The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors announced on Jan. 9, 2026 that Rob Nahigian, SIOR of Auburndale Realty Co., Newton, MA has been honored as SIOR Emeritus for his 40th Anniversary as a SIOR designee. He originally earned the SIR (Society of Industrial Realtors before the name change to Society of Industrial and Office Realtors) in 1986 as a certified industrial expert. He has served on over 46 committees and task forces as Chair, Vice-Chair and Member within the SIOR organization including being named 5 times as the SIOR National Instructor of the Year and serving as New England Chapter Chair, National Board of Directors, Northeast Regional VP, National Executive Committee, National Budget and Finance, National Education and Faculty Chair, Editor of the SIOR Professional Report, SIOR Ambassador, Boston National and Regional Conference, etc. The Emeritus status is an honor and SIOR stated that Emeritus was earned for his continuous commitment for driving the future of office and industrial commercial real estate. Rob stated that he appreciated all the good people and friends that he has made within the SIOR family.

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The Counselors of Real Estate announced on December 19, 2025 at its Annual Membership and Board of Directors Meeting that Rob Nahigian, CRE of Auburndale Realty Co. of Newton, MA and resident of Weston, MA was being honored as its 2025 Lovejoy Award for Committee Service. Rob served this year as the National Vice-Chair of Engagement and Retention and has served on over 30 committees, task forces and other roles either as Chair, Vice-Chair or Member for the Counselors. Some of the committees include National Board of Directors, National Executive Committee, National Vice-Chair Liaison, Chapter President, Invitation Committee, Public Relations Committee; Chapter Activities Committee, National Strategic Planning Team, Editor in Chief, Business Issues Subcommittee, Benefits and Values Task Force, Education Committee, Workplace Task Force, Tenant Leasing SIG, James Felt Selection Committee, National Engagement and Retention, Detroit Convention Planning Committee, and National Membership Committee. The Counselors of Real Estate is the highest designation for real estate advisors and is by invitation only with over 900 members.

The Lovejoy Award for Committee Service provides official recognition of exemplary committee, task force, or other extraordinary service to the CRE organization. It is the highest award that a CRE member can receive for committee service. Established in 1998, the award recipient is selected by the chair of the board in collaboration with the organization president. George Lovejoy was a distinguished member of the Counselors of whom the award is named after. John Hentschel, CRE and Global Chair gave an overview of Rob’s involvement and tireless efforts during 2025 with statements from CRE members of the Boston Chapter on Rob’s dedication to the CRE organization and tireless work on committees. In 2025 Rob created new resources on the CRE website, created 4 programs at the Detroit conference on how to create new revenues, consummated exhibitors at the Detroit conference (first time in 72 years for the Counselors) and installed new webinars. John stated that Rob was an ambassador for CRE, was full of energy, was naturally committed to the Counselors and was richly deserving of this award.
The Lovejoy award was created by George Lovejoy who was a Boston prominent businessman, civic leader and conservationist. He served in the Navy and worked for Minot, DeBlois and Maddison. He then joined Meredith & Grew in Boston and rose to president and CEO. Meredith & Grew then transitioned to Colliers International. George was president of GBREB, BOMA and Chapter of IREM. He was awarded the CRE James Landauer Award and the Industry Leadership Award by BOMA. In Boston he was Chair of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, New England Aquarium and director of the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. He lived in Weston, MA where he chaired the planning board, was president of the Harvard Club of Boston as well as other charities and non-profits. Rob will be completing his national role at the end of 2025 but will be working on other projects in 2026.

During December, 2024, Rob Nahigian was appointed by the Counselors of Real Estate as its representative to the NAR National Committee on Professional Development overseeing education for its members including the GRI program. He was also appointed by John Hentschel, CRE National Chair as National Vice-President of Engagement and Retention for 2025. Rob has already started developing his action plan and will be overseeing relevant benefits to be delivered both to NAR and CRE.

Rob Nahigian,FRICS,SIOR,CRE,MCR of Auburndale Realty was the key speaker at the S. Shore Association of Realtors annual Commercial Real Estate Summit on December 10, 2024. The full day event was held at the S. Shore Association’s location in Pembroke, MA. Rob gave two CE programs during the morning and afternoon to an auditorium of commercial practitioners. The two topics included: Introduction to Commercial Real Estate Basics: Principles and Concepts and Commercial Brokerage: The Lease Offer and the Basics of a Lease. There was also a noon time panel of commercial experts that included: Barbara Arena, VP, Granite State Development; Brad Mahoney, Mahoney Law Group; Joni Traficante, First Vice-President, The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod; Mike Guimares, Commercial & Residential REALTOR, Jack Conway and Rob Nahigian,SIOR,FRICS,MCR,CRE; Principal, Auburndale Realty Co. There was a morning networking breakfast followed by Rob’s first course, then the panel and afternoon program. The South Shore Realtors has been working extensively that last few years to give commercial real estate a focal point in its education offerings and support.

Boston University’s Center for Professional Education Real Estate Studies Program teamed up with CREW on September 4, 2024 for close-up at Frontiers in Sustainability! Rob Nahigian, SIOR is one of the real estate senior instructors for the last 30 years in the Real Estate Studies program and was invited to attend. Approximately 75 real estate professionals attended the program at the new Boston University’s Center For Computing and Data Sciences. The building was recently constructed on Commonwealth Ave and is the largest net-zero building in Boston.

Rob Nahigian, SIOR of Auburndale Realty Co. was invited by NAR Commercial to lead a logistics and supply chain port bus tour and speak at the CCIM Global Summit on Sept. 17 and 18 in Hollywood, FL. The annual summit took place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. NAR Commercial approached SIOR in the Spring of 2024 for a speaker on port and logistics supply chain. Since 2013, Rob Nahigian, SIOR has been leading the nation in talks to SIOR, CCIM chapters and other commercial boards on how distribution companies select a site using mathematical formulas, centralized and decentralized models. The CCIM conference attracted over 800 attendees. On Tuesday, September 17, Rob led a bus tour to Port Everglades educating the attendees about the changes in the Panama Canal, his research visiting over 20-25 harbor and inland ports. On Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 Rob led a break-out session on how companies make a site selection decision in the logistics supply chain world. There were approximately 150 attendees at his program

Auburndale Realty Co., Newton, Mass. and Rob Nahigian, FRICS, SIOR, CRE, MCR are pleased to announce the expansion of 10,000 sf of warehouse space at the Groton Ayer LLC facility, 95B Fitchburg Road, Ayer, Massachusetts. The space was leased by Elliott Auto Supply Co. Inc. dba Factory Motor Parts of Eagan MN. FMP manufactures Splash, a windshield wiper fluid sold nationally. The space will serve Splash with the need for excess space to warehouse and distribution of its products. Factory Motor Parts teams up with OE Suppliers to distribute aftermarket parts from nationally-known brands and its own product lines— FVP and SPLASH. They provide a full line of premium products, offer automotive, marine, golf cart, and lawn and garden parts, along with windshield washing, de-icing, and all-purpose cleaning solutions.  Factory Motor Parts provides premier automotive parts, resources and programs to fulfill the needs of dealerships, independent service centers, fleets and wholesale distributors. Rob Nahigian represented the landlord.

Rob Nahigian of Auburndale Realty Co., Newton, MA was honored to serve as a panelist for The Rhode Island Association of Realtors informative webinar on June 13, 2024. The program was named “Adapting and Thriving: Transforming Real Estate Transactions Together”. The program drew attendees throughout New England including SIOR and CCIM members. The topic was to discuss the seismic shifts expected in the real estate landscape on commissions due to the recent NAR lawsuit settlement. The panelists included John Dolbec, Chair of the RI Mortgage Bankers Association, Scott Kriss, Esq of Kriss Law Atlantic, Rob Nahigian of Auburndale Realty, Beverly Pierce and John Breault of RIAR. Discussions included how to navigate buyer agreements and fees for real estate professional services, potential changes to mortgage terms and conditions and how commercial real estate brokerage has adapted various methods of compensation beyond commissions, how to select buyer customers and developing a business plan. Rob Nahigian, FRICS,SIOR,MCR,CRE discussed how the commercial real estate industry has adapted to various services and fee methods offered to commercial buyers and tenants. Commercial real estate has adopted tenant/buyer representation since the topic was first introduced in the early 1990s in SIOR. Thank you to Ann Enos of RIAR for organizing this event. 

Rob Nahigian,FRICS,SIOR,CRE,MCR of Auburndale Realty has completed teaching Commercial Lease Analysis at Boston University in its Certificate of RE Studies. Rob has served on the BU Faculty for 30 years on various topics. The winter semester covered 55 lease clauses that may be found in an industrial, office or retail lease. His guest speakers have included the head of global real estate for Fidelity Investments, the former head of real estate for Sears Holdings, the director of acquisitions for Marcus Partners, one of the top real estate Boston attorneys, and a real estate counselor for Colliers International.

Rob Nahigian, FRICS,SIOR,CRE,MCR has been asked to teach a course on Commercial Due Diligence in the Sale of RE for MA NAIOP and its Certificate of RE Studies. The zoom course will be offered during April, 2024. Rob has taught many courses for MA NAIOP over the years and is a senior lecturer.