Martens Cos. offers variety of services under one umbrella

R.D. Martens was a Wichita policeman with an interest in real estate and insurance when he started R.D. Martens and Co.

“It was predominantly buying and selling properties … for its own account,” said Steve Martens, son of the late founder.

At the time, the company didn’t act as a broker for third parties.

That changed when Steve Martens joined the business in 1975. He began managing properties for others and providing commercial real estate brokerage as well.

The company added a commercial appraisal division in the late 1970s.

In 2000, Martens affiliated with Grubb & Ellis for its commercial work. That changed in 2012 when Martens switched to an affiliation with NAI Global.

In addition to NAI Martens and Martens Appraisal, the company – which is now known as Martens Cos. – has three other subsidiaries as well. They include Huffman Corridor Consulting, which offers highway corridor consulting and analysis; Receivership Services, which provides consulting and management advice for troubled assets; and Hospitality Management, which develops and manages new hotel properties.

“Dad always had this vision of kind of an umbrella company, and within that umbrella … we would take on different ventures,” Martens said. “He was very entrepreneurial and that transferred to me.”

Best business advice you have received (and given): When meeting with a client, be prepared and listen carefully to understand his/her needs and requirements. You are there to listen to them, not the other way around.

What sets your company apart? Being in the commercial real estate market every day, and with our diverse scope of professional services … we truly have a unique 360-degree view of the market place. That uniqueness allows us to identify emerging market trends and provide value to our clients.

What have you learned about your company by going through this process? It has been a great opportunity for us to review the firm’s commercial real estate activity, community involvement and professional development of our team and share that information with others.

Why do you prefer to run your own business as opposed to working for someone else? The entrepreneurial freedom and opportunity you have in operating your own business is fantastic. At the end of every day the success of the firm is on your shoulders as to implementation of the strategic vision.

How has your business changed in the digital age? When I started the tools of the trade were very similar to what my grandfather had used in his real estate practice. That was a startling revelation and motivated me to actively pursue information technology.

What’s your company’s next goal? Identifying and developing talent to work within our five operating divisions; identify and monitor market trends and share those with our clients; how can we deploy the resources of each entity of The Martens Companies to help south-central Kansas grow and prosper.

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Martens Cos. offers variety of services under one umbrella."