Real Estate Site Selection Strategy: How to Identify High-Performing Retail Locations

As national and regional brands continue to expand, where you open your next location can matter just as much as when or how. Even the strongest operators can struggle if a site doesn’t support visibility, access, and long-term performance.

That’s why site selection is one of the most critical components of successful retail growth. At CMK Properties, we approach site selection as a disciplined, data-informed process designed to support tenant performance, sales consistency, and long-term lease stability. Continue reading to discover how we identify high-performing retail locations and why it matters for tenants evaluating a development partner.

Why is Site Selection So Important for Retail Tenants?

A retail site is more than a physical location— it’s a long-term commitment that directly impacts revenue, operations, and brand presence in a market. A strong site supports:

• Consistent traffic and customer access
• Sales performance that justifies long-term occupancy
• Brand visibility and recognition
• Operational efficiency for staff and logistics

Alternatively, even small constraints, such as poor access, limited visibility, or a weakening surrounding market, can create challenges that compound over time. At CMK, our goal is to help tenants avoid those risks by putting the right site in front of them from the start.

What Should You Prioritize When Evaluating a Retail Site?

While no two projects are exactly alike, CMK consistently evaluates potential sites through a core set of high-level criteria that support long-term tenant success.

1. Market Demographics and Household Income: We focus on markets with strong and sustainable household incomes, population stability, and signs of long-term growth. A healthy demographic profile helps ensure consistent demand and can support sales over the full lease term.
2. Site Access, Visibility, and Traffic: A high-performing retail location must be easy to find and easy to enter. We prioritize sites with the following fundamentals that we know directly influence daily customer flow and convenience:

• Strong ingress and egress
• Clear visibility from major roadways
• Favorable traffic counts that align with the tenant’s customer base

3. Co-Tenancy and Surrounding Uses: Retail doesn’t operate in a vacuum— rather, strong co-tenancy helps reinforce location credibility and consumer draw. The surrounding retail environment also matters, which is why we evaluate:

• Nearby national and regional brand presence
• Complementary uses that drive repeat traffic
• Signs of market health, such as limited tenant turnover

4. Long-Term Market Health: We look beyond today’s conditions and avoid markets showing signs of decline, over-saturation, or tenant migration. Instead, we prioritize communities demonstrating resilience, reinvestment, and long-term viability.

What Makes a “Good” Retail Site vs. a Risky One?

At a high level, strong retail sites tend to share common characteristics:

• Ample parking and intuitive site layout
• Clear signage opportunities
• Unrestricted access and circulation
• Alignment with brand standards and customer behavior

Conversely, CMK is disciplined about avoiding sites with:

• Access or visibility constraints
• Structural limitations that restrict operations
• Land costs that introduce unnecessary risk or long-term pressure

Our approach is intentionally selective because we know from experience that presenting the right site upfront allows tenants to operate confidently and commit for the long term, creating a win-win scenario for both parties.

Your Partner in Site Selection

At CMK Properties, site selection is grounded in experience, discipline, and long-term thinking. With more than 40 years of expertise, we understand how the right location directly impacts tenant performance, brand visibility, and long-term success. Our approach combines proven market insight with a thoughtful, data-informed evaluation process designed to support confident expansion decisions.

While local knowledge and judgment remain essential, CMK is also committed to continuing to enhance our process through evolving technology and analytics— enabling us to more efficiently and accurately identify locations positioned for durable performance and future growth.

For brands planning their next phase of expansion, selecting the right site and the right development partner can make all the difference.

To learn more about CMK’s build-to-suit development approach and how we support tenant expansion, contact our team today.

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