STUDIO NOIR

Private · Master Plan · v1.0
STUDIO NOIRBROKER ROSTER

STUDIO NOIR · RDU Broker Roster

Eight commercial real estate brokers vetted for the STUDIO NOIR Phase 1 site search: 1,500 to 2,500 sqft luxury boutique retail, 10+ ft ceilings, structural rigging capability, high-street or lifestyle-center adjacency. Target neighborhoods: North Hills, Fenton (Cary), Downtown Raleigh, Brightleaf (Durham), Meadowmont (Chapel Hill), Village District, Wake Forest downtown.

Recommended play: Lauren Faulkenberry (Tier 1, top pick, former Pure Barre operator turned broker) plus Reagan Crabtree as institutional co-quarterback, with Cori Nix (CBRE) and Claudia Bordeaux (Colliers) as competitive quotes, and Michelle Rich Goode as the conflict-free tenant-only backup. Send all five intro emails the same week.

Market tailwind for every intro call: service tenants (spas, fitness, salons) leased more retail than traditional retailers for the first time ever last year in the Triangle. Under-10,000 sqft vacancy is under 2.5%. STUDIO NOIR is riding the wave landlords want. Use that leverage. Source: https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/29/fitness-studios-are-taking-over-the-triangles-downtowns.

Engagement model

Tenant-rep, landlord-paid. STUDIO NOIR pays $0 out of pocket. Broker earns a commission from the landlord on lease close (typically 4 to 6 percent of lease value).

Signed Exclusive Tenant Representation Agreement, 6 to 12 month term with 90-day tail. Never dual-rep. Never sign a landlord’s listing agent as our tenant rep.

Tier 1 · Lead With These

1. Lauren Faulkenberry · The Providence Group

  • Role: Retail broker, specialty and lifestyle tenant representation, Charlotte and Raleigh territories

  • Firm site: https://www.providencegroup.com/teams/lauren-faulkenberry/

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-faulkenberry-b154a6a

  • Office: 2700 Wycliff Rd, Suite 290, Raleigh · Firm main line: 704-365-0820

  • Why she wins the top slot: She personally owned and operated two Pure Barre studios in Greenville, SC and served as a Master Trainer before returning to CRE. Signed a boutique fitness lease, built out a small-format studio, ran the P&L. Also carries lifestyle-brand tenant-rep chops from Colonial Properties, Metropolitan at Midtown, and Providence Group.

  • Red flag: Providence does both landlord and tenant work; confirm she can rep Taj exclusively on any center where Providence is not the listing agent.

  • Intro pitch (send this):

    Lauren, I’m Taj Hines, founder of STUDIO NOIR, a 5-star luxury pole and movement studio opening our first location in the Triangle (Aman-hotel hospitality meets boutique training). I found you because you actually operated two Pure Barre studios before going into brokerage, and that founder-side lens is exactly what I need on a 1,500 to 2,500 sqft high-street search. Open to a 20-minute intro call next week?

2. Reagan Crabtree · The Providence Group (Partner, Head of Raleigh Office)

  • Role: Partner and head of Providence Group’s Raleigh office; 18+ years retail CRE, 13 of them as SVP on CBRE Raleigh’s retail team

  • Firm site: https://www.providencegroup.com/teams/reagan-crabtree/

  • Office: 2700 Wycliff Rd, Suite 290, Raleigh · Firm main line: 704-365-0820

  • Why he fits: Deepest tenant-rep bench in Raleigh from CBRE years. Has walked national and regional retailers through multi-market rollouts. Knows every landlord rep on the target list personally. Pair with Lauren = operational empathy + institutional Rolodex.

  • Red flag: Does both landlord and tenant reps; if a target center is one he lists, hand the tenant chair to Lauren or Cristi.

  • Intro pitch:

    Reagan, Lauren F. suggested I reach out. I’m Taj Hines, founder of STUDIO NOIR (luxury pole and movement studio). We’re targeting a 2,000 sqft high-street spot in North Hills, Fenton, Village District, or Brightleaf and I want a tenant-side quarterback who knows which landlords will actually welcome our concept. Would love 20 minutes to see if there’s a fit.

3. Cori Nix · CBRE Raleigh, Retail Services (SVP)

  • Role: SVP on CBRE Raleigh Retail Services team, joined 2017; tenant rep + investor leasing across the Triangle

  • Firm site: https://www.cbre.com/people/cori-nix

  • Track record: Co-represented Asana Partners at Brightleaf District in Downtown Durham — direct landlord relationship at one of Taj’s actual target neighborhoods. Prior tenant-rep book at The Shopping Center Group covered Panera, Sprouts, Outback, Harbor Freight.

  • Why she fits: Active on both sides at Brightleaf, can flip the same knowledge into tenant-rep in the neighboring corridors. Woman broker on a team where that’s still rare.

  • Red flag: CBRE Raleigh retail leans heavily national-tenant and landlord rep (12M+ sqft under assignment). Explicitly hire her tenant-rep in writing.

  • Intro pitch:

    Cori, I’m Taj Hines, founder of STUDIO NOIR, a luxury pole and movement studio opening in the Triangle. I saw your work on Brightleaf for Asana and that block-by-block knowledge of downtown Durham and North Hills is exactly what our 2,000 sqft build-out needs. Could we grab 20 minutes to talk site strategy and whether CBRE could rep us tenant-side?

Tier 2 · Strong Adds

4. Cristi Webb · The Providence Group (Raleigh)

  • Role: Retail Broker, joined Providence 2023 after 8 years as VP on CBRE Raleigh retail team; both landlord and tenant experience with lifestyle centers and mixed-use

  • Firm site: https://www.providencegroup.com/teams/cristi-webb/

  • Phone: 919-251-5325 · Email format: c***@providencegroup.com

  • Why she fits: Nine years of Raleigh-specific retail relationships plus explicit lifestyle-center portfolio history. Knows which Fenton, Meadowmont, or Village District landlord’s site plan actually allows a rigged build-out.

  • Red flag: Same dual-agency caveat; roughly 9 years experience so less founder-side scar tissue than Lauren.

  • Intro pitch:

    Cristi, Taj Hines here, founder of STUDIO NOIR, a luxury pole/movement studio launching in the Triangle. Your background on lifestyle-center and mixed-use portfolios stood out. I’m looking for someone who knows which of the Fenton/Village District/North Hills-style landlords are open to a boutique fitness concept with rigging. Worth 20 minutes?

5. Michelle Rich Goode · Rich Commercial Realty (Tenant-Only Boutique)

  • Role: Founder and Principal; 30+ years CRE; firm’s strategic decision is to represent tenants and buyers only (no landlord/developer conflicts)

  • Firm site: https://richcommercialrealty.com/ · Team page: https://richcommercialrealty.com/our-team/michelle-rich-goode-founder/

  • Phone: 919-821-7880 · Office: 3840 Ed Drive Suite 108, Raleigh 27612

  • Why she fits: Pure tenant-rep firm eliminates the incentive-alignment issue that comes with the big houses. Woman-founded boutique matches the founder-led ethos Taj is targeting.

  • Red flag: Firm’s public case studies skew office/industrial/healthcare, not boutique retail. Ask directly for recent fitness/wellness/spa comps before hiring.

  • Intro pitch:

    Michelle, I’m Taj Hines, founder of STUDIO NOIR, a luxury pole and movement studio opening in the Triangle. Your firm’s tenant-only stance is exactly the alignment I want, no landlord conflicts. Can we set 20 minutes to see if Rich Commercial has recent boutique-retail comps that would make you the right fit?

6. Claudia Bordeaux · Colliers Raleigh-Durham (VP, Retail Services)

  • Role: VP Retail Services, Colliers Raleigh-Durham; roughly 10 years NC market; formerly partner at M1 Commercial; both small-shop landlord leasing and tenant rep

  • Firm site: https://www2.colliers.com/en/countries/united-states/cities/raleigh/rdu-retail-team

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiabordeaux

  • Office: Colliers Raleigh, 4208 Six Forks Rd Suite 800

  • Why she fits: Small-shop specialist. 1,500 to 2,500 sqft is her home-field range, not an accommodation.

  • Red flag: Same dual-agent risk. Retain tenant-side in writing on any center where Colliers has a listing role.

  • Intro pitch:

    Claudia, Taj Hines, founder of STUDIO NOIR (luxury pole and movement studio). Your focus on small-shop, 1,500 to 2,500 sqft leasing is exactly the deal size we’re bringing. I’d like to compare Colliers’ tenant-rep approach to a couple of other Raleigh shops. Have 20 minutes next week?

Tier 3 · Optional Additions

7. Matt Larson · CBRE Raleigh, Retail Services

  • Firm site: https://www.cbre.com/people/matt-larson
  • Useful counter-quote to Cori Nix if we want two CBRE brokers competing.
  • Red flag: heavier landlord/project-leasing tilt.

8. Melissa McDonald · The Providence Group (Principal)

  • Firm site: https://www.providencegroup.com/teams/melissa-mcdonald/
  • 35+ years, junior-box tenants. Sola Salons is closest analog.
  • Red flag: her sweet spot is 3,500 to 5,000 sqft, larger than STUDIO NOIR.

Wrong-Fit Signals · Do Not Hire

  • Kane Realty (Alex Mikels / Hooker Manning) at North Hills — landlord-rep only. https://kanerealtycorp.com/our-expertise/retail-leasing/
  • York Properties (Gardenia Buendia) at Village District — landlord-rep only.
  • Bruce Koniver · Odyssey Retail Advisors — leading Fenton’s retail leasing on the landlord side.
  • Avison Young Raleigh-Durham — heavily industrial and office focused.
  • Trinity Partners Raleigh — dominated by office/mixed-use.
  • Hughes Marino Raleigh-Durham — tenant-only but office/tech only, wrong asset class.
  • JLL Raleigh — retail tenant-rep bench thinner than CBRE and Providence locally.

Talk to Kane, York, and Odyssey to get on the tour list for their centers. Never hire them as tenant rep.

The engagement plan

Week 1: Send five intro pitches (Tier 1 + Tier 2) on the same Tuesday morning. Response within 48 hours = warm, no response by Friday = eliminate from shortlist.

Week 2: 20-minute intro calls, back to back on one day if possible. Same 6 questions asked to each:

  1. Recent boutique fitness/wellness/spa leases you closed in the last 24 months?
  2. Which landlords in North Hills, Fenton, Village District, Brightleaf, Meadowmont, and Waverly do you have direct relationships with?
  3. What is your TI negotiation approach on wellness build-outs?
  4. Have you closed a lease with structural rigging language (pole, aerial, silks)?
  5. Fee structure and exclusivity terms?
  6. Who else on your team would touch this deal, and what is their track record?

Week 3: Shortlist to two. Sign an exclusive tenant-rep agreement with one primary (Lauren + Reagan quarterback OR Cori Nix), keep one secondary on ice as leverage.

Week 4: Broker delivers first tour list of 6 to 10 properties. Structural + ceiling-height engineering check on the top 3 before any LOI.

Phase 2 flagship (2028+)

Revisit with the same slate plus JLL Raleigh, Cushman & Wakefield Raleigh, and Newmark Raleigh Retail Occupier Services teams. Fee expectations on a $2M to $8M lease deal justify their attention.

Full site scorecard in [[market-selection-rdu]].