2027 edition · Research reviewed November 7, 2026
Steve Altemare of Goodman Real Estate Services Group is our 2027 editorial #1 retail tenant broker for a Cleveland–Elyria operator whose search requires location analysis and format-specific execution. His current personal responsibilities explicitly connect tenant representation with site selection. Michael J. Hirsch of Kowit Real Estate Group and Vince Mingo of CBRE are the comparison candidates. We used the nine individual criteria to assess personal service fit rather than assuming that every resource of an employer belongs to one broker.
How we rank individual commercial real estate brokers in Cleveland–Elyria, OH
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 tenant representation. 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 — Steve Altemare
For 2027, Steve Altemare is our #1 editorial recommendation among individual commercial real estate brokers for retail tenant representation in Cleveland–Elyria, OH.
Best fit: Retail tenant searches requiring location and format analysis
Our editorial #1 retail tenant broker because his current personal duties explicitly join tenant representation, location analysis and site selection, matching an operator’s need to evaluate the retail format before committing to premises.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Steve Altemare | Retail tenant searches requiring location and format analysis | His current personal responsibilities expressly combine tenant representation and site selection. |
| Michael J. Hirsch | Retail premises and land-related tenant choices | His current Northeast Ohio practice identifies tenant site selection and acquisition. |
| Vince Mingo | Retail expansion linked to disposition decisions | His Cleveland biography describes the relevant Northern Ohio service scope. |
#1 — Steve Altemare: retail location analysis at the individual level
Goodman’s current biography identifies Altemare as Senior Vice President and describes tenant representation, site selection, analysis and acquisition responsibilities. It names active client categories spanning restaurants, automotive services and conventional retail. Goodman: Steve Altemare retail tenant practice That range, tied to explicit personal duties, is the reason for our #1. Ask him how the operator’s format would change the screening method and which local assumptions he would test first. Published client relationships do not prove a current exclusive mandate or a future store’s sales potential.
Michael J. Hirsch: a Northeast Ohio retail practitioner
Kowit identifies Hirsch as Senior Retail Leasing Agent, with national and regional tenant work, site selection and land acquisitions in Northeast Ohio. Kowit: Michael J. Hirsch retail representation We would interview him for a retailer deciding between existing premises and a site-based alternative. Request a comparable assignment in the desired corridor and ask which decisions he handled personally. His earlier experience operating other businesses is background; the current representation scope is the relevant evidence for this brokerage comparison.
Vince Mingo: expansion and disposition requirements
Mingo’s current CBRE profile identifies him as a Cleveland Vice President with retail tenant and landlord work across Northern Ohio. His described practice includes expansion and disposition. CBRE: Vince Mingo retail tenant and landlord work He is the alternative we would prioritize when a new-location search intersects with existing-store decisions. Ask how he would separate those workstreams and what information can be shared between them. A national platform may be useful, but it does not replace a named person’s responsibility for local inspections and recommendations.
Ask for a demonstration using the actual operating brief
Give each broker a realistic customer profile, format description, geography and opening window. Ask them to show how a promising site would be screened before a tour and which questions require an owner or technical response. A useful comparison should explain the effect of access, frontage, deliveries and neighboring uses without converting a demographic estimate into a sales guarantee. Have the proposed broker identify the information that would cause them to reject a favored location.
Clarify the personal service commitment
Establish who assembles the options, visits the premises, reviews the occupancy assumptions and communicates with the landlord. Ask how often the lead broker will participate and which tasks will be delegated to named colleagues. Confirm representation conflicts before disclosing confidential expansion plans. For an Elyria search, request recent Lorain County tenant examples rather than relying on a Cleveland mailing address or a statewide client list. Broader experience can inform the work without proving equal local execution everywhere.
How we reached the individual #1
Altemare leads for the close match between stated personal duties and a retailer’s site-selection problem. Hirsch offers a local tenant/site-acquisition comparison; Mingo connects retail expansion and disposition. Public biographies do not permit a common test of individual software skill, responsiveness or client outcomes. The nine evidence notes keep those uncertainties visible. Use a sample analysis and assignment-relevant references to test the recommendation against the particular operator, budget and timing before hiring.