The Max Broock building at 27 S. Main Street has been empty for months. It may stay that way for awhile ? plans to move back in have been put on hold.
‘Our not moving back is totally economical,? said Regional Vice President Carol Yost. ‘Our lease was up in that building and it was a hard decision because it was a beautiful building, it truly is.?
Max Broock realtors will stay with Real Estate One, which owns Max Broock, at 31 S. Main Street. They moved out of 27 S. Main St. last summer.
‘It’s an old building ? we had an old roof and discovered there was some work that had to be done. With water, there is mold. It wasn’t the bad mold, it’s just what happens, so we had to clean it all out,? said Dan Elsea, president of brokerage services for Real Estate one.
‘That was the original reason we moved out, because we had to do a lot of work on the lower level and part of the first level. With the water, the carpet was ruined, and so we pulled everyone out of there. Then by the time it came to come back in we just decided that it was best to put them all together in one spot.?
Yost said they had intended to keep both brands in separate buildings, but found having both in one building works well for Real Estate One and Max Broock.
‘It is a business that is a challenge right now and because of that, we’ve found that it’s working reasonably well working together,? she said.
Real Estate One, which also owns Johnstone and Johnstone in Gross Pointe, maintains separate brand names because all are ‘old established names,? she said.
Real Estate One was established in 1929, Max Broock in 1895, and Johnstone and Johnstone in 1919.
‘There have been some real estate companies that have gone out of business and we have multiple offices,? she said.
‘I think the reason we’ve (Real Estate One) been around for the last 77 years is because we do make good economic decisions and it’s been growing ever since. Since we’ve made this move, we’ve actually done more business than we did prior, having the two locations. We are actually making more money now.?
Elsea said they will just make the Real Esate One building into a ‘dual branded? building, like many of their other locations, such as Rochester Hills. Bowen Broock, owner of the 27 S. Main Street building, has it up for lease. Many people are interested in it, noted Elsea.
Having a new tenant in the building will help downtown, said Penny Shanks, executive director for the Chamber of Commerce.
?(Having the building empty) affects the shape of downtown,? Shanks said. ‘Whatever goes in is going to be a new component, so you’re going to have a new energy. It would be nice to bring some more retail downtown.?