Coming on the heels of an award-winning year, Century 21 Alliance Group is excited to welcome Chris Morris to their team as a commercial real estate broker. Morris, a Chicago native, brings years of transactional experience in real estate and developments with him as he joins the Valparaiso-based team.
After working in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Morris ventured out to Colorado where he worked managing real estate transactions for an investor.
“We bought and sold a lot of real estate in Colorado, and invested in businesses,” Morris said. “I was an investment manager and when I moved back here I decided that I needed to take this experience and do something with it.”
Much of Morris’ work had dealt with the commercial side of real estate and, with the years that he had spent working in the industry, it made the most sense to obtain his real estate license and pursue that career path.
“I consulted with some headhunter, industry expert-types and they said, ‘With your real estate background, you should really go and get your license,’” Morris noted.
He initially interviewed with some other firms, but through some mutual connections, Morris was introduced to Nick Sommer who oversees commercial real estate operations and is the co-founder of Century 21 Alliance Group.
“I met up with Nick (Sommer) because he is friends with some friends of mine and I’m really glad I’m here,” Morris said. “The two of us get along really well and it’s fun! I think we’ll work well together.”
“My background is well-suited to this position. I’m really looking forward to getting acquainted and building my network of contacts,” he added. “That’s a lot of fun and I really enjoy that.”
Being new to Northwest Indiana, the team at Century 21 Alliance Group has helped Morris take his first steps into the business.
“It’s just Nick and I, and we’re the new commercial team but Kathy (Bowgren) and Cassidy (Stewart) have really helped me out a lot,” he said. “And everyone else couldn’t have been nicer. It’s just a really great group of people and I couldn’t be happier to be in this environment where there’s been a very friendly, outgoing, and welcoming kind of group.”
Taking into consideration the health and strength of real estate markets across Northwest Indiana, he feels it’s a great time to be getting into the business.
“I would also say that I think the timing is excellent,” Morris added. “The real estate market is strong around here right now. There’s money flowing into the area. There’s lots of building going on and it’s a really good time to be in commercial real estate.”
Across the region, Morris is optimistic about getting involved in the development and revitalization of so many communities.
“Businesses are moving in, roof tops are going up, and there’s construction coming in,” he continued. “In Michigan City, for example, you see a lot of good stuff going on there now. There’s a new hospital going in, a new hotel, a renovated downtown starting to come back, and new restaurants coming in. It’s really good and the area is due for an upturn, and I think that’s happening now.”
“I think, in Lake County especially, you’re getting a lot of money coming out of Illinois and into Indiana,” he said. “Taxes are better here and people are realizing that they can get a better deal for businesses and living. People can get much more house for their dollar and there’s a number of reasons that I think make this area a good one in which to be living and working.”
In his free time, Morris is a pilot and aviation enthusiast, and has been flying for 25 years.