2027 edition · Research reviewed November 7, 2026
For a Washington-area retail tenant, choose a person whose documented work matches the concept and territory. This 2027 guide compares five brokers from a retail specialist, a regional independent and a larger platform. We applied the nine individual criteria to current biographies, with particular attention to tenant-side responsibility. Our recommendations identify interview fit; they do not infer personal results from a firm’s brand or claim a verified sales benefit from any location choice.
How we rank individual commercial real estate brokers in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV
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 — Sebastian Restifo
For 2027, Sebastian Restifo is our #1 editorial recommendation among individual commercial real estate brokers for retail tenant representation in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV.
Best fit: Restaurant and retail tenant searches
Our #1 editorial recommendation is based on his biography identifies tenant concepts and restaurant-sector involvement.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Sebastian Restifo | Restaurant and retail tenant searches | His biography identifies tenant concepts and restaurant-sector involvement. |
| Kelley Milloy | Expansion with attention to project delivery | Her profile links tenant expansion with a construction background. |
| Kelly Atkinson | DC/MD/VA retail rollouts | Her current specialty explicitly includes tenant representation and expansion. |
| Ray Schupp | Retail briefs extending into West Virginia | His stated territory includes all four metro jurisdictions. |
| Michael Zacharia | New sites and existing retail lease decisions | His profile identifies acquisitions, negotiation, renewals and extensions. |
Sebastian Restifo — H&R Retail
Restifo’s current biography identifies retail and restaurant tenant representation in Washington and Baltimore, from local concepts to regional and national brands. It also identifies his ChainLinks Restaurant Council leadership. H&R Retail: Sebastian Restifo We select him for a restaurant or retail concept seeking a specialist discussion. Ask how he would translate the operating model into a site brief and which physical questions need independent technical review before a location is accepted.
Kelley Milloy — KLNB
Milloy’s biography describes strategic expansion for retail and restaurant tenants and earlier construction work on mixed-use projects. KLNB: Kelley Milloy We include her when a tenant wants to discuss both location strategy and the realities of delivering a space. Ask which parts of the search she leads personally and how the team records unresolved construction or access questions. Prior construction experience does not replace project-specific professional inspections.
Kelly Atkinson — KLNB
Atkinson’s current profile identifies retail representation across DC, Maryland and Virginia and involvement in brand rollouts. KLNB: Kelly Atkinson We select her for a tenant comparing several locations within that territory. Request a phased search plan that explains what must be learned from an initial location before pursuing the next. Ask how she will document rejected sites so the search remains consistent as the brief evolves.
Ray Schupp — H&R Retail
Schupp explicitly includes West Virginia alongside DC, Maryland and Virginia in his retail tenant and landlord practice. H&R Retail: Ray Schupp That stated geography makes him a useful comparison where the requirement extends beyond the core Washington suburbs. Ask for relevant recent assignments in the actual target communities and the local execution plan. A wider territory still needs a clear point of responsibility for each proposed site.
Michael Zacharia — CBRE
Zacharia’s current biography identifies Washington metro retail tenant representation, site acquisition and lease negotiation, including renewals and extensions. CBRE: Michael Zacharia We include him for a retailer comparing a new location with changes to an existing occupancy. Ask for alternatives presented on consistent assumptions, and request disclosure of relevant owner relationships given his documented work on both sides of retail transactions.
Interview for the work you need
Give candidates the same concept, territory and timetable. Ask each to explain the first research steps, the information they need from you and a sample recommendation format. Personal biographies document roles and services, not availability or independent performance. We found no comparable audited dataset of these brokers’ tenant outcomes. Final selection should turn on the quality of the proposed process, relevant references and clarity about compensation and conflicts.