Mele Storage Group Secures Ranking as Top Self-Storage Broker in Florida

TAMPA, FL – Marcus & Millichap’s Mele Storage Group is celebrating another record year of self-storage property sales in Florida. The group closed $72.15 million in sales in Florida markets as far south as Miami, crossing through Orlando and reaching as far northward to Tallahassee.

“Our team doesn’t just try to broker good deals, we have a passion to broker the best possible deals for our clients,” says Michael A. Mele, Senior Investment Associate at Marcus & Millichap’s Mele Storage Group and president of the Florida Self Storage Association. “We do that by thoroughly understanding the value in the properties we represent as well as the needs of individual investors. No two properties are alike and no two investors are alike. We strive to make the right matches so everybody wins.”

Marcus & Millichap, and its clients, recognize Mele’s passion. In 2006, Mele was one of Marcus & Millichap’s top brokers in Central Florida, a distinction he’s held for the past three years. Mele also garnered a National Achievement Award from the firm, an honor he has received each of the last four years. The Mele Storage Group has ranked among Marcus & Millichap’s top five self-storage brokerages seven of the last eight years. Mele and his team were key contributors to Marcus & Millichap’s $22 billion volume in 2006.

“I refer everyone to Mike and his team,” says Greg Disbrow, principal of Bay Equities, Inc., a self-storage developer in Jacksonville, Fla. “Their system works. After listing with Mike, I received several offers, considerably higher than the unsolicited offers I previously received. Even after [paying the brokerage] commission I was way ahead of the game.”

The Mele Storage Group closed 14 Florida deals in 2006, including Storsafe Self Storage. The Pembroke Pines facility sold for $10 million. Mele also brokered the sale of Do It Yourself Warehousing for $8.25 million, as well as Parkway Self Storage in Palm Coast for $8.4 million, among other high-dollar deals.

While Mele’s first concern is always his client, he has also established strong relationships with investors in effort to make the best possible match for the self-storage property owners he represents. Self-storage investor Shirley Schuh says she has been “extremely satisfied” with Mele’s professionalism: “We recommend Mike to anyone who wants to market their property and get consistent service.”

Dwight Rose, a general partner at Storage Ventures LLC, a New Port Richey, Fla.-based self-storage developer, agrees that Mele understands the needs of the self-storage property owners and investors. “Mike’s extended efforts went above and beyond any reasonable expectation of service. All of our partners concur that Mike’s level of commitment and professionalism were outstanding.”

The Mele Storage Group opened its doors in 1999. Since that time, the group has closed nearly $185 million in self-storage property deals in Florida alone. Mele has also had considerable success working with property owners in New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Tennessee and Connecticut.

“The self-storage real estate market will begin to shift in 2007, making it more important than ever for facility owners to make strategic selling decisions,” Mele says. “Marcus & Millichap’s national marketing platform combined with our on-the-ground experience in Florida ensures the best possible value for our clients in any market conditions.”

About The Mele Storage Group
Led by East Coast Self Storage Specialist Michael A. Mele, The Mele Storage Group has sold over 70 self-storage properties totaling over $266 million in sales. Mele has over $108 million in Active and Under Contract listings and a database of approximately 3,200 buyers seeking to expand their self-storage portfolios on the East Coast. Mele closed more than $86 million in self-storage sales in 2006 alone. Each member of the group is a specialist in the fields of financial analysis, market research, contract management and marketing.

About Marcus & Millichap
With more than 1,100 investment professionals in offices nationwide, Encino, Calif.-based Marcus & Millichap is the largest commercial real estate brokerage in the nation focusing exclusively on real estate investments. In 2006, the firm closed more than $22 billion in transactions. Founded in 1971, the firm has perfected a powerful system for marketing properties that combines product specialization; local market expertise; the industry’s most comprehensive research and analysis capabilities; state-of-the-art technology; and established relationships with the largest pool of qualified investors nationally.

PR Contacts:

Self Storage Promotions
Jennifer LeClaire
1913 S. Ocean Drive, Suite 237
Hallandale Beach, Fla. 33009
jennifer@selfstoragepromotions.com
954.454.0072

Mele Storage Group
Darlina Conto
7650 Courtney Campbell Cswy., Suite 920
Tampa, FL 33607
Dconto@marcusmillichap.com
813.287.9777, ext. 187