Reborn Keys Commercial recruits Tebo leasing ace

BOULDER — While it’s an unsteady time for many firms in the commercial real estate industry, it’s an exciting time for the newly re-established Keys Commercial Real Estate LLC, which recently brought on a top leasing agent from Tebo Properties Inc. as a broker and vice president. 

Ben Myers, a native of a small northern Michigan town who has spent the past seven-plus years working in Boulder County for Tebo, will serve as Keys Commercial founder Geoff Key’s right-hand man.

“I started off as a leasing assistant, kind of doing whatever was needed of me doing a little bit of everything,” said Myers, who played soccer at Michigan State University. Eventually he found his niche overseeing lease deals and has “done hundreds of commercial real estate transactions” over the past few years, becoming one of CoStar’s top 10 performers in the Denver market.

“After 7.5 years, I’m really excited to take my experience, my network and take a bet myself here teaming up with Geoff to take Boulder by storm,” Myers said.

Keys and Myers “have been involved in a lot of deals together,” Keys said. “We really enjoy working together,” and the revival of Keys Commercial felt like the perfect opportunity to join forces.

After selling his long-standing commercial real estate business to Skye Commercial Inc., a division of the Lowe real estate organization, in May 2021, Keys worked for Skye for two years before parting ways and forging his own path once again this spring. 

In early May, he revived the name Keys Commercial Real Estate LLC and set up an office at 885 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder.

After success in the leasing side of the commercial real estate business, it’s “a natural progression for (Myers) to become a broker,” Keys said. 

The commercial real estate ecosystem — with higher interest rates, stubbornly low office vacancy rates and threats of a recession on the horizon — might be less than ideal for a newly minted broker to break into. 

“We are in a challenging environment, that’s for sure,” Keys said.

Still, Myers is optimistic that the local market will remain resilient.

“Jeff and I will always bet on Boulder,” he said.