Masters of Moments

Inside The Triple Net Lease Kingdom - Chris Hatch - Principal at Forza Commercial

Mar 19, 2025

01:17:26

In this episode of Masters of Moments, I sit down with Chris Hatch, Principal at Forza Commercial, to break down the high-stakes world of retail real estate development. Chris grew up in a real estate family, learning the business from the ground up, and those early lessons shaped how he approaches site selection, deal structuring, and scaling development projects today.

We dive into:

How to identify and secure top-tier retail sites
The evolution of drive-thru concepts and why they’re dominating retail
How tenant demand shapes development strategy
The challenges of managing multiple projects at once
Why triple-net leases are often called ‘mailbox money’ and how investors think about them

Chris also shares behind-the-scenes stories from working with national tenants like Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and Raising Cane’s, explaining what makes a high-performing retail site and how shifting consumer trends are influencing real estate decisions.

If you're interested in commercial real estate, retail development, or the business of site selection, this episode is packed with insights from someone who’s been in the trenches and built a highly successful development business.

Connect & Invest with Jake:

Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak

1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching

Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo

Links:

Chris on X - https://x.com/chriswhatch

The Dirt Dog Podcast on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0EyUYpLUMbJKqEzprNuLPM?si=e48d7ffc5ddb48a0

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:00:56) - Chris’ Background and Career

(00:05:36) - The Magic of Drive-Thrus

(00:07:03) - Lessons from Early Real Estate Experiences