Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate was started in 1935 by Harvey Lindsay Sr., and now counts fourth generation members of the family among its employees. In 1956, Harvey Lindsay Jr. joined the company and helped to build and expand it into different specialties. After sixty-plus years, he’s still working and often comes into the office.
“We have many family members in the company,” says Billy King, one of Harvey Lindsay Jr.’s adopted sons and current company president. Three members of the next generation now work for the company, including one of King’s daughters and two nephews. “They seem to be drawn to it and want to contribute,” King says.
Reflecting on the benefits of working with people you see outside of work, such as family and close friends, King says that one benefit is working with people you trust and respect.
“It’s funny,” King says, “In a family business, sometimes there can be drama, but you just have to work through it. A lot of people think that a family business is casual and easygoing, but it isn’t that way in our shop. We’re all trying to work hard and smart for the same goal, whether you’re family or not. But it is fun to be able to see your daughter at work.”
The company focuses on the Hampton Roads area from its two offices in Newport News and Norfolk. It represents owners and occupiers of real estate with varying responsibilities, from helping landlords find tenants to assisting sellers find buyers and buyers find properties to helping owners with property management services. The Newport News office specifically does leasing, sales and property management of commercial real estate.
Senior Vice President Clark Baldwin has been with the company since 2009 and operates the Newport News office. “He was an experienced agent when he came to us and he came with nine other folks,” says King. “He’s really grown the office and enhanced our business here and the company’s reputation, doing an outstanding job. The whole crew is great to work with. We were fortunate to get all of them.”
Harvey Lindsay has eight production professionals in its Newport News office. To put their experience in perspective, Baldwin has been doing local commercial real estate since 1985 and he is the sixth most experienced agent in the office.
“It’s a good feeling to walk into the office every morning and know that you’re surrounded by a lot of experience and people who want to help you,” says Baldwin. “And when people join Harvey Lindsay, they don’t leave. We work really well together.”
One of the company’s most significant milestones was partnering to develop Oyster Point’s City Center, which led to the growth of its brokerage company and establishing its office in City Center in the early 2000s. The location has helped create a great development base for the company.
“City Center isn’t fully developed yet,” King says. “There are still buildings to be built, including the Ferguson Enterprises buildings, which shows the continued excitement and development of City Center.”
Originally from Norfolk, King is married with four adult children, two of whom are married and one with a newborn. King says, “We enjoy this area. I hope our kids can all settle here.”
Baldwin, on the other hand, is a Newport News guy. He is married with two children in college.
Both Baldwin and King believe that relationships are still the core of the business. Of course, the younger people in the company help keep up with technology, but sometimes they have to say, “Well okay, you’ve emailed 25 people today. Who have you actually met with and had some quality time?”
“Personally, I love the opportunity to work with really talented colleagues to deliver real estate solutions and help clients,” reflects Baldwin. “That’s what gets me excited every day. Even though I’ve done this for 32 years, I still am enthusiastic about delivering results to the clients who hire us, and helping the great team we have in our Newport News office.
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