Russell “Pepe” Smith
By Joshua Burd
Russell “Pepe” Smith has joined the fast-growing Institutional Services Group at NAI James E. Hanson, the state’s largest locally based independent commercial real estate services firm.
According to a news release, Smith arrived at Teterboro-based NAI Hanson last November as an associate specializing in the leasing and sales of office and industrial properties across northern New Jersey. Now an analyst with the Institutional Services Group, he’ll support that team with a focus on underwriting, valuation and market analysis, while also supporting brokerage and transaction execution for industrial assets throughout the tristate region.
Smith will work alongside senior managing directors Jordan Avanzato and Christopher D. Todd, Managing Director William Ericksen and Analyst Philip Park.
“I’m excited to join the Institutional Services Group and leverage the foundation I’ve developed since joining NAI James E. Hanson,” Smith said. “Success in the tristate industrial market requires an experienced, specialized team, and I’m looking forward to bringing a data-driven approach to my role.”
The firm said the Institutional Services Group, which launched last year, has built strong momentum in 2026 with several high-profile closed deals. Most notably, the team represented the buyer in the acquisition of a 7.81-acre industrial outdoor storage site at 200 St. Nicholas Ave. in South Plainfield and completed the $73.6 million sale of a 241,200-square-foot Class A distribution center in Piscataway.
It also arranged the trade of a six-building, 153,430-square-foot portfolio in New York’s Westchester County.
“The addition of another dedicated analyst reflects our continued investment in building a best-in-class capital markets and leasing platform focused on servicing the growing demands of institutional capital throughout the market,” Avanzato said.
Investment sales broker Avanzato joins NAI Hanson as part of new institutional services team
