2027 edition · Research reviewed November 7, 2026
Kurt Grundman of Lockehouse is our editorial #1 individual retail tenant broker for San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara for an established retailer planning an expansion program. Chris Homs and Marie Anderson provide the comparison. Our 2027 recommendation uses all nine individual criteria and separates a personal tenant practice from landlord property marketing. The selection is an assessment of fit, not a claim of independently verified superiority in retailer sales or occupancy savings.
How we rank individual commercial real estate brokers in San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA
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 — Kurt Grundman
For 2027, Kurt Grundman is our #1 editorial recommendation among individual commercial real estate brokers for retail tenant representation in San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA.
Best fit: Retailer expansion strategy
Our editorial #1 for an established retailer’s expansion brief because his current personal practice explicitly centers on tenant expansion and consulting, with separately verified San Jose involvement.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Kurt Grundman | Retailer expansion strategy | His personal specialty is expansion and consulting; San Jose marketing verifies local involvement without claiming a tenant credit. |
| Chris Homs | Tenant evaluation of mixed-use opportunities | His tenant practice and independently named Sunnyvale project role support the comparison. |
| Marie Anderson | San Jose-based retail tenant advice | Her current CBRE biography establishes local retail representation. |
#1 Kurt Grundman — expansion as an individual specialty
Grundman’s current Lockehouse biography explicitly emphasizes retailer expansion and consulting, with regional and national retail clients. Lockehouse: Kurt Grundman His broker-published Showcase page includes the San Jose property at 350 South Winchester Boulevard. Kurt Grundman: broker-published property marketing on Showcase We lead with him for a retailer wanting to structure several location decisions. The San Jose property marketing establishes local landlord-side involvement; it does not prove a tenant-side outcome or an unrestricted mandate for every brand mentioned in his profile.
Chris Homs — tenant needs within mixed-use projects
Homs’s biography identifies tenant representation alongside mixed-use development work, and Cityline publishes him as a Sunnyvale leasing contact. Lockehouse: Chris Homs Cityline Sunnyvale: retail leasing team He is a useful comparison for a retailer assessing space in a larger project. Ask how he would translate the concept’s operating needs into questions for the project team. A landlord appointment is relevant experience but also a reason to establish the representation arrangement for a tenant considering that project.
Marie Anderson — a San Jose retail practitioner
Anderson’s current CBRE biography identifies retail tenant and landlord services from San Jose. CBRE: Marie Anderson We include her for a retailer seeking a locally based individual at a national firm. Request examples matching the business format and intended geography, and identify which parts of the search she would personally handle. Her earlier Meacham/Oppenheimer experience is professional background, not a current affiliation or a new CBRE transaction.
The first conversation should test the site brief
Explain the concept’s customers, operating hours, delivery requirements and desired opening sequence. Ask each broker which assumptions need evidence before the search expands. For multiple locations, discuss how the broker will avoid treating every vacant shop as an equally useful option. Request a consistent comparison that shows tradeoffs among location, delivery condition and total occupancy commitments. Personal contacts help begin conversations, but the retailer still needs a disciplined way to reject unsuitable space.
What should remain visible in the analysis
Have the adviser identify the date and source of each material property statement. Separate confirmed terms from negotiation targets and actual permitted use from a proposed change. Where technical review is needed, agree who coordinates it and who is qualified to provide it. Ask for recent references and a sample of the broker’s own analytical work. Employer resources or public marketing visibility do not establish individual model quality.
Why Grundman leads this shortlist
The deciding factor is the explicit personal emphasis on tenant expansion, supported by local involvement, rather than title, company size or table order. Homs offers a mixed-use comparison and Anderson a San Jose-based retail alternative. The sources do not provide a uniform set of verified tenant outcomes or comparable personal technology tests. Require assignment-specific proof for Sunnyvale and Santa Clara as well as San Jose. The recommended next step is an agreed tenant mandate with clear territory, responsibilities and conflict disclosures, followed by a documented search strategy.