Real Estate Dealmaker Weinstock Builds Relationships

Buildings change hands, leases expire, and developments reshape the skyline; but reputations endure.

Atlanta native Shaun Weinstock is a successful commercial broker and developer on the tenant side. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he launched a career with Chicago’s UGL Equis, then the nation’s largest privately held tenant representation brokerage firm. Years later, when the economy down turned, Weinstock viewed adversity as an opportunity. In the summer of 2010, he founded Weinstock Realty & Development.

During the boiler-room atmosphere in Chicago, he was nominated for National Rookie of the Year. After 3-plus years, the pull of home brought him back to Atlanta, where he became vice president of development for City Centre Properties under John Williams’ Corporate Holdings. There, Weinstock wore multiple hats, contributing to the development of The Mansion on Peachtree (now The Waldorf).

Since opening his own firm, Weinstock has completed more than $500 million tenant representation transactions and $15 million-plus in boutique commercial developments. His entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond brokerage. He views clients like family and provides a hands-on approach to understand their business, culture, and objectives and then implements expertise to ensure clients’ goals are aligned into real estate, and ensuring the lease is an asset, not a liability.

There have been times where he has kept negotiating on his client’s behalf, knowing he can get them better economics or more favorable business terms, even when the client seemed satisfied. His motto is “meeting client expectations is the bare minimum, exceeding them is the goal.”

Some of Weinstock’s well-known client list includes Brown & Company, Alon’s Bakery, Savi Provisions, Del Bar, and all the Painted concepts (Painted Pickle, etc.), Lazy Betty, Hen Mother Cookhouse, and Three Dollar Cafe. Most recently, Shaun made headlines with Selig Enterprises, securing a new large location on Piedmont Road (with tons of dedicated parking) for Lucy’s Market.

He shared, “Lucy’s was a great example of how our services can create value, but only first, if it starts with understanding the foundation of the business and then assessing where a client envisions business growth over the next 10 years. Understanding what works in their current model and the pain points is imperative. We found a win-win opportunity with a great local ownership team in Selig. They likely could have waited and gotten higher rents from a nightclub or large format non-local restaurant. As local owners, they recognize the value of a long-term, stable tenant that is truly ingrained in the community.”

Commenting on commercial sectors, Weinstock points to developments like Avalon, Halcyon, downtown Roswell and Woodstock as examples of mixed-use environments that attract both businesses and consumers. “Office leases are one of the top three expenses for most businesses. With the desire to bring employees back into the office, workplaces need to reflect purpose and a vibrant company culture. The building itself has to be part of something bigger. Mixed-use developments thrive because they create places where people actually want to be.”

Weinstock credits much of his outlook to his upbringing and teachings instilled by his mother and father. Specifically, to his late father, attorney Michael Weinstock, whose legal career included tenacity, discipline, and generosity. Weinstock recalls watching his father win a fraudulent case that was filed against him and was settled with a few calls and letters on a legal head; his father then told the large company that the settlement should be donated to charity rather than paying him. His father showed that one could have a successful career without sacrificing the moral standards and the people who matter.

Shaun and his wife, Alayna, are raising children, Ella and Leo. Away from the office, Weinstock coaches youth baseball, softball, and basketball.

Weinstock’s Practical Advice for Up-and-Comers

• Be persistent.Success doesn’t happen overnight.
• Bet on yourself. Confidence and calculated risk-taking are often the difference between following opportunities and creating them.
• Nothing will be handed to you. Hard work remains the industry’s greatest competitive advantage.
• Integrity is our most valuable asset, and reputation follows a career.
• Do what’s best for the client. Long-term relationships are worth more than short-term commissions.
• Learn from a larger company first. Master systems, processes, and discipline before venturing out on your own.