Brandmarch Podcast: Behind The Lease

Many teams assume strong demographics and visible locations are enough.

In practice, what matters just as much is how a market actually functions day to day—how people move, how infrastructure holds up, and how local patterns shape demand.

In this episode of Behind the Lease, Brett sits down with Sarah Williams of Council Real Estate in Atlanta to talk about what retail strategy looks like at ground level.

Sarah’s path into brokerage wasn’t typical. She studied political science and spent time working in government before returning to real estate. That backgr...

Matthew Clark, who leads the Urban Division at Colliers International, shares his incredible journey and passion for retail real estate.

From his early days working on historic infill projects to now managing $4 billion in mixed-use real estate, Matthew has become a leading voice in the Jacksonville market.

In this episode, they discuss:

Retail expert Maria Royer (Principal at Real Retail) explores the unique "local first" consumer culture in Seattle where national restaurants struggle due to the strong foodie scene, high minimum wage, and "no tip credit" state status.

Maria, a true market authority and Principal at Real Retail, has been shaping the Seattle skyline for over 30 years. She is the force behind the retail strategies for iconic projects like Amazon's World Headquarters and Ranier Square, and the broker who brings global heavyweights like Uniqlo and Sephora into the market.

Maria spent 10 years working on Amazon's World Headquarters...

The wellness real estate sector is booming, and we're diving deep into the movement that is [solidcore].

On this episode of ‘Behind the Lease’, we sit down with Josh Rainey, Head of Real Estate for [solidcore], who is leading their massive expansion and shares the strategy behind opening 27 new studios in 2025 alone.

Josh discusses [solidcore]'s growth, accelerating post-COVID from its 2013 DC origins, and how his unique background shapes site selection. He explains how he applies lessons from CloudKitchens, a model based on invisibility and efficiency, to [solidcore]'s focus on visibility and community.

We...

In this episode of 'Behind the Lease', we sit down with retail real estate expert Jeremy Zidell for an in-depth look at his career journey, current brand collaborations, and a definitive breakdown of two major retail markets: Dallas's Knox Street and the massive, highly-curated Dublin Village project in Columbus.

The Dublin Village Project

Zidell details the vision for Dublin Village, a project driven by the desire for highly curated, artisan projects that offer an alternative to traditional centers like Easton Town Center.

Retail demand in many U.S. markets is strong again. The challenge isn’t finding brands—it’s finding space.

In this episode of Behind the Lease, we sit down with Erik Christopher, a Denver-based retail real estate broker with decades of experience working across landlord, tenant, and national brand roles.

Erik shares how his career started leasing shopping centers in the Baltimore area, why working inside a retailer like Gap gave him a deeper understanding of store performance, and how that dual perspective shapes the way he advises brands and developers today.

We tal...

What does it actually take to build (and sustain) one of the strongest high streets in the country?

In this episode of Behind the Lease, Brett Robinson sits down with David Waldman, a broker and developer who has spent more than three decades shaping downtown Westport, Connecticut. From historic restorations to national retail leases, David has worked both as an owner and as a street retail broker, giving him a rare perspective on how great retail districts evolve.

They discuss:

Retail expansion often looks fast from the outside. In reality, it’s slow, local, and full of tradeoffs.

In this episode of Behind the Lease, we sit down with Jennifer Price, one of Washington, DC’s most experienced high-street retail brokers, to talk about what actually drives success on streets like Georgetown and 14th Street.

Jennifer shares how she broke into retail real estate, why DC rewards consistency over flash, and what brands misunderstand about urban storefronts—especially when inventory is tight and rents keep climbing.

We cover:

Dave's Hot Chicken has grown fast, but not by accident.

In our conversation, Dannon Shiff, SVP of Real Estate, shared why the real differentiator is selecting sites for long-term success. He highlighted how Dave’s considers modern customer behavior, third-party delivery, in-person traffic, and the responsibility of protecting franchisee investments.

It’s a strategic approach shaped by a brand that grew out of COVID and understands how the trade area has evolved since the early days of Fast Casual.

Ethan Pacewiczh, Senior Real Estate Manager at DICK'S Sporting Goods, made one point clear in our conversation: brick and mortar is not dead. It has simply changed its purpose.

House of Sport works when landlords think beyond filling a box and start thinking about the experience and traffic they want to create. In one market, converting a former Sears to House of Sport drove a roughly 30 percent traffic increase.

The value comes from bodies, dwell time, and a format built to activate a center.

In this conversation, Cynthia Kratchman shares what she’s seeing on the ground right now in Detroit and Birmingham, and why both markets are drawing serious brand attention.

Cynthia is a principal at Mid-America Real Estate Group with more than thirty years in retail brokerage. The spaces she’s bringing to market today reflect how demand is evolving and what brands are prioritizing when they choose where to land next.

We walk through two standout opportunities. A 4,800 square foot corner space at 1201 with basement access, patio potential, and a roof deck that opens the door for...

This week we sit down with Adam Williams, a Charlotte native who has watched South End evolve from a corridor of barred windows and break ins to one of the most competitive retail streets in the Southeast. Adam grew up in the neighborhood long before Patagonia planted a flagship and long before national brands lined up for space along the light rail.

He walks us through the turning points how the GFC pushed him into second-gen restaurant deals how buying and reinventing a 1960s bowling alley taught him to think like an operator why South End rents...

Episode Two of Behind the Lease features Bob Baker, senior broker at BMW Realty and one of the key players shaping El Paseo in Palm Desert.

In this episode, Bob walks through the repositioning of the Shops at El Paseo, from replacing underperforming luxury tenants to prioritizing restaurants that reset traffic patterns across the street. We cover real rent ranges, ownership dynamics, historic low vacancy, and why brands entering the market need to understand how the customer profile has changed.

We also discuss the impact of new and expanding retailers like @rhmodern, @vuoriclothing, and @shakeshack...

JEFF GAUL IS LIVE ON BEHIND THE LEASE.

In our first episode, Jeff Gaul shares how site selection fundamentals stay the same whether you are building global brands like Nike and Sephora or scaling fresh food concepts. Different products, same customers, same trade areas, same decisions that drive results.

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