to express and expand our mission of service.Choosing...

Frank knows a good deal when he sees one, and that was the case when the Bread Basket Deli building in Livonia hit the market. What seemed to many as an average investment was seen...

We have all heard that before!  At our recent holiday party, the Thomas A. Duke Property Management Team took a few minutes to look ourselves over. We have grown! In 2012, we managed 710 thousand...

Yes, apartment sales are hot right now. But that doesn’t mean multi-family properties sell themselves. They need smart marketing to realize their full sale potential.Maple Manor in Walled Lake had a very stable history of...

In this tight market, finding the right property requires more than a state-of-the-art database. That “something more” is the specialty of Thomas Duke Company brokers. Keller Williams Real Estate needed to relocate their office to...

In real estate as in love, well-made matches are grounded in good listening.A property owner in Fenton came to us with a simple question: My tenant wants to purchase the building. Is she offering enough?...

In today’s market, some sales are moving so fast that even an experienced broker like Dave Tesch is surprised. The owner of two brick, ranch-style apartment buildings in Mt. Clemens had been talking with Dave...

Six hundred miles away in metro-Washington, DC, R2 Space, Inc. needed a Michigan broker to find the company a new corporate headquarters in Ann Arbor. The word through their trusted network was, “Contact the Thomas...

After 30 years on the same site in Wixom, Form Tech Concrete Forms was bursting at the seams. In their 10,000-square-foot facility, company growth was impossible. Form Tech’s management came to the Thomas Duke Company...

It’s no secret that retailers have begun to rethink their business model and shrink their footprint. Following suit; property owners have adjusted accordingly. Presenting itself as a microcosm of the evolving retail landscape, was a...

Though the market for land zoned for residential development in Novi is strong, particular parcels often present complications. That’s when brokers skilled in both marketing and building relationships are crucial to a successful transaction.Duke Company...

The owner of the property knew it had problems. He had tried to sell the two-building apartment complex himself but failed to generate offers over $4 million—despite its 1.4 acres on the Huron River and...

“We need to find a building in Plymouth for a Charter school and open in 6 months”. That was the assignment given by the Ivywood Academy in March of 2019. A challenge? You bet. Ivywood...

We did it again! Two buildings closed simultaneously in a quick close cash deal. The properties located at 31324 and 31330 Schoolcraft Rd in Livonia Michigan were a testament to profound market-tied relationships and fine-tuned...

You’ll never find anything where I want to be.” The man calling was a frustrated funeral home director who wanted to build a new facility in western Livonia, but there weren’t any sites left which...

From inside a problem it can be tough to see the way out. For that, you need the help of someone with a bigger perspective. A new client came to us weary of being a...

The Thomas Duke Company is pleased to announce Eric Szerlag as the newest Vice President of the company. With over a decade of experience in commercial real estate, Eric has played a major role in...

Always Be Closing. Szerlag has spent his entire career with the Thomas Duke Company and year after year he has been a top producer in his market. With more than $600 million in commercial real...

Remove a deed restriction, add a deed restriction, and close the deal in two weeks. Those were just some of the circumstances facing Thomas Duke Brokers Frank Rakipi and Steve Valli Just before the New...

The multi-family market is the setting for a lot of today’s win-win success stories. Take this recent sale of a 38-unit multi-family property completed by Adam Reid of the Thomas Duke Company:Central Court is an...

At the Thomas Duke Company, we know that the best commercial real estate service adds the best of the new to the tried-and-true. A client asked broker Bill McLeod to help him find a property...

The elderly owners of a South Lyon shopping center came to the Thomas Duke Company ready to retire from the work of managing multi-tenant investment property. They hired Eric and Mark Szerlag to market their...

Why Do Cap Rates Matter?At the Thomas Duke Company, we strive to provide each client with the best information available as we guide a transaction from start to finish. One way we succeed is by...

Attractive … and complicated. That describes certain cars, relationships, and commercial real estate transactions. Eric Szerlag of the Thomas Duke Company was reminded of that recently.The owner of the Goodrich Plaza hired Eric to sell...

We see it too often. In a rush to get to the finish line, brokers list properties at price points much lower than what those properties could return with a well targeted marketing effort. When...

When a retail center in Chelsea lost its anchor – a Blockbuster store – the whole complex slumped. Remaining tenants saw a dramatic decline in customer traffic. Some moved to new locations; others closed up...

It was a sad story that was getting sadder. The owner of a 30,000-square-foot office building in Brighton died suddenly. His family members, thrust into unexpected ownership, found themselves without enough working capital. They couldn’t...

Cold calls, emails, direct mail, social media messages—marketing is central to commercial real estate success, and never have there been more marketing platforms. But what good is marketing if it doesn’t reach the right audience?...

Interesting characters, conflict, surprises both happy and discouraging, unexpected endings—commercial real estate transactions have all the elements that make for great stagecraft. Each “play” is different, and the Thomas Duke Company manages the drama of...

To the owner, it seemed a straightforward assignment: Find a local Realtor to sell a 12,300-square-foot, vacant retail building with excellent visibility and traffic flow on Gratiot Avenue in Roseville. He enlisted a residential Realtor...

The evolution of industry happening all over the Detroit area has opened up new uses for old industrial properties. But it’s a window that may soon close.Old warehouses along the I-96 corridor have stood empty...

Imagine you’re an investment property owner who hasn’t sold a property in 40 years. You know the time has come to sell. How do you choose a Realtor? Whom can you trust? Late in 2018,...

Eric Szerlag and Bill McLeod of the Thomas Duke Company go the extra mile whether or not a transaction demands it. Because that’s who they are, that’s what the company is about. Now and then...

“Buy low, sell high.” Of course. It sounds simple. But market prices rise and fall over time, and a business ready to change locations usually needs to act immediately. To reap a profit on the...

When our client brought a 21,575 square-foot medical office building in Clinton Township to us for property management services, he was clear that he wasn’t planning to hold it for long. John Bridges, CPM, Director...

After 40 successful years on Orchard Lake Road, the family owners of Dan’s Subs were ready for a new chapter. They wanted to sell the building—but without the loud display of a “For Sale” sign....

Once we had created tremendous new value and interest in a once-obsolete building, it was time to close the big deal for our client. With his insider knowledge of this business corridor and community, Mark...

Sound, successful real estate service requires a whole alphabet of expertise. Start with Acquisition expertise. Thanks to the Thomas Duke Company’s many relationships with lenders, during the recession we learned of a bank-owned foreclosure property...

With the acquisition complete, it was time for the Thomas Duke Company to add value. Imagine what we started with: heavily partitioned offices with tiny, dark-tinted ribbon windows near the ceiling of each, water damage...

Transformation is rarely quick and easy. The process is full of challenges and risks. But with perseverance—and, in this case, expert help—the end result more than rewards the trouble. Recently an investor in California approached...

The Thomas Duke Company successfully leased 50,409 Independence Street in Canton, Michigan, adding Goldwater Bank and The Village Pharmacy to the existing Coldstone Creamery, The Village Grocery, and more. After years of vacancy, Adam Reid...

The apartment market is booming! Two questions apartment owners commonly ask are: • When is the right time to sell? • How do I get the most for my property? To answer the first question...

Sometimes gems need a little refining before their value is apparent. That’s when a professional’s eye and expertise are essential to making a sale. When the owner of the Glassworks glass-blowing studio approached Steven Valli...

Excited to open the area’s first RE/MAX franchise, the new owners wanted offices on Westland’s main business corridor. They saw a lack of suitable availability. They saw that what was available was over their budget....

The Catholic Kolping Society of Detroit knew the meeting hall they wanted to sell was a mixed blessing. Its large parking lot made it a rare commodity along the Nautical Mile in St. Clair Shores,...

Adam Reid of the Thomas Duke Company sells a 5-unit apartment building in Garden City – twice - within 90 days. Initially, two partners had reached out to Adam Reid after hearing about his recent...

It’s Economics 101, a simple case of supply and demand. But a lot of apartment building owners are missing the lesson—and the windfall that could be theirs. Here are the basics: near-record-low interest rates, a...

2016 brought The Western Wayne County Team at the Thomas Duke Co. another successful year of commercial real estate. Some of the past year’s most notable deals were:     40,000 square foot lease signed...

After two firms were unsuccessful in selling a 1.3-acre parcel in Canton Township, the owner enlisted the help of Steven Valli. The property was in a great location but needed a fresh approach in marketing....

When the owners of a long-standing business decided to sell their building, they called on a trusted name: Frank Rakipi of the Thomas Duke Company. The 14,480 square-foot building is home to Shooter’s Service, a firearm...

We're pleased to announce the arrival of Family Farm and Home in Flat Rock, Michigan. The 40,000-square-foot lease was signed at 27313 Telegraph Road, and the new location will open later this fall. Eric Szerlag and...

When Mack Kim’s lease was about to expire, the owner of Beauty Spot Cosmetics and Beauty Supply wasn’t sure whether he should renew his lease, find a new location to rent, or purchase a building...

A local investor with an East Lansing portfolio noticed that the Michigan Avenue corridor in that growing university town is sprucing up. Glimpsing the neighborhood’s vibrant future and wanting to capitalize on it, he called...

It seemed like a search for a four-leaf clover.   A client came to us with cash she wanted to invest in a four to six-unit apartment building. She'd had her eye on a property...

After years of trying to manage them alone, the ownership of Stockbridge Enterprises decided it was time to seek out leasing and property management professionals for two of its premier shopping centers. They chose the...

Bad News / Good News. That was the situation facing one of Ann Arbor's leading property owners recently. The good news: One of his profitable retail properties was under contract for sale, not only the...

Bidding wars - they’re becoming a commonplace for us at the Thomas Duke Company. Our West Side team recently brokered a competitive negotiation over the sale of a five-apartment, three-retail-unit building in downtown Whitmore Lake....

The Thomas Duke Company recently achieved a below-the-radar package sale of three student housing properties in Kerrytown and the central campus area of Ann Arbor. The seller sold the properties to Michigan Rental LLC. Sarah...

Here's one more example of the momentum in the current seller's market: The owner of a 28,000-square-foot light industrial building in Dearborn Heights asked Steven Valli and Frank Rakipi of the Thomas Duke Company to...

“I need to sell my building by this date!” That was the urgent challenge the owner of a medical building in Romulus gave to Steven Valli and Frank Rakipi of the Thomas Duke Company. The...

A four-tenant automotive building, built in 2005. Fully leased. Zero deferred maintenance. A cakewalk for the property owner. Why sell? The owner of this property, a seasoned real estate investor, knew the market was changing...

Most nonprofits are passionate about spending every dollar possible on promoting their cause rather than on covering overhead costs. National Energy Foundation is no exception. When the staff decided to move from the Atrium in...

What an unusual year 2015 was for office properties in Brighton: Zero sales! Not because of a shortage of buyers. And given the strength of the economy, not because they were scared off by the...

It was a deal as easy as pie. Pizza pie, that is. After thirty years in business, the owners of Bell’s Pizza in Ann Arbor were ready to sell their property and enjoy retirement and...

Here at the Duke Company, we pride ourselves on how well we know and serve the people and properties in Southeast Michigan. But now and then we find it valuable to broaden our focus, to...

At the Thomas Duke Company, we build our business on trusting relationships with our clients and exceeding their expectations.   When one of our clients learned that St. John Providence Health Care System was searching for...

This two-building, 19-unit, multi-family property on Kelly Road in Eastpointe sold for $2,000 more per unit than the appraisals of comparable properties in the area only a year ago. And we have a list of...

The future is looking bright for retailers and visitors in downtown Plymouth. Last month, Steven Valli of the Thomas Duke Company assembled and closed a deal on a 3-lot parcel at the corner of Deer...

“Location, location, location.” It's an old adage in real estate. And before 2007, it was a pretty good predictor of a property's success. Now we know the adage needs to be: “Location, and … Timing.”...

For the Thomas Duke Company's West Side Team, 2014 was a year of successful transactions surpassing expectation. And now, based on first-quarter sales, it looks as if 2015 may surpass last year's mark. Already this...

Mt. Clemens took it on the nose in the great recession. And the rebound has taken longer to reach it. But a recent sale signals that the area-wide surge of investment activity in multi-family properties...

There's a story behind this success story—and for those in the real estate market, it's the more interesting one. Here's the upfront success story: Eric Szerlag and Anthony Vitale of the Thomas A. Duke Company...

It seemed like a search for a four-leaf clover.  A client came to us with cash she wanted to invest in a 4-6 unit apartment building. She'd had her eye on a property of that...

A rising wave: that was the shape of Michigan’s strong commercial real estate market in 2014. Capitalizing on that surge, Thomas Duke Company associates Steven Valli and Frank Rakipi logged a record 65 transactions.   Will...

Not every deal involves 35 different players, 3 government agencies, and stretches over 415 days. Thankfully. But in this case, the satisfaction at closing more than compensated for the labor and complexity. The Duke Company's...

When the owner of a multi-use building in downtown Ypsilanti contacted Steve Valli and Bill McLeod at the Thomas Duke Company about selling the property, he expected the service of professional real estate experts. By...

For a sure sign that the demand and value of real estate continues to climb, look no further than downtown Plymouth. After 15 years in the building, the partners of the McKenna law firm decided...

It seemed like the stars had aligned and dropped the perfect deal just blocks from the U of M campus. Jim Porth and Sarah Grabinski listed three student rental properties for sale. Before the houses...

When they came to the Thomas Duke Company, the owners of the Pine Ridge Shopping Center were frustrated—understandably. Their 37,725-square-foot retail plaza hadn't returned anything on their investment in years. Occupancy was only 59 percent,...

Bad News / Good News. That was the situation facing one of Ann Arbor's leading property owners recently. The good news: One of his profitable retail properties was under contract for sale, not only the...

Two years ago no one was predicting a boom in residential land development in Metro Detroit's western suburbs. But a boom it has been, and the Thomas A. Duke Company has been there to ride...

The Thomas Duke Company's recent sale of a retail center at 29650 Wixom Road in Wixom is just one part of that property's success story. When the owner engaged the Duke Company, the center suffered...

Time and Attention Sell a Medical Office Portfolio for More than the Asking Price Twenty-thousand square feet of well-maintained medical office space near two major hospitals, 81 percent of it leased to long-term reliable tenants—no...

A successful orthodontist, Dr. Nicole Teifer is a specialized professional. When she wanted to expand Today's Orthodontics to a second location in Novi, she didn't try to research market trends, search available properties, negotiate rental...

With 30 years of experience and a history of successful sales of student rental properties, we sometimes think we know all the possible obstacles to closing on these deals. Then we get a call to...

It's not often that a real estate transaction has the twists, turns, and suspense of a made-for-TV miniseries. But when that challenge presents itself, the Thomas A. Duke Company can direct it to a happy...

If you're a commercial real estate owner, it's the time of year when your management company will create an annual business plan and budget for the property of yours that it services. This plan should...

Family owned since 1898, Keller & Stein Florist is one of the oldest businesses in Canton, Michigan. Five generations of Kellers and Steins have crafted stunning floral arrangements and cultivated loyal customers at their shop...

When the owner of the Pella Windows store on Seven Mile in Livonia needed to sell his building, he called the firm that sold him the building eight years ago: the Thomas A. Duke Company. ...

FARMINGTON HILLS, MICHIGAN – August 5, 2013 Property management is not a one-size-fits-all service. “While property owners in southeast Michigan are seeking out professional management for the value it adds to their assets, they're insisting...

Strategic alliances are an integral part of any company's success. Ford Motor Company’s alliance with Visteon and General Motors’ with Delphi are shining examples of a symbiosis that allows each company to excel at what...

After years of trying to manage them alone, the ownership of Stockbridge Enterprises decided it was time to seek out leasing and property management professionals for two of its premier shopping centers. They chose the...

Thanks to our history of success with an area bank in selling improved properties returned to it, that bank came to us with a new assignment: sell 106 fully developed lots, a single project. The...

Looking for a dynamic market for its first Michigan store, emerging pizza chain Toppers Pizza chose Ann Arbor, and the businessman awarded that franchise chose the Thomas A. Duke Company to help him locate an...

Since its construction in 1991, 670 S. Old Woodward has been home to Azar’s Oriental Rugs, a highly successful local business.  After 30 years of serving Birmingham, the owners were ready to retire and close...

THOMAS A. DUKE COMPANY HAS BEEN AWARDED THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF THE FIDELITY INVESTOR CENTER IN NOVI, MICHIGAN FARMINGTON HILLS, MICHIGAN – December 27th, 2012 Farmington Hills, Michigan – Thomas A. Duke Company has been...

THOMAS A. DUKE COMPANY HAS BEEN AWARDED THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF THE PINE RIDGE SHOPPING CENTER IN NOVI, MICHIGAN FARMINGTON HILLS, MICHIGAN – January 1, 2013 Farmington Hills, Michigan – Thomas A. Duke Company has...

            It's been plain for all to see that commercial landlords in older urban downtowns have taken a beating over the last several years.  A struggling state economy coupled with disinterest in older cities left...

Dearborn Property Fetches close to $100 per square foot—in  under 30 days! The Thomas A. Duke Company has again closed on the sale of a Dearborn property at a price well above market rate—and in...

The Thomas Duke Company has given an iconic, mid-century-modern building at 30555 Southfield Road in Southfield a new lease on life. Built in 1968, this five-story structure previously known as the Congress Building badly needed...

             The Thomas A Duke Company has completed the sale of a 20,000 square-foot retail center for well above the area's market rate.             When we took on the assignment to sell the property at 42050...

To meet your ownership goals and objectives, you need someone with the right education, experience, and industry knowledge to direct your investment property. That's why the Thomas A. Duke Company has welcomed John M. Bridges,...

We at the Thomas A. Duke Company know that network marketing is a key component in our strategy to market properties for sale or lease.  Most recently we participated in the Michigan Idea Exchange and...

The Thomas A. Duke Company was selected by the US Marshal Service to represent it in the sale of a 25,000 square foot retail center in Canton, Michigan.  The center contained four separate buildings with...

Thomas A. Duke Company recently completed two a sale and re-purposing of a vacant 125,000 square foot furniture warehouse for a vocational training facility and headquarters for the Michigan Institute of Aeronautics and Technology, (M.I.A.T.)....

Daniel Duggan May 24, 2011 1:45 PM   It was a case of Medicare fraud, seized assets and a man who was sent to jail. But at the end of the case, someone still has...

High Risk/High Return: That’s been the long-standing equation land developers have lived by. In the boom and bust of the residential land market, the bottom fell out of the equation. Banks have taken back tens...

The Thomas Duke Company is pleased to announce that we have added the Powerscourt building to our portfolio. With our ownership we bring our reputation for exceptional care of our properties and respectful attention to...

Even in the best economic climate, all of us look for the most intelligent way to manage our properties. In the difficult climate we’re now in, employing sound, cost-effective management can mean the difference between...

HIGHLIGHTS On University of Michigan campus; Site plan approved; All utilities on site;   [gallery]       We brought several different offers to the seller from local and national investors. The market may have...

No matter how seemingly sophisticated the building ownership may be, large building or small, it amazes me how inaccurate individual suite measurements can be. Many owners are simply unaware of how many leasable square feet...

The Thomas A. Duke Company is proud to announce the successful sale of Apartment building at 1117 W. Huron Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan.   HIGHLIGHTS 15-unit apartment building; Close to downtown Ann Arbor; On-site...

The Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology (M.A.I.T), an established vocational school in aircraft engine maintenance and turbine power applications, needed to expand its training facilities to accommodate growth in the area of wind turbine...

SOLD & LEASED IN LAST 45 DAYS! The head wind of the current economy is truly a force to be reckoned with. At the Thomas A. Duke Company we know how to harness that head...