Houston Retail Leasing

Retail leasing led. Built for owners who need the deal closed, not just listed.

Michael Finkelshteyn represents landlords across Houston's retail corridors, with a particular focus on value-add repositioning and big box space. One point of contact, zero guesswork about who's driving your deal.

List Your Property See What We List

What We List

Houston retail leasing, built around landlord representation.

Our focus is retail leasing — pad sites, strip centers, freestanding retail, big box space, and value-add properties with releasing or repositioning upside. Owners get direct, hands-on representation from marketing through lease execution.

Primary Focus

Retail Leasing

Strip centers, pad sites, freestanding retail, and restaurant space across Houston's inner loop and growth corridors — with particular depth in value-add properties carrying releasing or repositioning upside, and a specific focus on big box space. Tenant recruitment and landlord representation, start to finish.

Talk to us about retail space

After You List

What actually happens, week by week.

Most owners have never listed a property before and don't know what's normal. Here's the real timeline, not the polished version.

Week 1

The audit

We walk the property, pull comps, and price it against what's actually moving in this submarket right now — not last year's numbers. Nothing goes public yet; the marketing package gets built quietly first.

Weeks 2–6

The push

Your property goes live online, and outreach starts in parallel — cold calls to tenants, our buyer network, and in-person conferences where we get in front of larger national users. Early weeks can feel quiet even when it's working — most serious inquiries take two to three weeks to surface once brokers vet the space against their own client list. A slow first week is normal, not a red flag.

Week 6+

The close

Offers come in, we negotiate terms, and the LOI moves into lease or purchase agreement drafting. This stage moves in bursts — long quiet stretches followed by fast back-and-forth once both sides are serious. We stay on it end to end so nothing stalls waiting on paperwork.

The Honest Comparison

Michael, a big-box brokerage, or no broker at all.

If you're deciding how to list, this is the real landscape — not a sales pitch.

—	Michael	Big National Brokerage	No Broker (FSBO)
One contact, start to finish	Yes	Usually not — different agents per type	N/A — you're the contact
Local Houston submarket knowledge	Direct, hands-on	Varies by assigned agent	Depends on your own research
Marketing reach	Online advertising + direct tenant outreach, cold calls, and in-person conferences	Broad, often templated	Whatever you can arrange yourself
Response time	Direct line to your broker	Often routed through a team or junior associate	Immediate, but you're doing everything
Negotiation representation	Dedicated to your side	Dedicated to your side	None — you negotiate directly
Upfront cost	None — standard commission at close	None — standard commission at close	None, but your time replaces it

Michael Finkelshteyn · Fink CRE

About

An engineer's approach to Houston retail.

Michael Finkelshteyn is a seasoned real estate professional with deep Houston market roots and a track record of strategic execution across investment, acquisition, and transaction leadership. Prior to his real estate career, Michael earned an engineering degree from Texas A&M University and began his professional journey in the oil and gas industry. This analytical foundation now informs his disciplined approach to real estate underwriting and deal execution.

Michael has completed 100+ real estate transactions, bringing a blend of brokerage proficiency and principal-side insight to every engagement. His experience includes direct ownership and operation of a rental portfolio as well as participation as a limited partner in a substantial neighborhood shopping center investment, giving him firsthand experience in asset performance, investor alignment, and long-term value realization.

Alongside transactional work, Michael built and led an acquisitions and marketing team focused on sourcing off-market opportunities, negotiating directly with property owners, and managing complex deal execution from initial underwriting through closing. His hands-on experience navigating challenging assets and tight timelines equips him to deliver results where conventional approaches fall short.

With a practical, investor-aligned perspective, Michael partners with clients to provide strategic guidance rooted in real-world experience, disciplined analysis, and a commitment to achieving outcomes with certainty and integrity.

Michael is bilingual, fluent in Russian.

Based In

Houston, TX

Focus

Retail leasing

Specialty

Value-add & big box retail

Before You List

Questions worth asking before you list.

The things owners actually want to know, answered straight.

How long does it take to lease retail space in Houston?

It varies by submarket and asking rate, but expect roughly 30–45 days to a signed LOI on well-priced space, then a few more weeks for lease negotiation. Overpriced space can sit for months regardless of how it's marketed.

Do I need a broker to lease my commercial property?

Not legally, but most serious tenants work through their own broker, and that broker filters listings before ever showing them to a client. Going unrepresented usually means your property never reaches that filtered list at all.

What's the difference between a listing broker and a tenant rep broker?

A listing broker represents you, the owner, and works to get your space filled on your terms. A tenant rep broker represents the business looking for space and negotiates against you. Make sure whoever you're talking to is clear about which side they're on.

What is "value-add" retail, and do you work with it?

It's a property with real upside — below-market rents, vacancy that can be filled, or a layout that could be repositioned — but that upside hasn't been captured yet. That's a specific specialty here on the leasing side.

What does it cost to list with a broker?

Commission is standard for the market and comes out of the transaction — there's no upfront fee to list. We'll walk through the specific structure for your property before anything is signed.