Richmond, VA – March 4th, 2026

CCP30, Part I: How Mark Claud’s Vision Became a Collaborative Reality

There is a printed, 30-page document filed away in the bottom drawer of Mark Claud’s desk at Commonwealth Commercial Partners in Richmond, Va. Though originally written 30 years ago, it’s brought out occasionally for reference, reminders, and the occasional move to new offices.

That document—the initial business plan penned by Claud in 1996, when he founded Commonwealth Commercial Partners (CCP)—outlines many of the standard elements one might expect in a business plan: product offerings, marketing strategy, financial projections. Yet a prominent, recurring theme in Claud’s plan is the pursuit of excellence, or, specifically, how the business could only evolve from a one-man shop into its full potential through the collective strength of a strong team.

“When you start a company, there are two directions you can go,” shares Claud, now Chief Executive Officer at CCP. “For us, one direction could have been the ‘Mark Claud Show,’ where everything is about me. The other is recognizing that what you have is bigger than one person. A company that is owned and operated by the employees—that’s where CCP is now. That’s what our company is all about.”

Today, beliefs such as this one are woven into the very fabric of CCP’s culture and values, proving that while the company’s scale has changed over time, the heart that drives it all remains exactly the same. Through 30 years of internal growth and industry changes, Claud’s original business plan has remained a steadfast reminder of where the company came from, who they aspire to be, and how they intend to get there.

The Founding

Mark Claud founded Commonwealth Commercial Partners on May 26, 1996—his 35th birthday.

“I was young with a wife and two young kids,” says Claud. “There was a lot of personal and financial risk involved in starting a new company. But I believed in the pieces I had laid out and had a few strong clients I could trust right from the start. That kept me confident.”

Claud’s background up to that point had been in sales and leasing brokerage, where he was starting to witness a significant evolution in the industry. The traditional model of incremental commission payments was being disrupted by developers offering upfront fees. This was causing the entire brokerage world to pivot toward rapid leasing. Claud noticed that this shift left a void in the market: as the industry focused on the immediate transaction, critical services like asset and property management were left behind.

It’s within this gap that the potential for CCP began to materialize in Claud’s mind.

“My original thesis was simple: if we build a company that integrates management services with leasing, we will attract the caliber of clients who prioritize high-level service. Focusing on that niche ultimately allowed us to align with partners who truly value our work, which in turn gave us the resources to hire exceptional people.”

Armed with his business plan and entrepreneurial spirit, Claud left his large, established commercial real estate employer and struck out on his own, ready to prove that a service-first model could redefine the industry.

“As with any new venture, you can plan and prepare as much as possible, but at some point you just have to jump.”

The Early Years

At first, it was just Claud. He oversaw commercial property management, leasing, and sales for a wide range of Richmond clients, from local owners to large-scale family offices and institutional investors.

“I was fortunate to have a handful of hyper supportive clients to get things started, folks we still work with today like the Robins family, Sauer company, RVA Pediatrics,” says Claud. “They all believed in what CCP was providing from the start.”

As opportunities multiplied, Claud quickly hit a ceiling; he couldn’t personally manage any new transactions while simultaneously steering the company.

“You quickly determine where your strengths lie,” says Claud. “For me, I felt that I could do a lot more good for the company by going out meeting with people, providing services.”

This realization led Claud to hire Sue Brittle as Director of Financial Services, the company’s first fulltime employee. Brittle worked at CCP for more than twenty years. “People like Sue played an instrumental role in our company,” says Claud.

Between 1998-2004, Claud also brought in a team of people to help augment the sales and leasing side of CCP. This strategic expansion included five individuals who are still with CCP today: Bill Barnett, Carl Blackwell, Russell Wyatt, Sam Worley, and Jim McVey.

“It was a pretty dramatic move to go from one person to more than six,” says Claud. “But it signaled that we were in growth mode. We have continued to grow steadily ever since.”

That isn’t to say CCP’s first few years weren’t completely void of any diversions.

At one point early on, Claud managed a team of eight or nine residential agents and explored the world of residential development. He ultimately found that it didn’t align with his vision. “They felt like distractions from our core focus,” says Claud.

The Growth

The era where CCP saw its most significant growth is a period where other companies saw sheer devastation: the 2008 financial crisis.

While most of the industry was reeling from high debt, forced to slash expenses, CCP was in a position of strength. With a clean balance sheet, Claud watched as a significant segment of the Richmond market was effectively left out in the cold, creating a unique opening for CCP to provide much-needed stability.

“We smashed the accelerator to the floor, hired as many people as we could, and took on as many new accounts as we could,” says Claud. “This period of time was the greatest accelerant to our company; when everyone was running away from the business, we were running to the fire.”

Claud also attributes CCP’s growth over the years to the success of its clients. When CCP aligns with a client, they don’t just manage a property—they grow alongside the business, often following them into new markets. Claud takes particular pride in these “side-by-side” journeys, having supported several clients as they evolved from small operations into multi-generational legacies.

Today, CCP is a leading full-service commercial real estate firm, employing more than 200 people and operating in 17 different states. Its corporate headquarters in Richmond is home to more than 100 employees. In 2016, Claud stepped into the role of CEO, with Ken Stricker moving up as company president. In addition to maintaining its core services in commercial sales and leasing, property and asset management, CCP has expanded to include additional capabilities such as forestry management, rural land and timber sales, and lodging and hospitality management.

“Most people don’t realize all this about CCP, and that’s okay with us,” laughs Claud. “We aren’t interested in being showy, we just put our heads down and do the work. That’s part of our vibe.”

The Future

CCP has evolved significantly over the last 30 years, yet for Claud, two things remain unchanged. The first is the importance of hiring great people and developing a people-first culture.

“If you visit our headquarters, you will see a wall that features length of tenure for our people,” shares Claud. “There are more than 50 people who have been at CCP for between 10-30 years.

This is very important to our company: being able not just to hire really good people, but retain them.”

Claud also points to CCP’s unwavering commitment to company values: Team First, Own It, Professionalism, Relationship-oriented, and Integrity. These values have led the way for hiring, company culture, business, and client relationships.

“Many of our current company values were in the original business plan, especially the integrity piece of it, ” says Claud. “To be recognized as people who treat others well both in and outside of the organization has always been important.”

Looking ahead to the next 30 years, Claud, who is set to retire on May 26, 2026, sees CCP as having a brokerage presence throughout the Southeast, changing the way the company is viewed and how it grows. He also sees the company continuing to support its people, providing opportunities for professional growth and cultivating a legacy where the next generation of leaders can thrive within the company’s core values.

“I may have been the one to light the fire,” says Claud, “but it’s been burning for 30 years thanks to everyone who has passed through the doors of this company, adding more and more kindling to the flame.”