A Personalized Approach

Professional Expertise

Mike Mele, Vice Chairman, leads Cushman & Wakefield’s national Self-Storage Advisory Group, which represents clients ranging from private investors to large-scale REITs in the development, expansion, consolidation, acquisition and disposition of self-storage assets. Mr. Mele began his career in self-storage investment sales in 1999. He went on to build an industry leading team, which he brought to Cushman & Wakefield in 2019.

Based in Tampa, the 18-member, multi-market team has closed more than 700 self-storage transactions totaling more than $8 billion. In 2021 alone, the team closed 84 deals for 188 total properties in 35 states.

With over two decades of experience as a self-storage advisor, Mr. Mele’s expertise and vast contributions to the industry have made him a key advisor in the self-storage market. He is consistently recognized by industry organizations as well as national and trade publications for his critical leadership, expertise and knowledge of the self-storage industry.

Accomplishments

Chairman’s Circle of Excellence Award, Marcus & Millichap
Chairman’s Club Award, Marcus & Millichap
Top 5 Self-Storage Sales Broker, Marcus & Millichap – 1999 – 2000, 2002 – 2012, 2014 – 2018
National Achievement Award, Marcus & Millichap – 2003 – 2008, 2010 – 2018.
13-time No.1 Broker in Marcus & Millichap’s Tampa Office
Top 5 Producer – Tampa Office, Cushman & Wakefield- 2019, 2020
Top 50 Producer Nationally with Cushman & Wakefield-2019, 2020

Professional Recognitions

National Self-Storage Association (SSA) – Member
National Association of Realtors (NAR) – Member
Florida Self Storage Association (FSSA) – Legislative Committee Member, Past-President

Education

Bachelor of Science, West Chester University

Luke Elliott is the Vice Chairman of the Cushman & Wakefield Self Storage Advisory Group. He is responsible for Private Client and Mid-Market assignments in the firm’s national footprint. The Self-Storage Advisory Group represents private clients, institutional investors, and other financial institutions by advising them on acquisition tactics and strategic disposition of self-storage assets. In 2021 alone the Self-Storage Advisory Team closed 84 transactions and 188 facilities, bringing the team sales volume to over $2.3 Billion.

Luke joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2019, as part of a large-scale, multi-market team that was previously part of Marcus & Millichap. Mr. Elliott has partnered with owners for over 20 years, providing leading industry advisory and transactional expertise. He is a past president of the third-largest state self-storage association and has been recognized as an expert in the self-storage marketplace by numerous industry-related groups, as well as national and trade publications.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Greg Wells is an Executive Director of Brokerage Services in Cushman & Wakefield’s self-storage division. He specializes in the sales and acquisitions of self-storage facilities and land for development of self-storage and has created a specialized, national practice group unlike the industry has ever seen.

Prior to Cushman & Wakefield, Greg was with Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial for thirteen years. He has been a consistent top producer throughout his career with accolades including: Top 10 Producer in 2005, 2015 and 2016, numerous Circle of Excellence Awards and the Excellence in Client Service Award in 2008. Some past and present clients include pension fund advisers, REIT’s, lenders, and 1031 exchange buyers and sellers. He has closed over 125 self-storage transactions and sold over 15 million square feet of self-storage space totaling in excess of $1.5 billion in total transaction volume in the Western U.S.

Greg is part of a 16-person, multi-market team that was previously part of Marcus & Millichap. Led by Vice Chair Mike Mele, the nationally leading team has closed approximately 350 self-storage transactions totaling more than $3.5 billion. In 2018 alone, the team closed 48 deals for 63 total properties in 16 states.

DEAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Storage Solutions SoCal Portfolio – $165 million
• Storage Solutions NorCal Portfolio – $105 million
• Baranof/Crow Holdings SoCal Portfolio – $100 million
• Magellan SoCal Portfolio – $105.5 million
• Lockaway Storage Portfolio – $57 million
• Solana Beach Storage – $48.5 million
• Morena (San Diego) Storage – $31 million
• Invesco NorCal Portfolio – $22.25 million

Qualifications

• Over 20 years of experience in Self-Storage asset class
• Top 10 Producer over 3 years
• Over 125 transactions closed totaling over $1.5 Billion in sales volume

Mr. Lewis has extensive experience in assisting clients with real estate acquisition, disposition and financing. Since joining Cushman & Wakefield in 2005, his team has successfully closed real estate transactions for a combined total of over $1.7 Billion. Jim and his team are consistently involved with some of the most significant transactions in the Portland metro area.
Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Lewis worked for Mindlin Companies, a private real estate investment firm. There he identified and analyzed office and industrial investment opportunities for the firm. Additionally, he was involved in the initial stages of raising a $25 million real estate investment fund. Prior to Mindlin Companies, Jim worked at Oak Tree Resources as an associate involved with mergers and acquisitions. This included business valuation, identifying acquisition targets, and managing the sale process.

Education

• MBA, University of Southern California
• Degree in Finance, Linfield College

Community Leadership

• Jim has been a guest lecturer on the topic of real estate finance at Portland State University

Awards & Associations

• Awarded the Oregon/SW Washington Commercial Association of Realtors “Rookie of the Year” (2006)
• Designated a Power Broker by CoStar Group (2006 and 2013)
• Awarded the Cushman & Wakefield “Sale of the Year” (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)
• Received the “Top Investment Broker” award (2013 and 2016)

Assignments

• Pacwest Center – 522,000 sf CBD office
• Museum Place – 140-unit multifamily
• HP Vancouver – 735,000 sf corporate campus
• Reflections – 352-unit multifamily
• Oregon Graduate Institute – 286,000 sf medical campus
• Kearney Plaza – 130-unit multifamily
• Fremont Place – 122,000 sf office
• Nortek Campus – 329,000 sf industrial
• Forest Creek – 160-unit multifamily
• West End Building – 90,000 sf office
• Press Blocks – 60,000 sf development site
• Pearl Self Storage – 68,646 sf self storage
• Oak Grove Market Center – 97,000 sf retail
• Southwest Center – 88,000 sf office

Team

The Portland Capital Markets Team is a fully integrated group within Cushman & Wakefield’s Portland office that focuses 100% of its time representing investors and businesses in the purchase and sale of commercial real estate across all product types. Whether you have a one million or one hundred million dollar property, each client receives the same quality of service and rigorous focus on results.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Trey Hammond is a senior associate at Cushman & Wakefield with a specific focus on Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. Mr. Hammond joined the Mele Self-Storage Group of Cushman & Wakefield in 2016 with years of business development and brokerage experience. Since he started with the Mele team, Trey has successfully brokered over $70 Million in transactions. Mr. Hammond is a graduate of Oklahoma State University at Stillwater, Oklahoma with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering where he also earned a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) graduate degree. Trey is committed to building long-term relationships with real estate investors by delivering exceptional client services and maintaining the highest ethical standards within the industry. Mr. Hammond provides extensive market expertise and knowledge while understanding long-term objectives, thereby ensuring quality transactions and unrivaled business relationships for years to come.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

U-Storage OK – Edmond
U-Storage 23rd Street
Norman Storage Portfolio
NW Arkansas Storage Portfolio
All Around Storage

Qualifications

• Market expertise focused in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri & Kansas
• MBA in Business Administration, University at Stillwater, OK
• Involved in acquisitions totaling over $70M in transaction volume

Bob Padgett is an Investment Associate with Cushman & Wakefield’s national Self-Storage Advisory Group which represents private clients and institutional investors in the acquisition and disposition of self-storage assets around the country. Bob’s primary focus is building and maintaining long-term relationships with self-storage owners and investors. His concentration is mainly in the South East region of the United States. Providing strategic support and advice to clients and working with them as they execute their long term or short term strategy, are two central components of what Bob offers and what his clients have come to rely on. A native of Florida, Bob is based out of the Tampa, FL office. He earned his degree from Florida State University.

Kevin Cuff is a Director with Cushman & Wakefield’s national Self-Storage Advisory Group, which represents clients ranging from private investors to large-scale REITs in the development, expansion, consolidation, acquisition and disposition of self-storage assets. He is based out of the San Diego office partnered with Greg Wells with a focus on the self-storage market throughout California and the greater West Coast markets.

He joined the team in 2022 and brings with him nearly a decade of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Since joining the team, he has helped advise on over $220 million in self-transactions. In total, the multi-market team led by Mike Mele has closed more than 700 self-storage transactions totaling nearly $10 billion.

Recent Highlights

Storage Solutions Socal 6-Pack – Southern California

Prebys Foundation Storage Portfolio – San Diego

Jamul Self Storage – San Diego

A Storage Place – Whittier

Dutton Meadows Self Storage – Santa Rosa

Professional Recognitions

National Self-Storage Association (SSA) – Member
California Self Storage Association (CSSA) – Member

Education

B.S., Colorado State University-Pueblo

Ross Bailey is an Investment Associate at Cushman & Wakefield’s Self-Storage division.  Working out of the Chicago, Illinois office he focuses on representation for sellers as well as buyers, keeping a pulse on the Midwest markets to provide the best council for clients.

Ross started as an Associate Broker at Marcus & Millichap (which would later become Cushman & Wakefield) in 2016. Prior to this, he worked as a Benefits Representative for Association Member Benefits Advisors (AMBA) advising retired teachers on health insurance coverage as they transitioned into retirement.  Ross earned his B.A. in Management from Hope College (Holland, MI).

Today, Ross is part of a 16-person, multi-market team led by Vice Chair Mike Mele. This nationally leading team has closed approximately 350 self-storage transactions totaling more than $3.5 billion. In 2018 alone, the team closed 48 deals for 63 total properties in 16 states.

Steffan Brown is an investment sales broker with the National Self-Storage Advisory Group at Cushman & Wakefield based out of the Seattle office.  He’s a regional Self-Storage expert, specializing in the acquisition and disposition of Self-Storage properties throughout the pacific northwest.  He’s earned a solid reputation throughout his career for being a trusted advisor and dynamic problem solver capable of handling complex negotiations.  Steffan is committed to serving his client’s needs first, by focusing on their goals and working with them to find ways to achieve them.

Ryan Wood is an Investment Associate with Cushman & Wakefield’s national Self-Storage Advisory Group.  Based in the St. Louis, Missouri office he represents private clients and institutional investors in the acquisition and disposition of Self-Storage assets throughout the Midwest and Southeast regions.   Throughout his career, he has built strong relationships with both regional and national investors by providing guidance, support, and advice to help them achieve their goals, both long term and short term.

Ryan started as an Investment Broker at IEB Real Estate in 2017 and has experience in both Self-Storage and retail net lease transactions.  He joined the Cushman & Wakefield Self-Storage Advisory Group in 2023, focusing on self-storage assets in Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, and Indiana.  Ryan earned his B.S. in Marketing & Finance from the University of Indianapolis.

Tim Garey is a Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield and the Practice Group Leader for Valuation & Advisory’s Self Storage group. Mr. Garey joined Cushman & Wakefield of Oregon, Inc., in 2001 in the Valuation & Advisory group in Portland, Oregon. Currently, he oversees a team of approximately 20 valuation members located strategically throughout the United States which ensures consistency, quality and the ability to provide coverage in all 50 states.

Tim and his team of experts are also responsible for the compiling and publishing of a bi-annual Cushman & Wakefield Self Storage Investor Report, managing portfolio valuation for Self-Storage Assets, and overseeing the SSDS (Self Storage Database Services) database, which is the largest and most comprehensive self-storage database in the United States.

Rebecca Rockey is an economist and is the Global Head of Economic Analysis & Forecasting at Cushman & Wakefield. In her role, she studies how economies, demographics, financial markets, and commercial real estate interact—both at the macro and micro level. Rachel performs analysis on the major sectors in which Cushman & Wakefield does business: the office, industrial, retail, and multifamily sectors by studying economy, leasing, and capital markets and generates the national outlook/forecast, which is used at the Mele Group.

Rebecca has joined the Mele Group in providing insights, white papers, webinars, and public speaking engagements at Self-Storage industry events to help inform our client base of the most up-to-date market information。

Gideon Gil serves as a Executive Managing Director in Cushman & Wakefield’s Capital Markets Group focused on raising debt and equity for client properties and development projects throughout New York City, as well as the Northeast corridor. Mr. Gil has been an advisor to or a principal investor in over $8.0 billion of commercial real estate transactions throughout his career. Mr. Gil joined C&W in 2012.

Mr. Gil began his real estate career at Clarion Partners, working in the Acquisitions and Development Group rising to the level of Vice President. From 2004 through 2008, Mr. Gil was a Portfolio Manager and Lead Originator at RCG Longview, a private equity fund focused on high-yield debt positions in commercial real estate. Mr. Gil was a Managing Principal at Madison Realty Capital from 2008 through 2010 focused on purchasing distressed debt from financial institutions and originating high-yielding mortgage loans. In 2010, Mr. Gil co-founded Columbia River Capital Advisors (“CRCA”) an advisor to Family Office clients and advised on the investment of over $100 million of equity into opportunistic debt and equity investments in commercial real estate.

Mr. Gil holds a Bachelor degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is a member of The Advisory Board of the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School and serves as a board member and treasurer at Friends Seminary.

Nathan Poinsette is an Investment Associate with Cushman & Wakefield’s National Self-Storage Advisory Group. Based in the vibrant Tampa, Florida office, Nathan excels in representing both sellers and buyers, leveraging his keen market insights to deliver top-notch counsel to his clients.

Nathan’s journey with Cushman & Wakefield began as an intern, and over time, he became an integral part of the team. Before diving into the world of real estate, he made his mark as the Student Body President at Saint Petersburg College, chaired the Student Green Energy Fund, and served as a Senator in the Student Government at the University of South Florida (USF). He holds a B.A. in Digital Communication & Multimedia Journalism from USF in St. Petersburg, FL.