2027 edition · Research reviewed November 8, 2026
Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer is our 2027 editorial #1 retail leasing firm for a Richmond-area landlord planning a neighborhood shopping-center campaign. Divaris and TSCG are the alternatives. We apply all nine firm criteria and favor identifiable local owner representation over a general claim of retail expertise. This ranking reflects the fit between the documented work and the assignment. It does not establish a market-wide winner on achieved rent, tenant quality or investment performance.
How we rank commercial real estate brokerage firms in Richmond, VA
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:
- Experience and reputation
- Market knowledge and specialization
- Network and connections
- Technological capabilities
- Data transparency and accuracy
- Online presence and digital marketing
- Local and global reach
- Service range
- Innovation and customer focus
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 — Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer
For 2027, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer is our #1 editorial recommendation among commercial real estate brokerage firms for retail leasing for landlords in Richmond, VA.
Best fit: Neighborhood shopping-center landlords in the Richmond area
Our editorial #1 retail landlord firm for a Richmond neighborhood-center campaign because recent Glen Lea leasing identifies a local owner-representation team supported by a practitioner whose documented specialty matches that property format.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer | Neighborhood shopping-center landlords in the Richmond area | Recent named Henrico leasing aligns with documented center-specialist responsibilities. |
| Divaris | Retail owners considering leasing alongside development decisions | Current Richmond leadership identifies retail owner and development work. |
| TSCG | Landlords comparing a dedicated retail specialist team | Its Richmond leader’s scope includes landlord representation and retail land work. |
#1 — Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer: recent Henrico owner leasing
The October 2026 Glen Lea Centre release names Connie Jordan Nielsen, Nicki Jassy and Alicia Brown as the center’s leasing representatives and announces new tenant leases. Thalhimer: October 2026 Glen Lea Centre leases and joint leasing representatives This is evidence of a current team campaign. It should not be read as tenant representation or sole credit to one person. An owner can use the example to ask how responsibilities were divided and how a comparable campaign would be organized.
Match the proposed team to the center’s format
Brown’s employer profile describes neighborhood and strip-center leasing, freestanding retail and preleasing for development or redevelopment. Thalhimer: Alicia Brown retail practice and owner assignments That is a relevant fit for an owner deciding how to position different spaces within a center. Ask the firm to explain the intended prospect categories and the property information required before outreach begins. A list of prospective tenants is only useful when the team can explain why those uses fit the actual building and ownership plan.
Divaris: compare a leasing and development perspective
Cataldi’s current Divaris profile identifies Richmond retail leasing and development responsibilities for owners alongside tenant strategy. Divaris: Loretta Cataldi current Richmond retail practice We include the firm where a campaign may involve rethinking the use or configuration of space. Ask how the leasing recommendation would change if ownership elects to retain, divide or improve a unit. The response should connect the marketing plan to a feasible property decision rather than assume every vacancy should be advertised in its present form.
TSCG: a specialist alternative for the owner interview
TSCG’s current Andrews profile includes landlord representation, retail site selection and land acquisition in its Richmond practice. TSCG: David Andrews current Richmond retail responsibilities Those responsibilities make the firm a useful comparison where a center includes different types of opportunities. Ask for a relevant owner assignment and the team that would execute the proposed campaign. The biography establishes service scope, but it does not demonstrate a specific completed lease at the subject property or verify the availability of any named prospect.
Ask for a campaign that can be evaluated
Require finalists to distinguish initial positioning, prospect outreach and owner decisions. A useful progress report should identify the response received, the reasons a prospect did not proceed and the next action recommended. Agree how the team will handle uncertain property information before it reaches a prospect. The owner should be able to distinguish an untested marketing idea from an approved change to the space, the commercial terms or the intended tenant mix.
Why Thalhimer receives the first landlord interview
The Glen Lea evidence ties a recent local campaign to a named team, and the supporting practitioner profile closely matches a neighborhood-center brief. Divaris and TSCG offer credible alternative approaches for owners to compare. We do not use a press release’s occupancy claim as an independently verified ranking metric. Current staffing, campaign responsibilities and the suitability of the proposed marketing plan should be established for the owner’s property before appointment. The selection is specific to that process, not a forecast of results.