Saunders Real Estate has planted its flag in Gainesville, opening a new office and tapping industry veteran Russell Dye to steer its North Georgia expansion. The Florida-based land and commercial brokerage is now on the ground north of metro Atlanta, where developers and investors are eyeing the I-985 corridor and Hall County. Local landowners and commercial clients get a closer point of contact for development, timber and recreational property deals.
According to Saunders Real Estate, the firm announced the Gainesville office on March 30, 2026, calling it its second Georgia outpost. The company said the new space, a renovated historic building at 416 Bradford St. NW, totals about 2,604 square feet and will operate alongside the company’s existing Georgia team. The release also noted that Saunders completed $1.07 billion in transactions in 2025 as it continues to expand across the Southeast.
As reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Dye joins Saunders after serving as a senior vice president at Avison Young. The Chronicle framed the hire as part of a broader push by regional firms to put down local roots and capture land and industrial assignments flowing into North Georgia.
North Georgia Market Momentum
Developers have been pouring speculative industrial projects into the I-85 and I-985 corridors north of Atlanta, keeping demand steady in Hall County and around Gainesville. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has tracked a consistent pipeline of logistics and warehouse projects in the area that is drawing brokers and investors alike. That flow of projects is a key reason land and industrial brokerage firms are bolstering their local presence.
What Dye Brings
"Joining the legacy of Saunders Real Estate was an easy decision," Dye said in the company announcement, which highlighted his background with development land, recreational assets and industrial properties. Saunders Real Estate said Dye will serve as Regional Managing Director for Gainesville and metro Atlanta. The firm expects his local relationships and experience to play a central role as it chases listings across North Georgia.
Locally Focused Strategy
The Greater Hall Chamber directory lists a roster of commercial brokers and shows Avison Young’s presence in the region, underscoring how active Hall County’s brokerage scene has become. Greater Hall Chamber entries also include Russell Dye among local brokerage contacts. For Saunders, the Gainesville office serves as both a visible statement of intent and a practical base to turn the area’s project pipeline into clients and closed deals.
