The following is a guest post from Lynn Kaiser Conrad, Brand Ambassador — Coldwell Banker Commercial
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a partner is someone’s husband or wife…or: one of two or more people, businesses, etc., that work together or do business together. Craig and Michelle Carter are partners in life and work. They have owned businesses together for 25 years, and prior to entering the commercial real estate arena, Craig held a local public office and Michelle worked diligently on his campaign. Perhaps Henry Ford said it best, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
Craig was a city commissioner for the city of Gainesville, Florida. Craig considered it a full-time position because of his passion and dedication to serving the local people. During his term as a commissioner, he was appointed Mayor Pro-tempore or vice mayor. As part of his duties, Craig was one of the Executive Directors of the public utilities and Chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency. While Craig was wearing multiple hats in multiple roles for the City, Michelle earned the title of First Lady of the Third District. She attended publicly held meetings and was an integral part of Craig’s ability to serve his constituency.
Craig took his role very seriously and visited with city employees. He met with the zoning and planning staff and committees. Craig made it his mission to learn as many government processes and systems as possible, so he truly understood the workings of the government.
Both Michelle and Craig earned their real estate licenses while Craig was in office and activated their licenses with Coldwell Banker Commercial M.M. Parrish. While Craig remained in public office, the city government could not use M.M. Parrish for any real estate transactions to avoid any conflict of interest or perceived conflict. M.M. Parrish was extremely supportive and understanding of this necessity.
Having been in public office was very useful for Craig and Michelle. Craig is very outgoing, and Michelle is quieter; their styles and personalities complement each other which increases their ability to serve their customers. When Craig was in office, they had the opportunity to travel to both the state and national capitol. Recently, Craig and Michelle were involved in an $11MM USDA lease with the federal government. Because of his knowledge, he was able to guide and prepare the client, so the client understood the need for patience in the process.
“Because of his time in office, Craig very quickly understands the nuances of zoning, planning and designated or potential growth areas,” Michelle said.
During his time in office, Craig and Michelle were able to interact with people such as the President of the University of Florida, state and federal elected officials, and many other influential people in the area. Because of those relationships, they have the ability to call on people that others may not. Consequently, their sphere of influence is many thousands of people. Craig says all of them are important to him and Michelle and he works hard to keep up those relationships.