Bio
After graduating from Texas Tech, Jean Smith began his professional career immersed in all aspects of his family's retail furniture business, Smith Furniture Company. This experience has given him a retailer's perspective in trade area evaluation and site selection. Jean was a founding member and long-term managing partner for United Commercial Realty (UCR). In addition to managing the company, Jean also represented numerous retailers including Blockbuster Video and Eckerd Drugs, helping them open more than 120 and 40 stores, respectively, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. During his tenure with the company, he was actively involved in multiple trade organizations including the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) as Texas Regional Committee Chair and a Board of Director for the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors (NTCAR). In 2015, Jean and his partners sold their company to CBRE.
As a Senior Vice President with CBRE, Jean continues to assist his clients with their trade area evaluations and site selection in the major Texas markets. Most recently, Jean has been assisting Sprouts Farmers Market in procuring sites in Dallas-Fort Worth in emerging suburban and dense urban markets. Currently, he has assisted Sprouts in opening twenty-three locations in DFW. Jean and his former UCR partner Karla Smith are currently working with Target's new store development team in procuring sites in the state of Texas. This brokerage work with Sprouts and Target has given them invaluable insight regarding the next retail intersections and trade areas that will be developed in new Texas emerging markets. Jean and Karla have also assisted developers with procuring numerous grocery anchors for new retail developments and have successfully negotiated sales and leases with Kroger, Market Street and Trader Joe's.
Jean is a member of Watermark Church in Dallas and is actively involved with an East Africa missions group, Barry Wood Ministries. Jean's hobbies include scuba diving, hunting and fishing with his wife, Pam, and their two boys, Christian and Cory. Jean is also an active member of ICSC, NTCAR and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). A native of Dallas, Jean received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University.
Areas of Interest
- Deal Type
- Acquisition, Development, Ground Lease, Loan Purchase, Opportunity Zone, Partner Buyout, Pre-Development, Recapitalization, Refinance, Rehabilitation