Commercial brokerage hires agents

FORT MYERS — LandQwest Commercial named Carlos Acosta and Chuck Smith as senior directors with the firm, boosting the firm's ranks in Southwest Florida.

Acosta and Smith previously were with the Fort Myers office of Lee & Associates.

Commercial real estate firms have been hiring agents as the economic recovery takes hold. Commercial real estate usually follows the residential real estate cycle as demand for shops, warehouses and offices occur on the heels of rising home sales.

Fluent in Spanish, Acosta has more than 25 years in sales and marketing for a Fortune 500 company and 11 years running a family-owned business. He serves on the board of Commercial Investment Professionals.

A native of Fort Myers, Smith's career included 20 years in sales and marketing with Sprint before becoming a real estate professional. He serves on the board of CCIM, the commercial real estate industry association.