Benjamin Berkowitz is a Texas-based commercial real estate expert known for his disciplined approach to retail investment sales and long-term value creation. He is currently a vice president at Colonial Commercial Real Estate and co-founder and managing director of Pearl Capital.
Berkowitz began his career at Colonial as an associate and quickly focused on understanding the fundamentals of retail operations. Since being licensed in Texas in 2021, he has completed more than $60 million in transaction volume. His work focuses on single and multi-tenant retail properties, including freestanding buildings and neighborhood shopping centers.
His early experiences included missed deals and lost offers. Instead of viewing these as setbacks, he used them to refine his process. He shifted his focus from short-term success to building a strong pipeline and long-term credibility.
At Colonial, Berkowitz expanded into tenant representation, including serving as exclusive representative for Flytrex. This work gave him a broader understanding of how tenants evaluate locations and structure leases.
In 2025, he co-founded Pearl Capital. The Company focuses on acquiring essential service retail properties in high-growth secondary markets. The strategy focuses on lease execution, operational improvements and asset repositioning over time. Pearl has completed its first acquisition in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Berkowitz’s work is characterized by discipline, clear objectives and consistent implementation in both brokerage and investment areas.
Benjamin Berkowitz: Construction discipline in retail real estate
Q&A interview
Q: How did you get into the commercial real estate business?
I began my career at Colonial Commercial Real Estate as a sales representative. Early on, I focused on figuring out how deals actually work. This meant understanding the prices, tenant structures and appreciation of retail properties.
Q: What were those early years like for you?
They weren’t easy. I have lost several offers and offers where I thought I had done everything right. It was frustrating at the time. But it forced me to examine what I could control and improve.
Q: What has changed after this time?
My mindset changed. I stopped focusing on immediate results and started building a pipeline. I focused more on consistency and credibility. Over time, this approach produced better results.
Q: How would you describe your work at Colonial today?
I focus on selling retail investments. This includes single and multi-tenant properties as well as free-standing buildings. As of 2021, I have completed over $60 million in transactions.
Q: What makes retail real estate unique?
It is very detail oriented. You need to understand tenants, leases and local demand. Small differences in tenant mix or location can change the value of a property.
Q: You also work in tenant representation. How did this come about?
This came about through the collaboration with Flytrex. I am your exclusive tenant representative. It gave me a different perspective. Instead of just looking at listings from the owner’s perspective, I began to understand how tenants think about location selection.
Q: How did Pearl Capital come together?
In 2025, I co-founded Pearl Capital to focus on acquisitions. We wanted to apply what we learned in brokerage to property. The aim was to build a platform around retail with essential services.
Q: What is the strategy behind Pearl Capital?
We focus on neighborhood and community shopping centers in secondary markets. We take a close look at the fundamentals of micro markets. This includes population trends, tenant demand and local economic conditions.
Q: Can you give an example of how this strategy works in practice?
Our first acquisition was a 450,000 square foot shopping center in Wichita Falls, Texas. It fit our model. It had strong fundamentals and we saw opportunities to improve leasing and operations over time.
Q: How do you define success in your work?
I define success as setting clear goals and implementing them. It’s not just about closing a deal. It’s about implementing a plan.
Q: What qualities are most important in this industry?
Discipline, credibility and long-term thinking. These are the things that increase over time.
Q: How do you approach long-term growth?
I set long-term goals first so I know where I’m going. Then I break these down into short-term steps. This keeps me focused and consistent.
Q: What still drives you professionally today?
Execution. Stay consistent. And we continue to grow both the brokerage side and Pearl Capital in ways that create long-term value.
