Christian J. “CJ” Johannsen, CCIM, is well-regarded in the field of commercial real estate, drawing upon more than 50 years of professional experience. Since 1973, he has excelled as the founder and chief executive officer of Investors Realty Services Inc., where he lends his expertise in commercial real estate to clients. Having developed, managed, leased and financed all categories of institutional quality commercial real estate, Mr. Johannsen has placed over $5 billion in real estate and capital markets transactions. In addition, he has managed the underwriting, joint venture structuring, Blue-Sky registration and asset acquisition for private placement registrations and syndication.
For the past four years, Mr. Johannsen has been focused solely on transactional assignments of marinas and related assets. His team has handled the sale of approximately $150 million of marinas from Key West to Long Island.
Contemporaneously with his tenure with Investors Realty Services Inc., Mr. Johannsen served in a myriad of senior executive-level roles with leading companies, such as Colliers International, NAI and the Aztec Group. As executive vice president and chief operating officer of three divisions of two savings and loans (S&Ls), Mr. Johannsen was also responsible for the asset management and disposition of a $250 million REO portfolio located in seven states.
Moreover, Mr. Johannsen has lent his expertise and wealth of knowledge in real estate to the circuit courts of Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County, where he has testified as an expert witness. In addition, he has testified before the United States District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Ohio and the United States Federal Court for the 11th District. Demonstrating versatility in his profession, Mr. Johannsen has shared his expertise as an adjunct professor at both Palm Beach State and Broward Colleges for 18 years.
Earning his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM #815) through The CCIM Institute, Mr. Johannsen also holds a Bachelor of Arts in business from Rollins College and a Master of Business Administration from the Roy E. Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. Impressively, he is a former licensed private pilot and a former U.S. Coast Guard licensed boat captain. Among the many achievements he has accrued in his career, Mr. Johannsen is most gratified by the opportunity to mentor and coach emerging professionals in his industry. He hopes to continue this endeavor, serving as a lasting legacy.