Professional Experience
Associated Office
Cara Nolan is a leading industrial real estate professional in the Portland Metro area with more than 20 years of experience in industrial leasing, sales, and development. She represents tenants, landlords, buyers, and sellers of manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout the region. Over the past 10 years, Cara has completed transactions exceeding $3 billion in total consideration.
Over the course of her career, Cara has been involved in more than 35 million square feet of industrial real estate transactions. Notable assignments include over 1 million square feet for Danner LaCrosse across the U.S., including its Portland headquarters; 260,000 square feet for Central Garden & Pet; 147,000 square feet for Owens Corning; and 130,000 square feet for Cardinal Health. She also represents owners and developers of existing and planned industrial facilities, with current leasing assignments totaling approximately 8.7 million square feet. Cara was part of the landlord representation team for Mid I-5 Industrial Park, home to the Pacific Northwest’s largest speculative industrial building at approximately 1 million square feet.
A respected industry leader, Cara is a Past President of the Commercial Association of Brokers (CAB) and was the first Portland market delegate for the CBRE Women’s Network. She remains active nationally as a committee member within CBRE’s Advisory & Transaction Services platform. Known for her market expertise, strategic insight, and client-focused approach, Cara is a trusted advisor to many of the region’s leading industrial occupiers, owners, and investors.
Education
- Graduate Certificate, Real Estate Development – Portland State University
- Bachelor of Science, Economics – University of Oregon
Professional Affiliations/Accreditations
- Top Portland CBRE Industrial Team Since 2020
- 2017 DJC Women of Vision Award Honoree
- Portland Business Journal Forty Under 40, 2017
- Top Four Producer CBRE 2016, 2017, 2020
- Top Ten Producer CBRE 2015
- Board Member and Past President, Commercial Association of Brokers (CAB)
- NAIOP Committee Excellence Award
- CBRE Women’s Network
- Licensed Broker in Oregon and Washington
Clients
- AER Manufacturing
- Bay Valley Foods
- Bimbo Bakeries
- Capsa Solutions
- Cardinal Health
- Central Garden and Pet
- Danner LaCrosse
- ESI
- Estelle Imports
- Invesco
- Ivanhoe Cambridge
- Jensen Manufacturing
- Oregon Transfer
- Portland Development
- Commission
- Portland Wine Storage
- Principal Financial
- Prologis
- Providence Health Systems
- Quest Diagnostics
- Schwans
- Simplex Grinnell
- Soniq Services
- Stockbridge Capital
- Trammell Crow Company
- Watumull Properties
- Winkler Investments
Testimonials
“I had the pleasure of working with Cara while overseeing the Portland market for ProLogis this summer. Cara was an excellent communicator, keeping me informed as to market activity and updating me regularly on prospective tenants. She was extremely professional and understood the intricacies of the deal and what it took to get it over the goal line. I would welcome the opportunity to work with Cara again.”–Jill Blechschmidt, ProLogis
“There is no substitute for market knowledge and hard work. Cara Nolan brought tangible results before the ink was dry on the listing agreement and light speed completion the overall assignment.”–Brad Fowler, Fowler Andrews, LLC
Team Overview
Specializing in industrial real estate throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Stuart Skaug, Cara Nolan, Layla Evans, and Kelly Toye have built a strong reputation in the Pacific Northwest, representing many of the region’s most respected industrial property owners and occupiers. With more than 50 years of combined experience, the team brings deep market knowledge and a proven track record across complex industrial and logistics transactions.
From leasing and dispositions to advisory services, they deliver tailored strategies and end-to-end transaction management. Their expertise spans manufacturing, distribution and warehouse facilities, self-storage, and infill development projects-providing clients with clear guidance and disciplined execution at every stage.
Core Values
RESPECT | Treat everyone with dignity, value their contributions, help one another succeed.
INTEGRITY | Uphold the highest standards in our business practices.
SERVICE | Dedicate ourselves to making a meaningful impact with our clients and in our communities.
EXCELLENCE | Aspire to be the best in everything we do and strive for continuous improvement
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Related Services
- Property Type
Industrial & Logistics
We represent the largest industrial real estate platform in the world, offering an integrated suite of services for occupiers and investors.
