The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies
Roxanne Klein on Leasing SoCal Retail in a Tight & Shifting Market
Why It Matters
Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for landlords, investors, and brokers aiming to maximize asset value in a shifting retail landscape. Klein’s insights on tenant mix evolution and adaptive reuse offer actionable guidance for anyone looking to succeed in Southern California’s competitive CRE environment.
Key Takeaways
- •Retail leasing thrives despite tight market, vacancy ~6%
- •Landlord representation provides commission security versus tenant representation
- •Independent pharmacies and head spas repurposing former big‑box locations
- •Tenant footprints shrinking as rent pressures favor smaller spaces
- •Drive‑through coffee, car washes, and convenience concepts dominate demand
Pulse Analysis
Roxanne “Roxy” Klein, senior vice‑president of retail leasing at Progressive Real Estate Partners, brings two decades of sales, marketing, and CRE experience to Southern California’s inland markets. After a candy‑manufacturing family business and a stint in photography, she entered commercial real estate through a mentor‑driven apprenticeship, quickly gravitating toward retail because of its blend of merchandising and real‑estate dynamics. At Progressive, a boutique firm that ranks #1 in Inland Empire retail, she chose landlord representation for its predictable commission structure, noting that listing agreements lock in fees while tenant deals often rely on uncertain landlord approvals. The SoCal retail landscape remains tight, with vacancy hovering around six percent—still low by national standards.
Klein observes a wave of adaptive reuse: former Rite Aid sites are attracting independent pharmacies, while beauty concepts such as head spas and multi‑service salons are filling niche spaces. Rent pressure is compressing tenant footprints; many brands now prefer 2,000‑square‑foot formats over larger footprints to stay within budget. Meanwhile, drive‑through coffee shops, car washes, and convenience‑focused concepts dominate new leasing activity, reflecting consumer demand for speed and off‑car experiences amid higher labor costs and inflation.
Klein’s prospecting combines door‑to‑door visits, networking events, social media, and data‑driven research, all guided by a detailed business plan that forces execution. Membership in ACRE’s Southern California chapter provides direct access to corporate representatives and tenant‑rep brokers, accelerating relationship building with national brands like Sprouts and Chipotle. Her boutique environment allows ideas to be heard and implemented quickly, a contrast to large national firms where individual input can be lost. Looking ahead, Klein expects continued demand for convenience‑driven tenants, while landlords will need to balance mixed‑use requests with space efficiency to maintain low vacancy rates.
Episode Description
Progressive Real Estate Partners SVP Roxanne Klein on Southern California retail leasing, tenant trends, lease negotiation blind spots, and why not all franchisees are created equal.
The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence.
Crexi Platinum Award-winner Roxy Klein spent 20-plus years building sales instincts running a candy manufacturing business across 30 states before finding her way into commercial brokerage. Today she is SVP of Retail Leasing and Sales at Progressive Real Estate Partners, the number one retail firm in the Inland Empire, specializing in landlord representation and leasing across Southern California.
In this episode, Roxy joins host Yannis Papadakis on what is moving in SoCal retail, why footprints are shrinking, what CC&Rs and amperage issues are quietly killing deals, and why she backs a 20-year mom-and-pop over a franchise tenant with no business experience.
Welcome to The Crexi Podcast
Roxy Klein's background and path to Progressive Real Estate Partners
From candy manufacturing and trade shows to commercial brokerage
No playbook: learning retail CRE from a 35-year mentor
Why retail: combining business, merchandising, and real estate
The value of specializing at a firm that only does retail
Boutique versus big shop: why entrepreneurial spirit matters
Landlord rep versus tenant rep: why listing agreements mean security
Watching retail go from dirt to grand opening
Balancing prospecting: door-to-door, phone, social, in-person
Why you have to walk into the store before you prospect it
Building relationships with national brands through ACRE
Independent pharmacies filling former Rite Aid boxes
Head spas, beauty tenants, and the risk of over-broad use clauses
Footprints are shrinking — and rent is the reason
Car washes, drive-through ground leases, and demo opportunities
Why drive-throughs dominate: convenience, speed, busy families
Coffee is the hottest category — drive-through and independent
Large full-service restaurants: very few players left
Minimum wage, inflation, and which food tenants are on pause
SoCal vacancy: low but rising, and the spaces dragging the number up
Keep an open mind, respond fast, don't wait for a better offer
CC&Rs blocking gyms, car washes, and entertainment
Amperage: the deal killer nobody checks until it's too late
Use clauses, exclusives, and inherited lease problems
How lease renewals create waiver negotiating leverage
Three things new retail brokers must know before their first assignment
Rapid fire: $10M into a multi-tenant asset close to home
How to spot a fad before it becomes your vacancy
Don't get caught up in the franchise name — vet who's signing
Parting words: stick with it, and call Roxy
About Roxy Klein:
Roxanne “Roxy” Klein is the Senior Vice President of Retail Leasing & Sales at Progressive Real Estate Partners, specializing in the leasing and sale of retail properties in Southern California’s Western Inland Empire, Eastern San Gabriel Valley, and Northern Orange County. With over 20 years of real estate and business management experience, Roxy’s expertise includes leasing, sales, client relations, landlord and tenant representation, contract negotiation, research, and marketing.
Roxy has completed transactions with a wide range of corporate retailers, including brands like Sprouts, Chipotle, Dunkin’, Circle K, Broken Yolk Café, Capriotti’s, Visionworks, Five Below, and American Family Care, among many others.
Roxy graduated from the University of La Verne with a Bachelor of Science in Business, Marketing, and Law. She is on the ACRE So Cal (Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives of Southern California) board, where she has served in various leadership roles, including President in 2024, and Vice President in 2023; Roxy is also the Best Practice Chair for RIAOC (Realty Investment Association of California), a role she is currently serving for the fourth consecutive year and a Captain on the Retail Brokers Network Restaurant Council. She also is a Crexi Platinum Award winner for 2026.
For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog.
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