Bob Clay, CCIM

Bob Clay is a Partner at MECA and brings a wealth of experience in commercial real estate. He has overseen numerous real estate developments throughout the Carolinas, including residential, commercial, and hotel projects, and has also completed many multi-million-dollar commercial investment real estate transactions on behalf of his clients.

Originally from Laurel, Mississippi, Bob was an Army officer and served in Vietnam. Upon his honorable discharge, he joined Xerox Corporation, where he rose to the position of National Accounts Manager. In 1978, Bob organized his first commercial real estate company in Flint, Michigan, eventually forming another after moving his family to Charlotte, NC, in 1981. Later joining MECA as Vice President of Development, Bob collaborated on Olmsted Park, one of Charlotte’s first mixed-use infill developments. In 1989, the Koury Corporation in Greensboro, NC, recruited him to oversee the master planning and land development of the 1,400-acre Grandover Resort. Bob joined Pharr Yarns, Inc. in 1993 as their Director of Real Estate Operations where he was responsible for numerous development projects. Eventually in 2004, he founded Clay Realty Advisors.

Bob earned his B.S. from the University of Michigan-Flint and received the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation in 1988, later serving on the NC CCIM Board of Directors. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker in North Carolina and South Carolina and a member of the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of Realtors (CRCBR).

Actively involved in his community, Bob served on the Metropolitan Board of the Gaston YMCA, heading the building committee of the 46,000-square-foot R.L. Stowe, Jr. YMCA, and was voted Board Member of the Year in 1996. He has worked on the Steering Committee of the Gaston County Unified Development Ordinance and the City of Belmont’s Comprehensive Land Plan. Bob also served on the Gaston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and is the founding Chairman of the Greater Gaston Development Corporation – Alliance for Growth. He also served on the Regional Roads Committee, is a past Board Member of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at First United Methodist Church in Gastonia.

Bob’s leadership in real estate has been recognized with awards like the Inspiration Award as Businessperson of the Year from the Gaston Regional Chamber in 2009, the Spirit of the Carolinas Award in 2016 from the Gaston Regional Chamber, and the “Order of the Long Leaf Pine” by Governor McCrory in recognition of his community service.

His extensive experience and community involvement make him a valuable asset to his clients, team, and the commercial real estate industry. Outside of work, Bob enjoys spending time with his wife Linda and his children, and making lasting, meaningful contributions to the local community.