Chris Mearn is the Co-founder and a Principal of District, a retail real estate brokerage and advisory firm built on the belief that clients are best served through a more hands-on, relationship-driven approach. After working years in the commercial real estate business, Chris and his partner Tim Bulman, recognized an opportunity to create firm that prioritized thoughtful strategy, accessibility and long-term partnerships. Since founding District in 2014, Chris has focused on delivering tailored solutions to both retailers and landlord across urban and suburban markets.

Chris oversees expansion strategy and market planning for several national and regional retail tenants. Most notably, he leads the Trader Joe’s account across 33 states and played a key role in securing the Walmart assignment for District.  More recently, he has helped guide the expansion of brands including Naya, Mendocino Farms, and Cactus Club. He also advising emerging concepts such as Brunt Workwear and Blackbird Doughnuts on their brick-and-mortar growth strategies.  

With over 20 years of experience in retail real estate, Chris has worked on assignments at the local, regional, and national levels.  His expertise includes landlord and tenant representation, retail acquisitions and dispositions, site selection, and large-scale retail rollouts. Over the course of his career, he has worked with a wide range of institutional owners and developers, including Nuveen, Regency, Federal Realty, Related Beal, Boston Properties, Asana, Equity Residential, and New England Development.
Before co-founding District, Chris served as Vice President of Leasing and Acquisitions for Rubicon Real Estate, where he was responsible for leasing, acquisitions, and asset management.

Chris graduated from Babson College, an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and is a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.