A Brand is a Promise

05/17/2016 | By John Cumbelich

Successful businesses of all kinds have to work hard over years or decades to develop the respect of their customers, vendors and peers. The hard work of forming a reputation for quality and service is never ending, and provides management with a constant pressure ...

What I Learned at the Recession

03/01/2016 | By John Cumbelich

The first great philosopher of the 21st century, Mike Tyson, wisely observed “Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth.” The Great Recession of 2008 – 2010 recalibrated the best of plans like a Tyson uppercut. During the recession, every market ...

The Inconvenient Truth About Mixed Use

01/25/2016 | By John Cumbelich

As far as trends in retail real estate development go, none during my 30-years in the industry has been more counter-productive or government-driven than residential over retail mixed-use development (RRMU). Pick just about any Bay Area city and you will easily identify any number of RRMU ...

Better Real Estate Data

01/04/2016 | By John Cumbelich

In the commercial real estate business, like all complex and sophisticated fields, every market participant relies on market data to succeed. Good data allows principals such as landlords and tenants to frame lease terms, or buyers and sellers to establish a fair price. Good data ...

The Rise of Formula Retail

10/20/2015 | By John Cumbelich

Travel the state, travel the country or travel the world and plan to shop or dine at your favorite place. California Pizza Kitchen is in China. GAP is in Saudi Arabia. Papa John’s is in Malaysia. Tiffany & Co. is in Argentina. It’s not just ...

Coffee and a Donut

09/22/2015 | By John Cumbelich

For the past eleven years (since I moved into my current home) I have driven past two establishments every morning at 7:30 am on my way into the office. By my calculation, this equates to approximately 2,700 unique observations that contemplated every kind of ...

Authentic Lifestyle

08/18/2015 | By John Cumbelich

I do a lot of work in one of the most desirable, successful and functional downtowns in Northern California – Walnut Creek. Over the years we’ve grown our traditional retail brokerage practice of representing retailers and restaurants with their expansions or representing the owners ...