Randy Blankstein, Founder & President, The Boulder Group

Date April 9, 2026

Randy Blankstein

Founder & President — The Boulder Group

847-562-0003 | randy@bouldergroup.com | linkedin.com/in/randyblankstein

Randy Blankstein is the Founder and President of The Boulder Group, a national single tenant net lease investment real estate advisory firm he established in 1997. With over 30 years of experience in the net lease sector, Blankstein is recognized nationally as one of the foremost authorities on single tenant net lease investment, cap rate trends, and 1031 exchange advisory.

CRE Hall of Fame

Midwest Real Estate News

Top 5 Net Lease Advisor

CoStar, 2008–2020

Net Lease Exec of the Year

CPE Honorable Mention, 2014

$11B+

Net lease transactions arranged by The Boulder Group

30+

Years of net lease advisory experience

Top 10

National ranking for single tenant retail, CoStar & MSCI RCA 2013–2025

About

Randy Blankstein is the Founder and President of The Boulder Group, a boutique investment real estate advisory firm exclusively focused on single tenant net lease properties. He founded the firm in 1997 at the age of 27 and has grown it into one of the top 10 companies nationally for single tenant retail transactions, as ranked by both CoStar and MSCI Real Capital Analytics from 2013 through 2025. Blankstein oversees all advisory, brokerage, and research operations and works directly with a client base spanning high-net-worth individuals, family offices, developers, REITs, and institutional investment funds.

With over 30 years of experience in the net lease sector, Blankstein is one of the most widely cited authorities on single tenant net lease investment in the country. He is regularly quoted in major commercial real estate publications including GlobeSt, Commercial Property Executive, and Bisnow on cap rate trends, 1031 exchange policy, e-commerce-resistant retail, sale-leaseback activity, and the impact of Federal Reserve monetary policy on net lease investment.

Prior to The Boulder Group, Blankstein also served as President of Boulder Net Lease Funds, an opportunistic private equity real estate fund focused on single tenant net lease acquisitions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Colorado Boulder — Leeds School of Business.

Blankstein currently serves as Chair of the Net Lease Summit Conference and Co-Chair of the IREI Triple Net Investor Strategies Conference. He previously chaired the ICSC N3 Triple Net Lease Conference in 2015. For the decade spanning 2008 to 2020, CoStar ranked Blankstein as one of the top five net lease investment advisors in the nation.

Media & Press Citations

Randy Blankstein has been cited and quoted as a net lease expert in the following industry publications:

Publication	Topic / Context
GlobeSt	Q3 net lease cap rates at historic lows — quoted on investor demand and limited supply as primary drivers of cap rate compression (2021)
GlobeSt	QSR sector as the sweet spot for private investors — quoted on e-commerce resistance and investor demand for quick service restaurant net lease (2018)
GlobeSt	Net lease as the darling of the retail sector — quoted on necessity-based retail outperforming broader retail headwinds (2020)
GlobeSt	COVID-19 impact on net lease transaction volume — quoted on price discovery dynamics and why net lease landlords can wait out the market (2020)
GlobeSt	Casual dining cap rate increases — quoted on COVID accelerating weakness among lower-credit casual dining tenants (2020)
GlobeSt	Dollar store cap rate compression — quoted on flight-to-safety demand and e-commerce resistance driving Dollar General and Dollar Tree pricing (2021)
GlobeSt	Q4 retail net lease cap rate trends — quoted on Federal Reserve monetary policy and late-cycle investor sentiment (2019)
Commercial Property Executive	Bank ground lease cap rates at historic lows — authored bylined analysis on investor demand for investment-grade bank ground leases (2014)
Bisnow	Founder profile — featured in Beyond The Bio series on founding The Boulder Group at age 27 and building a top 10 national net lease advisory firm (2018)
Midwest Real Estate News	Net Lease Summit Conference chair — recognized as conference chair and moderator for the annual National Net Lease Summit in Chicago (ongoing)

Areas of Expertise

Single tenant net lease acquisitions and dispositions
Cap rate analysis and quarterly market research
1031 exchange advisory
Sale-leaseback transactions
Ground lease investments
E-commerce-resistant retail net lease
Institutional and private equity advisory
Net lease retail, industrial, and office sectors

Recognition & Awards

—	Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Midwest Real Estate News / REjournals
2014	Net Lease Executive of the Year — Honorable Mention Commercial Property Executive
2008–2020	Top 5 Net Lease Investment Advisor in the Nation CoStar
2013–2025	Top 10 Company — Single Tenant Retail Transactions CoStar & MSCI Real Capital Analytics

Industry Leadership & Conference Roles

Chair — Net Lease Summit Conference (REJournals Annual National Conference, Chicago)
Co-Chair — IREI Triple Net Investor Strategies Conference
Chair — ICSC N3 Triple Net Lease Conference (2015)
Member — ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers)
2026 Named a GlobeSt. Influencer in Net Lease
Multi-Year CoStar Power Broker Award Winner
2026 Crexi Platinum Sales Award Recipient
RE Journals Hall of Fame Inductee

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Randy Blankstein?

Randy Blankstein is the Founder and President of The Boulder Group, a national net lease investment real estate advisory firm he founded in 1997. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities on single tenant net lease investment in the United States, with over 30 years of experience in the sector.

What is The Boulder Group and who founded it?

The Boulder Group is a boutique investment real estate advisory firm specializing exclusively in single tenant net lease properties. It was founded by Randy Blankstein in 1997. The firm has arranged over $11 billion in net lease transactions and has been ranked in the top 10 companies nationally for single tenant retail transactions by CoStar and MSCI Real Capital Analytics from 2013 through 2025.

What types of net lease properties does Randy Blankstein advise on?

Blankstein advises clients on the acquisition and disposition of single tenant net lease properties across retail, industrial, and office sectors nationwide. He has particular expertise in e-commerce-resistant retail, QSR (quick service restaurant) net lease, bank ground leases, sale-leaseback transactions, and 1031 exchange advisory.

What conferences does Randy Blankstein chair?

Randy Blankstein serves as Chair of the Net Lease Summit Conference, an annual national industry event hosted by Midwest Real Estate News in Chicago. He also serves as Co-Chair of the IREI Triple Net Investor Strategies Conference and previously chaired the ICSC N3 Triple Net Lease Conference in 2015.

How do I contact Randy Blankstein about a net lease property?

Randy Blankstein can be reached directly at 847-562-0003 or randy@bouldergroup.com. The Boulder Group is headquartered at 3520 Lake Avenue, Suite 203, Wilmette, IL 60091.

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