Saunders moving Sarasota sales office

Real estate brokerage firm Michael Saunders & Co. is planning to move its main Sarasota sales office to the 13-story Ellis Building on Main Street later this year, the company said Wednesday.

Saunders will occupy roughly 15,000 square feet on the building’s ground floor, leaving a company-owned office of 10,000 square feet it has occupied at Main Street and Osprey Avenue downtown since 1982.

“We’ve outgrown the Main Street office twice, and it didn’t make sense to try and adapt it again,” said Tom Heatherman, a Saunders’ spokesman. “The Ellis space will not be any ordinary space.”

He added that the Main Street office will be used by the firm’s support departments going forward.

Saunders’ Eric Massey represented the firm in the negotiations with Ellis Building owner Benderson Development Co.

Saunders becomes the second commercial tenant to commit to the Ellis Building this year. Synovus Bank plans to relocate from Courthouse Centre later this year, as well.