Kent DeSpain has been in the retail real estate business since 1999, which means he has now been doing this long enough to remember when people actually faxed LOIs. A San Francisco native and UC Berkeley graduate, Kent started his career at Epsteen & Associates, moved on to Terranomics Retail Services, and in 2003 helped launch Retail West with his partners. Since then, he has spent more than two decades representing retailers and property owners throughout Northern California and closing hundreds of transactions along the way.

Today, Kent focuses primarily on tenant representation and expansion strategy for a group of regional and national retailers.  The running mantra for his pursuits – “find and execute on the best real estate, not just the best real estate that is available”.  Having grown up around the real estate business with his father, Larry DeSpain, Kent is either a second-generation real estate professional or someone who never had much of a chance to escape it.

Outside of work, Kent lives in Orinda with his wife, Dawnell, and their two boys, Hudson and Max. He built his family's home in Orinda from the ground up in 2018 – an experience that gave him an entirely new appreciation for people who actually build the stuff he spends his days talking about.  The family enjoys working hard and playing hard.