2027 edition · Research reviewed November 8, 2026
Jack Hayes is our 2027 editorial #1 retail landlord broker for a Greater Hartford shopping-center owner seeking an identifiable local leasing lead. Kerry Wood and David Richard are the comparison candidates. The nine individual-broker criteria emphasize current roles and personal assignment evidence. A retail tenant relationship does not automatically establish owner-side experience, so this comparison uses named landlord marketing and service responsibilities rather than simply repeating the tenant-broker shortlist.
How we rank individual commercial real estate brokers in Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, CT
Our 2027 ranking uses the same nine-part methodology as our 2026 guides. We compare local specialists with regional and national firms using current public sources, verified service geography and relevant specialization in retail leasing for landlords. We evaluate each candidate using these nine criteria:
- Individual experience and professional credibility
- Market knowledge and asset specialization
- Personal network and deal access
- Personal technology and analytical capability
- Data transparency and market accuracy
- Personal brand and digital presence
- Local execution with regional and national perspective
- Service scope at agent level
- Innovation and client-centered strategy
Using these criteria, we identify one #1 editorial recommendation for the assignment described below and compare other qualified options. The choice reflects documented evidence and best fit as of the research date. Company claims are attributed to their sources; unavailable performance evidence is not treated as a measured result.
OUR #1 RECOMMENDATION
#1 — Jack Hayes
For 2027, Jack Hayes is our #1 editorial recommendation among individual commercial real estate brokers for retail leasing for landlords in Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, CT.
Best fit: Greater Hartford shopping-center leasing
Our editorial #1 Greater Hartford retail landlord broker for a shopping-center leasing brief because he is a named current Elmwood Plaza contact, with shared team credit preserved and a specific West Hartford campaign available for review.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Jack Hayes | Greater Hartford shopping-center leasing | Current Elmwood Plaza marketing names him jointly with another local contact. |
| Kerry Wood | Freestanding retail repositioning | A current landlord practice aligns with her named East Hartford former-bank offering. |
| David Richard | Retail and commercial properties with industrial/flex overlap | His current Hartford profile explicitly supports industrial/retail landlord services. |
#1 — Jack Hayes: named West Hartford center marketing
SullivanHayes’s public Elmwood Plaza marketing names Hayes alongside Hayden Potorski as contacts for the West Hartford property. SullivanHayes public company announcements: Elmwood Plaza and Middletown projects The firm’s property page confirms the center’s local retail offering. SullivanHayes: Elmwood Plaza and Greater Hartford retail offerings We choose Hayes for the first interview because that evidence connects a current person to an actual center campaign. The work is jointly credited; it should not be presented as an exclusively personal assignment or a completed lease.
Clarify the lead’s responsibility for the leasing plan
Ask Hayes to explain the intended tenant mix, the prospects the center is least suited to accommodate and the property information still needing verification. Establish how he and the other named team members divide outreach, tours and owner reporting. If ownership plans improvements, the broker should separate spaces that can be delivered now from those dependent on future work. Proposed upgrades should never be described to prospects as already complete.
Kerry Wood: freestanding retail positioning
Wood’s current Charter Realty profile includes landlord repositioning. Charter Realty: Kerry Wood current tenant and landlord services She is the named contact on its Silver Lane former-bank offering in East Hartford. Charter Realty: Kerry Wood and the East Hartford Silver Lane offering We select her when the owner needs to evaluate an existing freestanding building and its likely retail audience. Ask for a strategy based on the actual access, building configuration and permitted use. A marketing brochure supports assignment involvement but cannot verify a new tenant’s approval or eventual opening.
David Richard: commercial uses that cross retail and industrial
Richard’s current Colliers biography identifies Hartford industrial/retail sales and leasing and explicitly lists landlord representation. Colliers: David Richard current Hartford industrial and retail practice He provides a useful alternative for a commercial property whose audience may include a service or flex-oriented occupier. Ask which aspects of the property should lead the campaign and which constraints narrow the prospect pool. His general transaction experience does not imply that every industrial relationship is a suitable source of retail tenants.
Make personal accountability visible in the proposal
Request an example of the report the owner would receive, with prospect feedback separated from the broker’s interpretation. The lead should identify which decisions need ownership approval and what would justify changing the asking terms or improvement package. Discuss how competing listings are handled and who will be available during negotiations. This makes it easier to evaluate the individual’s proposed contribution without treating a firm’s total marketing reach as a personal performance measure.
Why Hayes receives our first-choice label
His named participation in the Elmwood campaign gives the most specific center-leasing evidence for the brief used here. Wood offers a clear freestanding-retail comparison; Richard adds an industrial/retail owner perspective. None of the public sources supplies a common audited measure of achieved rent, downtime or prospect conversion. Confirm recent owner references and current workload, then choose the person whose explanation of the property and reporting responsibilities best matches the actual assignment.