Lee & Associates • Newport Beach

Southern California commercial real estate, run like a system.

Tenant representation, investment sales, and owner-user transactions in office and industrial. Based in Newport Beach, covering Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, the Inland Empire, and the Coachella Valley, with institutional-grade underwriting and AI-powered market intelligence that finds opportunities before they hit the market.

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10+ YearsLeasing & sales, sourcing, executing
ARGUS CertifiedInstitutional underwriting standard
All of SoCalLA • OC • SD • Inland Empire • Desert
About

Your interests. My sole focus.

Whether you're searching for a new space, renewing your lease, expanding your footprint, or purchasing a building, my sole focus is representing your interests. I'm a Senior Associate at Lee & Associates in Newport Beach, where I advise tenants, owners, and investors across the Orange County office and industrial market.

What makes my practice different is how it runs. I'm an ARGUS Enterprise Certified Professional, so the underwriting behind my advice is the same standard institutional buyers use. And I build my own AI-powered sourcing and market intelligence systems, which means my clients hear about opportunities, expiring loans, and market shifts before the rest of the market does.

Before Orange County, I spent five years in Dallas-Fort Worth, where I studied economics and finance at TCU and got my start in commercial brokerage. Away from work you'll find me on a tennis court, a golf course, or running with my dog Winston.

ARGUS Enterprise Certified CA DRE #02100879 TCU Economics & Finance
Matt Lawer, commercial real estate broker in Newport Beach
Matt Lawer • Senior Associate, Lee & Associates Newport Beach
Services

Three ways I create value

Every engagement gets the same foundation: real underwriting, real market data, and a broker whose only incentive is your outcome.

T

Tenant Representation

Strategic planning beginning 12-18 months before lease expiration. I create leverage in the marketplace and negotiate the right space on the best possible terms, at no cost to you.

See the process →
I

Investment Sales

Valuation, underwriting, and execution of investment strategies. ARGUS-modeled cash flows and submarket comp intelligence mean pricing you can defend, whether buying or selling.

See the process →
O

Owner-User Transactions

Expert guidance for buyers and sellers of owner-occupied properties, from SBA-financed acquisitions to dispositions timed against your business plan.

See the process →

Also in scope: lease-versus-buy analysis, lease restructuring and blend-and-extend, sublease strategy, sale-leasebacks, 1031 exchange planning, build-to-suit representation, and multi-market coverage for companies with locations across Southern California and beyond.

Markets

Based in Newport Beach. Working all of Southern California.

Orange County is home base, covered submarket by submarket. The rest of SoCal runs on the same system: wealth data, business density, and CRE scoring across 159 tracked zip codes.

Orange County

Home base. Newport Beach, Irvine, the airport corridor, and every submarket on a district rotation.

Los Angeles

Century City to El Segundo to the industrial corridors of Vernon, Commerce, and the South Bay.

San Diego

La Jolla, UTC, Sorrento Valley life science, Carlsbad, and the Rancho Santa Fe wealth corridor.

Inland Empire

Logistics and industrial spillover markets, tracked through loan maturities and owner signals.

Coachella Valley

Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and La Quinta: resort, medical, and land plays in the desert.

See the system: three interactive market maps and the 159-zip directory behind this coverage, or the Orange County district breakdown.

Track Record

Proof, not promises

$27.5MTustin Financial Plaza sale, a multi-building office project, representing Sagard, Inc.
200,000 SFPlatinum Visual Solutions, the largest of 470,000+ SF in notable transactions
10+ YearsLeasing and sales across office, flex, industrial, and land
ARGUSEnterprise Certified Professional, the institutional underwriting standard

Clients and transactions include: MetLife, SBA Communications, Platinum Visual Solutions, Agility Logistics, KTGY Group, GKK Works, Payne & Fears, Phocas Software, Taylor Architects, Hart King, and Playmate Toys.

When to Call

Call me when...

Real estate decisions announce themselves early. If any of these are true, the conversation is worth 20 minutes.

TenantsYour lease expires in the next 12-18 months
TenantsYou're outgrowing your space, or paying for space you don't use
OwnersYou want a real number on what your building is worth
OwnersYour loan matures in the next two years
BuyersYou're tired of paying your landlord's mortgage
InvestorsYou're weighing hold, sell, refinance, or 1031
EveryoneYour business is changing: growing, merging, relocating, selling
EveryoneYou got an offer or a renewal proposal and want a second opinion
Process

The tenant representation timeline

A lease negotiation is won before it starts. Here's how the engagement runs from first meeting to signed deal.

  1. Define objectives

    Understand your strengths, challenges, and what the right outcome actually looks like for your business.

  2. Create leverage

    Build genuine alternatives in the marketplace so your current landlord has real competition.

  3. Develop strategy

    An in-depth plan that overcomes time constraints and keeps every option alive until the terms are right.

  4. Initiate negotiations

    Run the process across landlords and their brokers, keeping pressure where it belongs.

  5. Procure the outcome

    Close on advantageous terms, with the economics and flexibility your business needs.

Insights

From the blog

How I think about markets, underwriting, and the systems behind a modern brokerage practice.

Underwriting

Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Building in the Coachella Valley?

September 28, 2026

The Coachella Valley market is showing concrete pricing signals that matter whether you're an owner-user looking to control your rent or an investor hunting yield in a second-home economy.

Read the post →
Deals & Leases

How Much Leverage Do I Really Have with My Landlord in Orange County?

September 25, 2026

Your leverage isn't just about your lease size. It's about what your landlord sees coming next, and that changes block by block across Orange County.

Read the post →
Deals & Leases

What Does a Broker Actually Do When Selling a Building in Orange County?

September 21, 2026

Most owners think a broker just lists the building and waits for offers. The actual work starts weeks before that and runs through every detail of diligence and escrow.

Read the post →

Let's talk about your space.

Tell me what you're working on: a lease coming up, a building to buy or sell, or a market question you want a straight answer to. I'll respond within one business day.

mlawer@lee-associates.com
(949) 724-4722
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