Brought to you by The Smart Agency: advancing commercial real estate

and financial services through effective communications

While Western National Property Management (WNPM) is best known for its long track record as an owner and operator in the multifamily space, the firm also has deep expertise in retail property management. Earlier this year, The Smart Agency secured an article by WNPM’s President, Laura Khouri, which was published in Western Real Estate Business titled “Strategies for Success in Today’s Retail Environment.” The article described the challenges brick-and-mortar retail faces and highlighted specific operations strategies that retail real estate owners can implement to help their tenants navigate these challenges. Among these are beefing up security, offering rent relief during Black Swan events, taking steps to deal with rising costs, and coming up with innovative ways to boost tenant sales. 

For the past couple years, the retail sector has been remarkably resilient, standing out from other asset classes among the ever-shifting commercial real estate landscape. As we approach the critical holiday shopping season, that trend is sure to be tested. 

According to a new forecast from EY, shoppers are likely to be more intentional in their purchases, seeking out deals and focusing on essentials. This tempered optimism follows a strong run that was fueled by pent-up demand accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, overall retail sales are projected to increase for the year by about 3%, compared to 4% last year and 5.2% in 2022. 

Renee Gibson-Milch, VP of Operations:

OCBJ 2024 Women in Business Nominee

The Smart Agency’s Vice President of Operations, Renee Gibson-Milch, was recently recognized as one of Orange County Business Journal’s 2024 Women in Business award. A six-year member of Team Smart, Renee is an integral part of our leadership team. She brings extensive wisdom and business acumen, along with a warm, people-first style to our Agency. Renee’s well-rounded career spans public relations, sales, account management, and operations, enabling her to share a deep knowledge of successful business strategies and helping our team to rise to the top of our industry. Congratulations, Renee, on this well-deserved recognition! 

Smart Partnerships

The Smart Agency was honored to partner with ULI Orange County/Inland Empire to create the branding and programming for a first-of-its-kind Emerging TRENDS program with a powerful group of innovative thinkers in Commercial Real Estate. The event centered on unique insights from the recently released 46th edition of the national Urban Land Institute / PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Emerging Trends in Real Estate Market Report®. Many of the most prominent shapers of the local commercial real estate market took the stage to share insights and wisdom on what to expect in the months ahead. Learn more in our blog post.

Our Clients in the News

A sample of publicity we have recently achieved for our Clients: 

• Why affordable rental housing Is a perfect asset class for impact investors 
• Antonio Marquez: The Development That Changed My Life| Housing Finance Magazine 
• The Office Market Eyes a Post-Cut Resurgence 

The Smart Agency 

7700 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 160 

Irvine, California 92618 

Click Here to Visit Our Website

www.TheSmartAgency.com

O: 949-438-6262 D: 949-520-6706

E: GetSmart@smartagency.com