Get to Know Our Team: Philip Hagee
Philip Hagee, Listing Manager & Licensed Real Estate Broker
I've been with Sturges Property Group for... 7 years
I am a native of... Cincinnati, Ohio
How I got into commercial real estate... I’ve always wanted to get into development and own investment real estate. After undergrad, I received my Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and started my career working for the City of Noblesville in the Planning Department. At that point, I knew I needed some experience on the private side of real estate if I wanted to be a developer or landlord, so I reached out to Brad Sturges and Carol Chaney about an opportunity in the Property Management Department to do third-party management for property owners. I’d highly recommend this route to anyone interested in becoming a broker or property owner. I can’t think of a better way to learn about the day-to-day operations of property and commercial leases. It has helped me immensely in underwriting investment deals and negotiating leases.
My favorite part of being a CRE broker & working for Sturges is… the diversity of people you meet. One day I’ll be assisting a new business find their first location and the next day I’ll be negotiating a deal with an investor with hundreds of millions of dollars in assets.
Best advice for anyone looking to buy, sell, lease, or invest in NE Indiana… I’d encourage any investor to consider NE Indiana. If you’re looking for stable returns on your real estate this is the place for you. We may not see the extremely high “highs” like some other areas of the country, but we also don’t have the extremely low “lows”. Vacancy rates across the board have been fairly stable as compared to the rest of the country through the pandemic. Rents have been steadily increasing, especially in suburban retail and industrial. We’re also blessed to have strong public and private leadership that is willing to invest in our business community.
Was there anything that surprised you about Fort Wayne vs Cincinnati? My wife is originally from here, so I was familiar with the city. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about moving to a smaller city than Cincinnati and Indianapolis but I’ve come to love it. It’s perfect for this stage in my life—my kids are in great schools, my wife owns a successful business, and I have a job that I love.
What are some of the major pros of coming to NE Indiana? I love living in NE Indiana—it’s a very easy life. I go back to Cincinnati occasionally to visit family and it’s too big! I can get anywhere within Fort Wayne within 30 minutes, it offers plenty in regard to recreation and entertainment, and it’s a great place to raise a family.
Recommendations to a first-time Fort Wayne visitor… Stay in downtown Fort Wayne but don’t forget there are awesome areas surrounding Fort Wayne… All of the lakes, Auburn, Roanoke, Angola, Columbia City.
Rapid Fire Questions:
If I could be a comic book superhero, I’d be… I think my sons would be very disappointed if I didn’t say Spiderman.
Dogs or cats? Definitely dogs.
Favorite thing to do on the weekend: Family time at Crooked Lake
I think Fort Wayne could use… a Top Golf.
The person I would most want to be trapped in an elevator with: I’ve been stuck in elevators too many times and it’s the worst—so nobody!
Favorite Fort Wayne restaurant: Skyline Chili… the boy can leave Cincinnati, but Cincinnati can’t leave the boy!
