Posner's future looks bright in the sunshine state

Real Estate Weekly, August 27, 2003 by Sabina Mollotov

Posner Advertising, a New York based marketing firm specializing in real estate, has expanded its services to Boca Raton, Florida.

Headquartered in New York, the 50-year-old firm also has an office and major client base in California, but has had its eye on Florida for some time.

A "phenomenal growth in real estate development there in the past decade," is what drew the company south, according to Robert Fox, senior account executive of Posner, who heads the new office.

Fox said moving to Florida was "a no-brainer," because many New York brokers and developers who are clients of Posner are also involved in projects there. The sunshine state has also become a popular place for development among foreign investors.

"We're in negotiations with several prospects," said Fox. "Given our history in New York City, and our illustrious list of clientele, we're a welcome presence here."

However, Posner is not abandoning its New York ship. In fact, it moved its city office from 42nd St. down to Broad Street following the September 11th attacks, to show the company's support for Lower Manhattan.

"It's pretty unusual for an ad agency to be down there," said Fox, "but we're enjoying it."

Despite Lower Manhattan's struggle to revive itself as a financial capital, Fox said he anticipate, a lot of growth for Posner's New York and Florida offices, due to the real estate market, which has remained strong despite the terrorist attacks and the economy.

"This is all about growth," said Fox. "We're a private, family-owned business and we've survived for 50 years despite the problems we've seen with the economy. Our primary objective is to grow in South Florida, and hopefully soon this office will be as big as our New York office. The market would certainly support it."

Besides being a frequently visited state, Florida has a high volume of property ownership, due to real estate laws that make owning property there attractive to U.S. residents. South Florida's highly multicultural base also makes it attractive tc foreigners.

Fox, who travels extensively between the two offices, added, "This is a beautiful place to live for people who enjoy outdoor activities. I won't complain when I have to commute to Florida in the middle of January."