Justin Barts
Justin Virts has joined MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services as a real estate advisor in the Charlottesville, Virginia, regional office. Mr. Barts, formerly of Marcus & Milchap’s Washington, D.C., office, will report to Sam Orr, executive vice president at MacKenzie, who spearheaded the opening of the office this summer. Former George Washington University Division I head swimming coach Brian Thomas also recently joined the team.
In his new role, Mr. Barts will represent the interests of tenants, developers, landlords and institutional owners in all flex/office and warehouse/industrial property sales and leases in northern and central Virginia. His responsibilities include navigating site selection, identifying market opportunities, advising on lease and sales negotiations, and supporting various stakeholders’ business development initiatives and long-term goals. Virts also continues to establish and strengthen relationships within the commercial real estate brokerage community.
Virts brings several years of diverse real estate experience to the role, having also worked as an agent with eXp Realty and Treasure Realty. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration from a public university in the United States. Mr. Barts is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
“Justin brings a great work ethic and mental discipline to Mackenzie with his military background and training. I’m very confident that I have the communication skills,” Orr said. “We consider ourselves lucky to have acquired him and believe that his competitive approach and analytical skills will help complement and complete our strong team. I have no doubt that I will be fully committed to this new role and will do whatever it takes to be successful.”
Orr added that McKenzie continues to hire professional brokerage talent to rapidly expand its presence in the Central Virginia commercial real estate market. “Brian Thomas and Justin Bartz are examples of the type of individuals we are looking to add,” he said. “They bring incredible integrity, a drive to succeed, and a positive, professional mindset to our team. Their success will encourage additional brokers to join MacKenzie. It will encourage sharing of rewards.”
In opening the new office, Orr called Charlottesville the “tip of the spear” for McKenzie’s stated goal of rapid expansion into the Shenendore Valley, Richmond and Norfolk. A diverse platform of resources and, most importantly, the opportunity to work with great people. Charlottesville is a compact but fast-growing market that benefits from a diverse economy, particularly supported by a highly skilled and educated workforce that attracts startups and major business users. It is being ”
McKenzie plans to adopt an aggressive growth strategy with the goal of adding up to four full-time commercial real estate brokerage professionals and two property management professionals by the end of the year. The company also hopes to hire two construction management employees by early 2025.
McKenzie Companies operates five full-service divisions serving all real estate asset classes. MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services provides a full range of marketing, leasing, acquisition, and disposition services to landlords, developers, institutional ownership groups, and investors. MacKenzie Management is Maryland’s largest locally owned third-party property management company, serving more than 150 clients and managing more than 9 million square feet of space in a variety of asset classes. MacKenzie Capital is a professional real estate capital advisory firm providing debt and equity capital solutions to owners, developers, and investors. MacKenzie Contracting is a full-service general contracting and construction management firm serving clients in the healthcare, education, life sciences, and corporate industries. Another division is Mackenzie Investment Group, which develops real estate in Richmond. For more information, please visit www.mackenziecommercial.com.
