Be curious. Ask questions. Listen.

While it makes sense that a real estate company would do these things, for the team at Oak Investment Real Estate, it’s a way of life. These words are part of the core values that the team established when they opened in October 2021, said John Heine, one of the founders.

“The common thread here is that everyone is very entrepreneurial,” Heine said. “Everyone has their own batteries. You don’t need to wind them up.”

That attitude is key to developing commercial real estate opportunities. No stone remains unturned when searching for the right deals to make, from businesses to apartment complexes.

“Omaha is our focus,” said Spencer Goldenberg, a broker specializing in multifamily and commercial investments. “If you had to look for a deeper niche, I’d say urban Omaha.”

Each broker brings a skill set that helps him or her succeed, Heine said. Team members have enjoyed success from Little Bohemia to Bennington.

Colleen Mason helped developed Little Bohemia.

“I was looking for a career change, and my uncle was in commercial real estate in California,” Mason said. “I would talk with him for hours. I was with PJ Morgan for seven years and started working the neighborhood. I met with neighbors, business owners, and community leaders. I was able to buy some property down there, and then dived headfirst into it.”

Dani Berke has enjoyed success around Omaha, including the community of Bennington.

“Dani owns Bennington,” Goldenberg joked.

Among the company’s major accomplishments, a deal for Belmont and Brenton Apartment complex sold for $10.75 million. The 92-unit property, located in Midtown, was unique in that it was larger than most small companies could afford, but smaller than a lot of larger companies would find interesting. The concept worked for a California-based firm, which will use a property management company to oversee the apartments. Belmont and Brenton was built between 1972 and ‘80, but renovated about three years ago.

A second multifamily dwelling, M34 at 34th and Dodge Streets, closed for $5.15 million. With 28 units, M34 was completed in 2019. Near Midtown Crossing, M34 was originally sold to another buyer. However, after that deal failed to close, the Oak Investment team was ready to pursue a deal because the team had stayed cognizant of the original plans. It was the client’s third multifamily property purchase in two months. The client also negotiated an Airbnb option for the complex.

As the Oak Investment team celebrates its first year as a company, its youth is a far cry from the experience the team brings to it. Along with Heine’s 16 years at Investors and Carol Samway’s more than 15 years of experience, the Oak team brings a solid real estate background, with each person either having worked as a broker or as a property investor.

The Oak team, which works out of a former printing shop building at 3219 Leavenworth Street, consists of Heine, Samway, Goldenberg, Berke, Mason, Colten Adams, and Michelle Gillott (and Louie, Heine’s three-year-old black lab).