2027 edition · Research reviewed November 7, 2026
Jennifer Seversen of CBRE is our #1 editorial individual choice for a Seattle-area retail owner whose leasing plan must support redevelopment or a change in the property’s retail offer. Steven E Olsen and Josh Parnell provide regional specialist comparisons. All nine individual criteria were considered. The recommendation concerns documented personal experience and the intended assignment; it does not suggest that a senior title or a famous past project establishes superior future performance.
How we rank individual commercial real estate brokers in Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA
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 — Jennifer Seversen
For 2027, Jennifer Seversen is our #1 editorial recommendation among individual commercial real estate brokers for retail leasing for landlords in Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA.
Best fit: Retail leasing connected with redevelopment
Our #1 for a retail owner linking leasing with redevelopment has named Seattle-area experience in University Village and South Lake Union that directly connects retail planning with owner-side leasing, matching the combined property-direction and campaign brief.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Jennifer Seversen | Retail leasing connected with redevelopment | Her personal local examples link retail planning and owner leasing. |
| Steven E Olsen | Anchored centers involving renewals and project coordination | His current JSH profile describes those connected responsibilities. |
| Josh Parnell | Regional and neighborhood shopping-center owners | His current practice explicitly includes landlord work in those formats. |
Jennifer Seversen — our #1 for redevelopment-related retail leasing
Seversen’s current CBRE biography identifies owner-side retail experience in Seattle and Bellevue, with University Village redevelopment and South Lake Union leasing and planning examples. CBRE: Jennifer Seversen, Seattle and Bellevue retail leasing We select her when the owner must connect the leasing campaign with a wider property direction. Ask what she personally handled on comparable projects and how she would approach the new brief. The biography’s planned completion language for newer projects is not treated as confirmation of present construction status.
Steven E Olsen — anchored centers and project coordination
Olsen’s current JSH profile identifies anchored shopping-center leasing, tenant renewals and expansion, redevelopment and construction-management work. JSH Properties: Steven E Olsen, retail leasing and redevelopment We include him for an owner who wants those activities considered together. Request a clear separation of the leasing responsibilities from project or management duties. Related capabilities can make coordination easier, but the owner needs to understand the actual scope and the personnel accountable for each part.
Josh Parnell — regional and neighborhood shopping centers
Parnell’s current First Western biography identifies landlord and tenant work in regional and neighborhood centers across the Northwest, with a Tacoma practice as well as Portland responsibilities. First Western Properties: Josh Parnell, neighborhood and regional centers We recommend him for a shopping-center owner seeking that specialist comparison. Confirm the local lead and ask for examples matching the property. Oregon work is relevant career context, but it does not by itself establish experience at the particular Washington location.
Make the property direction part of the interview
Ask each adviser to describe the leasing problem in the owner’s terms. Is the immediate task a vacancy, a renewal decision or a change to the center’s role? Require an explanation of the information needed before choosing prospects. For redevelopment-related work, distinguish confirmed property conditions from design ideas and future approvals. Prospects should receive a clear account of what exists and what remains contingent on owner decisions.
Define how the adviser will work with ownership
Agree on contact responsibilities, outreach reporting, tour feedback and the handling of competing assignments. Ask how the broker would respond if the initial tenant concept receives little interest. A useful proposal should identify decision points and explain what evidence could change the strategy. The owner can then assess the work performed without relying solely on claims about deal volume or relationships.
Why Seversen leads
Her named local redevelopment and retail-planning experience most directly supports the assignment used here. Olsen may fit an anchored-center brief with implementation coordination, while Parnell provides a neighborhood and regional-center alternative. Public sources do not establish a common audited measure of leasing speed, achieved rents or tenant survival. These evidence limits remain visible, and the #1 is an explained editorial recommendation rather than an invented numerical score.