VAULT · Charlotte CRE Broker Roster

Doc date: 2026-07-28. Purpose: retain 1 to 2 tenant-rep brokers under exclusive engagement for South End retail plus adaptive-reuse hunt.

Engagement model

Tenant-rep, landlord-paid. VAULT pays $0 out of pocket. Broker earns 4 to 6 percent of the lease value or 2 to 3 percent of purchase price on close. Signed Exclusive Tenant Representation Agreement, 12 month term with 90 day tail.

Never dual-rep. Never sign a landlord’s listing agent as our tenant rep. Even if they claim to represent us, they cannot represent both sides in North Carolina without dual-agency disclosure and a diluted duty of loyalty.

Interview slate

Five firms. Interview all five. Retain two. One primary, one secondary. The secondary carries a specific zone (Camp North End or Optimist Park) to avoid conflict.

1. JLL Charlotte

• Address: 201 S Tryon St, Uptown Charlotte.
• Retail practice: Deep on national tenant reps and mixed-use ground-floor retail. South End track record is strong on the developer side (Portman, Northwood Ravin).
• Fit: A on rent economics and market intelligence. B on scrappy adaptive-reuse hunt because the team is oriented toward Class A new construction.
• Ask for: Retail Tenant Advisory group lead. Push past leasing-agency team.
• Concern: Conflict risk. JLL leases many South End properties. Walk through the conflict wall in the first meeting.

2. Cushman & Wakefield Charlotte

• Address: 227 W Trade St, Uptown Charlotte.
• Retail practice: Strong on urban retail and adaptive-reuse. Represents boutique fitness and wellness operators nationally.
• Fit: A on tenant-rep alignment and TI negotiation.
• Ask for: Retail Occupier Services team, not Leasing.
• Concern: National orientation may push a national-brand playbook. VAULT is not a national brand. Test their comfort with a founder-led concept.

3. Newmark Charlotte

• Address: 4725 Piedmont Row Dr, SouthPark.
• Retail practice: Solid across SouthPark, Ballantyne, South End. Strong on Camp North End (they have leased space there).
• Fit: A on Camp North End specifically.
• Ask for: Retail Services Group.
• Concern: SouthPark bias. Make sure the pitch team lives in South End listings.

4. Foundry Commercial

• Local boutique with Charlotte presence and Southeast footprint.
• Retail practice: Boutique wellness, food hall tenants, adaptive-reuse. Culturally aligned with VAULT concept.
• Fit: A on hustle and market color. B on deep landlord Rolodex vs JLL or C&W.
• Ask for: Charlotte Retail Advisory.
• Concern: Smaller bench. Make sure the lead broker has a bandwidth commitment in writing.

5. Trinity Partners (Charlotte-based)

• Charlotte-headquartered. Deep local roots.
• Retail practice: Retail plus mixed-use focus. Strong Camden Southline and Rail Trail relationships.
• Fit: A on South End Rail Trail. Local operator knowledge is unmatched.
• Ask for: Retail Advisory principal.
• Concern: Boutique. Same bandwidth caveat as Foundry.

Interview questions (bring to every meeting)

1. Show me every retail plus adaptive-reuse comp that traded or leased in South End in the last 18 months. Camden, South Blvd, Tremont, Bland, Worthington.
2. Which landlords in South End are actively courting premium wellness or hospitality operators right now?
3. Walk me through your process for TI negotiation on a $60 psf ask when landlord opens at $30 psf.
4. Who on your team physically tours properties with clients? Are they the same person who negotiates the lease?
5. What is your average time from LOI to signed lease on a 15,000 SF adaptive-reuse deal in Charlotte?
6. Show me your last three tenant-rep engagements over 10,000 SF in Charlotte urban submarkets. Names, addresses, terms if permitted.
7. Any conflicts with current listings in South End, Camp North End, Optimist Park? Which specific buildings would you have to recuse from?
8. What is your view on Camp North End Boileryard availability and ATCO’s current appetite?
9. What is your read on Camden Rd design district vs South Blvd Rail Trail for a $4M plus fit-out premium wellness concept?
10. How do you handle broadcast production plus assembly plus personal service triple-use zoning conversation with landlords who have never heard of that stack?

Selection criteria (100 pt)

Retain: top 2 above 80.

Retainer expectations

• Standard: $0 retainer. Broker is landlord-paid on close.
• Consulting fee for off-market or capital-markets work: $5K to $10K one time, credited against commission on close.
• Exclusive Tenant Representation Agreement: 12 months, 90 day tail. Termination for cause on failure to deliver survey within 15 days or failure to tour within 30 days.

Broker engagement sequence

1. Week 1: Send RFP one-pager to all 5. Include envelope requirements from 00_PROPERTY_TARGETS, budget frame, timeline.
2. Week 2: Interview all 5. Taj plus Trill together. 45 min per meeting. In person only.
3. Week 3: Reference calls (3 references per finalist).
4. Week 4: Retain primary plus secondary. Sign Exclusive Tenant Rep Agreements.
5. Week 5 to 6: Primary delivers 20 site survey. Secondary delivers Camp North End plus Optimist Park survey.
6. Week 7: Joint tour, top 8 properties.
7. Week 8 to 10: LOI drafts on top 3.
8. Week 12: Lease or purchase execution.

Reference call script

• What was the address and size?
• What was the ask vs the final rent and TI?
• How many buildings did they show you before you committed?
• Did they miss anything material in due diligence?
• Would you use them again? For what specifically?

Fallback broker network (if slate misses)

• CBRE Charlotte: national scale, not typically the best fit for boutique operators.
• Colliers Charlotte: solid B option, thinner South End retail bench.
• Avison Young Charlotte: growing, worth a look if a specific broker with South End track record emerges.

Do not engage

• Any broker who has a current listing agreement with a landlord on our shortlist. Even under a conflict wall, the loyalty dilution is not worth it.
• Any residential agent claiming commercial credentials.
• Any broker who cannot name the current lease rate at Atherton Mill in the first meeting.

Cross-ref: 00_PROPERTY_TARGETS.md, 01_NEIGHBORHOOD_ANALYSIS.md, 04_ARCHITECT_GC_SHORTLIST.md.