What H&R Retail does

H&R Retail is a privately held, retail-only commercial real estate brokerage firm founded in 1983 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. The firm exclusively serves the greater Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia region, operating with a team of approximately 21-33 employees, including 21-23 dedicated retail brokers and a marketing/operations support staff. It is the largest retail-only brokerage firm in the region, with a 40+ year operating history and 1,800 transactions completed over the last five years representing nearly $2.9B in consideration and $3.7B in total consideration since 2010.

H&R Retail's core offering is a five-pillar services platform: (1) Properties and Leasing (landlord representation for retail spaces, including design consulting, proforma creation, and lease negotiation); (2) Tenant Representation (site selection, market analysis, demographic reports, competition mapping, and feasibility studies for retailers and restaurants); (3) Development Consulting (tenant targeting, scheme feasibility, and tenant-mix strategy for new retail projects, with 4M+ SF currently in the development pipeline); (4) Surplus Property Disposition (sale or re-lease of non-performing anchor retail space); and (5) GIS Research and Marketing (custom mapping, competition analysis, void analysis, and digital marketing materials). The firm exclusively represents 140+ national and regional tenants and manages 20M+ SF of retail space across 232 properties, with named client logos including Target, Whole Foods, Costco, Lowe's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Restoration Hardware, Ross, Verizon, Chipotle, Wawa, and landlord-side clients including Federal Realty, Kimco, Regency Centers, Acadia Realty Trust, Boston Properties, and Brookfield Properties.

The firm operates on a commission-based revenue model, earning transaction fees as a percentage of lease value or sale price on landlord representation, tenant representation, and surplus property disposition deals. GTM is sales-led, executed through direct broker relationships with both property owners and tenant clients, supported by a website property portal and membership in the ChainLinks Retail Advisors alliance for nationwide coverage. The underlying technology stack centers on GIS-based mapping and spatial analysis, with a dedicated Senior GIS Analyst on staff; no proprietary AI/ML, app, or API product has been disclosed.

Name

H&R Retail

Legal name

H&R Retail, Inc.

Website

https://hrretail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

H&R Retail is a privately held retail-only commercial real estate brokerage founded in 1983, serving the Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia region. It exclusively represents 140+ national and regional tenants and manages 20M+ SF across 232 properties via a 21-broker team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Brokerage: Commission-based brokerage services for retail property leasing and sales. The firm earns fees on transactions for property representation (landlord leasing), tenant representation, and surplus property disposition. Commission structures are typically a percentage of the lease value or sale price.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

H&R Retail is a retail-only commercial real estate brokerage firm that represents property owners in leasing retail space and represents retailers and restaurants in finding and negotiating locations. Their services span landlord representation, tenant representation, development consulting, surplus property disposition, and GIS-based research and marketing across the Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia region.

Product overview

H&R Retail operates as a retail real estate brokerage firm offering a suite of professional services rather than a software product. Their core offerings include: (1) Properties and Leasing — representing retail property owners in leasing their spaces, including design/layout consulting, proforma creation, marketing materials, LOI and lease negotiation; (2) Tenant Representation — helping retailers and restaurants identify locations for expansion, including market analysis, site selection, demographic reports, competition mapping, and site feasibility studies; (3) Development Consulting — providing tenant targeting, scheme feasibility analysis, tenant mix strategy, and marketing strategy for new retail development projects; (4) Surplus Property Disposition — representing retailers and owners in selling or re-leasing non-performing anchor retail space, including building valuation, legal process management, and contract negotiations; and (5) GIS Research & Marketing — custom mapping, competition analysis, demographics, and digital marketing solutions. The company exclusively serves the greater Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Properties and Leasing (Landlord Representation) Representation of retail property owners in leasing their retail spaces, including design and layout consulting, proforma creation, marketing materials, and LOI and lease negotiation. Designed for REITs, shopping center owners, and commercial real estate companies.
• Tenant Representation Site selection and location strategy services for retailers and restaurants, including market analysis, demographic reports, competition mapping, and site feasibility studies. Serves national and regional retail chains and restaurant brands seeking new locations or expansion.
• Development Consulting Tenant targeting, scheme feasibility analysis, tenant mix strategy, and marketing strategy services for new retail development projects. Aimed at real estate developers with retail development pipelines.
• Surplus Property Disposition Representation of retailers and property owners in selling or re-leasing non-performing anchor retail space, including building valuation, legal process management, and contract negotiations.
• GIS Research and Marketing Custom mapping, competition analysis, demographics, and digital marketing solutions using GIS technology to support retail real estate decisions for property owners, retailers, and developers.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3.7B in total consideration since 2010
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ChainLinks Retail AdvisorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorH&R Retail is a proud member of ChainLinks Retail Advisors, the leading retail real estate service provider in the United States. This membership enables the firm to leverage experience and knowledge in local markets throughout all fifty states, extending their reach beyond the MD, DC, VA region.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Transwestern: National full-service CRE firm with retail leasing and tenant representation capabilities. Competes with H&R Retail in Mid-Atlantic retail landlord and tenant mandates.
• Newmark Group: National full-service commercial real estate services firm with a dedicated retail capital markets and leasing practice. Competes with H&R Retail on larger retail tenant mandates in the Mid-Atlantic.
• CBRE Group: Largest global commercial real estate services firm, with a significant retail leasing practice. Competes on national tenant accounts and large landlord mandates in the DC region.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global full-service CRE firm with a retail brokerage practice serving major landlords and retailers. Competes with H&R Retail for institutional retail landlord representation in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global CRE services firm with a dedicated retail practice serving REITs, developers, and retailers. Direct competitor for large retail landlord and tenant mandates.
• Colliers International: Global CRE services firm with a US retail capital markets and leasing practice. Competes with H&R Retail for retail tenant and landlord representation across major US markets.

Direct peers

• ChainLinks Retail Advisors: Leading US retail real estate alliance of which H&R Retail is a member. Directly comparable model: regional retail-specialized brokerages collaborating for national coverage.
• Marcus & Millichap: Publicly traded commercial real estate brokerage with a heavy retail investment sales and leasing focus across the US. Most directly comparable to H&R Retail in retail specialization, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• Retail Brokers Network (RBN): Alliance of independent retail-specialized CRE brokerages across the US. Directly comparable business model to H&R Retail, providing local retail expertise through a national referral network.
• Lee & Associates: National commercial real estate brokerage with a strong retail practice and a regional office model similar to H&R Retail. Competes for retail landlord and tenant representation in Mid-Atlantic submarkets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/H_R_Retail
• Instagraminstagram.com/h_r_retail

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 H&R Retail