In this episode of Rent’s Due, we sit down with Bryan Babits, retail broker at Western Retail Advisors, to talk about the grind of brokerage, landing national tenant-rep accounts, and why patience is everything in retail real estate.
From 3-year deal timelines to launching a fast-casual pasta concept, this conversation is all about testing your resolve and finding where you can win in CRE.
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7sbixsPCgq2SQ5UW1uDitC?si=4dafc9f333824b99
▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUz5tm1d38k
Key Takeaways From The Episode
- The Grind Is Real: Success in retail brokerage doesn’t happen overnight — it takes years of pipeline building, side hustles, and patience.
- Tenant-Rep Snowball: One account can change everything. Landing Take 5 Oil led to 35+ deals and opened doors to McDonald’s and more.
- Deals Take Time: From LOI to approvals, entitlements, and permits, retail deals can stretch 12–36 months — discipline and persistence pay off.
- Phoenix Perspective: Sub-5% vacancy keeps retail hot, but rising shop rents ($45–$55+ PSF) test which tenants can actually survive.
- Retail’s Edge: Pads, drive-thrus, and evolving QSR demand make retail dynamic, tangible, and fun compared to other CRE asset classes.
- Beyond Brokerage: Launching a fast-casual pasta concept showed Bryan how operations sharpen a broker’s perspective and create new opportunities.
