SK Commercial Realty (SKCR), a full-service commercial real estate firm with specialized experience in office, healthcare and industrial real estate leasing and development, announced today the hiring of Atlanta commercial real estate veteran Scott Crooks as its new chief operating officer. Crooks will use his extensive experience in real estate marketing and operations to provide strategic leadership and help amplify SKCR’s brand voice across the local market. He will also oversee the launch of a new research platform within the firm, providing another valuable measurement tool for Metro Atlanta’s fast-changing office, industrial, land, retail, and medical market.

Crooks possesses over 30 years of experience working for Atlanta-based commercial real estate firms in areas including research, finance, marketing, property management and operations. Before joining SKCR, he held positions including director of operations at GVA Advantis, COO at Bryant Commercial Real Estate Partners and CFO and CIO at Lee & Associates’ Atlanta office. At both Bryant and Lee & Associates, Crooks oversaw the research and marketing divisions for the companies, fueling substantial growth while also enhancing the business development and research strategies for both organizations. He most recently helped to open Lee & Associates Nashville, the brokerage’s newest office.

Crooks will oversee all company operations initiatives at SKCR and will recruit new talent to the firm, improve marketing programs, manage client relations and bolster the company’s research capabilities. The move comes on the heels of major projects recently announced that the firm is helping to oversee and develop.

“Scott’s diverse background, extensive connections in the industry and ability to see through the lens of the owner made him the ideal candidate for our new COO role,” said Hugh Scott III, CEO at SKCR. “2023 is a crucial year for SK Commercial Realty given the significant projects we have in motion and broader fluctuations that are occurring across the commercial real estate spectrum. Scott’s steady hand and impressive strategic leadership skills will ensure our team stays on the right track as we enter the next chapter of our growth story.”

“I look forward to using my skills and diversity of experiences to help amplify SKCR’s name across the region and foster long-term growth for the company,” said Crooks. “Now more than ever, CRE professionals are laser-focused on building holistic strategies that are responsive to the needs of today’s tenants while also driving value for owners and investment partners. I’m confident we will be able to build on the momentum already in place as SKCR becomes a leaner, faster organization that attracts top talent from Metro Atlanta and the broader Southeast region.”

Research has become a larger focus within the CRE industry, says Crooks, and is extremely beneficial to understand how properties are performing in different submarkets. He will work on creating a team at SKCR that will perform research projects and publish reports on a regular basis. He will also aim to introduce new tech platforms to the company that will help with efficiency and make daily processes easier for employees.

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Crooks began his career in the early 1990s and has previously held a variety of leadership positions in the broader CRE community, including Data Services Chairman for the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, founder of the Atlanta Commercial Real Estate Research Council and Membership Chairman for the Atlanta Economics Club. Crooks is a graduate of Emory University and resides in Smyrna, Georgia, with his wife Michele and their two children.