GERALD S. DIVARIS
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer

Gerald Divaris is the Chairman of the Divaris Group of companies which includes Divaris Real Estate, Inc. and Divaris Property Management Corp. DRE is a full-service brokerage firm with a portfolio in excess of 27 million square feet in management and leasing assignments. The Company currently employs over 125 people and has offices in seven cities on the East Coast of the United States. Gerald heads up Divaris Real Estate’s Retail Leasing Division and Development Services Division, nationally. Also, he is the Chairman/President of Realty Resources, the nationwide network of brokers specializing in retail real estate. And sits on Tidewater Community College's Advisory Board of its School of Retail.

The Round Table of Tidewater Business Leaders selected Gerald to be the recipient of the 2003 Business Leader of the Year Award, citing his years of numerous and successful real estate undertakings throughout the world.  The mayor of Virginia Beach nominated him for the award.  He was appointed by Virginia’s Governor to serve a four-year term on the Virginia Real Estate Board that oversees the state’s licensed real estate agents and brokers. His term of office expired in June 2004.  Presently, he sits on the Virginia Real Estate Board Advisory Council. He is a member of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and is the immediate Past President of the Board of The Hilton Club, New York, and a former Executive Board member and current Business Planning Committee member of WHRO public radio and television stations. He serves on the Executive Boards of several organizations, including: The Virginia Beach Central Business District Association; TowneBank Financial Services Group in Hampton Roads, Va., and the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Foundation.  Additionally, he is a member of The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). On May 9, 2011, Inside Business named Gerald Divaris as the 23rd Most Influential Person on a list of 75 people who shape and influence Hampton Roads, Virginia, in its first ever "Power Issue."

Gerald Divaris received his Master of Business Science in real estate marketing from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1976. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Business Science degree, with honors in accounting in 1971. In 1982, Divaris Real Estate opened its first office in the United States, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Born into a family of retailers. Gerald and Michael Divaris naturally gravitated towards retailer representation, with Gerald Divaris heading up that business unit. Today, the Divaris Group represents over 75 retailers in their store development programs. The national tenants that Gerald Divaris personally represents include: Kohl’s; Lowe’s; The Sports Authority; Best Buy; Ross Dress For Less; LA Fitness; Trader Joe’s; R/C Theatre; GAP/Old Navy; Banana Republic; Pierre Deux; Staples; and P.F. Chang’s.

Gerald Divaris is a visionary who understands the connection and synergy between the real estate asset classes. He has worked as a consultant in both the pre-development and development phases of numerous major mixed-use projects nationally and internationally during his career. His vision and determination were responsible for the development of The Town Center of Virginia Beach. Recognized by many Institutional Investors as a creative force in envisioning new projects, as well as revitalizing old assets, Gerald has earned the respect and praise of many distinguished clients.

Gerald Divaris has worked as a consultant in both the leasing, pre-development and development phases of numerous major “mixed-use” projects during his career. These include:

Projects Gerald has worked on include:

Town Center of Virginia Beach Breaks Ground on Office & Retail
Village at Valley Forge Exceeds Standard Retail in King of Prussia
The Marquis Provides Great Shopping in Prime Location
Harbour View East Enjoys Ideal Location
DRE Undertakes Assignments on Multiple Fronts
Divaris Launches Albemarle Place Leasing
Several Divaris Associates Honored, Promoted

Village at Valley Forge Brings Mixed-Use to King of Prussia
Harbour View Station Adds Town Center Style to Suffolk
Virginia Beach's Princess Anne Corridor Comes of Age

Farm Fresh Opens 58,000 s.f. in Haygood Shopping Center
Ruth's Chris Opens in The Town Center of Virginia Beach
Ross Dress For Less Leases 30,187 SF in Hampton, Virginia
Cheesecake Factory -- One of Many New Stores Coming to The Town Center of Virginia Beach
Kohl's Brings Family Values to Virginia
DRE Unleashes PetSmart on Virginia

Ross Dress for Less Opens First Hampton Roads Store
Divaris Does National Disposition of Surplus Properties
DPMC Honored by National Publications
Take a Hike...to an LLBean Retail Store
Now Playing -- R/C Movie Theatres Get Rave Reviews 
DRE Sells One Columbus Center
LLBean in Tysons Corner
Movie Theaters Reel into New Markets
17.35 Acres in CBD Sold 

To contact Gerald, email gdivaris@divaris.com