Nicole

She said investing in real estate, especially in a strong– growing state such as Florida, will pay off over the long term.

“I think real estate is one of the best long–term investments a person can make. Look how land has increased in value over the years. Land is indestructible. Home prices have risen significantly over the last five years. Commercial buildings have seen their values increase.”

Americans continue to rank real estate as the best investment for the long term among six options, according to the latest results based on Gallup’s annual “Economy and Personal Finance” survey, conducted April 1–22.

Since 2011, Gallup has asked Americans to choose among real estate, stocks, gold, savings accounts, and bonds as the best investment. Cryptocurrency was added as an option in 2022.

People continue to rank real estate as the best investment for the long term among the six options. Thirty–six percent chose real estate, followed by stocks or mutual funds (22 percent), gold (18 percent), and savings accounts or certificates of deposit (13 percent). Relatively few Americans favor bonds or cryptocurrency (3 percent) as long–term investments.

Real estate has topped the Gallup list each year since 2014, with between 30 percent and 45 percent (in 2022) of surveyed people selecting it. In 2013, real estate essentially tied for first with gold and stocks; it trailed gold in 2011 and 2012.

In 2015, Reed moved to Florida from St. Louis with her husband. She took a year off — “I was fortunate enough to be able to do that” — before joining JM Real Estate in 2017.

Reed worked in marketing for JM Real Estate, a commercial real estate firm that specializes in leasing, property management, and sales.

“Marketing was a perfect fit for me. I sat at the front desk in the lobby area. It is the center hub of this office. I learned a lot about Brevard’s real estate market,” she said.

Reed is a winner of the GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum’s 2021 Women of Influence award, within the Marketing and Communications Professional category.

The annual Women of Influence Conference and Awards program addresses the “critical role” of women in today’s commercial real estate business. The 2025 conference is July 21–22 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver, Colorado. The program celebrates the “women who drive the commercial real estate industry forward.”

In St. Louis, Reed did residential real estate investment, “but never worked on the commercial side of the business. That was a whole new area I wanted to explore.”

And she had that opportunity working for JM Real Estate. First, Reed did lease renewals, then new lease transactions and some sales of properties, while still doing the marketing for the firm.

“Leasing is very interesting because I am meeting people who run a wide range of businesses in this county, existing businesses and entrepreneurs who are embarking on new ventures. Selecting the right commercial lease space is a key decision for them. We guide them through the process.”

Reed added, “Some agents, for example, stay in one lane and focus on retail or office space. I like all segments of commercial, especially industrial.”

She recently worked with a builder on a new construction project. Reed did the leasing. “Even before he started constructing the facility, we had 6,000 of the 12,000 square feet leased. The first 12,000–square–foot building went up, and then the second 12,000–square–foot facility was built. The space is leased to all types of businesses. It was interesting to see the project go from start to finish, and all the different buildouts for the clients.”

Reed said she is doing the leasing for another new construction project where she is working with a different builder. The industrial facility project is in Palm Bay. “It will be warehouse and office space, basically flexible space. There is a big need in Brevard for flex space, especially in Palm Bay.”

Historically, men have dominated the commercial real estate industry, but times have changed. Women have always played a role in commercial real estate as secretaries and in administrative support roles. But in the 1990s, the number of women working as brokers and agents began ticking upward.

According to a recent survey by the Commercial Real Estate Women Network, females now represent about 36 percent of professionals in the industry.

Reed was recently named managing broker at JM Real Estate.

Jewel McDonald started the firm in 1997 and built it into a multimillion–dollar business, with a sharp focus on leasing and property management. Her husband Mike McDonald, who worked in the transportation industry, joined her as the firm grew and grew.

In 2020, the McDonalds, nearing retirement, decided to sell the firm to South Florida–based Tzadik Management, a much larger company. The owner of Tzadik is business- man Adam Hendry.

Since its formation in 2007, Tzadik has managed more than $1 billion in apartment complexes, over 15 million square feet of commercial real estate in locations around the nation, including fast–growing South Dakota. Tzadik is one of the largest commercial real estate holders and operators in that state.

In 2021, Tzadik acquired two ranches in South Dakota.

One of the ranches is fully dedicated to agritourism and other agricultural efforts, such as providing a sanctuary to bison, cows, and wild horses. The other ranch, Raz Hide- away, is nestled on roughly 200 acres with stunning views of Black Hills, Bear Butte, and Terry Peak.

In that same year, the company created its first portfolio of South Dakota short–term rentals, properties that are available to book through Airbnb.

Recently, Tzadik CEO Hendry founded L’Chaim Farm which offers Kosher products, horseback–riding lessons, stall rentals, and after–school programs for children. The urban farm borders Dania Beach and Hollywood, Florida.

At the time of the Tzadik acquisition, JM Real Estate had property management contracts for 60 locations and 2.5 million square feet of retail, office, medical, and industrial properties. The portfolio was valued at $300 million.

The partnership officially launched Tzadik Management into the commercial real estate market. Jewel McDonald stayed on as senior broker associate at the firm she founded. “Jewel is semi–retired. But it’s great to have her here because she is an outstanding source when it comes to the commercial real estate industry,” said Reed.

Jewel McDonald mainly handles the leasing for the Rialto Place Office Tower in Melbourne.

She began her career in 1987 in Orlando working for Equitable Life Insurance Co. on a 535,000–square–foot project. Then about four years later Jewel McDonald became the leasing agent and property manager for the Executive Suites at the Rialto Place Office Tower in Melbourne, which at the time was owned by Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. “Jewel has come full circle in her career, which is neat,” said Reed.

When JM Real Estate was sold to Tzadik “there was uncertainty and turnover at the firm,” said Reed. “It happens all the time when businesses sell no matter what kind of company it is. I had plenty of offers to leave the company myself, but the relationships I had built with the owners and tenants we worked with, kept me here. And I was enjoying the success I’ve had at JM.”

Reed says she “likes a challenge. I do not have owner- ship in the company, but I am the kind of person who takes ownership of my work. The JM team deserves the credit for getting through the obstacles and challenges we have overcome. The agents have done an exceptional job. We have a great team of agents and support staff. We have seen a lot of accomplishments this year because of their commitment.”

Yolanda Bell is JM Real Estate’s accounting manager. “I call her my ‘light.’ I am so thankful Yolanda is here,” said Reed. Gigi Hayes is the property manager and maintenance coordinator for the firm. “Gigi has a ‘can–do’ attitude. She has grown so much and is going to have a long career in real estate,” said Reed. And Laura Rottman–Cloud, property manager, “has been steadily building relation- ships with our building owners and tenants. She has an amazing attention to detail.”

Reed said the “real estate agency business is competitive and challenging. I have been surprised by the number of well–wishers and support we have received from industry peers as we were going through changes. I have had some great emails and conversations with other brokers and agents in the region. I am thankful to each of them for their encouragement and support. Their comments have given me a lot of strength.”

She added, “The owner (Hendry) has also given me a lot of support. He has his own style and vision for his companies, but he’s letting me do my own thing at JM. He’s allowing me to put my ‘personal stamp’ on this firm. That has been important to me.”

Reed also singled out her husband, Graham Andrews, who is retired.

“I put in 14–hour days all the time. I was doing 70 lease or sales transactions a year, which is a lot of activity. He doesn’t complain about my long days. He does the dishes, runs the vacuum, and mows the grass. So, Graham is a big part of my team.”

There is a small recording studio in their home. “Graham does his own recordings. We sent some of his music to an online radio station called TikiManRadio.com. They liked it and started playing his music,” she said.

Tiki Man Radio plays “tropical tunes from country, rock, blues, folk, and reggae.” The radio station is known for its “Coastal Americana” mix of music “from the islands.”

Andrews’ albums include “Followed by the Moon,” and “Star Sailing.” The tracks on Followed by the Moon include “Island Jive,” “One Last Margarita,” and “Life on the Waves.” The latter album features “Dreaming About the Sea,” “Blue,” and “Changing River.”

“My husband is a very good guitar player. He can sing and play other instruments, too. He is talented. We used to write music together. I would help with the lyrics and he would do the music,” she said, adding that her husband is a “big fan of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia.”

The late Garcia was the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co–founded.

Last year, Reed took up painting as a hobby. “I have aways been artsy and crafty, but I have never tried painting. There was a ceiling fan we took down in our home that had giant leaves and palm trees on it. I did not want to throw it away. So, I made this giant flower out of the ceiling fan. I spray painted it and added some details, and it looked good. It didn’t take long and I became interested in painting. I enjoy painting. I paint as often as I can — palm trees, Florida scenes, cats. I love cats. I have painted an astronaut cat, a scuba diving cat, and cool cat wearing a hat. To me, painting is a nice relaxing outlet, and I can explore my own creativity.”

Reed’s office at JM Real Estate is decorated with her art, mostly Florida scenes. She also enjoys gardening and pottery.

Reed said she is upbeat about the local commercial real estate market as her firm heads into the fourth quarter of the year.

“We have been doing a lot of leasing. Businesses continue to locate here and people continue to move here. This county is attractive in so many ways. We are excited about our prospects for growth in 2025,” said Reed.

Melbourne was recently ranked No. 9 as one of the “Safest Places to Live in the U.S.,” according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024–2025 compiling. “Troves of urbanites, families, professionals, and retirees enjoy life in Melbourne, one of the Space Coast’s most populous cities.”

The rankings are based on the city’s crime rates per 100,000 people, determined by FBI crime reports. Augusta, Georgia, was No. 1 in the Safest Places to Live. The Sunshine State occupied four of the top 10 spots. In addition to Melbourne, Pensacola, Port St. Lucie, and Lakeland are singled out in the report.

“We moved to Melbourne from St. Louis because we wanted a more relaxed lifestyle,” said Reed. “It was time for a change. We like this community. And we enjoy working with businesses on the Space Coast. There are so many different types of companies and they all seem to have their niches. This is what makes the commercial real estate industry fun to work in. The commercial real estate business also tends to be entrepreneurial, and I like that aspect. We’re looking forward to a good year in 2025. The team is excited.”