How to Hire the Right Leasing Broker for Retail | EP 70: I Own A Shopping Center Now What?

Beth Azor

If you're handing off your leasing to a third-party broker, don’t assume they’ll just get the job done—you have to manage the process like a boss.

In this episode of I Own a Shopping Center. Now What?, I walk you through exactly how I coach multifamily and mixed-use owners on hiring the right retail broker. After a recent call with some friends trying to lease their ground-floor retail, I realized how many owners hand it off with zero oversight—and then wonder why the space is still vacant months later.

I break down my full checklist for interviewing, setting expectations, and, yes—firing brokers who ghost you or just don’t deliver. If you're not a retail expert, that’s okay. But you do need a system. And this episode gives it to you.

Key Takeaways:

✔️ Interview 3–5 third-party brokerage firms
✔️ Always set clear expectations in writing
✔️ Require weekly updates and activity reports
✔️ Tour competing properties with your brokers
✔️ Don’t be afraid to fire underperformers
✔️ Know your asset better than the broker
✔️ Make sure compensation aligns with performance
✔️ Retail leasing needs retail-focused brokers