Lindsey Hess

Senior Vice President

CoStar Powerbroker Award Winner

Office Top Producer

15 Years With Cape Fear Commercial

Lindsey Hess is a Senior Vice President of brokerage at Cape Fear Commercial. Specializing in investment sales and Class-A office, Lindsey leverages her 16 years of commercial real estate experience to deliver expert advice and brokerage services across all product types for a diverse range of clients.

With an education and background in finance, Lindsey provides a unique prospective to buyers and sellers of income producing properties. Throughout the course of her career, Lindsey has participated in investment sales totaling over $85 million for various asset classes.

As one of the area’s top office specialists, Lindsey is consistently involved in some of the most distinguished office projects including successfully pre-leasing a number of ground up developments and representing investors with the sale or disposition income producing assets.

Since 2018, Lindsey has completed over 250 transactions valued at over $135 million and has been recognized as a top producer in office leasing and investment sales. In her previous role on the firm’s development team, she managed development projects from underwriting to delivery, including Class-A apartments and office buildings along with a number of retail build-to-suits.

Before joining Cape Fear Commercial, Lindsey provided real estate asset management services for private equity funds at TriMont Real Estate Advisors in Atlanta. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York, providing external audit services to clients.

Lindsey graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance and accounting. While in college, she competed on the women’s tennis team and was an ITA Academic All-American for four years. Lindsey now serves on the Seahawk Club board of directors at UNCW, is a member of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s Finance Committee and is an active committee member for the Realtors Commercial Alliance of Southeastern North Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys running, triathlon, playing golf and travelling.

Brian Eckel

Co-Founder & Partner

Only Dual Specialist SIOR In The Region

Founding Partner

Over 25 Years Of Industry Experience

Brian Eckel, co-founder of Cape Fear Holdings, works alongside business partner, Vin Wells, to guide the company’s three specialized divisions: Cape Fear Commercial, Cape Fear Development and Cape Fear Construction Group. With a focus on strategic planning and innovation, Brian has played an integral role in shaping the company’s evolution into a trusted leader in real estate services across the region.

Under Brian and Vin’s leadership, Cape Fear Commercial has achieved over $4 billion in transaction volume and Cape Fear Development has successfully delivered more than 3,700 multifamily units, totaling over $1.1 billion in value. While the team specializes in mixed-use multifamily developments, their diverse expertise extends to class-A office, industrial, self-storage and grocery anchored projects. Recognizing the importance of quality craftsmanship, Eckel helped launch Cape Fear Construction Group to uphold superior standards in their developments while collaborating with reliable general contractors on external projects.

A native of Wilmington, Brian combines his professional endeavors with a steadfast commitment to community service. He has served on numerous boards, including the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Business Alliance for a Sound Economy (BASE), and Cape Fear Home Builders Association. His involvement with the Novant Health Board of Trustees reflects his dedication to the well-being of his community.

Eckel is known for his ability to navigate complex real estate transactions with precision and a forward-thinking perspective. Outside of work, Eckel’s passion for Wilmington extends beyond business. Whether shaping impactful development projects or fostering relationships across industries, Brian remains committed to leaving a positive and lasting impact on both the region and the people who call it home.

Vin Wells

Co-Founder & Partner

Over 20 Years of Industry Experience

Led Development of 25+ Walgreens Stores

Founding Partner

Vin Wells, co-founder of Cape Fear Holdings, works alongside business partner, Brian Eckel, to guide the company’s three specialized divisions: Cape Fear Commercial, Cape Fear Development and Cape Fear Construction Group. His broad-based knowledge of the real estate industry, combined with his goal-directed, analytical and organizational skills, add significant value for Cape Fear Holding clients.

Vin serves as the managing broker for the firm’s Property Management Division, which manages over 4 million square feet, and works closely with the leasing and development teams, coordinating target leasing, build-to-suit and development efforts. Wells is also responsible for developing budgets, creating spreadsheet analysis for property performance and coordinating tenant construction buildouts. His array of expertise brings the true meaning of “full service” real estate to Cape Fear Commercial.

As a partner of Cape Fear Holding’s development arm, Cape Fear Development, Vin plays a critical role in identifying and managing development opportunities. Prior to the formation of the company, he facilitated a partnership between Cape Fear Commercial and GHK Developments Inc. to develop Walgreens stores throughout North and South Carolina. Since the beginning of this partnership, he has been involved in the development of more than 25 Walgreens stores, with completed projects ranging from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to as far south as Beaufort, South Carolina.

Active in his community, Wells serves on the board of the Cape Fear Council Boy Scouts of America and is a member of the Commercial and Investment Division of the Wilmington Regional Association of REALTORS. A Wilmington native, he resides in the area with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children, Lulu and Webb.

Paul Loukas, SIOR, CCIM

Partner & Broker-in-Charge

13 Years With Cape Fear Commercial

CoStar Powerbroker Award Winner

Closed Over $850 Million In Transactions

Paul S. Loukas, SIOR, CCIM, is a Partner and the Broker-in-Charge at Cape Fear Commercial, where he oversees the firm’s brokerage division.

Throughout his 22 years in the commercial real estate industry, Paul has personally brokered more than 700 transactions with a gross consideration of over $850 million.

Primarily focused on development tracts and investment sales, he has sold some of the region’s largest and most prominent pieces of real estate.

Originally from Washington, DC, he is a graduate of the University of Richmond and holds both SIOR (Office and Industrial, Dual Specialist) and CCIM designations. He and his wife, Colleen, live on Wrightsville Beach with their two sons, Paul Jr. and Pete.

In addition to his role as Broker-in-Charge, Paul is a Partner with the firm’s development affiliate, Cape Fear Development.

Notable transactions include:

$68M sale of the 400,000 SF Thermo-Fisher mid-rise office tower, representing the largest commercial transaction ever in the region – awarded the Co-Star Sale/Acquisition of the Year Award.
$15M sale of the Renaissance Courtyard, a portfolio of Class-A office buildings that hit a record price.
$9M sale of the Murchison Building, an 11-story historic landmark in downtown Wilmington with over 50 tenants – awarded the Co-Star Sale/Acquisition of the Year Award.
$6M sale of a vacant 30,000 SF development site at 101 N Front Street in downtown Wilmington. The sale of several vacant redevelopment oceanfront sites, including the recent sale of 7 acres along the coast of Surf City.
Represented investors, developers, and builders in the sale of nearly 100 subdivisions, totaling 12,000+ developed and paper lots.
The sales of several development tracts along the riverfront, totaling more than 17 acres, including several properties that were catalysts for the revitalization and growth of the northern riverfront.
Represented over 21 banks and lenders to dispose, manage, and work through their troubled and OREO assets, including several individual and portfolio loan sales.
Represented several local municipalities for real estate needs, including the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, and the Town of Carolina Beach.

Hank Miller

Senior Vice President

Over 35 Years Of Industry Experience

Closed 200+ REO Transactions

21 Years With Cape Fear Commercial

Hank Miller is President of Miller Realty Associates Inc., M&N Equipment Rentals Inc., and serves as a Senior Vice President for Cape Fear Commercial.

Since joining the company in 2002, Hank’s involvement has been multifaceted, and his experience includes: development, construction management, landlord and tenant representation, and consulting services. After the financial crisis in 2008, Hank was instrumental in developing the firm’s relationships with financial institutions, specifically with REO portfolios. Cape Fear Commercial has represented 18 financial institutions offering services from pre-foreclosure consulting and Broker Pricing Opinions to asset Management and Disposition and the company has been involved in over 200 REO dispositions in the last several years. A sample of other projects include: development and construction of headquarters for three regional banks; development, leasing and construction for a Fortune 100 manufacturing company, tenant representation for a regional law firm; real estate consulting services in a bankruptcy case involving the successful disposition of prime residential resort property, and as a court appointed receiver successfully stabilizing and disposing of a retail shopping center for a national bank.

Prior to joining Cape Fear Commercial, Hank was Chairman of Miller Building Corporation. During his tenure as Chairman, the Company was consistently ranked in the NC Top 100 privately held companies with over $250 million in annual revenues with building activity in 23 states. Hank maintains a general contractor’s license.

A native of Wilmington, Hank attended North Carolina State University and received a B.S. in Business Management from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He has been very active in civic and community organizations in Wilmington and throughout North Carolina. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Alderman for the Town of Wrightsville Beach, member of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Board of Trustees, member of the Wilmington Urban Area Transportation Advisory Committee, member of the Wilmington Regional Association of REALTORS Government Affairs Committee, ex officio member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Assistant Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Cape Fear Council of Boy Scouts and as Past President of the Board of Directors of the Thalian Association, the official community theater of North Carolina. He has served as Chairman of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Foundation Board, Board Member of the Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees, the Leadership Team of the Partners for Economic Inclusion, Town of Wrightsville Beach Planning Board, Past-President of the Board of Directors of Cape Fear Academy, Co-chairman of the North Carolina Holiday Flotilla and is a Past President of the North Carolina Azalea Festival (1994). He has also served as a member of the Southeastern North Carolina Economic Development Commission, member of the Board of Directors of the Charlotte Partnership and North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry.

He lives in Wrightsville Beach with his wife Maggie (Andrews) and their sons Henry IV and Mac.

Spruill Thompson

Senior Vice President

Multiple Year Top Producer

Over 30 Years Of Industry Experience

16 Years With Cape Fear Commercial

F. Spruill Thompson is a Senior Vice President for Cape Fear Commercial. He has diverse background in the real estate industry, with more than 30 years of experience in business brokerage, business valuation, development, investment properties, property management, sales and leasing, as well as a particular focus on 1031 tax deferred exchanges.

At Cape Fear Commercial, Spruill has developed new markets and geographically expanded the company’s full range of services. He is also recognized as a multiple top year producer in office, industrial, retail and investment properties.

Before joining the firm, Spruill served as president and chief executive officer of 1stAtlantic Properties, Inc. for seven years. In these roles, he oversaw strategic planning and the daily operations of the company, in addition to all forms of business development.

Over the course of his career, Spruill has brokered numerous transactions valued at over $1 billion. Creativity, discretion, integrity and perseverance have earned him a loyal client base, providing repeat business and referrals. His business model of finding opportunities and creating solutions for clients has also proven successful in any type of market condition.

Spruill is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English. He served in the United States Army and the U.S. Army Reserves. Additionally, he has held numerous positions on board of trustees for New Hanover Regional Medical Center, to include the role of vice chairman, and he served as the president of the REALTORS Commercial Alliance of Southeastern North Carolina (RCASENC).

Currently, Spruill is an appointed member of the New Hanover Airport Authority and serves as the secretary of board of directors for Wilmington Downtown, Inc (WDI). He also continues over a decade of service on the North Carolina Association of REALTORS (NCAR) Commercial Forms Committee. Other charities, organizations and special interests for Thompson include: the Virginia Military Institute and Keydet Club, the University of Mississippi, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Rams Club, the University of South Carolina, Rotary International and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Spruill resides in Wilmington with his wife, Karen (UNC, two boys, Shepherd (Ole Miss; U.S. Army) and Gordon (USC), as well as dog, Bella, and cat, Opie.

Bryce Morrison

Mike Brown

Senior Vice President

Development Team Leader

Autumn Hall Development Manager

17 Years With Cape Fear Commercial

Mike Brown serves as Senior Vice President of Cape Fear Commercial and plays an active role in the firm’s Development Services Division. He is also a Partner in Cape Fear Commercial’s development arm, Cape Fear Development. Mike is responsible for identifying and managing new and ongoing development projects for both companies and their clients, in addition to handling retail brokerage and property management responsibilities for Cape Fear Commercial’s retail portfolio.

Mike joined Cape Fear Commercial as an Intern in summer 2003. After graduating in 2004, he began his career in sales in the Triangle, working for Pulte Homes Corporation, a publicly traded Fortune 200 company. Later recruited to work on the company’s land development team, Mike was responsible for acquiring, entitling and developing the division’s annual 800+ lot supply. During his tenure with the organization, Mike managed the development of a lot supply valued at more than $45 million.

In 2007, Mike was asked to join the Development Team for Autumn Hall, a high profile, 236-acre, mixed-use project located in Wilmington, North Carolina. As the project’s Development Manager, he was responsible for all planning, entitlements and ongoing development activities. While Mike later joined Cape Fear Commercial and Cape Fear Development, he remains the Development Manager for Autumn Hall and is heavily involved in project’s development through his roles at both firms.

Mike is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds bachelor’s degrees in both Economics and Management in Society. A native of Wilmington, he prides himself on community involvement. Mike is a past Board Member of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, serving nine years on the organization’s Executive Committee and as Chairman of the Board from 2016-2018. He has also been on the Executive Committee for the Cape Fear Council of the Boy Scouts of America and sat on the Board of Directors for the Carousel Center. A past member of the Vestry of St. James Church, he currently serves as the organization’s Treasurer. Mike resides in Wilmington with his wife, Jamie, and their two sons, Corbett and Miller.

Will Leonard

Charlie Rivenbark

Senior Vice President

20 Years On Wilmington's City Council

Cape Fear Commercial Team Member Since 2019

Over 30 Years Of Industry Experience

Charlie Rivenbark Jr. is a Senior Vice President at Cape Fear Commercial. With over 30 years of industry experience and extensive knowledge of the local market, he excels at providing targeted and customized real estate solutions for clients.

In addition to his role with the firm, Charlie is a member of the Wilmington City Council. First elected in 1993, he is currently serving his fifth term in office and is the council’s appointed representative on the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s Board of Directors. Charlie is also the Vice Chairman of The Lower Cape Fear Water & Sewer Authority and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Charlie graduated from New Hanover High School in 1967 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1969. Following a tour in Vietnam with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, he was honorably discharged as a Sergeant E-5-11B40 Infantry and enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He later earned his real estate license and worked as a broker before entering the restaurant business for 14 years, owning Charlie Rivenbark’s Restaurant and serving as a managing partner of Annabelle’s. His professional experience also includes 20 years as a commercial real estate broker with Maus, Warwick, Matthews & Co.

An active member of the community, Charlie has been a weekly reader at a local elementary school for the past 20 years. He volunteers as the caretaker at Bellevue Cemetery and is the treasurer for the Cape Fear Council of Governments, in addition to playing an active role in Wilmington’s Central Rotary Club and the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina. Charlie has also been on the Board of Directors for Wilmington Downtown Inc. and volunteered with the North Carolina Azalea Festival, serving as the President in 2007 after years of committee service and holding an officer position with the festival since 2001.

Charlie is a native of New Hanover County and resides in Wilmington. He has two sons, Chad and Travis, and two grandchildren, Greyson and Molly Lynn.

Keith Austin

Hae Ellis

Lindsey Hess

Senior Vice President

CoStar Powerbroker Award Winner

Office Top Producer

15 Years With Cape Fear Commercial