Submitted by The Rants Group
“One of the best parts of working in Thurston County is the relationships we have formed. It’s hard to tell who is a customer and who is a friend; they become one and the same,” said Pat Rants, looking fondly at the crowd of nearly 200 people nodding their heads in agreement. All had come together to help The Rants Group celebrate 40 years of success at an event in early September.
In the fall of 1973, with postage stamps at eight cents, The Rants Group was started as a small operation by Pat’s dad Ron Rants, and partners whom Ron later bought out. The Rants Group’s current Vice President, Managing Broker Shelley Foltz, joined the company in 1974.
“We are proud to have served the commercial and investment real estate needs of the community for 40 years,” said Pat, the company’s President and CEO. “We work hard every day to improve the quality of the services we provide our clients and tenants. We are better than we were 10 years ago and I expect we’ll be much better 10 years from now.”
Notably, Pat’s daughter Danielle joined the company this month after earning a degree in financial economics at Western Washington University, making The Rants Group a three generation firm. Ron, well-known for his local developments, as well as his community and international aid work, serves as the company’s Chairman. Senior staff also includes Broker Carolyn Graden. In total, The Rants Group is comprised of 14 people with average tenure for all team members of 16 years.
The company’s longevity means they’ve have gone through a number of market cycles and gained the knowledge needed to expertly advise clients in a variety of economic climates. As a full service commercial and investment real estate company, The Rants Group’s seasoned brokers help clients realize their real estate goals by providing commercial sales, leasing, management and development services, as well as residential management and leasing.
The structural landscape of Thurston County would look much different without The Rants Group’s contributions. In the mid-1980’s, they were part of three historic downtown Olympia renovations — the Mottman, Reed Block and Walker Buildings – which helped invigorate Olympia at a time when downtown was suffering economically due to both neglect and recessionary times. They also developed many of the buildings surrounding the Farmers Market, as well as other commercial projects and medical campuses throughout the county.
“What I most appreciate about doing business with The Rants Group is they have the community’s best interest as their number one priority,” said longtime Olympia businessman Rick Panowicz. The company values long-term relationships and the long-term value of real estate investments.
On the volunteer front, The Rants Group has also been a leader. “We decided family, and being part of the community, is what’s important,” said Ron. Many of The Rants Group’s team members sit on boards, serve on committees and work on behalf of worthy causes. These include the Providence St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation, Association of Washington Business, Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County, YWCA of Olympia, Olympia Lions Club and Rotary Clubs to name a few. Pat is currently serving as chair of the Saint Martin’s University Board of Trustees.
It’s really no wonder, why so many heads were nodding, as Pat struggled to make a distinction between customers and friends.
