Pierson Retail Advisors and the Vitorino Group have announced a merger between the two retail-focused real estate firms. The companies will come under one new brand called Strive, and the merger is not expected to be fully complete until this summer.
The companies said that talks to combine began in the fall of last year between firm leaders Jennifer Pierson and Jason Vitorino. “We feel strongly this is the right place, the right time, and the right people,” Pierson said. “We couldn’t be more excited about the future of this firm.”
The two companies will continue to operate on different sites until the merger is complete and new branding for Strive is rolled out. However, Vitorino said in a statement that clients will begin to “see the presence” of the combined company in the next few months. “Our vision is to create a firm with high-caliber, institutionally-minded people who have an entrepreneurial spirit and drive to serve both institutional and private investors,” Vitorino said.
Collectively, the retail professionals have combined to sell almost $3 billion in commercial real estate. Pierson was recently announced as a finalist for D CEO’s Broker of the Year award.