Watson Commercial Real Estate

What Watson Commercial Real Estate does

Watson Commercial Real Estate, Inc. is a privately held commercial real estate brokerage founded in 1982 and headquartered in Merritt Island, Florida. The firm is operated by Broker/Owner Duane Watson, a licensed Florida broker with over 34 years of experience, and Director of Real Estate Jim Ford, who previously served 25 years as elected Brevard County Property Appraiser and held senior planning and zoning roles in Brevard County government. Together the two principals are credited with combined 80 years of experience in real estate and land use matters. The company specializes in the sale and purchase of commercial properties — including lots/land, gas stations, restaurants, retail spaces, and offices — across Brevard County and the broader Florida market, with structured capabilities in site selection and acquisition, contract negotiation, zoning and permitting navigation, multi-parcel assemblage, and design and construction coordination. It maintains property listings on its own website and on the LoopNet third-party marketplace.

Revenue is generated primarily through traditional brokerage commissions on commercial property sales and leases, supplemented by professional-services fees from an affiliated consulting entity, State of Florida Land Use Solutions, Inc., which addresses site selection, concurrency, comprehensive plan, environmental, and zoning regulatory matters. Documented transactions include a $1.5 million Cumberland Farms deal closed in August 2016 (approximately two acres at SR 520 and Clearlake Road in Cocoa) and a $1.8 million Wawa deal closed in Q4 2016 (1.67 acres across seven parcels at SR 520 and Fiske Boulevard). The firm's client roster includes national retailers and logistics operators such as Publix, Walmart, Verizon, Walgreens, FedEx, CVS, Office Depot, and Ashley Furniture, alongside development clients including Shagbark Properties.

The business is a relationship-driven, regional operation with no proprietary technology stack, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no external funding, no parent company, no M&A history, and a headcount of 1–10 employees. Marketing and distribution channels are limited to the company website and LoopNet, and pricing is transaction-based and commission-based rather than publicly disclosed; one observable listing prices retail space at $7,500 monthly plus sales tax with 5% annual increases starting in year six. No patents, trademarks, formal certifications, awards, or third-party recognition are disclosed.

Name

Watson Commercial Real Estate

Legal name

Watson Commercial Real Estate, Inc.

Website

https://watson-realestate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Watson Commercial Real Estate is a privately held, Merritt Island-based commercial real estate brokerage founded in 1982 that serves buyers and sellers of retail, office, gas station, restaurant, and land properties across Brevard County and Florida, supplemented by affiliated land use consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Brokerage (Raw Land & Development Sites) (FSAEAJAD), Investment Sales Brokerage (BPAJABAI)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate brokerage
• Commercial property sales
• Site selection services
• Land use consulting
• Property acquisition advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Merritt Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Brokerage Commissions: Traditional brokerage model earning commissions on commercial property sales and leases in Brevard County and throughout Florida.
2. Consulting Services: Land use consulting services including site selection, concurrency, comprehensive plan, environmental and zoning regulations, offered through State of Florida Land Use Solutions, Inc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Watson Commercial Real Estate is a licensed Florida commercial real estate brokerage that represents buyers and sellers of commercial properties—including lots/land, gas stations, restaurants, retail, and office space—primarily in Brevard County. Services cover site selection and acquisition, contract negotiation, zoning and permitting, parcel assembly, and design/construction coordination. An affiliated entity, State of Florida Land Use Solutions, Inc., provides specialized land use regulatory consulting.

Product overview

Watson Commercial Real Estate operates as a single unified commercial real estate brokerage offering a comprehensive suite of services centered on property sales, purchases, and consulting. The core offering includes commercial real estate brokerage for various property types (lots/land, gas stations, restaurants, retail, office), supplemented by three integrated service modules: Site Selection & Research, Zoning & Permitting, and Design & Construction. An affiliated consulting entity, State of Florida Land Use Solutions, provides specialized land use regulatory consulting. The company also maintains an online property listings platform accessible to buyers and sellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• State of Florida Land Use Solutions: Consulting services for land use solutions, site selection, concurrency, comprehensive plan, environmental and zoning regulations

Products and services

• Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Services Full-service commercial real estate brokerage for the sale and purchase of commercial properties—including lots/land, gas stations, restaurants, retail, and office space—in Brevard County and throughout Florida, including site selection, acquisition, contract negotiation, zoning, permitting, and parcel assembly.
• State of Florida Land Use Solutions Consulting Specialized land use consulting covering site selection, concurrency, comprehensive plan, environmental, and zoning regulations, offered separately or in conjunction with real estate transactions.
• Commercial Property Listings Listing services for commercial properties including lots/land, gas stations, restaurants, retail spaces, and office properties in Brevard County, Florida, displayed on the firm website and LoopNet.

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State of Florida Land Use Solutions, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated consulting entity providing land use consulting services including site selection, concurrency, comprehensive plan, environmental and zoning regulations. President Jim Ford served as Brevard County Property Appraiser for 25 years. Combined 80 years of experience offered through this partnership.
• City of CocoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner engaged early in Wawa project to navigate local regulatory challenges at SR 520 and Fiske Boulevard development site.
• Morgan & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm (Andy Kirbach) engaged for Wawa project at State Road 520 and Fiske Boulevard to navigate local, state, and federal regulatory challenges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Colliers International: Global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, property management, and advisory across all major property types. Comparable to Watson in the commercial brokerage and advisory service line, but operates at global enterprise scale rather than regional boutique level.
• NAI Global: Global commercial real estate brokerage network with affiliated regional offices. Its franchise model of regional affiliated brokerages makes it particularly comparable to Watson as a local commercial brokerage serving enterprise clients in a defined Florida geography.
• Marcus & Millichap: Large publicly traded commercial real estate investment sales brokerage with national coverage. While vastly larger and more diversified than Watson, both firms share a core focus on commercial property sales transactions, including retail and land brokerage across regional U.S. markets.
• CBRE Group: World's largest commercial real estate services firm offering investment sales, leasing, valuation, and advisory. Overlaps with Watson's commercial brokerage activities including retail tenant representation and land sales, but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global commercial real estate services company providing brokerage, investment management, and advisory. Directly competes with Watson for commercial leasing and sales mandates, particularly for enterprise retail clients in Florida markets.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, valuation, and advisory across property types. Comparable to Watson in retail tenant representation and commercial sales transactions, operating at global enterprise scale.

Direct peers

• Coldwell Banker Commercial: Commercial real estate brand affiliated with Coldwell Banker, with affiliated brokers across U.S. markets including Florida. Comparable to Watson in commercial brokerage focus on retail, office, and land sales with regional service delivery.
• KW Commercial (Keller Williams Commercial): Commercial real estate division of Keller Williams, with strong Florida franchise presence. Comparable to Watson as a relationship-driven commercial brokerage serving local and regional clients across retail, office, and land property types.
• SVN International Corporation: Commercial real estate brokerage franchise with hundreds of advisors across the U.S., with significant Florida presence. Closely comparable to Watson as a regional commercial brokerage offering site selection, sales, and tenant representation services to enterprise clients.
• Berkshire Hathaway Commercial: Commercial real estate brokerage affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway, with affiliated brokers across the U.S. including Florida. Comparable to Watson as a local-to-regional commercial brokerage offering sales, leasing, and advisory services to enterprise and mid-market clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Watson Commercial Real Estate