Testimonials
RITE AID & BIG LOTS ANCHORED CENTER
“Brown Retail Group helped our partnership sell a roughly 205,000 SF shopping mall in Lewiston, ID anchored by Big Lots and Rite Aid through Marcus & Millichap’s auction platform. Clay, Ruthanne and Phil did a great job marketing the property and coordinating all interested buyer’s due diligence ahead of the auction. The property ended up successfully selling for above our reserve price, with around 15 different bidders submitting offers on the property from across the country. The property sold for all cash in 30 days with the Buyer putting up a 10% non-refundable deposit upon signing the contract. We were very pleased with the end result and would highly recommend the Brown Retail Group team to anyone looking to sell an investment property. These people are truly first class and top notch.”
Jim Magnuson (Seller)
MUV FITNESS (SPOKANE, WA)
“Brown Retail Group recently helped us sell our Property where our successful MUV Fitness Spokane Valley, WA is located. We, and another team, tried to sell this Property in 2020 without success, partly due to Covid-19’s impact on the investment market. Over the years, the BRG Team continuously kept in contact with us and in 2022 approached us with an interested Buyer who was offering more than our original list price. This Buyer was interested in the Property and wanted MUV Fitness as a long-term tenant, so we agreed to sign a new 15-year lease to continue operations. We were able to sell the Property at a fantastic price and negotiate a lease the Buyer and MUV Fitness were happy with, maintaining a great relationship between the new Landlord and MUV Fitness. With the help of Chris, Clay and Ruthanne, we finally were able to accomplish what we set out to do years ago. Ruthanne did an amazing job managing the escrow to closing and helped everything go as smoothly as possible. We highly recommend BRG if you are looking for a professional and aggressive team to help you for future real estate needs.”
Jeff Carlson (Partner, MUV Fitness) (Seller)
RITE AID (LACEY, WA)
“We hired Clay and the Brown Retail Group team to sell a Rite Aid we purchased in early 2020 in Lacey, WA. We decided to engage Clay to sell the Property for us when the time was right given we felt he was the top retail agent in the Pacific Northwest and was already intimately familiar with the asset, given he was the listing agent in 2020 when we purchased the Property. Clay and his team exceeded our expectations and ended up sourcing a great Buyer who closed at a price we were very pleased with. Clay and his team communicate well, are experts in retail investment assets and are great problem solvers. We look forward to working with them again.”
The Voit Company (Seller)
EVERGREEN WAY CENTER (EVERETT, WA)
“Both Andrew and Clay were extremely communicative and helpful throughout the entire deal process. Not only did they source an all-cash 1031-Exchange buyer that paid a sub 1% cap rate, but they also helped with navigating multiple issues throughout the escrow process. Their expertise and knowledge of Snohomish County was very apparent and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to sell a shopping center or net lease investment property.”
Evergreen Holding, LLC (Seller)
“Clay and the Brown Retail Group team sourced us a value-add shopping center off-market in close proximity to another asset we own in Everett, WA. Their team did a great job helping us acquire the property and navigate the escrow process to closing. We look forward to doing another deal with the Brown Retail Group team and would recommend them as a very reputable retail investment sales team in the Northwest United States”
Stephen B. Jaeger, Argonaut Investments (Buyer)
VALVOLINE MULTITENANT (WENATCHEE, WA)
“Both Andrew & Clay were great to work with throughout the entire sales process. Not only did they bring an all-cash buyer that closed the transaction at our full asking price, but they also helped with extending one of the leases prior to bringing the property to market which helped significantly in getting the Property sold. I would absolutely recommend Andrew & Clay to any owners looking to sell their retail investment Property.”
TSE Wenatchee, LLC (Seller)
CEDAR RIVER STATION (RENTON, WA)
“Clay and Andrew approached us with an aggressive off-market offer for a shopping center we developed in Renton. This particular client they were representing was in a large 1031 exchange with a sizeable amount of capital to place. It was critical for us to close on the Property prior to the end of the year and Clay and his team delivered on their promises, closing the transaction on time and at the original offer price with very limited issues. We were very happy with the price, process and overall experience working with the Brown Retail Group team. Honestly, that was one of the smoothest transactions I’ve ever been a part of.”
Cedar River Station, LLC (Seller)
WENDY'S (COVINGTON, WA)
“I first spoke with Andrew and Clay when they offered to share information on how other QSR owners were responding to rent deferment requests during the height of Covid-19. Since then, they helped me with obtaining an analysis on my property and to obtain back rent that was owed from a neighboring Tenant. Once I mentioned that I was thinking of purchasing a new property, they were able to source an off-market buyer that was willing to pay a record low cap rate while still being ok with granting me multiple extensions to our closing date to facilitate a successful 1031 exchange. I highly recommend Andrew and Clay for any net lease sale transactions; their market knowledge is second to none.”
The Segundo Agoura Beach, LLC (Seller)
VIVACITY PREMERA BLUE CROSS (SPOKANE, WA)
“When we were first approached by Clay and Chris, we already had an off market offer to purchase our Premera Blue Cross medical property we had recently developed in Spokane Valley. After sharing our intentions with their team, we agreed to a meeting with them to review a market analysis to help gauge whether moving forward with the off market offer was the right move. After sitting down with Clay and Chris and hearing more about their track record and process, we decided that moving forward with listing the Property with their team was the best financial decision. Probably the biggest take away from working with them is how aggressively they market their listings to a national buyer pool as well as their communication and transparency throughout the transaction. In the end, they were able to personally source two competing offers from high net worth investors which created the competition we needed to result in a sales price roughly 10% higher than the off market offer we had. If you are looking for a motivated, hardworking team who does what they say they are going to do, I would highly recommend working with Brown Retail Group.”
NOI Real Estate Partners, LLC (Developer/Seller)
TRADER JOE'S RETAIL CENTER (EVERETT, WA)
“Clay and Ruthanne represented me in the sale of my Trader Joe’s anchored retail center in Everett, WA. The Property had a couple issues that made it more of a complicated deal, mainly a short term renewal by Trader Joe’s and co-tenancy language that allowed another anchor tenant in the building to reduce their rent and then have the option to terminate if Trader Joe’s didn’t renew. Clay and Ruthanne did a great job marketing the Property overall and brought in over 20 offers from Buyers across the United States which ultimately resulted in a full list price close. Clay and Ruthanne showed a lot of persistence throughout the listing and escrow process to get this transaction across the finish line. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to hire a professional brokerage team to sell a plus-size shopping center in the Pacific Northwest.”
RMD Property, LLC (Seller)
WALGREENS (EVERETT, WA)
“Clay and Ruthanne represented me in the sale of my Trader Joe’s anchored retail center in Everett, WA. The Property had a couple issues that made it more of a complicated deal, mainly a short term renewal by Trader Joe’s and co-tenancy language that allowed another anchor tenant in the building to reduce their rent and then have the option to terminate if Trader Joe’s didn’t renew. Clay and Ruthanne did a great job marketing the Property overall and brought in over 20 offers from Buyers across the United States which ultimately resulted in a full list price close. Clay and Ruthanne showed a lot of persistence throughout the listing and escrow process to get this transaction across the finish line. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to hire a professional brokerage team to sell a plus-size shopping center in the Pacific Northwest.”
RMD Property, LLC (Seller)
STARBUCKS (AUBURN, WA)
“Clayton and his team did a fantastic job selling our Starbucks Property in Auburn. Clayton provided us with pricing guidance over the course of a few years and did a great job staying in touch with us. When the time was right for us to sell, we had multiple off market offers but due to Clayton’s persistence over the years, we decided to move forward with a client he had sourced off market who ended up paying a higher price than everyone else and closed ahead of schedule. Ruthanne did a great job navigating the escrow to make it as smooth as possible. Brown Retail Group was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend them 100% to anyone looking to buy or sell a commercial property.”
BCU Investment, LLC (Seller)
COMMUNITY BANK (BAKER CITY, OR)
“I hired Marcus & Millichap’s Brown Retail Group to sell a bank ground lease I owned in Oregon and overall was very pleased with the experience. They ended up sourcing multiple competing offers and exceeded my pricing expectations, ultimately pushing the sale price above our full asking price. They communicate well and know the net leased market extremely well. Brown Retail Group is a well-oiled machine and you can tell they are passionate about what they do. I look forward to working with them again in the near future.”
BAKBRAD, LLC (Seller)
JIFFY LUBE MULTICARE PORTFOLIO (WENATCHEE, WA)
“Clay Brown and Ruthanne Romero from the Brown Retail Group of Marcus & Millichap represented us in the sale of our two Jiffy Lube properties located in Wenatchee, WA, which we wanted to sell together to facilitate a 1031 exchange. Clay and Ruthanne were able to source multiple serious Buyers. The first Buyer’s 1031 exchange didn’t go through, but since we had backup Buyers ready, they were able to put another group under contract without skipping a beat. Clay and Ruthanne were proactive, positive, and in regular communication with us throughout the process. Their knowledge of the Wenatchee market and their access to Buyers throughout the nation led to the successful closing of the properties at list price. We would recommend the Brown Retail Group to anyone looking for a professional and capable team. I want to add that I chose them after an unsuccessful listing agreement where the only offers I received were for one store. They quickly found buyers for both stores. Highly satisfactory experience.”
James & Marcus, LLC (Seller)
DOLLAR GENERAL (WHITE CITY)
“Clay is a great overall agent and runs a well-organized team. He was able to source me two, brand new construction NNN properties in the Pacific Northwest from his developer network to help fulfill my 1031 exchange. I look forward to working with Clay and his team again in the near future.”
AMMAR, LLC (Buyer)
STARBUCKS (AUBURN, WA)
“This is the 4th transaction and 3rd 1031 exchange we have closed with Clayton and Ruthanne in the last 6 months or so and they are always a pleasure to work with. Hard working, responsive, very knowledgeable and have a gift for problem solving and getting transactions closed.”
Kroeger Properties, LLC (Buyer)
MARINELAND PLAZA (KENNEWICK, WA)
“Clay and his team represented us in the sale of Marineland Plaza, a roughly 52,000 SF shopping center located in Kennewick, WA during the COVID-19 pandemic. We previously had the Property listed by two separate brokerage companies over the last couple years who weren’t able to get the job done for a variety of reasons. We were looking to hire a national brokerage group with access to Buyers coming from outside of the Tri-Cities area, especially from out of state. Marcus & Millichap was that firm. Clay and his team did a fantastic job during the entire marketing process and ended up personally sourcing the Buyer who lived in the Portland, OR MSA who was in a 1031 exchange coming out of another Property Clay and his team had sold. From serving 27 estoppels in a short timeframe to lining up a lender to fund a retail deal in Kennewick during the pandemic, Marcus & Millichap did a great job overall at facilitating this transaction to closing. We enjoyed working with Clay and his team and can vouch for their expertise, professionalism and integrity.”
Bob Nash - Clearwater Prof Suites, LLC (Seller)
RITE AID (LACEY, WA)
“I had the pleasure of working with Clay and his team on the disposition of a Rite Aid in Lacey, WA. We engaged Clay back in 2018 about different scenarios given different rent/lease term options with our upcoming renewal with Rite Aid. Clay advised us through the lease extension process and helped us negotiate the best possible lease to maximize value for the Property. Clay gave us an honest opinion on pricing and delivered on that promise, bringing numerous competing offers to the table. We ultimately moved forward with a California based 1031 exchange Buyer that Clay and his team sourced who closed all cash within 2% of our asking price. It was a pleasure doing business with Clay and his team and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for representation.”
Greg Wolff - Senior Real Estate Asset Manager, Wells Fargo Bank (Seller)
CALIBER COLLISION PORTFOLIO (VANCOUVER, WA)
“Clay Brown and Ruthanne Romero of Brown Retail Group represented us in the sale of a portfolio of Caliber Collision autobody properties located in Vancouver, WA during the COVID-19 health crisis. We encountered several issues throughout the marketing and sales process including the shelter-in-place orders being issued, deferred rent lease amendments needing to be negotiated with Caliber Collision corporate and requests for concessions from Buyers due to physical aspects of the properties. Their strong relationship with Caliber Collision corporate helped streamline our marketing process for all properties from start to finish. Clay and Ruthanne were able to keep all of the properties together over several months of our extended escrow timeframes. From what we could see, they were putting out fires continuously to help make for as smooth of an escrow and closing process as possible. They are very creative in finding solutions to complex problems and know how to get a transaction across the finish line. If you are looking for representation for the sale of a portfolio of properties and need an experienced brokerage group with the team structure to handle several different complex transactions at once, I would highly recommend Brown Retail Group to get the job done.”
Alpine Square, LLC (Seller)
DOLLAR GENERAL PORTFOLIO
(WESTPORT & OCEAN SHORES, WA)
“Clay and his team sourced us two, separate off-market Dollar General properties in Washington state from their developer network that we were able to purchase with limited competition. These two properties helped us close out two, separate 1031 exchanges. Having a broker with key relationships with the right players is critical when performing an exchange as usually the off-market properties are your best opportunities. Clay leads a great team and we also relied heavily on Ruthanne Romero throughout the two transactions. We were very impressed with the team’s work ethic, professionalism and ability to facilitate a smooth transaction. We are now presently looking for another property through Clay’s network.”
Dave & Melody Kroeger (Buyer)
YOUNG'S MARKET COMPANY
“We decided to list with Clay and his team because of how persistent they were in their follow up with us. They put together a very complete market analysis for our Property which was leased to an untraditional tenant. They ended up delivering on their pricing to a tee, and ended up sourcing multiple competing offers within the first two weeks of marketing. Probably the biggest takeaways from working with Clay and his team is how aggressively they market their listings as well as their transparency and communication throughout the marketing and escrow process. Clay and Ruthanne consistently kept us up to date of every change and potential issue before it happened, allowing for as smooth of a transaction as possible. We look forward to working with Clay and Ruthanne on future deals and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for representation.”
Curran Properties LP (Seller)
CALIBER COLLISION (VANCOUVER, WA)
“It was a pleasure working with Clay Brown and his team regarding the purchase of my 1031 exchange replacement property in Vancouver, WA. Clay and his team were very attentive throughout the escrow process and navigated several pitfalls due to the COVID-19 health crisis including drafting and finalizing multiple amendments to the lease with Caliber Collision corporate. I look forward to working with Clay and his team again and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for representation.”
Parson and Carter, LLC (Buyer)
CALIBER COLLISION (VANCOUVER, WA)
“I want to thank Clay Brown and the Brown Retail Group for assisting me in the recent purchase of a Caliber Collision asset located in Washington state. Clay and his team helped navigate this transaction during the health crisis which required multiple extensions to closing to come to terms with the tenant regarding deferred rent and to line up financing for the purchase. Clay and his team kept my best interests in mind throughout the entire transaction and their constant communication made this a smooth transaction given the circumstances. I would highly recommend Brown Retail Group to anyone in the retail or net leased market.”
Vancouver Hazel Dell, LLC (Buyer)
US BANK (BREMERTON, WA)
“Ruthanne and Clay represented us in the sale of our US Bank Ground Lease in Bremerton, WA during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were very impressed with their professionalism, market knowledge and ability to facilitate and close a transaction. The Property was sold and recorded all cash in roughly three weeks from our listing date at our full asking price! We would highly recommend Brown Retail Group to anyone looking for representation.”
Kelley Johnson (Seller)
JACK IN THE BOX (FEDERAL WAY, WA)
“Clay Brown and Andrew Scotland represented us in the sale of our Jack in the Box property in Federal Way, WA during the COVID-19 health crisis. They were very knowledgeable from start to finish on all aspects of the sales process from recommended pricing in this environment to advising on potential pit falls in the due diligence process specifically related to our tenant. They gave us an honest opinion of value of our property and delivered on that promise, sourcing an all-cash Buyer who ultimately closed on the Property in roughly 30 days. They have a good working relationship with Jack in the Box corporate and a thorough understanding of leverage while negotiating a transaction which helped us overcome a request for a substantial reduction in price due to an unfortunate inspection report. It is no surprise Brown Retail Group and Marcus & Millichap are the #1 retail brokers in the Pacific Northwest. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for representation in the purchase or sale of a retail investment property.”
RMS, LLC Federal Way (Seller)
7-ELEVEN (SPANAWAY, WA)
“Clayton Brown and his team (Brown Retail Group) represented us in the sale of our single tenant 7-Eleven in Spanaway, WA. Having been previously listed by two other national brokers over the last couple years, the Property had its challenges in getting sold. The team kept us updated weekly with written marketing updates and did a great job of relaying feedback from the market. Clay and his team brought multiple offers to the table and ended up sourcing the Buyer who ultimately closed, all while navigating the difficulties of the COVID-19 health crisis. I would highly recommend working with Brown Retail Group to list your retail property and maximize the value of your real estate investment.”
Chae Lee (Seller)
FIDELITY-KEYSTONE OFFICE TOWER
“Selling something in a 1031 exchange is only part of the process and something any brokerage firm can do. Where you guys rock it and make yourselves so valuable is the fact that you shepherd the entire 1031 exchange process from selling the asset, finding the best possible replacement properties, negotiating the best possible deal and then sourcing the best possible financing options, all in one seamless process. Also, the fact that there is preferential treatment for Marcus & Millichap customers from both the Seller and Buyer’s standpoint, makes it so one-stop shopping. To anyone who reads this, Clay and his team were able to source us two plus size multi-tenant retail/office properties that fit our search criteria perfectly. Clay, Ruthanne, and Ray Allen are fantastic to work with and I will be using them again exclusively for my next 1031 exchange or for any real estate or financing need.”