Michael Epsteen
Chairman/Owner, Epsteen & Associates
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Phone (310) 451-8171 x234
Property Types
Retail
Markets
Los Angeles
Bio
After Michael graduated from UCLA’s School of Business, majoring in Real Estate he then did his duty as an officer in the US Army. In 1961 he became a Licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of California. In 1962 he was hired by Sam Price, who was one of the leading retail broker specialists in the Country. It was at this time that he really began to realize his true love of the business. For almost 50 years, his entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm, his vast market knowledge and background with start-up companies has led to his successful specialization and forefront position in retail chain store leasing throughout California.
During the next twelve years in the business, he worked independently, mastering chain-store development and leasing. In 1974 Michael founded EPSTEEN & ASSOCIATES, which now represents more than sixty chain stores. His theory of quality vs. quantity of brokers, endorses a leaner associates’ team throughout three California offices in Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and San Diego.
Leading the field of corporate and independent chain store brokers, EPSTEEN & ASSOCIATES specializes in site selection, location strategy and lease negotiations for chain store retailers. Representing both landlords and tenants, his brokerage company has a client list of some of the most sought-after and successful promotional retailers on the West Coast, including Ross Stores, Williams Sonoma, Staples, Starbucks Coffee, Petco Stores, Wolfgang Puck and Union Bank.
Michael is the founding member of Chainlinks, the nation’s largest affiliation of retail only real estate specialists who represent the nations foremost retail chain stores as well as some of the nations leading shopping center developers, endorsing progressive expansion programs and located in all major metropolitan markets and in Europe.
At EPSTEEN & ASSOCIATES, entry-level independent brokers commit to a two-year training program established by Michael, so that they may learn, study and love the commercial retail real estate business and the geographics and demographics of the retail marketplace. He believes a good broker is a “demographer”: one who digests the character, as well as the statistics of populations.
As a proponent of ethical and moral business practices, Michael advertises and editorializes in trade journals to confirm his convictions. Due to his success and expertise in the real estate business, his knowledge of the territory and his vast experience in developing chain store concepts, he is a sought-after spokesperson at ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) conventions, industry and academic conferences and trade publications.
