GBT Realty

What GBT Realty does

GBT Realty Corporation is a Brentwood, Tennessee-based commercial real estate investment firm founded in 1987 that develops, acquires, leases, and manages retail properties across the United States. The company operates through three specialized platforms: the Retail Centers Platform (acquiring and developing grocery-anchored shopping centers, neighborhood centers, and regional power centers), the Net Lease Development Platform (programmatic single-tenant net lease and small strip center projects), and the Diversified Development Platform (mixed-use properties spanning multi-family, hotel, office, and medical sectors). Since inception GBT has been involved with over 45 million square feet of commercial development representing more than $8.5 billion in real estate value, including over 1,000 single-tenant net lease properties delivered since 2012 and more than $450 million of mixed-use development since 2018. The firm holds a portfolio of 270-plus retail tenants, more than 75% of which are national or regional brands.

GBT generates revenue through a combination of development fees, property acquisitions and dispositions, leasing commissions, and recurring property management fees. Its go-to-market is direct-to-tenant via internal leasing and property management teams, with no intermediary distribution channels. The company is privately held and founder-led, with George Tomlin serving as Founder, President, and Chairman, and Brian Dawson, who joined as CEO in spring 2025, leading the current $1.3 billion capital deployment strategy aimed at expanding AUM from $1 billion to over $3 billion over 18 months through 33 build-to-suit retail projects and shopping center acquisitions planned for 2026.

Name

GBT Realty

Legal name

GBT Realty Corporation

Website

https://gbtrealty.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GBT Realty Corporation is a Brentwood, Tennessee-based commercial real estate investment firm founded in 1987 that develops, acquires, leases, and manages retail properties across the United States through three platforms: Retail Centers, Net Lease Development, and Diversified Development, serving 270-plus retail tenants with a $1.3 billion capital deployment plan underway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses) (531120), Lessors of Real Estate (5311)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519)

akta.pro primary industry

Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage (BPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB)

Keywords

• Retail real estate development
• Commercial property investment
• Shopping center leasing
• Net lease development
• Mixed-use development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brentwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property Development: GBT develops build-to-suit retail properties, grocery-anchored shopping centers, neighborhood centers, regional power centers, single-tenant buildings, and mixed-use developments. Revenue is generated through development fees and property sales.
2. Property Acquisition: The company acquires existing shopping centers and retail properties, generating revenue through asset appreciation and eventual disposition.
3. Leasing and Management: GBT manages a portfolio of over 270 retail tenants across its properties, generating recurring revenue through leasing commissions and property management fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GBT Realty acquires, develops, leases, and manages commercial retail real estate across three platforms—Retail Centers, Net Lease Development, and Diversified Development—delivering grocery-anchored shopping centers, neighborhood centers, regional power centers, single-tenant retail, and mixed-use properties. The company focuses on programmatic build-to-suit developments and shopping center acquisitions for national and regional retail brand tenants. The portfolio covers more than 270 tenants and over 45 million square feet of commercial real estate developed since 1987.

Product overview

GBT Realty Corporation operates as a real estate investment firm with three distinct platforms: the Retail Centers Platform (acquiring and developing retail centers nationwide), the Net Lease Development Platform (programmatic single-tenant properties, over 1,000 STNL developed since 2012), and the Diversified Development Platform (mixed-use properties in multi-family, hotel, office, and medical sectors). The company offers build-to-suit retail development and shopping center acquisition services, managing a portfolio of grocery-anchored shopping centers, neighborhood centers, regional power centers, single-tenant retail, and mixed-use developments totaling over 45 million square feet across more than 270 tenants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Centers Platform A real estate platform that acquires and develops retail centers nationwide—including grocery-anchored shopping centers, neighborhood centers, and regional power centers—targeting national and regional retail brand tenants.
• Net Lease Development Platform A real estate development platform that delivers programmatic, high-volume single-tenant net lease projects and small strip center developments. Since 2012, it has developed over 1,000 STNL properties across the U.S., totaling more than 10 million square feet.
• Diversified Development Platform A mixed-use real estate development platform building projects across multi-family, hotel, office, and medical sectors, delivering over $450M in office, multifamily and retail mixed-use development since 2018.
• Build-to-Suit Retail Development Custom development service that constructs retail properties tailored to specific tenant requirements, delivered as part of the company's $1.3 billion capital deployment strategy.
• Shopping Center Acquisition Acquisition services for existing shopping centers as part of the company's expansion strategy to exceed $3 billion in assets under management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 million square feet of commercial development delivered since 1987
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Phillips Edison & Company: Publicly traded net-lease REIT focused on grocery-anchored shopping centers. Highly comparable to GBT's Retail Centers platform given similar tenant profiles (national grocers, necessity-based retailers) and similar property types.
• Federal Realty Investment Trust: Established REIT specializing in grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use developments. Closely comparable to GBT's Retail Centers and Diversified Development platforms, with similar high-quality tenant base and suburban shopping center focus.
• Regency Centers Corporation: Public REIT focused on grocery-anchored shopping centers with a national tenant base. Direct competitor to GBT in the same property type and tenant demographic.
• Brixmor Property Group: Public REIT owning and operating a national portfolio of open-air shopping centers. Comparable to GBT's Retail Centers platform in property type, scale, and open-air grocery-anchored strategy.
• Kite Realty Group: Public REIT focused on open-air shopping centers, often grocery-anchored, with similar tenant mix to GBT. Recently merged with Retail Properties of America, expanding scale comparable to GBT's growth trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• Kimco Realty: One of the largest publicly traded retail REITs with a national portfolio of open-air shopping centers. Overlaps with GBT in property type and tenant profile but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Realty Income Corporation: S&P 500 net lease REIT with a massive diversified portfolio including retail, industrial, and other single-tenant properties. Comparable to GBT's Net Lease Development platform at much greater scale.
• W. P. Carey Inc. Diversified net lease REIT with single-tenant properties across retail, industrial, and office. Overlaps with GBT's Net Lease Development platform but operates globally with broader sector exposure.

Emerging players

• Continental Realty Corporation: Privately held commercial real estate investment and management firm with shopping center and mixed-use focus. Comparable in scale and operating model to GBT, with similar multi-platform structure.
• SITE Centers (formerly DDR Corp.): Public REIT focused on open-air shopping centers with a national footprint. Comparable to GBT's Retail Centers platform though currently smaller and undergoing portfolio reshaping.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gbt-realty
• Instagraminstagram.com/gbtrealty
• Xx.com/gbtrealtycorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/gbt-realty-corporation-100517226680066

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GBT Realty