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Greenville Business Magazine

Annual Real Estate Report: Top Selling Team: Upstate Industrial Team

By Amanda Capps

Active in 67 countries, Colliers International is a team of more than 18,000 professionals. Within that team is a dynamic trio who comprise the Upstate Industrial Team. Working from offices in Greenville and Spartanburg, John Montgomery, Garrett Scott and Brockton Hall cover 10 South Carolina counties while vigorously operating in a global market.

All team members have a wealth of knowledge on various aspects of their field, but each one has a specialty that contributes to the synergy of the group. Montgomery, a vice president in the Spartanburg office, began his career with Carolina First Bank and has a breadth of experience that includes master-planned communities, retail, residential, commercial and industrial development projects. Scott, also a vice president in Spartanburg, comes from a background in both brokerage and development and has been responsible for the planning, acquisition and implementation of more than 28 industrial parks across the Southeast and beyond. Hall, a vice president in the Greenville and Spartanburg offices, has a rich history in commercial construction including significant renovation and retrofitting experience.

“Most real estate professionals are generalists, but the more movement there is toward specialization, the better. A myriad of factors goes into these projects . . . specific expertise translates to a higher level of service for our clients,” Scott said. “That’s particularly important in a robust market.”

Diversity among the Industrial Team has translated effectively to a diverse marketplace replete with foreign-based manufacturing. Another advantage, according to Scott, is the firm’s tracking of global trends. They’re able to gain knowledge of international markets, understand the expectations of foreign investors, advise clients on what to build and pinpoint needs related to logistics, employment and infrastructure.

Outside the realm of Colliers, Montgomery, Scott and Hall have an extended team of sorts in the form of allies whose work also focuses on development. Montgomery said they’re fortunate to be doing business in the Upstate and gave high praise to the economic development offices in each county, the communities they represent and the state’s chamber of commerce.

“It’s a business friendly environment, and we’re fortunate to be part of what’s happening here,” Montgomery said. “Barring another Covid spike or other disaster, we’ve got a lot of good runway ahead of us.”

Scott said they consider it “shadow compensation” that they’re able to add to the tax base through quality projects and jobs. Team members take great pride in contributing to the community.

“Our efforts are a ground swell. If we’ve done our jobs, everyone is successful,” Scott said.

Last year’s totals, according to Montgomery, were down from the previous five years, but there were a number of economic development announcements, and they have some big projects that are under nondisclosure agreements. He stated that there was a demand prior to the pandemic, and the projects came right back after the uncertainties that halted progress through the second quarter. Scott added that the team is ready to meet that ongoing demand.


“One of the ways we measure success is the degree to which we are knowledgeable and prepared to meet changing market dynamics in order to best advise our clients. Developers, tenants and landlords trust us to provide data and solutions that can ultimately make or break a deal coming to market,” Scott said. “And that, fortunately, is what our team does best.”