Professional Experience
John has over 25 years in the commercial real estate industry, specializing in the sale & leasing of office, industrial and investment real estate. Throughout John’s professional career, he has developed a reputation for ethical business practices and successfully representing his clients in all aspects of real estate negotiations and brokerage. He has extensive experience representing investors, landlords, and tenants in lease negotiations, as well as site selection, property acquisition, development, and disposition.
Prior to joining P.A. Commercial, John was the founder of J.E. De Wald & Associates, a boutique commercial real estate brokerage, management, and development company, which he operated for 25 years. Prior to that, he was an Associate Broker with The Hayman Company and a practicing CPA with KPMG.
Select Assignments
- Buyer representation for five-building portfolio sale of DaVita Dialysis locations
- Multiple medical office relocations for St. John Health, Henry Ford Hospital, and Beaumont Hospital
- Multiple high-tech industrial acquisitions totaling 150,000 SF for Healthmark Industries
- Multi-state portfolio sale of $100M+ for Garrison Investment Group & TriMont Real Estate Advisors
- Disposition of 8-Acre Property Disposition for Comerica Bank – Detroit
- Disposition of 9-Apartment Building Investment Portfolio- Detroit
- Investment Sale of 21-Acre, 320-Slip Marina – Detroit River
- Investment Sale of 20,000 SF Medical Building – St. Clair Shores
- Investment Sale of 12,100 SF Medical Building Portfolio – Clinton Twp.
- Sale of 160,000 SF Industrial Building – Warren
- Lease of 36,011 SF Industrial Building – Oak Park
- Lease of 11,750 SF Industrial Building – Troy
Affiliations
- Commercial Board of REALTORS
- Michigan Association of REALTORS
- AICPA, MACPA
- Board of Directors – St. John Hospital Guild
- Grosse Pointe Shores Planning Comission
- Past President – Grosse Pointe Park Business & Professional Association
- Executive Committee – United States Power Squadron
- Past Board Member – Grosse Pointe Rotary Club
Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, 2018
St. John Hospital Guild
- Top Transaction Volume in Sales Category, 2020
P.A. Commercial Dealmaker Awards
- Largest Sale of a Single Transaction, 2020
P.A. Commercial Dealmaker Awards
Education
Bachelor of Economics/Business Administration and Accounting
Hillsdale College
