Gerald Divaris is the Chairman of the Divaris Group of companies which includes Divaris Real Estate, Inc. (DRE), Divaris Property Management Corp., Ingenuity Development, Creative Development Partners, KLNB Asset Services, and The McGarey Group. DRE is a full-service brokerage firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 million square feet in management and leasing assignments nationwide. The Group currently employs over 200 people and has offices in 15 cities in the United States. Gerald heads up Divaris Real Estate’s Retail Leasing Division and its Development Services Arm, nationally. Also, he is the a founder of and sits on the board of Realty Resources, the nationwide network of brokers specializing in retail real estate. He is on the board of the Hilton Club of New York and a founding Director.
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. He is a former Board of Directors member of WHRO public radio and television stations. He also serves on the Executive Boards of several organizations, including: The Virginia Beach Central Business District Association and The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Foundation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of TowneBank, Virginia Beach, VA. 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.”
In March 2024, he was inducted into the Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame as Laurette, by Junior Achievement. This was in recognition of his business accomplishments and achievements over a 50 year history with the Divaris Group of companies.
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. He is licenced as a real estate broker in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and California.
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 deployment programs. The national tenants that Gerald Divaris personally represents include: Kohl’s; Best Buy; R/C Theatres; Banana Republic; Staples; and The US Coast Guard Exchange.
Gerald Divaris is a visionary who understands the connection and synergy between all 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.