The partners grew up in Point Loma and remained friends through high school. Both attended college at University of Southern California, Flocke on an academic scholarship, Avoyer on a tennis scholarship. After school they worked together at Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Service (now CB Richard Ellis), and in late 1985 founded Flocke & Avoyer Commerical Real Estate.

"It's a bit like a marriage," said Avoyer about the duo's 35 years of friendship, teamwork and partnership. "We spend a lot of time in the same space."

They also do a lot of business. The company -- which specializes in shopping center leasing and sales, tenant representation, site acquisition and development consulting services -- is the exclusive marketing agent for more than 100 retail centers in San Diego, totaling more than 11 million square feet.

Flocke described his longtime friend and partner as "hard working, very creative and very smart."

Avoyer returned the compliment: "Jim is highly intelligent, a good partner, a good listener. He's got a personality that is very approachable by a lot of people."

Both agree that over the years, their mission hasn't changed.

"At the beginning we wanted to have a job that we could bring some passion to, that we could make good money at," Avoyer said. "When we started our own company, we already knew the business."

Each had 12 years of experience working for Coldwell Banker. Though the friends-turned-partners felt like they had a command of the business and knew the market, venturing out on their own would present unforeseen challenges.

"There was a huge learning curve from working for a large company to running your own business," Flocke said.

What has changed dramatically for the business over the past 20 years is the market.

"The market has gotten a lot tougher," Flocke said. "It's really tight in terms of sites available. These days it takes a lot of capital, and you have to be very aggressive to win the race."

The two still view themselves as students of the business, said Avoyer. "What we were doing five or 10 years ago is probably not what we should be doing in today's market," he said.

A few key points helped the two guys from Point Loma grow their company into the successful business it is today: determination, steady progress and work/life balance.

"I think, more than anything, it was tenacity and 'stick-to-it-iveness,'" Avoyer said. "When you are on (commission-based) sales and you don't get a paycheck every two weeks, you have to be pretty focused."

John Tworoger, CEO of real estate development company Aspen Properties, said the partners are thorough, know the market well and provide great input. Aspen recently completed the Torrey Hills Center shopping center with Flocke & Avoyer.

"When it comes to representing a developer, they have the broadest base of knowledge and depth," Tworoger said. "They are willing to spend the time on a lot of projects. I really didn't want them to have any other customers."

Tworoger also said he received valuable input from the company on Aspen's La Costa Town Square project, a 334,000-square-foot shopping center in Carlsbad.

Flocke and Avoyer agree the work doesn't always live up to its reputation as a fast-paced, "fly by the seat of your pants," wheeling and dealing industry. Rather, it's a slow and steady process.

"It's a 'put one foot in front of the other'-type business," Avoyer said. "That's what got us here. It's really been just a lot of hard work."

Colton Sudberry, of Sudberry Properties Inc., called the pair "a top-notch group," among the top retail brokers in the county. Sudberry Properties recently worked with Flocke and Avoyer on the Fenton Marketplace project, a 560,000-square-foot shopping center in Carmel Mountain Ranch.

"They deliver results and they are fun guys to work with," Sudberry said. "They have a good track record of integrity, honesty and getting the job done."

But it's not all work and no play with these two. Part of the team's success lies in the ability to lead well-balanced lives. Avoyer plays tennis with the same discipline he applies to retail, said Aspen's Tworoger.

Added Sudberry: "We work hard. We play hard -- golf, skiing. We have personal relationships with the guys outside the office. They have a good sense of humor. Some guys are fun to be around, some aren't. They are."

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