A structural partner,

About Designated Broker Solutions®

A structural partner,
not a vendor.

Since 2018, DBS has provided real estate organizations with the broker of record representation, licensing oversight, and compliance infrastructure required to operate with confidence across every state where they do business.

DBS Team · 2025
MEET THE TEAM

The people behind your compliance.

At DBS, you work directly with our team. Not a support queue. Not a rotating account manager. Every member of our staff brings real estate expertise, regulatory knowledge, and a genuine investment in the outcomes we deliver.

Kristen Zimmerman
Founder & CEO
Kristen Zimmerman
Founder & CEO

Kristen is the Founder and CEO of Designated Broker Solutions (DBS), which she launched in 2019 to fill a need for compliant broker services on a national scale. Prior to DBS, she spent more than 20 years as Vice President of Investments at Oakwood Worldwide, where she led asset management, acquisitions, and dispositions.  

With over 30 years of experience spanning consumer lending, commercial REOs, commercial lending and asset management, Kristen brings deep industry expertise and strategic leadership to DBS. She is licensed as a real estate broker in 42 states and Washington, D.C. and focuses on guiding the firm’s long-term vision and continued growth.

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Outside of work, Kristen enjoys traveling (having visited 17 countries) and staying active outdoors through hiking, camping, paddleboarding, and kayaking. She is also a dedicated animal advocate and has spent more than 20 years volunteering with a local dog rescue, fostering and helping rehome hundreds of dogs alongside her husband - her favorite travel partner and co-dog parent.
Sharon Fleeman
President
Sharon Fleeman
President

Sharon Fleeman, President of DBS, joined the team in 2021 bringing more than 30 years of experience across real estate and financial services, including institutional, tax‑credit financing, commercial, and credit union service organizations. Her expertise spans compliance, lending, and training within highly regulated environments.  

As President, Sharon leads with a focus on accountability, operational excellence, and a high standards leadership culture. She oversees day‑to‑day operations and is dedicated to advancing the firm’s growth while preserving integrity, clarity, and the “client first” principles that define DBS.

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Sharon centers her life around family, friends, travel, community outreach, and anything involving water. An animal lover with an adventurous streak, she values balance, connection, and experiences that make life feel full.
Candace Duncan
Director of Contracts and Licensing
Candace Duncan
Director of Contracts and Licensing

Candace joined DBS in 2020 as one of the company’s earliest team members and pioneered the development of DBS’s licensing systems. She brings experience in real estate licensing, business administration, accounting, escrow services, and real estate sales, and is a California real estate licensed salesperson.  

As Director of Licensing, Candace supports clients through the full licensing and renewal process. She also oversees key administrative functions within human resources, accounting, insurance, payroll, and taxes. Her disciplined approach ensures clients receive clear, compliant guidance across complex regulatory environments.

As a California native, Candace enjoys the outdoors and creating memories with her family. Her favorite off-hours activities include camping and jet skiing with her family and dogs.
Al Matas
Operations Manager
Al Matas
Operations Manager

Before joining DBS in 2020, Al spent 16 years in the financial services industry as a software trainer and quality assurance analyst. He brings a diverse background spanning transportation, machining, aerospace and software, along with the discipline and strong work ethic he developed as a U.S. Air Force veteran.

As Operations Manager at DBS, Al oversees client invoicing, financial reporting, and the firm’s software systems, helping ensure efficient and seamless operations.

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Outside of work, Al enjoys golfing and continually working to improve his game. He also values time outdoors with his wife and dogs, whether camping, hiking, rafting, or mountain biking.
James Zimmerman
Client Services Manager
James Zimmerman
Client Services Manager

James joined DBS in 2022 and brings with him more than two decades of experience in hospitality, residential, and facilities management for pharmaceutical manufacturing.  His background includes partnering with ownership groups, operators, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance (OSHA, FDA) across multiple asset types

As Client Services Manager, James is known for his methodical and practical approach, supporting his clients’ operations through clear processes and strong operational alignment that strengthen compliance and risk awareness across diverse portfolios.

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Outside of work, James enjoys fishing, skiing, hunting, and hiking, and values time spent outdoors as a way to recharge and maintain balance.
Christina DiBianca
CLieNT SERVICES MANAGER
Christina DiBianca
CLieNT SERVICES MANAGER

Christina joined the DBS team in 2024 and brings more than 15 years of experience in financial services, compliance, and operational support within highly regulated environments. Her background includes BSA/AML analysis, commercial real estate lending and legal and contract administration with a strong emphasis on accuracy, documentation, and risk awareness.

In her role as Client Services Manager, Christina supports her clients and the team through disciplined process management, and detailed analysis—helping ensure clients receive consistent, compliant, and high-quality service at every stage.

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Outside of work, Christina prioritizes family and enjoys recharging through music, cooking, and beach days whenever she can. She maintains a healthy balance between her personal life and time spent with friends and loved ones.
Melinda Graham, CPM
Client Services Manager
Melinda Graham, CPM
Client Services Manager

Melinda joined the DBS team in 2023, bringing with her more than 28 years of industry experience. She specialized in multifamily property management and worked with REITs along with regional and national operators. Her experience spans multiple states, property types, and regulatory environments, with emphasis on due diligence, acquisitions, dispositions, and operations management. She is an IREM Certified Property Manager (CPM®) and holds real estate broker and property management licenses in 12 states.

Melinda works with a portfolio of DBS' institutional clients as their Client Services Manager.  She works closely with her clients to provide them with structured and compliant property management support. She also supports DBS clients and affiliated brokers as lead during regulatory audits, ensuring timely, thorough responses and updating compliance guidelines based on audit findings.  

After a few years caddying for her husband on mini‑tours, Melinda caught the golf bug herself. For Melinda, nothing beats watching a PGA event live - especially at the iconic 16th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open!
Colleen Gurney
Audit Manager
Colleen Gurney
Audit Manager

Colleen joined the team in 2024 and brings a strong foundation in property operations, project management coordination, and compliance oversight. She plays a central role in building DBS’s audit department and strengthening structured, scalable processes across the organization.

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In her role as Audit Manager at DBS, Colleen supports audit and operational functions through disciplined process management, clear documentation, and continuous process improvement.

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When Colleen isn’t supporting the DBS team, she can usually be found spending time with her family, cooking or baking, enjoying a good book, following an artistic idea, or going to hockey games.
Ricky Sierra
Administrative Assistant & Auditor
Ricky Sierra
Administrative Assistant & Auditor

Ricky joined the DBS team in 2024 and brings experience in marketing, e-commerce, and business operations. Her background includes administration and organizational support, with a strong focus on efficiency, accuracy, and attention to detail.  

In her role as Administrative Assistant and Auditor, in addition to supporting the executive team, Ricky also assists with auditing and contributes to multiple areas of the organization including compliance training and documentation, marketing, and regulatory outreach to DBS' clients.

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Outside of work, Ricky centers her life around her dogs, friends, travel, roller-skating, and the beach. She values an active, outdoor lifestyle through hiking & roller derby and is passionate about rescuing and caring for dogs in need.
Jon Nesbitt
Advisor
Jon Nesbitt
Advisor

Jon Nesbitt joined DBS in 2020 and brings more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate, investment sales, and brokerage services. His background includes leadership roles with Cushman & Wakefield, Jones Lang LaSalle, Grubb & Ellis, and Ten‑X. Jon is a licensed real estate broker in 27 states.

Drawing on decades of experience, Jon serves in an advisory position to DBS.  Jon interviews and qualifies potential clients and broker affiliates, facilitates broker training and integration and supports the DBS team with research and industry expertise, contributing to the firm’s continued growth.

Jon is an avid golfer and raised daughters who were golf teammates in high school and college. They regularly play as a family at their college course at The University of the South. Jon and his family also enjoy adventures ‘wheelin’ their Jeeps.
Our Mission

One source. Every state. Real results from start to finish. DBS is the standard-bearer for compliance in commercial real estate: a single-source solution for broker of record representation, licensing, and oversight. We partner with operators who measure success by the quality of their infrastructure, providing them with the tools and resources to navigate complexity with confidence.

OUr values

Principles that guide every engagement.

COMPLI!® is more than our proprietary operating system. It is also the acronym for the six principles our team lives by. Internally and externally, these values define what a DBS partnership actually looks like.

Committed:

We are committed to unapologetically providing our clients with a single source solution for brokers of record, licensing, and compliance in every state where they do business.

Organized:

Our proprietary software keeps our client data secure and organized, ensuring they have insight into their compliance vulnerabilities and the tools and support to remedy them.

Mindful:

We are mindful that compliance may take a back seat to more newsworthy real estate transactions. Our dedicated team adapts to our clients' needs to forge a path to elevate the importance of compliance within the organization.

Personal:

Our team is passionate about real estate compliance and takes a personal approach to ensuring our clients are legally operating and prepared for a real estate audit.

Loyal:

We stand alongside our clients throughout their compliance journey, including audits and complaints from the real estate commission.

Innovative:

Our unique approach to compliance includes proprietary research and materials, a licensing specialist, and most importantly, our COMPLI!® software to track and monitor our clients' licensing and real estate compliance.

Our Story

Built to solve a problem no one else was solving.

When the people on your team genuinely care about the outcome, your clients feel it. Everything we do at DBS is built on that belief: hire people who give a damn, give them the tools to do exceptional work, and stay out of their way.

~ Kristen Zimmerman, Founder & CEO

In 2018, Kristen Zimmerman saw a gap that the real estate industry had been quietly working around for years. Multi-state operators were managing their broker of record obligations and licensing compliance through patchwork solutions: fragmented relationships, inconsistent oversight, and significant legal exposure they often did not fully understand.

Designated Broker Solutions® was her answer to that problem.

What began as a focused solution for multi-family operators has grown into the leading compliance infrastructure partner for real estate organizations across the commercial, industrial, agricultural, and specialty asset sectors. Today, DBS supports a growing roster of regional and national client relationships, with licensed coverage across all 50 states.

The company remains women-owned and women-led. The team is small by design. Every client relationship is handled with the kind of direct, senior-level attention that only a firm like ours can provide.

Milestones

The path from a single idea
to national infrastructure.

2019

Kristen Zimmerman launches Designated Broker Solutions®. First 3 regional clients signed.

2020

First regional and national clients signed, reaching 9 total. Developed first-in-class compliance guidelines built specifically for property management.

2021

DBS doubles in size to 22 clients signed.

2022

COMPLI!® platform launches. DBS doubles again to 47 regional and national clients.

2023

Client roster grows to 67 signed across regional and national portfolios.

2024

Workforce doubles to support continued growth. Client roster reaches 87.

2025

Licensed coverage across all 50 states. Client roster reaches 93.

2026

COMPLI!® signs its 100th client.

Scroll horizontally to view all milestones →
Our Commitment to Community

We show up for more than compliance.

DBS has always been more than a service provider.

From the beginning, we built this company with a belief that how we show up for our communities matters as much as how we show up for our clients.

01

Committed to diversity in the workplace.

From our founding, DBS has prioritized building a team that reflects the breadth of talent in our industry. We are proud to be a women-owned business, to lead with a majority women-led staff, and to hire for character and expertise.

02

A small team with a big commitment.


DBS is a deliberately small team, and that is by design. Everyone on our staff has a genuine stake in the outcomes we deliver. When our clients succeed, we feel it personally. That is the culture we have built, and the culture we protect.

03

One paid day a year. Every year.


Every DBS employee receives one paid day per year to volunteer in their local community. We believe that the strength of an organization is reflected in what it gives back, and we want every member of our team to have the time and the opportunity to give.

in the community

Volunteer Day, in moments.

Our team in action.

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