TEAM

Founder and Principal

James Chung

Over the course of his career, James has represented more than 100 national and regional tenants and landlords, many of them Fortune 500 companies, and has transacted more than 15 million square feet across nine Bay Area counties — some of the most coveted real estate in the world. With over a billion dollars in total lease consideration and sales in his locker of experience, James is relentlessly focused on delivering consistency, creativity, and transparency to his clients: he focuses on service, not fees, regardless of deal size. He views great retail brokers as “traffic engineers”: “I can tell you every make and model of cars driving by a particular intersection in San Francisco or San Jose, because I’m on the streets watching what’s happening,” he says. “Now more than ever, that information is critical. We know who’s in the market, and why they’re doing it — and that gives our team a unique edge to consult at a very high level and to communicate how market conditions are changing.” Econic’s roster of clients has included everything from well known brands like adidas, Sur La Table, Starbucks Coffee, 24 Hour Fitness, Capital One, Chase Bank, US Bank, Party City, PGA Superstore, Salon Republic, Darden, Hmart, MOD Pizza, AT&T, Hibbett Sports, Save Mart Companies, Living Spaces, Inspire Brands, WellBiz Brands, Sutter Health, Fidelity, Cinepolis, and Kids Care Dental to Michelin star chefs and restaurants like Iron Chef Morimoto, Protégé, Back Of The House, and Orchard City Kitchen. Chung’s agency work on behalf of national REITs and property developers includes such names as Federal Realty, Hunter Properties, Kimco, Black Rock, Balboa Retail Partners, TRC, CIM, Jamestown, Donahue Schriber, and Keenan Land Company. James is a sought-after speaker, writer, and subject matter expert in retail and commercial real estate and contributes regularly to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News. He’s also been named Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2012, ASVB (Association of Silicon Valley Brokers) Broker of the Year in 2015 and 2016, and among Chain Store Age’s “Power Four.” He is a longtime and deeply invested member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), which he served as State Director from 2014 to 2017.

Chief Operating Officer

Carol Chung

Carol Chung brings decades of experience in business development, sales and marketing to her role as Chief Operating Officer at The Econic Company. Prior to joining the company, Carol was a multi-unit franchise operator and early adopter of a well-known brand in the health, beauty and wellness space. In her current role, she oversees Econic’s strategic initiatives, branding, hiring and retention, and back-of-the-house operational functions.

Carol was part of The Econic Company’s initial core team when the company launched amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and brings a purpose-driven approach to developing, refining, and executing the firm’s mission and vision for the future, both with respect to clients and internal company culture. She is focused on creating a compelling team of brokers and staff who are empowered to solve clients’ unique challenges with creativity, grit, and connection. In her role as a strategic advisor, Carol implements and distills initiatives and operational processes that allow Econic to serve clients in a nimble, people-focused way.

Senior Director

Nicole Lyon

Nicole Lyon is a Senior Director at the econic company and specializes in both Tenant and Landlord representation. She strategically assists national and regional tenants in achieving effective roll-outs throughout the entire Bay Area in addition to project leasing of all retail asset classes throughout Northern California. Her distinguished landlord clientele include but are not limited to Hunter Properties, Blackrock, Federal Realty, Kimco, Regency Centers, TRC, and numerous other private and national REITs and developers. Nicole has created a niche in curating Tenant mixes in ground-up developments or upgrading existing Tenant merchandising mixes. Her current Leasing portfolio includes high identity projects like CityLine Sunnyvale, The Pruneyard in Campbell, Old Town Los Gatos, Westgate Center in San Jose, and many more. Moreover on the occupier side, she represents well known brands such as Dave’s Hot Chicken, Humphry Slocombe, The Boba Guys, Back of the House restaurant group, Gen Korean BBQ to name a few. Prior to becoming a broker, Nicole managed nearly 1,000,000 square feet of retail property around the Bay area. As a property manager, Nicole worked closely with her Landlord clientele and their Tenants. This unique experience gave her a profound understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Landlords and retailers alike. In 2018, Nicole was awarded Connect Media’s prestigious Next Generation award.

Director of Transactions and Marketing

Marisa Delgado

Marisa Delgado is the Director of Transactions and Marketing at The Econic Company. With over 14 years of retail experience, Marisa specializes both in agency and occupier representation, oversees all marketing communications, public relations and promotional activities. Marisa is integral in all facets of the transaction, from LOI negotiations to tenant coordination, in addition to being the backbone of all of Econic’s assets totaling over 15 million square feet. Moreover, she strategically manages and aids the development and roll-outs of Econic’s roster of national and regional tenants. Marisa’s passion for excellence, professionalism, expertise and leadership all play a pivotal role in ensuring a successful experience for all of Econic’s business partners and clients.

Executive Director

Mike Costa

Mike Costa joins the econic company as an Executive Director and brings over 40 years of commercial real estate experience to the team. Synonymous with Bay Area retail real estate, Mike has successfully represented both Landlords and Tenants in the market ranging from institutional ownership groups to household national brands with names like Chic Fil A, 24 Hour Fitness, Party City to Regency Centers, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo and Hudson Pacific to name a few. Moreover, Mike has significant sales experience transacting treasured assets like El Paseo de Saratoga, Target in Dublin, United Artists in Redwood City, Knight Ridder in San Jose and more. Mike’s body of experience brings an unparalleled depth of knowledge to the real estate process that makes him a highly sought after representative for all sides of the transaction.

Director

Mike Conroy

Mike Conroy joins the econic company as a Director and brings a strong background in both national and regional tenant and landlord representation. His successful occupier experience includes household names such as AT&T, Door Dash, Chick-Fil-A, Citibank, Circle K, Five Below, H&R Block, Xponential Fitness Brands and European Wax Centers to name a few. His prestigious Landlord clientele include national REITS such as Balboa Retail Partners, TA Realty, Bixby Land Company, Harvest Properties, and Kimco Realty. Being a San Jose native, Mike is able to leverage his lifetime of intimate knowledge and institutional relationships, adding a unique value proposition to the transaction.

Administrative Assistant

Kristine Thorp

Kristine Thorp plays an integral role at the econic company as an Administrative Assistant. Fully licensed as a Salesperson in the organization, Kristine is involved in all aspects of the business from interfacing with prospects, LOI negotiations, data analytics, and touring. She hails from the tech industry where she was working as an IT business analyst and project manager in her previous life.  Being a Bay Area native, she has an intimate knowledge of the market and applies her deep understanding to all aspects of the transaction.  Along with assisting our sales team, she plays a pivotal role in optimizing the operations of the company.

Associate

Shelby Swanson

Shelby Swanson is a Landlord and Tenant representation specialist at The Econic Company. Shelby was exposed early to the world of retail, growing up as a fit model for well known brands such as Byer and Gymboree.  As she grew older, she was called upon from Everlane, Levi’s and Old Navy.  She was able to see firsthand how much research, planning and consideration goes into every single item that eventually makes it onto a brand’s retail shelves.  Her knowledge and experience in and around the Bay Area coupled with her intimate knowledge in the retail world proves her to be a unique asset to the industry.  Shelby’s landlord and tenant clientele includes established brands and ownership groups not limited to Miracle Ear, Teaspoon and F45 as well as Essex Property Trust, Inc., Ledcor, Pell Development and many other national and regional landlords and tenants. As a Bay Area native, Shelby has a deep understanding of the local landscape which enables her to offer her clients a curated approach to their real estate objectives. Shelby is deeply committed to her clients and understands that her role is critical to their success.