T. Dallas Smith Hires Silicon Valley Pro in Development Push

T. Dallas Smith & Company hired a Silicon Valley real estate vet to oversee its strategic partnerships.

The Atlanta-based firm appointed Matthew Wersel as vice president of strategic partnerships, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported. Wersel will establish and manage major relationships with U.S. and international clients in his role.

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wersel brings an extensive career, with experience in sectors including office, industrial, life sciences, data centers, hospitality and golf. His appointment is expected to enhance the firm’s leadership team and support its efforts to broaden its global client base.

Wersel’s career spans over two decades; he held leadership positions at CBRE Capital Markets, Mohr Partners and Newmark.

T. Dallas Smith, one of the nation’s largest Black-owned commercial real estate firms, operates in 40 states with prominent clients such as Microsoft, FedEx and Coca-Cola.

The company is ramping up its focus on development through its subsidiary, TDS Investments, which is involved in prominent projects such as the redevelopment of the 2 Peachtree office tower into housing.

Wersel’s hire also comes as part of a broader trend in the commercial real estate industry, where professionals are leaving large, national firms in search of more personalized opportunities.

In other recent moves, Partners Real Estate hired top Atlanta brokers Brooke Gothard and Shea Meddin as equity partners to support its strategic growth in Atlanta.

Gothard, formerly a managing director at JLL, played a key role in major office deals, including Southern Company Gas’ 260,000-square-foot lease, the city’s biggest lease of 2023. Meanwhile Meddin was a top producer at Cushman & Wakefield and oversaw $800 million in transactions.

Newmark has also poached several top brokers, specifically to manage its Southeast office sales. The trio — Jay O’Meara, Justin Parsonnet and Ryan Reethof — will lead southeast office investment sales in Atlanta; Nashville, Tennessee; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; and Florida.

— Andrew Terrell