How to Build Millions in Retail—Without Leaving Your Neighborhood | EP#04

This isn’t just commercial real estate. It’s community-building at its boldest.

What if the strip malls, empty lots, and tired old shopping centers in your city weren’t dead—they were just waiting for someone like you to reimagine them?

In this episode of The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Beth Azor—a retail leasing legend turned developer—who proves you don’t need to fly across the country to make big moves. You just need to walk your neighborhood, knock on doors, and believe in what your city could become.

Beth shares her journey from working in brokerage to owning millions in assets…all within five miles of her home. She’s built shopping centers that house everything from national tenants like Starbucks to homegrown businesses run by her own neighbors. And the best part? She’s showing others how to do it too.

We cover:

✅ How Beth leveraged her leasing background to become a full-on CRE investor & developer

✅ What it really takes to buy your first property (hint: not just money)

✅ Her step-by-step playbook for canvassing and finding winning tenants

✅ How she structured deals with no investors, no excuses

✅ What cities actually want from developers (and how to get them to say yes)

✅ Why going local is her greatest competitive advantage

Beth doesn’t just build retail. She builds relationships—and her story will change the way you think about what’s possible in your own city.

The bold truth?

You don’t have to wait to get picked. You just have to get moving.

Guest Name: Beth Azor

Website: https://www.bethazor.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethazor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethazor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bazor1005/

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