Intuitive Certainty: Tori Nook on Tenant Rep and Building a Business

Retail tenant rep broker Tori Nook shares how she built Anchor Retail, closed $1B in deals, and what's driving Ohio's commercial real estate market. 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. Tori Nook has spent 26 years doing the work most brokers don’t: driving unfamiliar markets, calling landlords who aren't listed anywhere, and building national rollout programs one relationship at a time. The result is over $1 billion in closed deals and a women-owned brokerage with offices in Cleveland and Columbus serving national credit tenants. In this episode, Tori joins host Shanti Ryle for a wide-ranging conversation covering her unconventional path into retail CRE, what it actually takes to succeed in tenant rep, why she was fired before starting her own firm, and what Ohio's tight retail market looks like from the ground right now. Welcome to The Crexi PodcastTori Nook's bio and billion-dollar track recordFresh hall of fame news and finding time for lifeHow a sophomore elective led to a CRE careerGetting licensed at 19 and cycling through three brokeragesThe client who was impressed by a 24-hour callbackWhy tenant rep is not for the unorganizedGet in the car: finding off-market deals no database can surfaceCold calling into Dollar Tree and AutoZone rolloutsGetting fired and launching Anchor Retail in the same breathOpening Columbus and co-founding Anchor Property ManagementWhy Tori finally got on social media (and what it cost her not to sooner)The Houston dinner that turned into a major tenant rep accountWhy Tori doesn't cold call anymore — and hasn't had toWriting "Intuitive Certainty": business, spirituality, and ignoring the voiceThe difference between a boundary and fear in disguiseOhio's retail market: leased up, beverages booming, grocers arrivingAs-is deals, trimmed TI, and how tenants are staying competitiveWhere restaurants are struggling and why downtown hasn't recoveredThe Ohio pitch: low cost of living, high disposable incomeRapid fire: $50M, bad advice, and a contrarian Midwest take About Tori Nook: Tori Nook is the Principal and Founder of Anchor Retail, a woman-owned brokerage firm specializing in tenant representation for national retailers and restaurants. With twenty-six years of experience, Tori has closed over $1 billion in deals and built long-term relationships with clients including AutoZone, Academy Sports, Dollar General, Signet Jewelers, PetSmart, Panera Bread, Wahlburgers, Bath & Body Works, Urban Air, Skechers, Sweetgreen, and Lands' End. Tori has been recognized as a Crain's Cleveland Business "Top 40 under 40," Notable Woman in Real Estate, and Notable Leader in Commercial Real Estate in Northeastern Ohio. She was awarded "The Mother of The Bread" by Panera Bread and named the #1 Tenant Rep broker in Columbus, Ohio, by TRADEWIRE Columbus in 2024. In the last few years, she was voted a "Top Woman Influencer" by CREi Summit (2025 & 2026), recognized as the #48 LinkedIn Influencer, and awarded GlobeSt 2025 Woman of Influence in Broker-Tenant Representation. Her book, Intuitive Certainty, releases in late 2026. A graduate of John Carroll University's Boler School of Business, Tori is licensed in Ohio and operates offices in Cleveland and Columbus. She serves on the board of Providence House, a crisis nursery in Cleveland, and is a member of the Realty Resources Network membership board and the International Council of Shopping Centers. For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog.Looking to stay ahead in commercial real estate? Visit Crexi to explore properties, analyze markets, and connect with opportunities nationwide. Follow Crexi:https://www.crexi.com/​ https://www.crexi.com/instagram​ https://www.crexi.com/facebook​ https://www.crexi.com/twitter​ https://www.crexi.com/linkedin​ https://www.youtube.com/crexi About Crexi:Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle. From real-time data and market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to targeted property marketing and seamless deal management through Crexi PRO, and a transparent, time-bound bidding experience with Crexi Auction— Crexi enables users to evaluate opportunities, maximize exposure, and close with speed and confidence. To date, Crexi has subsidized over $2.74 trillion in property value, 26 billion square feet listed, and supports a growing community of more than 23 million yearly users.